Driving to Greece.
Discussion
Having just spent a week on Thassos and being slightly jealous of all the Romanians and Bulgarians who only have to drive there 
Did see two Brit cars and a few Dutch though.
Old coach, ferry, coach, too early for delayed plane, then plane sat on runway for 1.5 hours, Gatwick, bus to car, then drive home.
Over 12 hours in total.
I'd like to give driving ago. Think I'll take 3 days to get there but then I'll have my own car, own paddleboard, beach shelter, maybe some friends or my son's along for the trip.
Ferry from Italy is pretty eye watering in cost so how about overland, anyone done it?
Will I need visas for me (Euro and Brit passports) and paperwork for my car for Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria etc
What's the best route? Will I need to outrun mobsters, angry farmers or am I thinking very last century.
Love the idea of just jumping in my car one day and heading off, no planning but is that possible in this day and age of low emission zones and Brexit?
Love to hear your stories
Did see two Brit cars and a few Dutch though.
Old coach, ferry, coach, too early for delayed plane, then plane sat on runway for 1.5 hours, Gatwick, bus to car, then drive home.
Over 12 hours in total.
I'd like to give driving ago. Think I'll take 3 days to get there but then I'll have my own car, own paddleboard, beach shelter, maybe some friends or my son's along for the trip.
Ferry from Italy is pretty eye watering in cost so how about overland, anyone done it?
Will I need visas for me (Euro and Brit passports) and paperwork for my car for Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria etc
What's the best route? Will I need to outrun mobsters, angry farmers or am I thinking very last century.
Love the idea of just jumping in my car one day and heading off, no planning but is that possible in this day and age of low emission zones and Brexit?
Love to hear your stories
Cant help with the actual overland part but my experience of Italian ferries is that prices can be very date sensitive. If you can be flexible you might find a much cheaper crossing.
Also, if you can book a priority disembarkation (20€ for example on Palermo to Genoa), it will save you being buried in the depths of the ferry. You do have to wait to board but the pay- off is that you’re parked behind the doors so literally first off.
Also, if you can book a priority disembarkation (20€ for example on Palermo to Genoa), it will save you being buried in the depths of the ferry. You do have to wait to board but the pay- off is that you’re parked behind the doors so literally first off.
croyde said:
Having just spent a week on Thassos and being slightly jealous of all the Romanians and Bulgarians who only have to drive there
Did see two Brit cars and a few Dutch though.
Old coach, ferry, coach, too early for delayed plane, then plane sat on runway for 1.5 hours, Gatwick, bus to car, then drive home.
Over 12 hours in total.
I'd like to give driving ago. Think I'll take 3 days to get there but then I'll have my own car, own paddleboard, beach shelter, maybe some friends or my son's along for the trip.
Ferry from Italy is pretty eye watering in cost so how about overland, anyone done it?
Will I need visas for me (Euro and Brit passports) and paperwork for my car for Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria etc
What's the best route? Will I need to outrun mobsters, angry farmers or am I thinking very last century.
Love the idea of just jumping in my car one day and heading off, no planning but is that possible in this day and age of low emission zones and Brexit?
Love to hear your stories
I drove down at a leisurely pace to Lefkas island. Route out was France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia ( to visit Dubrovnik) , Montenegro, Albania and finally Greece. Return was Igoumenitsa to Venice by ferry and we made our way via Venice and Pisa then into Monaco and France. Did see two Brit cars and a few Dutch though.
Old coach, ferry, coach, too early for delayed plane, then plane sat on runway for 1.5 hours, Gatwick, bus to car, then drive home.
Over 12 hours in total.
I'd like to give driving ago. Think I'll take 3 days to get there but then I'll have my own car, own paddleboard, beach shelter, maybe some friends or my son's along for the trip.
Ferry from Italy is pretty eye watering in cost so how about overland, anyone done it?
Will I need visas for me (Euro and Brit passports) and paperwork for my car for Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria etc
What's the best route? Will I need to outrun mobsters, angry farmers or am I thinking very last century.
Love the idea of just jumping in my car one day and heading off, no planning but is that possible in this day and age of low emission zones and Brexit?
Love to hear your stories
We transited Albania in a day as I could not get insurance cover for parking overnight, might have changed by now.
All very easy, roads generally good and no problems with border crossings. The trip was a holiday in itself we took maybe 10 days in all travelling.
Regards ShelsleyF2
I drove to Athens and back last November via Zagreb - Belgrade - Thessaloniki
No visas needed. The borders can get very busy at peak times. Make sure your insurance covers you - the only omission on my route was North Macedonia but you can buy insurance on the border for 50 euros. My policy doesn’t cover Kosovo or Albania either but didn’t need to go there.
Remember car registration docs or equivalent if its leased. I had a hard time for not having my original V5C especially from the Croatian border authorities. I’d driven through there a few month’s previously without being asked for any more than passport so lulled into a false sense of security.
Absolutely loved the drive. I’m driving down to Serbia again in a fortnight. I haven't had any problems whatsoever. Only criminality was some scumbag nicking the tow eye cover on my M5 when parked overnight on the streets of Belgrade....
No visas needed. The borders can get very busy at peak times. Make sure your insurance covers you - the only omission on my route was North Macedonia but you can buy insurance on the border for 50 euros. My policy doesn’t cover Kosovo or Albania either but didn’t need to go there.
Remember car registration docs or equivalent if its leased. I had a hard time for not having my original V5C especially from the Croatian border authorities. I’d driven through there a few month’s previously without being asked for any more than passport so lulled into a false sense of security.
Absolutely loved the drive. I’m driving down to Serbia again in a fortnight. I haven't had any problems whatsoever. Only criminality was some scumbag nicking the tow eye cover on my M5 when parked overnight on the streets of Belgrade....
Edited by theboss on Monday 7th August 21:17
Done the trip a couple of times as we have friends in Larisa, Athens and Porto Chelli. Once through east Europe and once the Italian ferry route.
Easy and relaxing apart from when my wife entered the "motorway" in Macedonia.... We noticed that there was zero traffic. After 20 km the road stopped at a barrier where they were building the tunnel.
Easy and relaxing apart from when my wife entered the "motorway" in Macedonia.... We noticed that there was zero traffic. After 20 km the road stopped at a barrier where they were building the tunnel.
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