Member Since: 10 Sep 2010
Location: Chair
Posts: 37
Road trip
Hi, not been on here for a while, ben busy at work and bought another toy.
I'm planning a road trip Melksham Wiltshire to the following Calais, Reims, Combloux, Lake Como, Monza, Pisa, Milan, Strasbourg, Brussels, Calais and home. Aprox 2500 mile over 18 days. could do with advise on the following.
I have never driven in europe, so what should i expect except for driving on the wrong side?
Are the tolls very expensive?
Fuel prices and availability?
What is the deal if you get a speeding fine or other?
Do i drive or get the train to Monza for the Grand Prix?
Any other advise would be great.
Thank you in advance.
MatthewJava Black HSE, Alpaca Leather.
Porsche Boxster S.
Previous 4 x 4
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Vauxhall Frontera (Awfull)
Disco 2 (OK)
Mercedes ML (Nice)
Mitsubushi L200 Animal (Looked good, drove Terrible)
7th Aug 2011 11:39 pm
PaulD3
Member Since: 11 Mar 2006
Location: Herts
Posts: 141
Hi,
I am sure others will be along shortly with better info but I have taken the Disco through France and Spain a couple of times and the motorways are excellent and mostly congestion free. The tolls can be expensive but there are alternative cheaper routes if time is not of the essence. It also helps if you have a passenger to collect tickets and pay. There is another great site (they make tyres and review restaurants) where you can input your route and it tells you the tolls costs.
Can't help on speeding fines but there are quite a few speed cameras on the French motorway and they are quite hard to spot.
Fuel is quite a bit cheaper per ltr if you get off the motorway. Some places, from memory of my last trip, were about 20 cents per ltr cheaper and well worth a short diversion when you are doing that sort of mileage.
Check legal driving requirements for the countries your traveling such as jackets and spare bulbs etc
Headlight adjustment? First trip in D3 I used beam deflectors but in the D4, with xenons, I didn't bother adjusting and never got flashed.
Have fun it sounds like a great trip.Discovery 4 HSE Santorini Black 2012
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8th Aug 2011 4:57 am
amazing
Member Since: 05 Mar 2011
Location: chengdu
Posts: 1542
Grand Prix
Many moons ago I went to Assen to see the superbike racing from the town we stayed in there was a special train ticket that included the entry into the grand prix and was cheaper than buying separately.
You might want to check it out.It is better to have and not need it then need and not have it.
8th Aug 2011 5:47 am
robsmith
Member Since: 02 Sep 2007
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 2403
Speeding fines - depends on which country you are in, some will take cash on the spot, others will send you the bill in the post, some will give you Europe wide brownie points, others like to keep them to themselves.
Don't forget that French villages have a 50kp limit, only indicated by ***** small posts at either end of the village...
This site gives a good summary of the speed limits and fines http://www.safetravel.co.uk/frenchspeedlimits.html
Driving on the wrong side of the road - interesting/exciting at first, easier with a passenger with nerves of steel. The biggest problem are the signs and markings, for which there are a number of sites which give summaries.
Worst problem I have is about two days in, just when I'm starting to feel comfortable I forget to drive on the wrong side coming out of a narrow entrance, it certainly wakes me up...
Best tip is don't drive when you are feeling tiered as you need to concentrate a bit more than you do in the .
At least these days with the Euro and plastic you won't have to worry about loads of different types of paper money as we had to in the "good old days".
Oh, and don't have anyone projectile vomit down the back of your neck at ***mph like wot I had last time in France - dodgy sea food to blame, they spent three days in a French hospital before they were well enough to travel home Rob Smith
Silver rools OK
8th Aug 2011 7:55 am
robsmith
Member Since: 02 Sep 2007
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 2403
And the Italians are as mad as they are made out to be, until you carve them up like they carve you up, then they have a degree of respect for you. I guess driving a D3/D4 you will have a psychological advantage when it comes to debating which lane is yours....Rob Smith
Silver rools OK
In view of it's legendary quality I'd be reluctant to trust the LR SatNav. Invest in a TomTom with Euro maps...
French police are very difficult if you do get stopped, I had a bad incident last year. If you don't speak French you might be in trouble, best to avoid speeding.... also make sure you have the spares and triangles and high vis you need, they'll book you if you don't have them and they stop you...____
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8th Aug 2011 8:56 am
mig31
Member Since: 26 Oct 2009
Location: Reus
Posts: 64
Hello,
Driving on the "right" side of the road (it's the right side after all) is not a big problem.
As they already said, it helps having a passenger for tickets and tolls.
Motorways are much easier, as overtaking is less of a problem. On normal roads, again, a pax will help you a lot, if you're stuck behind a lorry or a caravan.
Don't think about petrol prices, what you'll save on petrol, you'll spend on motorway toll.
I just got back today from Italy through France.
Diesed in italy is around 1.40 euros per litre (about 10 cents per litre more on motorways)
Cheapest in my home town was 1.395
About the same in France (cheapest I've seen around Grenoble at 1.29)
Spain is definitely cheaper. I topped up today at 1.25
Hope you don't have the petrol version. Yesterday I saw a petrol station in Italy with petrol at 1.78
Motorways are relatively expensive (since mostly they are free in the UK)
Crossing france from Italy to Spain is about 60-70 euros (didn't add up all my tickets)
Crossing the North of Italy from Turin to Venice is about 40 euros (one way)
Mont Blanc tunnel and Frejus tunnel are 36.80 euros (one way), or 40 something euros return, but you have to do your round trip in 7 days or less.
Can't think of much else now, but if you need more info, please let me know.
8th Aug 2011 7:59 pm
s33maf
Member Since: 10 Sep 2010
Location: Chair
Posts: 37
Thank you for your advice guys, really helpful so far.
I'm not surprised that people say the motor ways in France are great, the tolls are working out to be in the region of £1 for every 10 miles traveled.
Never knew about the bulbs, triangle etc.
The speeding bit I was aware of. Some years ago we got stopped speeding on the way Le Mans; police took our passports until we paid up in cash with no receipt.Java Black HSE, Alpaca Leather.
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8th Aug 2011 8:07 pm
s33maf
Member Since: 10 Sep 2010
Location: Chair
Posts: 37
antoniasdad wrote:
In view of it's legendary quality I'd be reluctant to trust the LR SatNav. Invest in a TomTom with Euro maps...
French police are very difficult if you do get stopped, I had a bad incident last year. If you don't speak French you might be in trouble, best to avoid speeding.... also make sure you have the spares and triangles and high vis you need, they'll book you if you don't have them and they stop you...
Cheers for the advice,
I have always found the sat nav to be ok, but I only use it in the country looking for farms etc. I was going to buy an update disc for it or get one when the service is done at LR perhaps I won't now.Java Black HSE, Alpaca Leather.
Porsche Boxster S.
Previous 4 x 4
Nissan Patrol x2 (Strong workhorse)
Vauxhall Frontera (Awfull)
Disco 2 (OK)
Mercedes ML (Nice)
Mitsubushi L200 Animal (Looked good, drove Terrible)
8th Aug 2011 8:15 pm
mig31
Member Since: 26 Oct 2009
Location: Reus
Posts: 64
If you have the time, just don't worry about these "minor" things....
....just go and have fun.
Just got back from a 3000 km trip in the last 2 weeks (Barcelona-Turin-Venice-Turin-Barcelona...+various other little bits)
Last May 6000 km (Barcelona - Turin - Aberdeen - Barcelona)
The D3 is built for that (and much more, naturally).
I'm sure I could have spent less flying, but I had a blast.
Certainly my road trip to Scotland was the best ever.
Driving in France, basic general information
Speeding fines, what you will get charged by the law enforcement if caught speeding
What if you're caught, helpful information and advice
Speed camera detectors, what you are and are not allowed to use
Traffic information, , live traffic, forecasts, weather
Don't bother to update LR SatNav, buy a TomTom & upload POIs (Points of Interest) here:-
You will have to pay for the location of speed cameras, but many other are free like:-
Banks
Fuel
Dealerships
Wifi hotspots
Historical Cultural & Heritage sites
etc......
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8th Aug 2011 9:32 pm
s33maf
Member Since: 10 Sep 2010
Location: Chair
Posts: 37
Thank you for the advice guys, I think you have convinced me this is a good idea and something to look forward too. I'm even going to purchase a camcorder to record the experience.
Happy days,
Matt.Java Black HSE, Alpaca Leather.
Porsche Boxster S.
Previous 4 x 4
Nissan Patrol x2 (Strong workhorse)
Vauxhall Frontera (Awfull)
Disco 2 (OK)
Mercedes ML (Nice)
Mitsubushi L200 Animal (Looked good, drove Terrible)
12th Aug 2011 5:30 pm
wvlenthe
Member Since: 07 Jan 2009
Location: Arnhem
Posts: 1967
In spite of what many people say, I have used the standard LR satnav in the Netherlands (a lot!), Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Germany and Italy and it has always brought me where I wanted to get to. I find it trustworthy enough not to invest in a tomtom or phone-based navigation software. Have a 2010 disc now, formerly 2005 if memory serves well.
Sure, the interface may not allow you to put in as many settings as the above-mentioned tyre supplier/restaurant reviewer's site will, but for me it does the trick. Just came back from 3200 km trip to Cote d'Azur, all on LR satnav, went there another route as I came back by, never once sent me in the wrong direction.
I have seen British people struggle on toll stations in France when alone in a car because you guys are on the right side of the car only in the meaning as to distinguish from left, not from wrong.
My 2 cents,
WiljoD3 V8 HSE Auto in Zermatt silver - driveway version gone but not forgotten, only the living room cupboard version remains
12th Aug 2011 6:03 pm
s33maf
Member Since: 10 Sep 2010
Location: Chair
Posts: 37
I'm sticking with my LR sat nav as it's always got me to where I'm going up to now. I will have a co pilot for the tolls and to double check maps.
Matt.Java Black HSE, Alpaca Leather.
Porsche Boxster S.
Previous 4 x 4
Nissan Patrol x2 (Strong workhorse)
Vauxhall Frontera (Awfull)
Disco 2 (OK)
Mercedes ML (Nice)
Mitsubushi L200 Animal (Looked good, drove Terrible)
12th Aug 2011 7:37 pm
Icarus
Member Since: 15 Jul 2023
Location: Essex
Posts: 107
Driving in France.
Just back from a 2000 mile trip in France.
If it helps, you can buy a tag that sticks to your windscreen (I got one from e-movis) for around £25.00, for the motorway tolls.
You drive SLOWLY up to the gate displaying a "t", the toll gate reads the device on the windscreen, gate opens and away you go.
The tolls are charged to your plastic card automatically, to whatever account you've set up.
Saves a lot of hassle, queueing, passenger stretching, scraping wheels and or bodywork on the high concrete kerbs etc etc.....
I drove from Essex to the Dordogne, tolls around £70.00 each way. I don't mind paying the tolls, as the motorways are very well maintained, well provided with rest areas, and (very expensive) fuel stations.
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