Planning trip to Europe this Summer - help!
Discussion
We're planning a 9-day tour around France (and maybe other countries). Would appreciate guidance from those who have done it in a T350 on:-
1 Best way of crossing channel - Portsmouth/Caen ferry, Eurostar, Speed Ferry? Especially concerned about getting on and off with very low clearance! Is there anything that can be arranged with the company in advance to reduce this problem?
2 Recommended good roads and low likelihood of getting caught for speeding if we creep over the limit now and again!
3 Expecting to split driving and relaxing about 40/60
4 Is it worth considering trying to get to other countries (Italy, Switzerland, Austria) to achieve objective 2?
Look forward to your views.
Snakes
1 Best way of crossing channel - Portsmouth/Caen ferry, Eurostar, Speed Ferry? Especially concerned about getting on and off with very low clearance! Is there anything that can be arranged with the company in advance to reduce this problem?
2 Recommended good roads and low likelihood of getting caught for speeding if we creep over the limit now and again!
3 Expecting to split driving and relaxing about 40/60
4 Is it worth considering trying to get to other countries (Italy, Switzerland, Austria) to achieve objective 2?
Look forward to your views.
Snakes
We took my T350 to Europe last summer. Did some 2,600 miles down through Germany to Italy.
I try to use the Eurotunnel - no strike blockades, no weather problems and the T350 had no problems getting on/off. I took our Chimaera on the ferrys many times - the T350 should be OK on those too.
France is a big country - loads of chance to speed without being caught (safely of course). The other drivers always warn you of a speed trap by flashing their lights. You should be OK as long as you behave in the obvious places. Also, watch out on the Autoroutes to/from Calais. The love to catch Brits, esp. on the A26 about 30 miles South of Calais, Northbound.
The Nurburgring is worth a visit (you can go as fast/slow as you like around it), and the mountains in that area are great. IMO France has a dead spot from Calais as far as Lyon if you're driving due South - nothing to see/do (we stopping in Epernay once - it was closed). Go West and there's lots of stuff. La Loire, Brittany etc. are great. We went to the SW once, great for a holiday (I was a student in Bordeaux so we went back to the old haunts). Go East and Germany is fantastic - a great place to visit. We will definitely go back again.
This year we're planning another trip to the 'ring and possibly an Easter holiday driving down to the Massif Central area.
Wherever you go you will enjoy it!
I try to use the Eurotunnel - no strike blockades, no weather problems and the T350 had no problems getting on/off. I took our Chimaera on the ferrys many times - the T350 should be OK on those too.
France is a big country - loads of chance to speed without being caught (safely of course). The other drivers always warn you of a speed trap by flashing their lights. You should be OK as long as you behave in the obvious places. Also, watch out on the Autoroutes to/from Calais. The love to catch Brits, esp. on the A26 about 30 miles South of Calais, Northbound.
The Nurburgring is worth a visit (you can go as fast/slow as you like around it), and the mountains in that area are great. IMO France has a dead spot from Calais as far as Lyon if you're driving due South - nothing to see/do (we stopping in Epernay once - it was closed). Go West and there's lots of stuff. La Loire, Brittany etc. are great. We went to the SW once, great for a holiday (I was a student in Bordeaux so we went back to the old haunts). Go East and Germany is fantastic - a great place to visit. We will definitely go back again.
This year we're planning another trip to the 'ring and possibly an Easter holiday driving down to the Massif Central area.
Wherever you go you will enjoy it!
I agree 100% with targarama, france as long as you are not stupid, you can have a lot of fun. Germany has its advantages but tends to have alot of traffic, italy depends on the region, but speed trap wise,they havent learnt to hide yet, so if your used to looking out they stick out like a saw thumb!
I tell you a reaaly nice place to go driving, is corsica, did it a few years back with a BM, plan hopefully to do it again this year with a tiv.
Wherever you go in the end, if your in your tiv, you will enjoy yourself!
I tell you a reaaly nice place to go driving, is corsica, did it a few years back with a BM, plan hopefully to do it again this year with a tiv.
Wherever you go in the end, if your in your tiv, you will enjoy yourself!
I would suggest you contact Nick (www.dettaglio.co.uk) who can provide a full planning service for trips like this, advice on routes, book hotels etc, for only a small fee - takes a lot of hassle out of the planning!
nubbin said:
I would suggest you contact Nick (www.dettaglio.co.uk) who can provide a full planning service for trips like this, advice on routes, book hotels etc, for only a small fee - takes a lot of hassle out of the planning!
We actually enjoy the planning bit. Maybe we're just weird quiet at the back!
We did a quick trip to france for 6 days last august. Covered 2400 miles in 6 days but had a great time. Took eurotunnel as I have long since given up wiuth ferries. It was awesome. In france stuck to minor roads and had a ball. There minor roads are awesome and we had a real hoot. The locals also loved the car to the point of being mobbed everywhere we went! In case you are interested we took in the Loire and Burgandy as the Mrs does love wine!
maddog-uk said:
In case you are interested we took in the Loire and Burgandy as the Mrs does love wine!
My, you're up early this morning! Any special locations we should make sure we don't miss? Villages? Restaurants? Roads? ...and the Eurotunnel was OK for getting on and off ok?
Thanks everyone else for their feedback.
>> Edited by Snakes on Sunday 6th February 08:08
Actually I am working in San Francisco so was just going to bed! I have a huge love of france and I know the back roads quite well. We took eurotunnel, after talking to them (I actually know a lot about the tunnel thanks to past life as an equities analyst and analyst to the company during costruction) they told me to book the TVR in as a 1.85m+ vehicle so I could share the Coach/SUV part of the train. When we arrived they knew all about TVR's and said it was a wise choice. Had no issues with getting on or off and the echo in the train was amazing!
In France we tend to stay at these hotels www.chateauxhotelsfrance.com/public/accueil/?langue=en but I am also told there are some cracking ones here as well www.france.com/
As for rough intinary it was as follows:
Saturday Harrow -> near Rouen via Eurotunnel. Only m20 taken as motorway all other roads were low end straight D roads. Highlight of the day being pesued by about 6 cars around a small village who all wanted to stop and see the car!
Sunday Rouen to a small chateux between Blois and Tours. Highlight of the day being the fact I decided to try an emergency stop on a straigh bit of road as I wanted to feel the stop rate. Answer = Winded us both but stopped instantly!
Monday = Vineyards and local chateauxs
Tuesday = Drove To Burgandy near Dijon via some outstanding roads
Tuesday night the chateaux we are staying in insist the car gets its own room for the night and they clear out a garage for it! They also clean the windows everyday!
Wednesday = Wine and touring
Thursday = Start drive home via Champagne
Friday =
Catch middle of the night train to come home.
Have fun!
In France we tend to stay at these hotels www.chateauxhotelsfrance.com/public/accueil/?langue=en but I am also told there are some cracking ones here as well www.france.com/
As for rough intinary it was as follows:
Saturday Harrow -> near Rouen via Eurotunnel. Only m20 taken as motorway all other roads were low end straight D roads. Highlight of the day being pesued by about 6 cars around a small village who all wanted to stop and see the car!
Sunday Rouen to a small chateux between Blois and Tours. Highlight of the day being the fact I decided to try an emergency stop on a straigh bit of road as I wanted to feel the stop rate. Answer = Winded us both but stopped instantly!
Monday = Vineyards and local chateauxs
Tuesday = Drove To Burgandy near Dijon via some outstanding roads
Tuesday night the chateaux we are staying in insist the car gets its own room for the night and they clear out a garage for it! They also clean the windows everyday!
Wednesday = Wine and touring
Thursday = Start drive home via Champagne
Friday =
Catch middle of the night train to come home.
Have fun!
Thanks for all your help everyone. So far we've contacted www.dettaglio.co.uk and www.bonneroute.co.uk and both sound promising. I'll let you know more when I've received their suggestions.
Snakes said:
We're planning a 9-day tour around France (and maybe other countries). Would appreciate guidance from those who have done it in a T350 on:-
1 Best way of crossing channel - Portsmouth/Caen ferry, Eurostar, Speed Ferry? Especially concerned about getting on and off with very low clearance! Is there anything that can be arranged with the company in advance to reduce this problem?
2 Recommended good roads and low likelihood of getting caught for speeding if we creep over the limit now and again!
Look forward to your views.
Snakes
T350's do have the clearance (just, mine is 1 of the earlier models with the low nose) to get onto SpeedFerry's catamaran.
These days France is high-risk when it comes to speeding. (Inspired by politicans, of course).
Les Gendarmes will happily relieve you of up to 900 Euros for speeding AND confiscate your licence, if your indescretion was at the top end of their scale.
Leaving you with the nightmare scenario - a driving-holiday seen from the passenger seat!
>> Edited by simon@63 on Monday 7th February 15:25
>> Edited by simon@63 on Monday 7th February 15:26
Targarama said:
loads of chance to speed without being caught (safely of course). The other drivers always warn you of a speed trap by flashing their lights. You should be OK as long as you behave in the obvious places. Also, watch out on the Autoroutes to/from Calais. The love to catch Brits, esp. on the A26 about 30 miles South of Calais, Northbound.
simon@63 said:
These days France is high-risk when it comes to speeding. (Inspired by politicans, of course}.
Les Gendarmes will happily relieve you of up to 900 Euros for speeding AND confiscate your licence, if your indescretion was at the top end of their scale.
Leaving you with the nightmare scenario - a driving-holiday seen from the passenger seat!
Two differing views of the outcome of breaking the limit en France? Don't want to go crazy, just stretch its legs a little but safely on the back roads. What do you think?
If you get caught they are serious and will fine you. They escort you to an ATM so you can pay them.
If you drive to Le Mans you will see 1,000s of speed traps and people pulled. The French are clever - they know loads of Brits think France is free etc. etc. so they cash in and I personally think safety is an issue in this particular weekend - a lot of Le Mans trippers do drive like arses.
If you're on your own in 99.9% of France, on the other 360 days of the year there is simply no issue.
If you drive to La Loire outside 'Invasion des Rosbief' season you will rarely see Les Flics. When you do you will get warned by every other driver on the road. Sometimes they park up on roundabouts on the outskirts of towns and pull people for doc checks etc. I've never been stopped at one of these, even after shrieking up in the TVR and slowing a bit later than I should.
But like I said, motorway tolls and parked cars a few miles beforehand ar a recipie for a speed trap.
>> Edited by Targarama on Tuesday 8th February 20:54
If you drive to Le Mans you will see 1,000s of speed traps and people pulled. The French are clever - they know loads of Brits think France is free etc. etc. so they cash in and I personally think safety is an issue in this particular weekend - a lot of Le Mans trippers do drive like arses.
If you're on your own in 99.9% of France, on the other 360 days of the year there is simply no issue.
If you drive to La Loire outside 'Invasion des Rosbief' season you will rarely see Les Flics. When you do you will get warned by every other driver on the road. Sometimes they park up on roundabouts on the outskirts of towns and pull people for doc checks etc. I've never been stopped at one of these, even after shrieking up in the TVR and slowing a bit later than I should.
But like I said, motorway tolls and parked cars a few miles beforehand ar a recipie for a speed trap.
>> Edited by Targarama on Tuesday 8th February 20:54
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