Hi,

So many times I've driven down to the bottom of the country but never went any further...for whatever reason just never took the leap to keep going...

No I don't mean drive off the Dover cliffs

I have 12 days holidays to take (was a busy year with crane rebuilds), the older kid has just started school so now restricted to school holidays with the family and need to use up my hols by the end off the year.

I love camping and have all the gear and both a 4 & 6 man tents. I also have little Fiesta running really well sooo... was thinking European road trip

Never driven on the left so a bit worried about that, do have a great satnav with newly updated maps for Europe so won't get lost

Not very interested in visiting France, at all (sorry French people ) but would like to visit Poland, Auschwitz (yeah a bit morbid but I've always wanted to visit), Berlin top of the list. I love city breaks and the more science/car/space museums the better. Food is no issue, I'll live on pot noodles, bacon rolls and MacDonald's no bother at all for the whole holiday.

Counting on everyone else in Europe speaking more languages than I do that wouldn't be hard. I'm 45 and I feel that if I don't do this now there's less and less chance of me ever doing it...

So with zero idea about these things anyone else got some idea's what I should do? I think my passport is ok, better check, is that enough, do I need Visa's or something? oh car headlight things and a GB sticker need those. Did joke about painting the Fiesta dayglow orange for road safety (for everyone else!) might be a good idea.

Check passport and car license are still valid. European health insurance card is easy to get online.

Berlin is great. I highly recommend going on this cycle tour. You get to see so much of the city and learn a lot.https://www.fattiretours.com/berlin/tours/city-tour

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Never driven on the left so a bit worried about that,

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I’ve driven in and lived in Europe, there has been a couple of times I’ve been “right wtf am I meant t be doing.” The two things that help me.
1. When your in the driver seat. The White centre line should be closest to you.
2. I always picture a landmark that I drive past daily. Ie when I pass Halfords it’s over my left shoulder. On continent. It will still be over left shoulder in the same direction it you’ll be on other side of the road.
Hope it helps.

Also. Drivers on the continent drive a bit closer and a touch faster.
They are not following you ;-)

[Edited on 21/8/18 by nero1701]

it,s not as bad as you think mainly....
as above, E111, reflective jacket for each person on board and spare bulbs for your car, take photocopy of V5 and MOT, make sure your sat nav it up to date. i have been to Auschwitz, take a box of tissues.
driving in France etc is pretty easy, mainly toll roads, can will be expensive, locals mainly friendly Poland is a different ball game, once off the new motorway type roads it can be a bit 3rd world, most younger people speak English but they drive like maniacs, beautifull country and amazing food but lots of cars and belongings get nicked.
dont go too far east or you may end up at the wrong end of a gun when you get to the border with Russia....guess how i know

I only made one mistake, when I'd pulled into a layby on the left to admire a view of the mountains. Stopped for a while, then drove off, and wondered why there was a car coming straight at me! Yep, habit kicked in and I'd driven off on the left-hand side of the road. Fortunately it was a slowish back road so no harm done - apart from scaring the sh*t out of the driver coming in the other direction!

Oh - and don't underestimate the distances in Europe. The furthest I've driven is to Austria, and that took 3 days of steady driving - not slow, but I wanted to see the sights as well. You might like to go to northern France, Belgium or Netherlands first, to get the hang of it - lots of beautiful places to visit there.

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Originally posted by theconrodkid
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dont go too far east or you may end up at the wrong end of a gun when you get to the border with Russia....guess how i know

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Lots of great advice, helps when people have done it and didn't know all that stuff about driving in France either. I'll google as much as I can

I never go very fast in little Fiesta, it's just not built for that. Only planning on using major roads and the most direct routes. Distances yeah much like driving in the US just goes on for ever (dad was driving then...are we there yet?!...)

Auschwitz... yeah folk in the office have been, expect it will be quite horrendous

Most of the driving was fine, but I did have to concentrate on roundabouts and left turns at T-junctions. I was always pleased to have a car in front of me in those places!

Also, you might like to Google "priority a droite" if you want to drive in France...

might be worth considering the newcastle - Amsterdam (Ijmuiden) ferry ...

practical points, on French country roads you have to yield to the right and obviously roundabouts work the other way round to the UK (yield to the left).

for info:

This gives a good explainer:

linky

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Originally posted by Angel Acevedo

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Originally posted by theconrodkid
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dont go too far east or you may end up at the wrong end of a gun when you get to the border with Russia....guess how i know

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I really would like to hear (read) about it..

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I go to the nurburgring every year, driving on the other side is a doddle after the first 5 minutes, everyone is doing it and you're really concentrating. However I always find coming back home the worst bit - and the first few roundabouts when you get back into the UK I end up in a flap!

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Originally posted by theconrodkid

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Originally posted by Angel Acevedo

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Originally posted by theconrodkid
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dont go too far east or you may end up at the wrong end of a gun when you get to the border with Russia....guess how i know

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I really would like to hear (read) about it..

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as you wish
my ex girlfriend is Polish, we were on holiday there enjoying the lakes, met a fella at the hotel who told me about the really scarey place he had been where the border crossing to Belarus is....i decided to go have a look, got 100 yards from said crossing when guard and gun stopped me, i was wearing shorts, hawian shirt and flip flops, he held me for 2 hours while he tried to find something to arrest me with, all his attempts failed so he had to let me go.
back at the hotel the manager was really worried for my safety, i found out later that Belarus is a bit like North Korea and is best avoided
when i left the country, as expected i got the 3rd degree at the airport....never been back.

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On many a family holiday to France I used to put post it notes on dash and instrument binnacle, LOOK LEFT, Roundabout GO RIGHT, some French roads still give way to traffic joining B roads beware
I found Yello village camping very good lots of facilities.
Toll roads log your average speed and you will be fined when you pay.
Some 24Hr petrol stations at supermarkets only take cards and some uk debit cards aren’t accepted

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy I'm 45 and I feel that if I don't do this now there's less and less chance of me ever doing it...

.

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Originally posted by snapper

Toll roads log your average speed and you will be fined when you pay.

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Originally posted by gremlin1234
might be worth considering the newcastle - Amsterdam (Ijmuiden) ferry ...

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I'm usually OK after about 5 minutes and your first LH turn
After that you dont often forget
If you take your own car, keep your self, the driver in the gutter and that will keep your passenger safer

I find the worst bit of driving over there is the car parks, especially supermarket type ones. Maybe it is just me....

Colditz is supposed to be rather good. I think you can stay there?

Every couple of years we do the Club Triumph 10 countries run. Does what it says on the tin (about 2 1/2K in 5 days).... one involved Slovenia and lots of East Germany (as was) Both fantastic to see.

Done lots of stuff in France. Earlier this year visited the Menin Gate. Well worth dropping into and watching the ceremony. Puts stuff in perspective.

When in a RHD car on the continent, my simple mantra is "driver's arse, closest to the kerb" it works every time

The first few times I drove my car abroad, I too had a Post It note taped to the centre of the steering wheel, with two simple diagrams, a crossroads and a roundabout, I've sketched it for you

People have mentioned Hi Viz, in some countries these have to be stored inside the car, not in the boot, so they can be reached in an emergency

Have you thought about European breakdown cover?


Description

I was admiring a nice Triumph Stag on the ferry on one trip - highly amused to see a huge arrow taped to the steering wheel, pointing right!

Watch out for new speed limits in France - recently the main holiday auto-route speed limits have been reduced by 20 km/h, ie 110k instead of 130k and from 90km/h to 80km/h on single carriage roads, which is being enforced much to the annoyance of the locals.

Apparently this is to reduce pollution levels but of course, they haven’t changed every single sign - just put it in the local papers.

LEZs are also springing up in major cities, so don’t just drive into a city centre without checking first.

[Edited on 22/8/18 by scimjim]

AND, I think it is still a law, DO NOT use cruise control in Belgium, it IS illegal. Although how they know you are using it I have no idea.

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Originally posted by Toys2
When in a RHD car on the continent, my simple mantra is "driver's arse, closest to the kerb" it works every time

The first few times I drove my car abroad, I too had a Post It note taped to the centre of the steering wheel, with two simple diagrams, a crossroads and a roundabout, I've sketched it for you

People have mentioned Hi Viz, in some countries these have to be stored inside the car, not in the boot, so they can be reached in an emergency

Have you thought about European breakdown cover?


Description

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
France seems a good place to avoid so far...

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We've done a few holidays in mainland-Europe. There's a bit in the Italian Job where Michael Caine turns to the driver of one of the minis and says "And don't forget to drive on the wrong side of the road"... I chant it out every time I leave a hypermarche car park or turn right at a cross roads! It's when you are not in a flow of movement that you hesitate and wonder which side to aim for.

But on the whole the roads are laid out in such a way that you can't get it wrong - coming up to a roundabout for example you approach at such an angle that you'd really have to turn right back on yourself to drive round it the 'English' way.

Most of my driving has been in France, which I consider to be a great place - full of lots of interesting scenery and places and, in my experience, fairly nice people. I would recommend it highly to be honest. If you're interested in reminders of the horrors of war the Normandy beaches are well worth a visit and I did want to go to Oradour-sur-Glane (still in the state it was left by the Nazis after they killed everyone there and burnt the village down) but the missus wasn't so keen!

The main thing about driving in France that I have noted is that the slip roads on the peage (the toll motorways) really are VERY short and lead off into some tight curves. As soon as you cross the dotted line to leave the right(!!!) hand lane you want to be hard on the brakes!

Bon voyage!


(EDIT: Actually he says "Just remember, in this country they drive on the wrong side of the road." - But you get the point...)

[Edited on 22/8/18 by jps]

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Originally posted by jps

The main thing about driving in France that I have noted is that the slip roads on the peage (the toll motorways) really are VERY short and lead off into some tight curves. As soon as you cross the dotted line to leave the right(!!!) hand lane you want to be hard on the brakes!

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I only came to the site to check the weight of various models I might consider building and subsequently trailering around but I saw this thread and thought I might have some experience to offer.

Firstly I would endorse the suggestion of getting the ferry from Harwich especially if you want to avoid France. However please leave plenty of time to get to Hook of Holland on your return journey as the port is realy badly signposted and your satnav will probably send you to the freight area.

In Belgium you might like to visit the Atomium and the European Space Centre as well as Spa Francorchamps where the banked corner at the bottom end of the old circuit is still part of the public road and there is a (slightly disappointing for me) motor museum in the old abbey at Stavelot.

I have visited the Baltic coast in Germany and can recommend Daisy's Diner near Bremen for an enroute munch.
We visited a ton of places along the coast and there are lots of campsites, but some of the most interesting bits are on Ruegen island including the bleak East German listening ststion at Putgarten, the herring port and U Boat museum at Sassnitz and Uncle Addie's unfinished 'Butlins' at Prora which was also a DDR army base and contains a motorcycle museum.

If you are going to Poland make sure your insurance covers for driving there as ours ran out at the German border.

Heading from Auschwitz back to the channel you could stop at Vienna, Munich, Stuttgart before getting back to Belgium. The route up the Rhine valley to Koblenz is very pretty and you can camp at the uniquely stunning Lacher See. Or visit Germany's oldest city Trier.

The best thing I find about driving in Europe espec Germany is the distances you can eat up quite quickly. We did Hook of Holland to Ruegen 900km in a day fairly easy.

One frustration I was not expecting in Germany (and Holland) is the lack of cashpoints except in major towns and cities. Also not all shops take all cards or indeed any cards at all - even some national chains take visa but not mastercard or vice versa. So It's best to get cash when you can and probably hold more of it than you might in the UK.

Anyway sorry for banging on. Hope some of the above is useful.

Much appreciated, a wealth of useful info there thank's for taking the time. Thanks to everyone too huge help

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Originally posted by jimbo7777
I only came to the site to check the weight of various models I might consider building and subsequently trailering around but I saw this thread and thought I might have some experience to offer.

Firstly I would endorse the suggestion of getting the ferry from Harwich especially if you want to avoid France. However please leave plenty of time to get to Hook of Holland on your return journey as the port is realy badly signposted and your satnav will probably send you to the freight area.

In Belgium you might like to visit the Atomium and the European Space Centre as well as Spa Francorchamps where the banked corner at the bottom end of the old circuit is still part of the public road and there is a (slightly disappointing for me) motor museum in the old abbey at Stavelot.

I have visited the Baltic coast in Germany and can recommend Daisy's Diner near Bremen for an enroute munch.
We visited a ton of places along the coast and there are lots of campsites, but some of the most interesting bits are on Ruegen island including the bleak East German listening ststion at Putgarten, the herring port and U Boat museum at Sassnitz and Uncle Addie's unfinished 'Butlins' at Prora which was also a DDR army base and contains a motorcycle museum.

If you are going to Poland make sure your insurance covers for driving there as ours ran out at the German border.

Heading from Auschwitz back to the channel you could stop at Vienna, Munich, Stuttgart before getting back to Belgium. The route up the Rhine valley to Koblenz is very pretty and you can camp at the uniquely stunning Lacher See. Or visit Germany's oldest city Trier.

The best thing I find about driving in Europe espec Germany is the distances you can eat up quite quickly. We did Hook of Holland to Ruegen 900km in a day fairly easy.

One frustration I was not expecting in Germany (and Holland) is the lack of cashpoints except in major towns and cities. Also not all shops take all cards or indeed any cards at all - even some national chains take visa but not mastercard or vice versa. So It's best to get cash when you can and probably hold more of it than you might in the UK.

Anyway sorry for banging on. Hope some of the above is useful.

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Belgium activly targets foreigners for speeding (or maybe the locals know where the traps are). But i got directed into a layby by a motorbike cop and already stopped were British cars, german cars, dutch cars, french cars. No Belgian ones. Had to pay the fine before i could leave (not huge fine but wasn't huge speed). My own fault of course but be aware.

To drive on the motorways in Switzerland you need to buy a windscreen sticker at the border (road tax) and you have to pay for the whole year up front (about £50ish if I remember). Same goes in Austria but you can just buy a 7 day sticker there.

Oh Europe no wonder we wanted to leave you....

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Oh Europe no wonder we wanted to leave you....

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