European Road Trip

[Chris100]

Hey all,

Bear with me as this will be a bit of a long post, and I appreciate that some of the answers to the questions will be subjective.

I love a road trip and I have covered many miles in the States, and had my own car in most parts of the UK and Ireland. However, I have always wanted to take a Euro trip with my own car. I am thinking of doing this next May or June, and was hoping for some advice from anyone who has done something similar.

Questions:

1. So I am thinking of doing the trip in May or June, is there a better time of year?
2. Getting to mainland Europe, what is the best way? Euro tunnel or a boat from the south of Ireland/South of England.
3. Route, Italy and Switzerland would certainly be places I would want to visit. Are there any other places that would be recommended?
4. Timeframes and costs, I appreciate this will be dependant on locations and where you stay. But I am thinking of an average cost max time of 2 to 3 weeks.
5. I'm conscious there are now a few companies organising group tours, wondering if this is maybe the best way to go for a first time trip. Positives vs negatives for anyone who has done one.
6. Any general do's and don'ts anyone has?

Cheers all.

 

[Artoir]

@gav525 and @svensktoppen are the two most prolific road trippers on here that I know of

 

[Cooper]

Highly recommend the Dublin-Cherbourg but you could go all out and do Cork Bilbao and drive across north Spain/south of France then into Italy.

Would love to do a trip like that myself!

 

[Snoopcousins]

I know volkswizard YouTube isn’t the most exciting but he’s documented a few recent euro road trips and all the costs involved

 

[gpaevo]

Just my own experience, I've taken my car to the Alps roughly 10 times now. Always used ferry to Scotland then the euro tunnel.

Cost comparison with ferry from Ire to France, ferry to UK combined with tunnel was always cheaper, even adding in fuel.

On mainland Europe if you want to make quick progress then use the m/ways but you'll have to factor in tolls (as a guide, it's approx £70 from Calais to Grenoble). You can of course stay off toll roads and just take your time though the countryside.

I'm planning a Euro next year also, I'll be planning my own routes and itinerary, wouldn't waste my time with organised tours.

Again, as a guide for time. I've regularly done Alp D'Huez in the Southern French Alps to Cairnryan in 20 hrs using the tunnel. Tunnel is so handy as you can usually get on a train 60 mins either side of your booking time. I've been 2 hrs early one year and driven straight on.

Worst bit of any Euro road trip, UK roads on return. Sole destroying when you've been stress free up French m/ways for 9hrs then get back to UK and it's horrific roads and driving standards, you really notice it.

 

[Boabybooster]

We drove to Berlin last year via Belgium, and various stops in Germany, loved it.

Heading down to Switzerland in a few weeks. Newcastle Amsterdam boat, Holland into Germany , Luxembourg then into France back into Germany then ending up in Grindelwald . Xc60 with Roofbox so not quite racing but still good craic and can stop and see wherever you want. Boat was about £600 return, best to book in Jan when there’s a sale on. Had to slip trip to the right cos the euros are on so all the travel and accommodation costs were inflated.

 

[Nazor]

Highly recommend the Dublin-Cherbourg but you could go all out and do Cork Bilbao and drive across north Spain/south of France then into Italy.

Would love to do a trip like that myself!

That Spain | France | Italy route sounds like it would be pretty epic!

I’ve never really thought of this kinda trip but it does sound very cool!

 

[Alan_B]

Don’t speed in France. Ask @Nicky why lol.

We drove a completely clapped out van loaded with 2x BMW GS adventure bikes down through France to the alps last year.

Ferry wise I’d do Dublin to Cherbourg and make sure you get a cabin. We went down through England as we had to make a pit stop in London but it completely ****ed us both as we drive down through the night. BOOK FLEXI TICKETS!!

I’d focus on getting to where you want to go and swallow the costs of the toll roads. On the way back we did Bardonecchia to Caen in one hit and it it was pretty painless. In a car you’d make better progress for sure, never mind being more comfortable and hopefully having air con! So in a car you could do Cherbourg to e.g Grenoble in a day no problem.

If you want to do high passes then go late June. In May there is a fair chance many will still be blocked. Alpenpässe, Schotterpisten und andere Ziele (nicht nur) für Motorradfahrer - Alpen-Motorrad-Guide tracks status of all passes in the Alps.

If I don’t go on the bike again next year then I’ll definitely be going over in the car. Words can’t describe the scenery, the roads, once you get up into the Alps you will want never want to leave.

 

[gpaevo]

Fair point about speeding in France, i've two tickets sitting in the kitchen from 2018 and 2022 lol. One ticket is for 43kph in a 40kph, fixed camera.

 

[swansty]

Get a toll tag for the car. And note they aren’t like ROI where you sail through at 50mph….. you have to near stop dead at the barrier in fence before it opens.

We have used Dublin to Cherbourg and Roslaire to Cherbourg. Irish ferries from
Dublin much more expensive. Stena from Roslaire is cheaper and movies on board are free. Get on in the afternoon, get off mid morning the next day. Wouldn’t consider driving through England personally

 

[DJMCA]

As above, depending on what route you take, the drive up/down through England from Stranraer is very long and boring. Mostly all motorway with average speed cameras unless you plan scenic routes and break it up a bit.

I know thats only a small % of what your planning but just my 20ps worth

 

[Boydie]

Aye, the French are kuntz

 

[gixermark]

done alps last Sep, ferry from Rosslare to Cherbourg... tolls down - basically just easiest/quickest way to get to the decent roads/scenery

assuming you want to do the passes... i'd recommend Sep vs may/June.... you really do get a limited window to do the passes, and its a long way to go to not experience them (imho)

we dropped into le mans on the way back too.... handy enough to do, and very interesting museum etc

was a massive bucket list trip for me

 

[PeteM]

The best boat is the pont Avon Brittany ferries which runs from cork to Roscoff. Great thing about that route is that it gets you in for 8am the morning , ready for a solid day of driving

 

[andy9eleven]

Be easier to fly out and rent a car. Someone posted pics on here before of their alpine pass tour having flown to Milan and rented a 595 Abarth. Sounds like an efficient way of doing it.

 

[Chris100]

It could be an option.

I just never seemed to be able to find something interesting available to rent.

 

[andy9eleven]

It could be an option.

I just never seemed to be able to find something interesting available to rent.

Pretty sure you can get Hertz Prestige from Milan airport. And direct flight there from Dublin.

 

[RevT]

Be easier to fly out and rent a car. Someone posted pics on here before of their alpine pass tour having flown to Milan and rented a 595 Abarth. Sounds like an efficient way of doing it.

That’s what I’d like to do. It’s just getting the time and unfortunately I have other places I might like to go first so always put this off.

 

[Mont]

Be easier to fly out and rent a car. Someone posted pics on here before of their alpine pass tour having flown to Milan and rented a 595 Abarth. Sounds like an efficient way of doing it.

It was me

Toblerones & Tiramisu - Mont's 1,000km Stelvio Trip (It's a bit wordy)

I mean't to post this last year but life got in the way, and I'm now on the sofa nursing a 4 week old baby girl, waiting for her next feed during the craziest moments I've ever lived through, so no better time than any to reminisce about when I could actually leave the house and do something...

rmsmotoring.com

I looked in to driving down but it didn’t suit me to make a longer trip out of it and I didn’t want to get there tired. Also, personally I preferred the size of the 595 over the Supra that I was going to bring, as some of the passes are barely two cars wide with no barriers on the end.

We’ve done something similar with our annual Nürburgring trip. Drive to North Shields, get on the overnight ferry to Amsterdam and be at the Nurburgring by lunchtime. Minimal miles. Feel refreshed and enjoy the weekend without feeling exhausted.

 

[johnb740]

Currently on the Rotteram ferry on way home from spending the last week touring Germany, Belgium and Netherlands.

If you're heading to the Alps then its 6 of 1 half dozen of the other with the routes suggested above either northern england into holland/belgium or southern ireland into France.
Agree with avoidance of driving to south england unless you go do it at night.

My experience this year is the belf/cairnryan and hull/rotterdam is about 75% cost of rosslare to cherbourg but will be longer drive and maybr extra night accomodation for where you are going.

 

[Chris100]

It was me

Toblerones & Tiramisu - Mont's 1,000km Stelvio Trip (It's a bit wordy)

I mean't to post this last year but life got in the way, and I'm now on the sofa nursing a 4 week old baby girl, waiting for her next feed during the craziest moments I've ever lived through, so no better time than any to reminisce about when I could actually leave the house and do something...

rmsmotoring.com

I looked in to driving down but it didn’t suit me to make a longer trip out of it and I didn’t want to get there tired. Also, personally I preferred the size of the 595 over the Supra that I was going to bring, as some of the passes are barely two cars wide with no barriers on the end.

We’ve done something similar with our annual Nürburgring trip. Drive to North Shields, get on the overnight ferry to Amsterdam and be at the Nurburgring by lunchtime. Minimal miles. Feel refreshed and enjoy the weekend without feeling exhausted.

Where did you hire the 595 from?

Checking all the usual places all that seems to be available are standard fiat 500s or the usual type of boring stuff.

Avis prestige only see to rent from the UK, and Hertz Adrenaline are USA only.

 

[Mont]

I hired it through Hertz

Hertz Selezione Italia – driving perfection!

Choose the Hertz Italia range when you rent a car in Italy. Drive stylish vehicles at an affordable price, from the Maserati Levante to the Abarth 595.

www.hertz.com

 

[gixermark]

there will be few cars better than an elise to drive the roads there......... albeit i defo would not like to drive from here to there in one !! they really are the perfect size to enjoy

Lotus Elise rental

With us you can rent a Lotus online and experience unforgettable road trips with maximum driving fun! Less is more - The Elise from Lotus shows you how little it takes to be fas...

www.rentaclassic.swiss

 

[svensktoppen]

I've had the Lotus to the alps and back, to Scandinavia etc. No bother at all if you are on your own. Passengers take the bus

All routes work, so many to choose from. Have used all of them. Just depends. For example, budget €100-200 just for road tolls if crossing France. Whereas the Harwich-Hoek ferry costs more, but it saves an overnight stay. Then you drive off in the morning, down the Autobahn to Austria or whatever. No tolls, etc.

Same Newcastle-Amsterdam, or any ferry from Rosslare, plus they avoid the nightmare that's English motorways.

The Spain ferry to Santander is great too, just a bit long. And avoids driving the length of France. But once there, all of northern Spain is amazing, and superb Pyrenees literally next door.

Provence is another gem. From stunning rally stages up in Bapaume to the Mediterranean coast.

In the alps, the best bits for me would be Austria/Italy/France. All the big obvious routes, and countless hidden gems. Switzerland is lovely for views, but soul destroying for driving. It's a weird wee place to put it mildly, expensive like you would not believe, and you definitely don't want to break any speed limits.

Obviously any of the big routes in the alps get very busy in summer. On weekends there will be a million bikes too. Motorbikes can be the worst.

There is loads more in the French and Italian countryside, away from the alps.

In the other direction, there's Norway and Sweden.

And obviously Scotland and Ireland. Still stunning, and amazing roads, truly world class both.

Budget wise - typical super at European motorway service stations about €2.30 a litre, or around €100 for a 40-45l fill. Away from the motorways around €2 a litre for super.

As mentioned, budget €100-200 in tolls crossing France (each way).

Reasonable hotels are usually not too hard to find in the alps in summer, but obviously varies a lot by location.

 

[gav525]

Think most info has already been covered in this thread, load of options. I love just booking the ferry and winging it, booking hotels along the way.

Documented the first 2 trips I done on here so you can get info from them, last year's trip I think is in my Yaris thread. Also done it on the bike which was great fun.

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rmsmotoring.com

Gav525's Euro Road Trip 2019

Time has finally come to set off on the 2019 Road trip. A few people had asked about routes, costs etc so thought I'd fire this up as a way of documenting this year's trip. Had done one last year - Gav525's Euro Road Trip but this one is just us on our own. Last year's was great, though at time...

rmsmotoring.com