Driving to Europe, any recommendations..

[MikeS4]

I've always fancied a driving holiday to the continent & have decided to go for it this Summer. My main destination would be the South of France but i would ideally like to get there via Holland, Germany and Switzerland. Has anyone here ever planned a similar driving holiday, could you give any recommendations, places/roads worth visiting or avoiding, advice on Eurostar & ferry crossings, hotels enroute.
I've never planned anything like this before & would greatly appreciate any advice.

 

[Ess_Three]

If you have any interest...
Reims is magical. Stay in or around Epernay and enjoy the Champagne region...the food and the way of life - if only for one night.
The old Reims grandstands/buildings/scoreboard are haunting...a superb place to just sit for a while and soak up the history of the place.

You could perhaps deviate in past on the way down, or home.

 

[Just Plain Old]

Drive on the 'wrong' side of the road..........!

How about taking in the Nurburgring on route?

 

[treblesykes]

try http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/index.htm for accomodation. I agree about riems epernay champagne, I stayed here - http://www.champagne-gites.com/ that site also gives you a fair amount of info on ferries etc. The owner Grant actually has the champagne contract with audi uk directly from the Comte Audoin De Dampierre (the aston driving guy on oz and james wine adventure).
Further on driving through the alps is amazing I would detour across to Monaco and find the road that featured on the best of top gear last night.http://www.redlineblog.com/top-gears-worlds-best-driving-road-in-detail/ Switzerland is crazily expensive! The French toll roads are actually good value imho but there is a lot of miles to cover so the cost will add up,saying that its better to stay off the big roads and enjoy the country.

Take a warning triangle,some spare bulbs and dont get caught speeding (my mate got caught and the french feds made him drive to an ATM and pay his fine in cash

 

[RGBArgee]

I've always fancied a driving holiday to the continent & have decided to go for it this Summer. My main destination would be the South of France but i would ideally like to get there via Holland, Germany and Switzerland. Has anyone here ever planned a similar driving holiday, could you give any recommendations, places/roads worth visiting or avoiding, advice on Eurostar & ferry crossings, hotels enroute.
I've never planned anything like this before & would greatly appreciate any advice.

Eurostar, get a caravan/mobile wine transporter, 3.0 Cabriolet + caravan GREAT ...SW is best as in UK

TT (no towbar!)

R

 

[unkle]

Norfolkline do quite cheap ferries these days and they are quite nice too!

 

[LaSarthe&Back]

In some small French villages, an old rule is that people waiting at T junctions have priority over oncoming traffic. A rule that has been changed to "our way of thinking", but this hasn't got around everywhere. I found out the hard way when going to Le Mans. Luckily she moved pretty quick but it was a shock seeing her wait, wait and wait then go just as I got to the junction!!

As mentioned, bulbs, triangle, ATLAS!, and a first aid kit. I take tools with me which helps ensure that nothing goes wrong!

One place to recommend is the Milau bridge. Planning to get there myself, just a question of when. A great engineering feat!

See what I mean

 

[fingermouse]

went over the Milau bridge last summer, there is a nice viewing area.

knocked the hell out of the car towing the great big new caravan.


not the Audi btw but a ford st tdi.

 

[marms]

The Milau bridge is a truly amazing architectural achievement.
The pictures are spectacular but they are nothing compared to actually seeing / driving over the bridge.

Well worth a visit.

 

[Nickynibbles]

Also recommend taking an emergency can of fuel in the boot. Remember my old man saying you had to carry a spare can in the boot, not sure if it was german law or army regulation but a sensible idea all the same when your driving on roads you dont know!

As for speeding, be wary obviously. The French motorway tolls have numberplate recognition and measure your average time between booths, no way to hide the fact you've been speeding really! Switzerland just dosent like fast cars so dont speed, at all!! Read something in a bike mag last year about a bikers version of the gumball rally being stopped and all, that all of the bikes being confiscated!!

 

[benw123]

When you get to the south of France there's tonnes to see. Monaco is a must, Nice is also very pretty, and you also have Cannes and St. Tropez.

Not driven all that way from Blighty but flew to Nice and got upgraded to a StreetKa for the week. Great fun!

 

[LaSarthe&Back]

When you get to the south of France there's tonnes to see. Monaco is a must, Nice is also very pretty, and you also have Cannes and St. Tropez.

Not driven all that way from Blighty but flew to Nice and got upgraded to a StreetKa for the week. Great fun!

UPGRADED to a StreetKa?? What from????? lol

 

[treblesykes]

You've just got to have a drive through the tunnel at monte carlo too, I did it in a diesel astra 1.7 turbointercooled! 80bhp of fury


And be careful if you take a steeringlock the ffing things get so hot in the Mediterranean sun you cant get them off without wearing welding gloves.

 

[MikeS4]

Thanks for all the advice chaps, my main destinations on the holiday would be along the Cote D'Azur which would take in Monaco & nice. Reims sound like in interesting detour on the way back via Paris.
Been reading about the Top Gear best roads in Europe which would be a fun route into France on the way down.

Any suggestions on hotels? My timetable's gonna be quite flexible & i'd prefer not book in advance but i'm worried that in June everywhere decent will be full.