Touring in an MX-5
Discussion
Booked a ferry Portsmouth to Bilbau 17th July and a return Zeebrugge to Hull on the 29th. Mrs & myself.
I've not booked anything for the interim.
With the limited space we have, (boot & boot rack),is it worth taking camping gear just in case we get caught short on accomadation?
I've just got my Gb sticker and beam deflectors, need to get a triangle. Got a few maps but also planning on running Co Pilot GPS from my phone.
Planning on sticking £50 of credit on the phone for using Booking.com or similar to find accomodation on the run.
Any tips on what or what not to pack? Bit conserned Mrs doesn't actually realise how little space we have.
Ta.
I've not booked anything for the interim.
With the limited space we have, (boot & boot rack),is it worth taking camping gear just in case we get caught short on accomadation?
I've just got my Gb sticker and beam deflectors, need to get a triangle. Got a few maps but also planning on running Co Pilot GPS from my phone.
Planning on sticking £50 of credit on the phone for using Booking.com or similar to find accomodation on the run.
Any tips on what or what not to pack? Bit conserned Mrs doesn't actually realise how little space we have.
Ta.
I would keep the spare wheel.
Take;
What you list +
Two Viz Jackets
Spare Bulbs
Sun cream/block
two caps/bandana
Crocs/Flip flops
A couple of self healting ration packs - if you find yourself stuck at the edge of the road
European AA/RAC/Greenflag - make sure it is a get you home policy
A road map with a rough route plotted with about five places to stay with telephone numbers (if full they will most likely tell you of somewhere else)
A credit card - tell them you are travelling
Some cheap two way radios - a godsend in towns - if one of you goes off
Zip ties
First Aid Kit
Mole grips/Pliers
Adjustable Spanner
Jubilee Clips
Some thick garden wire
Torch
Survival bag - for laying on under the car
Toilet roll
Things not to take;
Radar sensor
Camping gear - you will find somewhere to stay
Pessimism - you will have a great time
Take;
What you list +
Two Viz Jackets
Spare Bulbs
Sun cream/block
two caps/bandana
Crocs/Flip flops
A couple of self healting ration packs - if you find yourself stuck at the edge of the road
European AA/RAC/Greenflag - make sure it is a get you home policy
A road map with a rough route plotted with about five places to stay with telephone numbers (if full they will most likely tell you of somewhere else)
A credit card - tell them you are travelling
Some cheap two way radios - a godsend in towns - if one of you goes off
Zip ties
First Aid Kit
Mole grips/Pliers
Adjustable Spanner
Jubilee Clips
Some thick garden wire
Torch
Survival bag - for laying on under the car
Toilet roll
Things not to take;
Radar sensor
Camping gear - you will find somewhere to stay
Pessimism - you will have a great time
have the car fully serviced/checked at least a month before you go away then drive the car frequently for at least a month before you got to confirm the service work/check was done properly and hasn't in itself introduced any new faults/problems/wrinkles - plus you'll learn how to properly drive the car in various circumstances and conditions (well as much as you can in one month, of one season of the year)
split everything between the two of you, car keys, money, passports, etc., but don't lump everything together so that it can all be lost or stolen in one package, that way if you lose one set or part of at least you have the other - test everything in that month before you go like spare keys, ect.
split everything between the two of you, car keys, money, passports, etc., but don't lump everything together so that it can all be lost or stolen in one package, that way if you lose one set or part of at least you have the other - test everything in that month before you go like spare keys, ect.
good point
hold on, you've got a boot rack ! you're not that limited for space, dump the boot rack and take a lot less
we went to southern France for 10 days with the local MX-5 club in 1999 with just the boot, one of the couples had just picked up the (first, 10th) Anniversary Model and ran it in on the journey
a few years back I saw a Suzuki Cappuccino that was on a weeks tour of France, admittedly it had a small boot rack but then the Capp boot isn't much bigger than your glove box
I made a list for a youngster taking his classic abroad for the first time but I deleted it, I think letting your credit/debit/bank know you're going abroad, get your EU free (NHS) medical card, take a map and don't just rely on your SatNav keep your eyes open to where you've come from and are in case you forget to charge it battery or it get damage lost or stolen mid-route
always allow loads more time as you might not be able to travel as quickly or as far as you think you can, keep the fuel tank as full as possible, if heavily loaded and/or constant high speeds change tyre pressures as required
buy and dispose/recycle items over there rather than carrying with you
always have a car (and key fob) with batteries in good condition and fully charged, a good battery can get you through a lot whereas a poor battery will drop you in it or further in it
after every stop and first thing in the morning and after lunch or tea get the navigator to remind you to drive on the correct side of the road for the country you're in and if you go across a staged dual-carriageway look the opposite way to what's normal (I almost wiped us out by forgetting that)
that's my head empty now
hold on, you've got a boot rack ! you're not that limited for space, dump the boot rack and take a lot less
we went to southern France for 10 days with the local MX-5 club in 1999 with just the boot, one of the couples had just picked up the (first, 10th) Anniversary Model and ran it in on the journey
a few years back I saw a Suzuki Cappuccino that was on a weeks tour of France, admittedly it had a small boot rack but then the Capp boot isn't much bigger than your glove box
I made a list for a youngster taking his classic abroad for the first time but I deleted it, I think letting your credit/debit/bank know you're going abroad, get your EU free (NHS) medical card, take a map and don't just rely on your SatNav keep your eyes open to where you've come from and are in case you forget to charge it battery or it get damage lost or stolen mid-route
always allow loads more time as you might not be able to travel as quickly or as far as you think you can, keep the fuel tank as full as possible, if heavily loaded and/or constant high speeds change tyre pressures as required
buy and dispose/recycle items over there rather than carrying with you
always have a car (and key fob) with batteries in good condition and fully charged, a good battery can get you through a lot whereas a poor battery will drop you in it or further in it
after every stop and first thing in the morning and after lunch or tea get the navigator to remind you to drive on the correct side of the road for the country you're in and if you go across a staged dual-carriageway look the opposite way to what's normal (I almost wiped us out by forgetting that)
that's my head empty now
We did a trip to the Alps in mine with bikes and camping kit last year so it can be done.
Packing just what you NEED is the key and not what you want. Put out everything you want, get rid of what you don't need and then get ride of 50% of whats left.
Don't double up on stuff. So 1 shower gel, 1tooth paste, 1 sun cream, etc, rather than one each. Vac' bags will save space. If you keep the spare wheel don't miis the space behind it for tools etc... don't waste space! Work out the best way to pack the car AND remember it; Nothing worse than not being able to get it all back in, in the morning.
Packing just what you NEED is the key and not what you want. Put out everything you want, get rid of what you don't need and then get ride of 50% of whats left.
Don't double up on stuff. So 1 shower gel, 1tooth paste, 1 sun cream, etc, rather than one each. Vac' bags will save space. If you keep the spare wheel don't miis the space behind it for tools etc... don't waste space! Work out the best way to pack the car AND remember it; Nothing worse than not being able to get it all back in, in the morning.
You will love it
I did this in a MX5 about 3 years ago
Left home 0600 Thursday Late July to get the 0810 shuttle ,
A gentle drive of about 170 mles to our first overnight stop, the intention on this trip is to avoid autoroutes and toll roads
After our first stop in LA CHAUSSEE SUR MARNE we are ready to leave
Fuel consumption for the first part of the trip 33.5mpg
This is a very clean simple hotel ,good food , quiet
on the road to Besancon , nice drive
Arrived at the hotel , fantastic room
The Hotel , note handy shop next door ;D
BUT A/C not working , and day time temp was 32c + , so we are moved to new room next day , workng A/C bliss
Saturday much cooler 23c
no car pics , the MX5 is tucked up under cover in the hotel garage ,
Spent the day walking around Besancon
and up in the Citadel about 200m above the town
looking in
looking out
The river Daube which flows round the town
Sunday
About 150 miles round the countryside visiting noted viliages
Here Louis Pastur's house in Arbois
A couple circuits of the fountain in the same town
Cant have the roads to my self ALL the time ;D
No update Monday
The longest drive of the trip around 380+miles to get to the Gorges du Verdon , some fantastic drives there , I hope to video and upload to youtube when I getback
More soon
This a look back on a part of the trip on Monday , you can see the road to the left of centre of the pic
The 5 taking a break and enjoying a look at the countryside
The Hotel in Aguines near the Gorges du Verdon
Tuesday
a different form of motive power today
here is why
pictures just can not convey the fantastic scenary
Wednesday
Before 8am roads empty , starting the drive round the gorge
Down in the gorge , the water is icy cold , great for a paddle and face splash
Nicky hanging on for dear life there is a sheer drop the other side of the rails
Thursday Monaco
Any petrolhead will know this
A Ford
I want that one
The Casino , the car park was knee deep in 4 wheel exotica
Gorges du Tarn Friday
The Hotel
View from room
Saturday , a drive round the Gorges du Tarn
Stopped at pont sublime (yup the have such a view point in all the national parks)
The car, newly washed, looked rather nice in this setting , in fact stunning
Wash and brush up
The birds , Griffon Vultures, bit of a dull day
We then moved on to the Loire, to the town of Montaureau
A fantastic setting for the hotel , just behind the Chateau
This is the hotel from the chateau ramparts
and the room
Apart from a day in Honfleur and a qk wiz round Cite Europe that was it
A bit of background to our trip
All the hotels were part of the “Logis de France “ group , independent hotels ,but all members of the association , we chose hotels on the basis mainly of secure parking , price and star( or in their case table lamps ) rating , it was amazing the difference in hotels of a similar rating , the best were Hotel Florel in Besancon , and the Hotel Bussy in Montasureau , and least impressive were a hotel in Oradour su Glane , where the reception was not manned , and you had to walk to an adjacent hotel to book in , and the rooms were stuck in a time warp , clean but much needing modernising .
The other was the Hotel Claire in Honfleur where we had a studio , complete with a kitchen , again needing a make over , the décor being mostly varnished pine panel , and a worn bed where the bias is for the 2 occupiers to roll together , best of all ( or worst ) was 10pm Friday night ….no power … so a walk to reception …. No reception , seems they clock off , leave a note with a phone number on the reception door , and leave guests to their own devices , problem was the phone number was hotel reception , where the phones were set to divert to on duty receptionist who was at home , without power the hotel phone was dead so no divert , no person to restore power , 0700 next morning presumably someone turned up . cos the power came on , needless to say a discount was demanded and given, That was the only glitch in what was otherwise a great holiday
The price per room was from €69 to €99 , breakfast €8/10 per person
Dining out , we stuck to fixed menus on average €15/23 per person , and lunch was a baguette with ham or cheese from the local supermarket .
Fuel was €1.26 per ltr supermarket and €1.49 Autoroute
We did 2700 miles , and the average fuel consumption for the whole trip was a shade over 30mpg
The hood was down for 99% of the time , it was only up 3 times, twice during heavy rain , fortunately each time we were moving from one area to another , and once after the visit to Monaco , where the temperature was in the high 30s even maybe as high as 40c.
After the walk round Monte Carlo the car was a cool haven with the A/C on full blast
The car did not miss a beat , not a drop of oil was used .
We managed to pack all we needed in the boot , The lump you see on the boot rack is a powered cool box , might seem excessive , but with cold cans up to £1.00 or more in cafes , getting a few in a supermarket bought the cost down to much the same as the UK , and French hotels do not do a fridge in the room , so cold water and milk for a morning cupper , was a boon
And the French love MX5s
Do it again ? if I had time
Downsides ? not being able to just sit and chill , read a book , do zip , there were never comfy chairs to sit on where ever we stayed
Some Vids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR1mhS87Yz4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SecxRXiu6ro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLD_X0e7szM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSPSttzUpUs
I did this in a MX5 about 3 years ago
Left home 0600 Thursday Late July to get the 0810 shuttle ,
A gentle drive of about 170 mles to our first overnight stop, the intention on this trip is to avoid autoroutes and toll roads
After our first stop in LA CHAUSSEE SUR MARNE we are ready to leave
Fuel consumption for the first part of the trip 33.5mpg
This is a very clean simple hotel ,good food , quiet
on the road to Besancon , nice drive
Arrived at the hotel , fantastic room
The Hotel , note handy shop next door ;D
BUT A/C not working , and day time temp was 32c + , so we are moved to new room next day , workng A/C bliss
Saturday much cooler 23c
no car pics , the MX5 is tucked up under cover in the hotel garage ,
Spent the day walking around Besancon
and up in the Citadel about 200m above the town
looking in
looking out
The river Daube which flows round the town
Sunday
About 150 miles round the countryside visiting noted viliages
Here Louis Pastur's house in Arbois
A couple circuits of the fountain in the same town
Cant have the roads to my self ALL the time ;D
No update Monday
The longest drive of the trip around 380+miles to get to the Gorges du Verdon , some fantastic drives there , I hope to video and upload to youtube when I getback
More soon
This a look back on a part of the trip on Monday , you can see the road to the left of centre of the pic
The 5 taking a break and enjoying a look at the countryside
The Hotel in Aguines near the Gorges du Verdon
Tuesday
a different form of motive power today
here is why
pictures just can not convey the fantastic scenary
Wednesday
Before 8am roads empty , starting the drive round the gorge
Down in the gorge , the water is icy cold , great for a paddle and face splash
Nicky hanging on for dear life there is a sheer drop the other side of the rails
Thursday Monaco
Any petrolhead will know this
A Ford
I want that one
The Casino , the car park was knee deep in 4 wheel exotica
Gorges du Tarn Friday
The Hotel
View from room
Saturday , a drive round the Gorges du Tarn
Stopped at pont sublime (yup the have such a view point in all the national parks)
The car, newly washed, looked rather nice in this setting , in fact stunning
Wash and brush up
The birds , Griffon Vultures, bit of a dull day
We then moved on to the Loire, to the town of Montaureau
A fantastic setting for the hotel , just behind the Chateau
This is the hotel from the chateau ramparts
and the room
Apart from a day in Honfleur and a qk wiz round Cite Europe that was it
A bit of background to our trip
All the hotels were part of the “Logis de France “ group , independent hotels ,but all members of the association , we chose hotels on the basis mainly of secure parking , price and star( or in their case table lamps ) rating , it was amazing the difference in hotels of a similar rating , the best were Hotel Florel in Besancon , and the Hotel Bussy in Montasureau , and least impressive were a hotel in Oradour su Glane , where the reception was not manned , and you had to walk to an adjacent hotel to book in , and the rooms were stuck in a time warp , clean but much needing modernising .
The other was the Hotel Claire in Honfleur where we had a studio , complete with a kitchen , again needing a make over , the décor being mostly varnished pine panel , and a worn bed where the bias is for the 2 occupiers to roll together , best of all ( or worst ) was 10pm Friday night ….no power … so a walk to reception …. No reception , seems they clock off , leave a note with a phone number on the reception door , and leave guests to their own devices , problem was the phone number was hotel reception , where the phones were set to divert to on duty receptionist who was at home , without power the hotel phone was dead so no divert , no person to restore power , 0700 next morning presumably someone turned up . cos the power came on , needless to say a discount was demanded and given, That was the only glitch in what was otherwise a great holiday
The price per room was from €69 to €99 , breakfast €8/10 per person
Dining out , we stuck to fixed menus on average €15/23 per person , and lunch was a baguette with ham or cheese from the local supermarket .
Fuel was €1.26 per ltr supermarket and €1.49 Autoroute
We did 2700 miles , and the average fuel consumption for the whole trip was a shade over 30mpg
The hood was down for 99% of the time , it was only up 3 times, twice during heavy rain , fortunately each time we were moving from one area to another , and once after the visit to Monaco , where the temperature was in the high 30s even maybe as high as 40c.
After the walk round Monte Carlo the car was a cool haven with the A/C on full blast
The car did not miss a beat , not a drop of oil was used .
We managed to pack all we needed in the boot , The lump you see on the boot rack is a powered cool box , might seem excessive , but with cold cans up to £1.00 or more in cafes , getting a few in a supermarket bought the cost down to much the same as the UK , and French hotels do not do a fridge in the room , so cold water and milk for a morning cupper , was a boon
And the French love MX5s
Do it again ? if I had time
Downsides ? not being able to just sit and chill , read a book , do zip , there were never comfy chairs to sit on where ever we stayed
Some Vids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR1mhS87Yz4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SecxRXiu6ro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLD_X0e7szM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSPSttzUpUs
sorry but that reminds me - SatNavs, modern technology, what could possibly go wrong - take a road atlas and keep a mental note of where you are and just passed don't switch off mentally to your journey otherwise if (when?) your SatNav stops working, or battery flat, or power lead lost or unit stolen or lost you might not know exactly where you are or which way to go, the road atlas is your back up and planning tool
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