European driving standards are horrendous!

[Father Ted]

So. For someone who has only driven overseas three times, here is my two penneth worth.

France: The only place I've been. Lovely to drive in , especially with the caravan on the back. They seem to make allowances for caravans, which I put down to a total lack of Jeremy Clarkson.
Even in towns I didn't find anything to worry me.

But: My next trip over there this summer will see me pass right through Belgium. (Dunkirk to Vaals, near Aachen).
Reading your comments about Belgium is starting to give me doubts!!!! Especially with 7m of van on the back.

[steadvex]

Just don't go into Brussels, same advice probably for anyone in the UK, don't drive in London !

[Father Ted]

Wasn't planning on it.....if I don't get lost!

[steadvex]

Originally Posted by Father Ted

Wasn't planning on it.....if I don't get lost!

should be fine no matter how many times the sat nav says the centre is a short cut don't give in to it!

[ThomasG]

Originally Posted by steadvex

should be fine no matter how many times the sat nav says the centre is a short cut don't give in to it!

Sounds like Rouen..
Never again.

[The Thong]

Mons in Belgium is like Redditch, it’s populated by people who drove in and couldn’t find their way out again. Mons is a lovely place but all roads lead back to the centre.... Well, that’s in the days before Satnav, a tour guide map in a foreign language.

TT

[1monkey600]

It is slightly longer the other way but personally I try to avoid the Brussels ring road (E40 motorway) as there invariably big traffic jams there. GPS tends to send you this way because it is slightly shorter but most of the trucks, etc, go that way too.

It is only about 15mins longer (not taking traffic into account) if you get on the E42 in Dunkirk, (heading south towards Lille), and stay on it all the way, past Mons, Namur, Liege to Aachen, that way almost half the journey is in France, it is a lot less boring (as in ironing board flat) and there is less likelihood of jams too.
I do this route about 8 times a year between Calais and Liege. Only passed via Brussels once in the last 4 years and only then because it was a Bank Holiday morning. I do go onto the ring occasionally, to the airport, etc and always get stuck in traffic unless it is before 6am or after 9pm.

[m0bzy]

Antwerp is another place to avoid,the only time you get moving is through the Scheld (spelling?) tunnel,and even then the traffic awaits you at the other end,.

[Father Ted]

Originally Posted by 1monkey600

It is only about 15mins longer (not taking traffic into account) if you get on the E42 in Dunkirk, (heading south towards Lille), and stay on it all the way, past Mons, Namur, Liege to Aachen, that way almost half the journey is in France, it is a lot less boring (as in ironing board flat) and there is less likelihood of jams too.

When you say it's not ironing board flat, that would be a definite positive to me, I'll have a big caravan on the back. How hilly is it?
I've just googled that route and, although it didn't come up until I forced it to, it's about the same time as going past Brussels, so it looks like a plan. I wouldn't have thought of going that way.

[Whippy]

Originally Posted by ThomasG

Sounds like Rouen..
Never again.

Similarly Marseille! Nightmare! And always avoid the more scenic parts of France in season when you inevitably get fought up in a 'lets take the winnibago down this narrow mountain road, I mean, what could possibly go wrong" scenario. We came on one such behemoth literally beached on a hairpin bend!