Dr Nick

Hi everybody!

I'm planning an extended European trip and have a few questions that aren't easily googled.

Do Euorpean Motorway services usually have a motel on site? I am specifically interested in facilities available at services on the E40 through Germany and Poland.

What brands of motels in Europe would you recommend/not recommend? All we need is cheap and clean. How about Formula 1?

Does anyone have any recent experience of crossing the border into Ukraine recently in a car. How long does it really take?

And the really difficult one.... Does anyone know if its possible to get comprehensive insurance in Ukraine at a sensible price? I think not!

Cheers

boxst

Some hotels here: Hotels on the E40

I used Googlemaps and just found a hotel in a town near to where I was driving.

I don't know about Ukraine, Poland's border is finally better. Be careful what car you take into Ukraine if you want to drive it back out again.

Steve

Dr Nick

I wasn't planning on taking a scooby to Ukraine. Not this time anyway ;-)

Also I wasn't expecting to have to stop at the Polish border. Is the checkpoint still there?

Cheers

boxst

It was there last year -- stopped for 2 hours to get through which was incredibly frustrating. Apparently it has been removed now.

I'm off in July -- so if you are going before then you can tell me!

Steve

Dr Nick

I hope to be crossing the border via the E40 from Germany into Poland this Sunday. I'll let you know if its still there.

Ukrainian border is more my worry I've heard frankly unbelievable stories about how long it can take to cross (so taking plenty of food and water).

Cheers

Luan Pra bang

I crossed at Frankfurt oder into Poland in December and drove straight through. Most of poland is a bit of a crap hole though. There seems to be one motorway in the whole country which is ridiculously expensive to drive on and it is not even finished yet the rest is like driving on a a british high street traffic 30 miles an hour tops and single carraigeway everywhere. I would definately suggest driving overnight if you intend to arrive quickly.

Dr Nick

When did you travel through Poland Luan?

The Michelin Route planner and my road atlas indicated that the E40 is at least dual carriageway most of the way to Krakow.

There was a toll mentioned but it was not a lot for such a long drive about £15 quid I think.

If the roads are this bad in Poland, are they pot-hole free enough to drive at night? In Ukraine there are too many holes in most roads to drive safely at night at any speed unless you know the road.

Cheers

Dr Nick

Hi Everybody!

Just to close this one out:

Since I have now done the above and am enjoying a beer in the sunshine in Ukraine, I can at least partially answer the above quesitons in case it aids others in the future....

The Germany/Poland border crossing on the E40 is no longer manned. There is grass growing through the pavement.

The Poland/Ukraine border crossing on the E40 took about an hour on a Sunday lunchtime.

Ukrainian insurance costs about 10 pounds from a dirty broken shed on the Ukrainian side of the border (at the petrol station). It covers you for 60 days and is more than likely not worth the paper it is written on (drive carefully).

The Axxe motel we stayed in near Dresden (Dresden tor Sud) was clean and tidy. It had individual lockable garages to leave your car overnignt. Cost for two adults one child and one baby in a three person adult room plus garage, about 60 quid. No breakfast

Less than 50% of service points on the autobahn have motels. The above may be the last one before the Polish border.

Any questions?

Cheers

Clarebabes

Why are you in the Ukraine? Holiday?

Dr Nick

1. Visit in-laws to show new baby :-)
2. Spend some time in a country with guaranteed sunshine in the summer
3. Maybe drive to Crimea for more sunshine and seaside
4. Hone barbequeing skills
5. Swim in the hot river
6. Drink beer and maybe the odd vodka with in-laws

OverEasy

Sounds good to me.... well all except the baby bit, never understood the attraction of those