Europe Road Trip

[IBM]

Last minute change of plans!!

Going to aimlessly drive around Europe for six or seven days from Sunday...

No idea what i'm doing...haven't been onto the continent since I was twelve.

Any tips? I'm thinking driving on the right hand side of the road is a good start.

What about ferry crossing? Think I'm going to have any problems getting a ticket this late? Is there a turn up and wait system?

Bet it's going to rain the whole time....France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands...and maybe luxumburg

[htid]

Silly person! Been sunny all this week and will be all the way up until Saturday here in Germany, then starting Sunday rain rain rain. You couldn't have come a week earlier eh

German weather if you're interested, may be of use: www.wetter.de

[GeorgeTuk]

Definitley go to Barcelona and south of France, Nice for example. Brittany is good for wine!

[stytagm]

Book a ferry, you'll be able to get a spot on a crossing at a slightly obscure time of day at least.
Also check your insurance covers you on the continent, and take the documents with you.

[kidzer]

Ooh, thats cool!

I have my own plans for a small trip next summer with a friend, travel around Spain and camp wherever we can!

And perhaps wander up into France for a few days, all depends on whether or not you can camp wherever theres grass or not, I dont know the rules regarding such things...

..have fun though, a random trip sounds brilliant!

[redlight]

Oh to be young again.
We used to book a ticket on the magic bus and go off to Europe.
I got so fed up with the UK at the end of the seventies I took a one way ticket(£45) to Athens and never came back for two years.
When the kids have flown the nest I will certainly be doing impulse trips to Europe again.

[IBM]

Sounds impulse, doesn't it...

..but there's actually me, my wife, our two small children, their maternal grandparents, and their maternal uncle....

Should be fun though...Even though I know it's going to rain the whole time..

[MD]

consider the euro tunnel. Might be a bit more expensive, but saves kids throwing up and stuff on the boat

[chicken]

German weather if you're interested, may be of use: www.wetter.de

or the more optimistic version: www.sunnier.de

[htid]

or the more optimistic version: www.sunnier.de

hahahahahaha that made me laugh a lot

[Dareos]

or the more optimistic version: www.sunnier.de

so funneh

[mycarsavw]

Don't stop in Dover for any longer than you need to, it's a dump.

Once you're on the Ferry, don't have a beer or three (I always forget that part - old habits...). Take a left off the boat and skip across the top of France and in to Belgium then head down through Germany etc.

Crossing should be cheapest at any time before 7am (£60 return for a car and 5 passengers)

I'm very jealous, if you see me, wave.

I have a discount code for a return crossing that may or may not work - PM me if you'd like it.

[IBM]

or the more optimistic version: www.sunnier.de

ROFL

[burble]

If you end up in the south of France head over to Antibes. I went there a couple of months back to see a friend for dinner and fell in love with the place. The whole of the Cote d'Azur is fantastic but I preferred Antibes to Nice.

[IBM]

Unfortunately, I'm not the plan maker....so far the trip is pretty much a whirlwind tour of the nearest countries to Calais, with a forced stop at Disneyland for the kids. So far it's Dover-Calais, straight to disney for two nights, then to Paris for two nights, then to Koln for one night, Amsterdam for one night, Brussels for one night, then back home.

Don't see a lot of point to it myself, since after Paris we'll spend most of the time on the road, but better than being stuck at home.

[Rave]

Make sure you and your car are legal. I tend to risk it for a booze cruise but if I were going for a week I would no way risk giving three or four foriegn police forces an opportunity to fine me.

Off the top of my head, what you need is:

GB sticker
Headlight deflectors (can pick up these two on the ferry or at BP in dover, I've never found them much cheaper)
Warning triangle (mine was 99p from the, er, 99p store)
First aid kit (although I Doubt anyone has ever been fined for not having one, it makes sense anyway)
Hi-Vis vest for every occupant of the car (in case you break down on a motorway and have to get out; not sure what countries require this although again it's not a bad idea. Poundland for these)
Car registration, insurance docs, and both parts of your driving licence.

Edit: have a nice trip, BTW. Good luck being stuck in a car with the kids and in-laws.