Europe road trip advice needed
26 January 2008, 06:07 PM
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Europe road trip advice needed
Tail end of this year I'm (crossed fingers) doing London - Austria. I've never driven on the continent before, is there anything I need to look out for?
The route is Dunkirque through France, Luxembourg, Germany into Austria. How Scoob friendly are the local plods? The exhaust ain't that large (Wr sport)
The route is Dunkirque through France, Luxembourg, Germany into Austria. How Scoob friendly are the local plods? The exhaust ain't that large (Wr sport)
26 January 2008, 08:10 PM
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Drove my Sti (with scoobysport silencer) all the way to Austria had two weeks holiday there. Had no problems. Just keep to the speed limits and you'll be fine (especially in France - seen more than one person stopped for speeding on the Autoroutes)...
26 January 2008, 08:15 PM
#3
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Quoted from a guy on Briskoda who goes regularly....
Driving in Austria, speed limits in Austria, driving laws in Austria, Austrian motoring rules and regulations.
Driving in France, speed limits in France, driving laws in France, French motoring rules and regulations.
The following list is kit that YOU MUST HAVE in your car when driving on mainland europe just incase people are unsure.
A Full Valid Driving Licence
Valid Insurance
Proof of Ownership (or rental agreement if Hire Car)
1 x Hi - Visibility Vest
1 x 5Ltr Fuel Can (Full)
1 x Warning Triangle. The correct distance to place this out is 75 meters to the rear of the car and each side of the triangle must be about 30cm long again these are sold in halfords for about £10 or you can get them cheaper at most service staions in europe.
1 x First Aid Kit to DIN 13164 or greater standard (Halfords do one for about £20)
1 x Bulb Replacement kit (Again sold in Halfords for around £15-30 depending on car note you wont get a replacement xenon bulb as these cost around £60 each)
This is the legal minimum requirement for travelling on dual carriageways and motorways in Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portuagal & Spain and you can be fined upto 1000 Euros for not having any of above if you break down.
A Full Valid Driving Licence
Valid Insurance
Proof of Ownership (or rental agreement if Hire Car)
1 x Hi - Visibility Vest
1 x 5Ltr Fuel Can (Full)
1 x Warning Triangle. The correct distance to place this out is 75 meters to the rear of the car and each side of the triangle must be about 30cm long again these are sold in halfords for about £10 or you can get them cheaper at most service staions in europe.
1 x First Aid Kit to DIN 13164 or greater standard (Halfords do one for about £20)
1 x Bulb Replacement kit (Again sold in Halfords for around £15-30 depending on car note you wont get a replacement xenon bulb as these cost around £60 each)
This is the legal minimum requirement for travelling on dual carriageways and motorways in Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portuagal & Spain and you can be fined upto 1000 Euros for not having any of above if you break down.
Driving in France, speed limits in France, driving laws in France, French motoring rules and regulations.
26 January 2008, 08:19 PM
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Simon, get yourself a TomTom and then head over to scdb.com and download the speed camera files for Europe. The database is updated weekly. In addition to the (v.useful) list above a phrase book might be handy!
26 January 2008, 08:26 PM
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So be careful, because you will forget, especially after comming off the motorways onto single lane roads. When you're tired late at night is the worst.
26 January 2008, 08:29 PM
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26 January 2008, 08:30 PM
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Brushing up on my french and german now. Both are little rusty but I can still ask for a large beer (a phrase I leart at 15 for my first trip to Germany)
That 5ltrs of fuel in a car rule in something equivalent of a pop bottle rather than a fuel tank always struck me as daft.
Got a tomtom
(a phrase I leart at 15 for my first trip to Germany)That 5ltrs of fuel in a car rule in something equivalent of a pop bottle rather than a fuel tank always struck me as daft.
Got a tomtom
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26 January 2008, 09:12 PM
#8
Quoted from a guy on Briskoda who goes regularly....
Driving in Austria, speed limits in Austria, driving laws in Austria, Austrian motoring rules and regulations.
Driving in France, speed limits in France, driving laws in France, French motoring rules and regulations.
Driving in Austria, speed limits in Austria, driving laws in Austria, Austrian motoring rules and regulations.
Driving in France, speed limits in France, driving laws in France, French motoring rules and regulations.
The only requirements in Austria are a first aid kit, warning triangle and headlamp adjusters (which he has omitted) and a GB sticker. Everything else is only recommended. If you were only doing France, Belgium and Germany you could get away with even less.
You also need an Austrian motorway vignette.
http://www.saveanddrive.co.uk/delete.../euroguide.swf
AA Roadwatch : Motoring in Europe
Last edited by KiwiGTI; 26 January 2008 at 09:16 PM.
26 January 2008, 09:24 PM
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WTF are headlight adjusters?? Apart from the screws behind the units
I take it to mean those damn silly bits of plastic you see stuch to headlamps.
I take it to mean those damn silly bits of plastic you see stuch to headlamps.
26 January 2008, 09:30 PM
#10
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Halogen lights need the stick-on bits, proper HID's should have adjusters (see manual), after-market HID's are illegal here, and there, won't have adjusters, or self leveling, or washers (probably).
26 January 2008, 09:31 PM
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They're really hot on lane discipline over there...if there's someone up your chuff, indicator on flashing their headlights, you need to pullover! 
You'll soon get used to it but then I guarantee, within 5 mins of being back in Blighty you'll be spitting feathers at the p*ss poor UK driving standards!
You'll soon get used to it but then I guarantee, within 5 mins of being back in Blighty you'll be spitting feathers at the p*ss poor UK driving standards!
26 January 2008, 09:35 PM
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26 January 2008, 09:37 PM
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Hahaha unlikely unless you fancy driving from 1 side of the country to another!!!
I'm heading for Hochflizen
Mind you I ain't doing it in my Sport, I want the WRX wagon to do this is, and that depends on me having money left over after I move.
I'm heading for Hochflizen
Mind you I ain't doing it in my Sport, I want the WRX wagon to do this is, and that depends on me having money left over after I move.
26 January 2008, 09:46 PM
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The fuel can requirement isn't true. It's illegal to run out of fuel on an autobahn but there is no compulsion to carry a fuel can.
Something else that was introduced this year is an emissions sticker if you want to drive into some German cities. You have to display one or risk a fine and hassle from police.
English - Air Pollution Control - General Information - Low emission zone / emissions-control windscreen sticker
Soon to be a lot more German cities.
Something else that was introduced this year is an emissions sticker if you want to drive into some German cities. You have to display one or risk a fine and hassle from police.
English - Air Pollution Control - General Information - Low emission zone / emissions-control windscreen sticker
Soon to be a lot more German cities.
26 January 2008, 09:47 PM
#15
French Police are on Hyper-Alert to "TAX" GB Drivers - DO NOT SPEED IN FRANCE - The Fines are PUNITIVE. A Pal of mine got stiffed for £500 for doing 100mph - CASH or your car is gone.
Don't know about the rest of Europe - apart from the Kraut Autobahns where you can put your boot right down
Don't know about the rest of Europe - apart from the Kraut Autobahns where you can put your boot right down
26 January 2008, 09:56 PM
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I understood that there are only certain autobahns where you can floor it. Ask Wurzel, he'll know. The fines for speeding in France are not as bad as those in Switzerland (in case you are tempted by the alpine passes)...90 euros for 10-20kms over the limit, a bit more -- around 250 euros for 30kms over the limit and upwards and car-less words after that. They will escort you to a cash point to pay the fine. Don't even think about using a radar detector though...they'll throw the book at you and smash the detector in front of your eyes.
26 January 2008, 09:58 PM
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If there is no speed limit posted on an autobahn then you can drive as fast as you like. There are lots of sections with limits posted on them some as low as 100kph.
That said I've been told by a German friend that in accidents over 160kph the fast driver is often assumed to be the one to blame regardless of the actual circumstances.
That said I've been told by a German friend that in accidents over 160kph the fast driver is often assumed to be the one to blame regardless of the actual circumstances.
26 January 2008, 09:59 PM
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The wagon will only be fitted with a GPS. I have a radar detec on the sport and out of the thousands of alerts its given, 2 have been real.
26 January 2008, 09:59 PM
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Simon, it's worth doing a Google search on the road signs for the countries you're going through to familiarise yourself. In Germany the autobahns have some sections which are derestricted, some with a speed limit, some with a conditional speed limit (raining etc) and also a minimum limit. They're confusing unless you know what they all mean. The one you'll need to look out for on the autobahn is the grey sign with the number crossed out, that signals the end of the speed restriction and is foot down time
Getting Around Germany -- German traffic signs and signals (Page 1 of 2)
Getting Around Germany -- German traffic signs and signals (Page 1 of 2)
26 January 2008, 10:01 PM
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The biggest problem I faced was the roundabouts...
Really, they're a bloody nightmare until you get used to them.
Just remember: STOP and look to your passenger to check if it is clear. You wouldn't believe the numpties you see at the roundabouts on the way to Citie Europe in Calais.....
Really, they're a bloody nightmare until you get used to them.
Just remember: STOP and look to your passenger to check if it is clear. You wouldn't believe the numpties you see at the roundabouts on the way to Citie Europe in Calais.....
26 January 2008, 10:13 PM
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Just take your time Simon and allow lots of time for photo-ops. I'm thinking of doing the Davos-Stelvio run which the Top Gear team did and am planning 3 days to do it (I could do Stelvio in 6 hours but why rush it?) as the scenery is astonishing and I'll be taking loads of breaks. The roads in Europe you will love and so will the scoob so rather than trying to do it in a few days, take your time and really enjoy the trip.
26 January 2008, 10:14 PM
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Motorways are fine, it's at junctions or perhaps roundabouts where you can risk killing yourself by turning into the wrong lane automatically. Got that T-shirt 
Try to run out of fuel just entering Luxembourg, it's about 20% cheaper there IIRC.
Try to run out of fuel just entering Luxembourg, it's about 20% cheaper there IIRC.
26 January 2008, 10:18 PM
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Just take your time Simon and allow lots of time for photo-ops. I'm thinking of doing the Davos-Stelvio run which the Top Gear team did and am planning 3 days to do it (I could do Stelvio in 6 hours but why rush it?) as the scenery is astonishing and I'll be taking loads of breaks. The roads in Europe you will love and so will the scoob so rather than trying to do it in a few days, take your time and really enjoy the trip.
Its only the drive there and back thats worrying me, having never driven over there.
I'm there for a week for round 3 of the Biathlon World Cup! And with the scenery and this on offer, I'm glad
26 January 2008, 10:20 PM
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It's definitely something I want to do and plan on doing it over a long weekend...Geneva-Davos in a leisurely drive, stop in a hotel overnight, then do the Davos-Stelvio run and stop off in a hotel there, last day doing the 6 hour run back to Geneva. Job done. No stress and hopefully a couple of memry cards full of great images and great memories of the roads. I've been to Davos before via the wonderful Swiss rail system and it was fantastic to see the landscape but the only way I was going to take pictures was to pull the emergency cord
26 January 2008, 10:25 PM
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It's definitely something I want to do and plan on doing it over a long weekend...Geneva-Davos in a leisurely drive, stop in a hotel overnight, then do the Davos-Stelvio run and stop off in a hotel there, last day doing the 6 hour run back to Geneva. Job done. No stress and hopefully a couple of memry cards full of great images and great memories of the roads. I've been to Davos before via the wonderful Swiss rail system and it was fantastic to see the landscape but the only way I was going to take pictures was to pull the emergency cord
26 January 2008, 10:27 PM
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Will do Sal. As you know I have a few things to sort out this year so I'll do the trip once I'm settled. Enjoy Millau, it is FANTASTIC (if you like really high bridges) and also stop in the town to get the postcards and fridge magnets