Hi Guy's,

Just been looking at Petrol stations in France, Italy and Germany.

Not that I've driven in Europe that much except for Belgium, loads of BP Stations onroute in France with various Shell stations in South of France, Italy have loads of Esso and Shell stations, Germany abit of everything.

Doing abit of googling -

Fuel prices in France are about £1.30
Fuel prices in Italy are about £1.58
Fuel prices in Germany are about £1.35



As we sort of discussed at the meet, the below will be the timeline for booking up -

Cross via tunnel - End of May
Book Hotels - Mid to end of July


Also, to tally up names of who is looking to do the trip again are :

Myself
Daz
Ian & VC sharing
Jay & Alisa
Dannyboy
Ty
Wasbo & Lydia

The question is, how many are taking there own cars, probably everyone but just to get some idea so we can plan for carrying spares and so on, we just need to cover all areas.

 

My own car with VC as shotgun.

 

All updated mate.

Also, I've just sent the details to Ibis to see what they can do for rooms and rates.

All hotels will be 5 rooms ( 4 twin rooms, 1 double bed )

Arrive 6th September 2014, depart 7th

Ibis Reims Centre
28 Boulevard Joffre
51100 Reims
France

Arrive 7th September, depart 8th

Ibis Avignon Centre Gare
42 Boulevard Saint-Roch
84000 Avignon
France

Arrive 8th, Depart 11th

Ibis Como
Via Tornese, 7
22070 Grandate Como
Italy

Arrive 11th, depart 12th

hotel ibis Muenchen City
Dachauer Straße 21
80335 München
Germany

Arrive 12th, depart 13th

Ibis Koblenz
Rizzastraße 42
56068 Koblenz
Germany


Locations could possibly change if anyone wants to change the routing but it.will be good to see what discount they give us.

 

I'm taking mine Matt and Alisa's coming along too. As far as spares go I'll be taking some bits and pieces which would cover essentials to get us out of trouble should any of us need it. No doubt we can get a list together at a meet so we can make sure we have it covered or if there's anything I've not thought of taking.

 

Will be me and lydia in the spec c, is the room with double bed for Ian & VC ;-)

 

Of course, you cant keep them apart. They just disappear for hours on end and come out with massive smiles on their faces. Lol

Actually its for Jay & Alisa but as you'll be taking your partner too, i'll amend that with the hotel when i get the reply from them.

 

He loves my fish kebabs?

 

 

Well guys, i had a reply back from Ibis today.

The dates and locations are open to change but initially these are the prices for the rooms. I will go back and ask fir a better discount but worse case, it would be the below :

Offer 1:
Arrival date: 06/09/2014
Departure date: 07/09/2014
Accommodation: Ibis Reims Centre ( Room for 2 persons)
Number of rooms: 5 rooms for 10 persons,
Room rate per day: 79 Euro, per room
Total room rate: 79 Euro, per room
Breakfast: Excluded, 9.5 Euro per person per day.

Offer 2:
Arrival date: 07/09/2014
Departure date: 08/09/2014
Accommodation: Ibis Avignon Centre Gare (Standard room with 1 douuble or 2 single bed)
Number of rooms: 5 rooms for 10 persons,
Room rate per day: 93.1 Euro, per room
Total room rate: 93.1 Euro, per room
Breakfast: Excluded, 9.5 Euro per person per day.


Offer 3:
Arrival date: 08/09/2014
Departure date: 11/09/2014
Accommodation: Ibis Como(Standard room with 1 douuble or 2 single bed)
Number of rooms: 5 rooms for 10 persons,
Room rate per day: 69 Euro, per room
Total room rate: 207 Euro, per room
Breakfast: Excluded, 8.5 Euro per person per day.

Offer 4:
Arrival date: 11/09/2014
Departure date: 12/09/2014
Accommodation: Ibis Munich City (Standard room with 1 douuble or 2 single bed)
Number of rooms: 5 rooms for 10 persons,
Room rate per day: 94 Euro, per room
Total room rate: 94 Euro, per room
Breakfast: Excluded, 10 Euro per person per day.


Offer 5:
Arrival date: 12/09/2014
Departure date: 13/09/2014
Accommodation: Ibis Koblenz City (Standard room with 1 douuble or 2 single bed) 20km from Nurburg ring
Number of rooms: 5 rooms for 10 persons,
Room rate per day: 96 Euro, per room
Total room rate: 96 Euro, per room
Breakfast: Included.

The room rate per day is valid per room, per night including VAT, service and excluding city tax.
With this rate, you can cancel and/or modify the reservation till 19:00 hours local time on the day of arrival.
We would require your credit card details to guarantee the room for late arrival.
In case you do not arrive before 19:00 hours on the day of arrival, (or modify the reservation after 19:00 hours local time on the day of arrival) the first night will be charged on your credit card.

 

Would imagine it will be about another £10 per car parking per night too.

 

 

I'll ask about parking, normally Ibis over here have their own car parks which they dont charge but if the continent hotels do, i'll try to get this includes in the room rate as well

 

Think an extra £10 a night in the big scheme of things is fine as long as the car parks are fairly safe.

 

Has anyone done a rough *** packet calculation yet on the costs inc fuel, meals, accomodation, tolls and ferry/tunnel yet?

I know the costs are going to be roughly divided by 2 so they aren't that bad for what could it be classed as a driving holiday of a lifetime.

I just need to stop spending and start saving.

 

Btw, I wouldn't use BP or Aral (102 is the worst), standard 98 RON or Shell V-power are better.

 

My own rough workings Ty, below

Okay after running the michellin maps again, costings have changed slightly

Fuel if not sharing - £800 est ( 11 tanks )
Hotel if sharing - £240 ( 7 nights )
Tunnel £130 return
Tolls - £80

Tolls are as below

Home to Reims - none ( 12hrs )
Reims to Avignon - £26 ( 9hr )
Avignon to Como - £41 ( 8hr )
Como to Munich - £7 road tax ( 9hr )
Munich to the Ring - none ( 4hr )
Ring to home £6.20 ( 13hr )


Total worse case scenario £1250
If Sharing on everything £800

 

Okay guys, Ibis have come back and basically are not giving us any reduced costs on the Hotels.

As Brian also said, Ibis have confirmed they do have parking facilities but at a charge.

If i book rooms now, payment doesnt have to be made until the day of arrival so to give everyone more time to save. Any bookings that have to be cancelled have to be made before the day of arrival otherwise there will be charges.

Question is, do we stick with the Ibis or look at someone else or do we book our own individual hotels ?


Feedback is appreciated

 

I think for ease of use and to have consistency we should stick with Ibis, if we know our costs now then at least they can be budgeted for.

 

Those hotel prices are shocking, breakfast should be included at those prices. Try a different branch I would.

 

The parking charges though are a pants pull, as you would assume that the hotel booking would come with secure parking or is that not the way on the continent?

 

well i did question this as the uk Ibis hotels come with parking facilities free. Answer was - yes we have parking but at a charge.

Possibly contacting each hotel may give us a better deal or maybe not but with head office, they weren't interested.

 

What is the going rate Geraint for twin hotel rooms on the continent? When I have been over it's always been as part of a package holiday or on business.

 

I'm off to Germany in May just to give you an idea.

Think the room for 2 is €59 per night breakfast included and secure parking and wifi included. Hotel is 4* iirc

When I went to Germany last year July too, hotel was basically on track and was €69 for 2 sharing, breakfast inc and secure parking, and wifi.

Ibis sound very expensive, almost €20 for 2 people sharing a room to have breakfast and parking on top, it's outrageous, and I don't see ibis as anything spectacular?

I'd be searching else where. You'll save loads on the trip

 

I am going to look at Mercure, just picked one of the areas at random from where we are going and their prices are around £30/35 anight with parking and breaky. It just looks like etap but maybe worth a look.

I'll let you know what they say when i get abit more free time, flat out at the mo.

 

Thanks Matt.

 

I wouldn't be looking at one branch for the whole trip tbh, it'll kill the trip in a sense,

If you stick with one branch, the whole outlay will be more or less the same in each place, which IMO, part of going on the trip is to experience the difference countries designs and styles with their buildings, I'd be looking at more family run hotels. Rather than huge franchise ones with no history or exciting layouts.

You'll be at the bar with plenty of locals and fun at the more comunity/family run ones, and more than likely the bigger branch ones will be out on dual carriage ways and motorways. Not within a town amongst the locals

 

One thing to keep in mind is ibis parking is usually away from the hotel itself, so if you are looking for secure parking this might be worth thinking about.

 

BUMP.

 

I have seen your message today mate, sorry i haven't replied. Been flat-out down plymouth.

Its a massive difference in price and we could do the same to save some money.


Just a heads up everyone, we need to pay for the crossing this month so to gather confirmed numbers for booking hotels.

Alisa has found some other hotels to view which again we can review at the meet.

 

Cheers mate. We can chew the fat at JF.