[brotherharry]

Just planning ahead for some European road trip action and wondered if those of you who have more experience than I living with/holidaying with a 12C or similar could share some tips on stuff like:

• Coping with Eurotunnel - assuming fairly friendly?
• Roll on/roll off ferries - ramps and bumps? other cars packed in too tight?
• Tracking down secure overnight parking - avoid big cities and go rural?
• Availability of super-unleaded
• Countries you really don't want to mess with the local traffic ossifers

 

[roundincircles]

brotherharry. with the tunnel you need to tell them at check in, and sometimes the pre-load lanes, your car will not go up the ramps and they will load you on the lower deck.

With the ferries, I have only used the Santander and Bilbao ferries, you need to tell them you need to avoid the ramps and typically you will be loaded with the lorries. If you get on a car deck then you need to supervise people passing with luggage and offer to pass it to them as there is no room between vehicles and they will drag their baggage down the car. This becomes worse during debarkation.

Regarding parking you need to stay at Hotels with garages (lots) in city centres or urban but your usually OK in the countryside.

Petrol is crap in Spain but the car adjusts. Super is available in most countries but sometimes you have to search for it.

Switzerland and Austria have clamped down on speeding and traffic violation ( France you must know about?) especially in towns and dual carriage/motorways, plus A roads in Switzerland. Elsewhere is reasonable.Remember if you intend to use the motorways in Swiss you need a Vignette at £30 or so, best to get it before you go as it saves time at the border. Austria is the same but £7.

 

[Wtdoom]

Book your crossing as a van or high vehicle on the Eurotunnel . You then go on the flat ( and wider , wheel friendly ) lorry bay .
remember insurance and ownership docs .
carry a high viz vest in the car ( not in the boot ) one for each passenger (this is law in france ).
remember gb sticker .
Beware the belgian drivers and the French and belgian police .

 

[Mikeyb]

Don't do more than 160 in France on the autoroute and they'll leave you alone.. If you wanna go faster find a route national and probably 1/3 of the way down at least... 98 is every where so no probs there.. Switzerland is a no speeding zone.. Even 10km over on autoroute not allowed and speed cameras frequent

Use trapster or cam Sam if you have smart phone... Actually pretty useful although not a substitute for your own eyes..!

 

[gallardo62]

beware on the "autoroute des anglais" a26 i know the "gendarmes" there and they are in lack of tickets...

radar detectors are forbidden in france, stay in that limit : speedometer + 35km/h

i prefer to use Euro tunnel because you don't have a car at your sides

 

[BelMP4-12c]

Wat's the problem with Belgian drivers, except we drive on the right side off the road

 

[brotherharry]

Some good stuff here.
Looking at a spot of autobahn-storming through Germany on my way up to Norway, maybe on this stretch. Anyone maxed their 12C out in Germany? I've heard not all stretches of derestricted are suited to vmax runs...

 

[roundincircles]

Norway

The most expensive place to speed in the World.......went there two years ago, it's a stunning place to travel around, and one of our group was fined £800 for 15kmh over the limit.

 

[Wtdoom]

Wat's the problem with Belgian drivers, except we drive on the right side off the road

Yes but I have had more people try to kill me in Belgium than in Iraq !

 

[brotherharry]

Norway
The most expensive place to speed in the World.......went there two years ago, it's a stunning place to travel around, and one of our group was fined £800 for 15kmh over the limit.

I knew Finland and Switzerland have a % of net worth/annual salary fine system in place, but digging a little deeper on this site seems there's some scary-assed approaches to 'pressing on' in Norway too, including unconditional jail time e.g:
motorway limit 90kph (55mph), lost licence at 126 kph (78mph) and jail at 141kph (87mph)
out of town limit 80kph (49mph), lost licence at 116 kph (72mph) and jail at 131kph (81mph)country road

Hmmm, this may need a rethink or a larger pair of balls....

 

[andy c]

I knew Finland and Switzerland have a % of net worth/annual salary fine system in place, but digging a little deeper on this site seems there's some scary-assed approaches to 'pressing on' in Norway too, including unconditional jail time e.g:
motorway limit 90kph (55mph), lost licence at 126 kph (78mph) and jail at 141kph (87mph)
out of town limit 80kph (49mph), lost licence at 116 kph (72mph) and jail at 131kph (81mph)country road

Hmmm, this may need a rethink or a larger pair of balls....

So what your saying is,wrong gear ,2 seconds,and prison??? .I think i can live without the soused fish!! Youve got bigger balls than me
I take it thats Finland,as ive just paid a swiss fine for being 16kph over which was 60 sf,a bargin!!

 

[roundincircles]

Brotherharry. I was on a balistic Ducati in Norway and once your way north of Oslo and out of other towns/urban areas your OK. The key thing was observe what the locals were doing, driving wise.

We did stop for 4 coffees with some Norwegian Gateaux and was relieved of £38. Beer was £10 a pint.

The wine was priced by MSO

 

[carbon.blades]

Some good stuff here.
Looking at a spot of autobahn-storming through Germany on my way up to Norway, maybe on this stretch. Anyone maxed their 12C out in Germany? I've heard not all stretches of derestricted are suited to vmax runs...

Really depends on the time of day... there are quite a few unrestricted sections where you can max out, but you might want to try for early Sunday morning or early morning during a German holiday to make sure traffic is light enough you don't get cut off.

I was able to get close to maxing out my R8 while most people were watching Euro 2012.

Even got a decent run in the 12C...