Long European Drive

[Lapchien66]

Had my 3.2 for a few months now, just got back from driving it down to Italy and back, through the Alps and right up to the max on the autobahn :sign_omg:

Perfect drive - didn't miss a beat. Just perfect.

Anyone else drive on the continent?

 

[edition]

I did near enought teh same trip last month in a 3.2

 

[MintyS3]

Only to the Ring but not in the Audi yet.

 

[h5djr]

Most years I take my A3 to the continent at least once quite often twice. My main holiday with the car is usually to Switzerland or Austria driving through France or Belgium and Germany. I also often go to the Christmas Markets in Germany, mostly to Koln. The autoroutes in France are generally very quiet and some of the stretches of autobahn I use in Germany are desrestricted, which can add to the fun.

This year I am going to Austria but stopping a fews nights in Passau in Germany on the way and a couple a nights in the Mosel Valley, again in Germany on the way back. I may also call in to the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt on the way to Passau.

I generally find driving on the continent more enjoyable that driving in the UK even though I'm on the 'wrong' side of the road.

 

[Nutkin]

i took my leon to the ring, loved the foreign roads although the 2 lane roads can get iritating when lorrys overtake and such.

 

[madluke]

i love travel through europe. been in poland twice. 19 hrs of driving. especially germany through the night. pure heaven going on ferry, have a nice meal, see nice cars. following people doing 120+ its so enjoying.

 

[Lima]

Only to the Ring but not in the Audi yet.

You don't know how lucky you are to have that opportunity, take your S3 to the Ring as soon as you can goddammit!

 

[Boydie]

I would love to take my S3 to the ring - was always tempted in the TDI but for definate I would love to go now!!

 

[Jo Sharp]

Anyone else drive on the continent?

i live in N Germany and have great fun with both my Audis on the Autobahn. Sadly, I miss the gently winding country roads of S England where the S3 really excels, but it is nice to be able to open up the throttle without worrying about Mr Plod.

 

[N8]

Even though I'm on the 'wrong' side of the road.

Actually Dave, you're driving on the RIGHT side of the road

 

[Igdos]

Actually Dave, you're driving on the RIGHT side of the road

Don't know how you've found it Dave (& others!) but I find it easier driving a UK RHD in Europe than driving a LHD hire car.

Although sitting on the right means it's tricky for overtaking but personally I feel more settled and used to it than having LHD.

Also works out quite well fuelwise as the cost of diesel is much lower than petrol in most of the EU countries.

Driving with sat nav you can set a maximum speed challenge as well - 128mph last time (was in A4 2.0 TDI) - Germany only of course.

 

[h5djr]

Don't know how you've found it Dave (& others!) but I find it easier driving a UK RHD in Europe than driving a LHD hire car.

Although sitting on the right means it's tricky for overtaking but personally I feel more settled and used to it than having LHD.

Also works out quite well fuelwise as the cost of diesel is much lower than petrol in most of the EU countries.

Driving with sat nav you can set a maximum speed challenge as well - 128mph last time (was in A4 2.0 TDI) - Germany only of course.

I much prefer driving my own UK RHD car in Europe to driving any LHD car. I have only driven two LHD cars, both BMWs, and I found I kept trying to change gear with the windows winder (remember those!) and ended up with a sore elbow. These were both manual gearbox cars. It would probably be better with an S-tronic as I could stick to changing gear with the paddles.

It helps that I always have my wife in the passengers seat when I'm driving abroad and we work the system where she says if it's clear for me to move out to see if I want to overtake. Seems to work quite well.

Mind you she has not been over keen on being in the middle when we have been through some roadworks on the autobahn with only two lines of road studs separating us from traffic going in the other direction. When this happens I usually stay in the inside lane!

The autobahn feels very much like a UK motorway - the left hand lane (inside in the UK and outside in Germany is quite empty), the middle lane is much the same and the right hand lane is full of traffic (the outside lane in the UK and the inside lane in Germany). It also nice that on many stretches of autobahn, even some 3-lane sections, trucks are only allowed in the inside lane.

 

[garyburton29]

In Aug 2007 we drove to Serbia from the uk in a A6 2.8 T-reg. Never missed a beat once. Then put it on the over night train to Montenegro and was there for a couple of weeks. Round trip was just over 3000 miles.

Now own an A3 3.2 Q DSG S-line and going on the same trip next Sunday for 3 weeks...But think this might be abit tougher journey than in the A6 due to the comfy of the ride

 

[Lapchien66]

On the last stage of my trip I drove for 12 hours back from Kitzbuhel in Austria back to Birmingham. Can't believe how much it has affected my wrist, it's so strained just by holding it on the one place.

 

[Lapchien66]

I did have to get some headlight beam converters and stick them on to the glass, however I think that there is a vagcom adjustment that can be made in order to flip them over to the other side - anyone done this?

 

[Lapchien66]

Anyone know about the beam conversion vag-com coding for driving in Europe? Any other adjustment required?

I did have to get some headlight beam converters and stick them on to the glass, however I think that there is a vagcom adjustment that can be made in order to flip them over to the other side - anyone done this?

 

[h5djr]

Anyone know about the beam conversion vag-com coding for driving in Europe? Any other adjustment required?

Yes I wrote a detailed item on how to Adjust headlights for driving in Europe. This mainly applies to Xenon and Adaptive headlights. You will find it in the 8P FAQs secion in the 'stickies'

I will be doing mine on Saturday, probably whilst waiting to board the Shuttle in Folkstone as I'm off for several days in Germany and then 10 days in Austria and then calling in to the Frankfurt Motor Show on the way home.

Roll on Saturday...

 

[royjk]

Yep had my adaptive xenons done by my local Audi garage Sat, not having vagcom they charged me £50 but that includes reversing them back when I return from my trip to France, Italy, Slovenia & Croatia starting Monday.

 

[h5djr]

That's the same as my dealer normally charges. I bought a VAG-COM cable on the basis of the saving of the £50 each time I take my car to Europe, which is often several times a year, the cable would quite quickly pay for itself.

 

[mhill]

£50 for 10 minutes work!!!! That truly is a rip off, even by main dealer prices.

 

[royjk]

I can think of much greater great British rip off's. Two seperate bookings to have the job done at £25 each time not to bad. Have heard of far worse. Yep have been thinking of getting the VAG-COM cable bit worried about cocking the whole thing up though.

 

[h5djr]

£50 for 10 minutes work!!!! That truly is a rip off, even by main dealer prices.

Dealers tend to charge a minimum of 30mins for each job. Anything less is not worth their while. I've actually had mine done for nothing before now and from start to finish is does take a little longer than 10 mins.

In my case the technician came from the workshop into reception, I gave him the keys, he then went outside to drive my car into the workshop and he allowed me into the workshop to watch. He collected the diagnostic equipment, connected the cable to the car, ran through the adjustment process, disconnected the cable, checked that all the lighting etc still worked as it should. He then drove the car out of the workshop and came back back and handed me the keys. Total time from walking into reception to handing the keys back to me 20 minutes. If they were charging then it would be another 20mins to reverse the process.