European Motorail -Ground Clearance
Discussion
I am looking to take my Ferrari 575M to Europe next spring, and we plan to travel from Innsbruck to Dusseldorf (Urlaubs-Express) by motorail. The car meets all the dimensional criteria with the exception of the ground clearance where they specify a minimum requirement of 110mm. The 575M has 100mm ground clearance.
Has anybody taken their car (with a similarly low ground clearance) on this motorail?
Thanks for any replies or thoughts.
Has anybody taken their car (with a similarly low ground clearance) on this motorail?
Thanks for any replies or thoughts.
I am a massive car enthusiast and have been all my life, and know nothing about trains.
My reason for using the monorail is really irrelevant here, but I’ll tell you anyway.
It is nothing to do with money. I live in northern Scotland and have significant UK mileage to do at the beginning and end of what will anyway be a long tour in Europe. I also have business commitments I need to meet, so time is important to me.
Happy now?
Moving forwards more constructively, if someone is able to answer my question I’d really appreciate it. Thank you.
My reason for using the monorail is really irrelevant here, but I’ll tell you anyway.
It is nothing to do with money. I live in northern Scotland and have significant UK mileage to do at the beginning and end of what will anyway be a long tour in Europe. I also have business commitments I need to meet, so time is important to me.
Happy now?
Moving forwards more constructively, if someone is able to answer my question I’d really appreciate it. Thank you.
Maybe not as constructive as you'd like, but it's a shade over 700Km on mostly unrestricted Autobahn. How much time do you think the Motorail will actually save you? You'll need to factor in check-in time, and getting to and from the Motorail terminals at each end.
Personally, I wouldn't "wing it". If you ignore their stipulations for measurements then you will have zero comeback if your car is damaged in any way at all. You can imagine the ground clearance being somewhat important on a train - there could be raised points in the carriages - possibly to attach anchor straps to etc. There's also the issue of getting up the ramp without scraping the front or the back, and then down again.
Personally, I wouldn't "wing it". If you ignore their stipulations for measurements then you will have zero comeback if your car is damaged in any way at all. You can imagine the ground clearance being somewhat important on a train - there could be raised points in the carriages - possibly to attach anchor straps to etc. There's also the issue of getting up the ramp without scraping the front or the back, and then down again.
Thank you for your comments.
I have now managed to speak to the right person at Urlaubs Express and they have confirmed, by email, that my reduced ground clearance can indeed be accommodated. The lesson here is to not immediately discount using motorail etc, if you wish to use it, if your dimensions are on or just exceed the limit.
Someone asked about width........they specify a max width of 1.96m or 1.95m depending on where you look. My width (with mirrors folded) and my external tyre track are each 1.92m, so that is just ok.
In this car, I have previously been through train tunnels on these motor wagons where snow has prevented us going over the mountain pass, and those have always accommodated the car without issue. Mind you, sitting in the car, hearing the loud clattering of the wagons on the rails and seeing the bare-faced tunnel sides, these journeys felt like being on "Journey to the Centre of the Earth"!
I have now managed to speak to the right person at Urlaubs Express and they have confirmed, by email, that my reduced ground clearance can indeed be accommodated. The lesson here is to not immediately discount using motorail etc, if you wish to use it, if your dimensions are on or just exceed the limit.
Someone asked about width........they specify a max width of 1.96m or 1.95m depending on where you look. My width (with mirrors folded) and my external tyre track are each 1.92m, so that is just ok.
In this car, I have previously been through train tunnels on these motor wagons where snow has prevented us going over the mountain pass, and those have always accommodated the car without issue. Mind you, sitting in the car, hearing the loud clattering of the wagons on the rails and seeing the bare-faced tunnel sides, these journeys felt like being on "Journey to the Centre of the Earth"!
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