Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8135
2023 Euro driving trip
This years trip all planned to Spain (straight down France and central Spain to around Gibraltar then along South/East Spain coast to Barcelona and then head home - the black route on map) and a mix of accommodation booked and a couple to do en-route. Going in the F-Type to experience the V8 soundtrack and roof down driving for, hopefully, majority of the trip. Obviously packing light with two ‘carry-on’ cases and odds and sods stuffed round sides and a Large’ish soft boot bag mounted on rear deck
6th Aug 2023 12:26 pm
tanters
Member Since: 24 Oct 2007
Location: Oireland
Posts: 4287
Looks awesome
You’ll surely get the weather for the drop top too
Are you hotel/motel-ing it?
I got a lovely speeding ticket from France in the post on Friday….. sent to me in Ireland ……. Be careful out there A happy childhood ... is the worst possible preparation for life.
6th Aug 2023 1:06 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8135
Mix of booking.com and airb’n’b places, mostly apartments/flats, think just one actual hotel.
Find you can overthink and/or spend too long ‘researching’ places, especially when booking a few places. Tend to do hard filters on secure parking, 4* plus, high scores, super hosts, actual location, price, etc to really narrow it down. Got cheap at about £48 for the blitz travel down/up overnighters up to about £120/night at ‘nicer’ places. Not done the full budget yet but over 5-6 big trips have been fairly consistent really ‘all in’ although will spend about double on fuel this time
6th Aug 2023 1:49 pm
tanters
Member Since: 24 Oct 2007
Location: Oireland
Posts: 4287
Whatever you spend it will be worth it
We’re just back from trip in Europe but we headed east from the chunnel. Had a general direction in mind but nothing booked. 4k+ kms and came back very refreshed after it all. To stop or go as you please is a great way to travel and experience a country just a little be more than normal imo
Have a great time and a safe journey A happy childhood ... is the worst possible preparation for life.
6th Aug 2023 2:49 pm
Oxford-boy
Member Since: 07 Sep 2015
Location: Oxford
Posts: 1108
tanters wrote:
Looks awesome
You’ll surely get the weather for the drop top too
Are you hotel/motel-ing it?
I got a lovely speeding ticket from France in the post on Friday….. sent to me in Ireland ……. Be careful out there
That's because you (Ireland) and France are within the EU. The UK currently has no reciprocal agreement with France on speeding.
Spain has signed an agreement.
That doesn't mean it's a free for all with speeding in France but unless you are unlucky and hauled up at the Port/Border you won't see a ticket via your door mat in the UK...
Unless someone tells me otherwise?Jim
2014 Discovery 4 XXV SDV6 Causeway Grey
2016 Discovery 4 HSE Lux SDV6 Loire Blue - now gone
6th Aug 2023 3:09 pm
tanters
Member Since: 24 Oct 2007
Location: Oireland
Posts: 4287
Finally, Jim, the sunny uplands of Bre🤯it revel themselves A happy childhood ... is the worst possible preparation for life.
6th Aug 2023 7:49 pm
Farmer Chalk
Member Since: 06 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4195
Enjoy.. We have just come back from a three week tour of Italy… best holiday ever!
We just looked at Booking.com and then went for the hotels / b&b’s with the best ratings but were reasonably priced.. stayed in some incredible places including a number of old castles…stunning..
Be aware petrol is more expensive than at home… another tip we did was each have a master suitcase in the boot which we decanted into overnight bags as and when needed.. saved lugging great suitcases everywhere each night!
Brilliant road trip over the Alps, the northern Lakes, down to Siena and then the Amalfi coast then back up again back over the Alps via Stelvio.. had to be done!
Also if you haven’t got a toll tag I would thoroughly recommend getting one.. saves all the grief!
6th Aug 2023 10:02 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8135
We're always surprised at how good some of the remote/cheaper places have been on many of our euro jaunts, we rarely pay more than about €100/night for an apartment and that will be luxury type with secure parking, etc. We always comment how good VFM places are compared to UK.....
Petrol prices factored in, Spain is one of the cheaper places for it, but will still be about £1000. Every year we do these trips and every year SWMBO asks "is it worth it" in regards taking our own car and every year I point out the alternative 'joy' of the airport and the rental of a "Fiat 500 or similar" at huge cost or we can take our own lovely Range Rover/Defender/Jag, etc. (company car so no wear & tear issues), go where we want to, when we want to and it doesn't actually cost us any more than said 'Fiat 500'....
We do the small case decanting on all of our trips. Bit odd one year when customs randomly chose the empty case for the check and spent quite a while grilling me on why I had taken an empty case.... Not so much of a problem this year as only have a carry-on each and the boot bag so will need a bit of juggling now and then as will always be the boot bag coming off the car anyway.
Definitely looking at a toll tag this year as have issues every year with various cards not being accepted, we quickly learned that a big bag of spare change could help but even that thwarted as more move to 'card only'.
Feel 'ready' now most of the accommodation booked and SWMBO already onto tickets for various things now place dates known
7th Aug 2023 6:56 am
Farmer Chalk
Member Since: 06 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4195
Am now well jealous.. wish I could just load the car and head out again!
The tag is well worth the reduction in stress you get on the approach to the toll booths.. on our trip we needed two , the French one and the Italian one so our upper windscreen was looking quite busy!
The other thing I took was one of those puncture repair kits (the rubber screw and plug types as the SVR has no spare only the tin of gloop) and an old fashioned foot pump… just so I could limp it somewhere..
And a tin of Wurth glass cleaner which was excellent at removing windscreen fly splatter that windscreen wash can’t touch..
Enjoy it… I totally share your thoughts re driving… not only do you see more of the country, enjoy more freedom but you have no issues with what you take or more importantly bring home! And you don’t have to sit with the riffraff! Lol!
7th Aug 2023 7:32 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73080
Well jell, haven’t done a Euro RT in over 5 years.
7th Aug 2023 7:38 am
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14387
Enjoy. I did a couple of road trips to Milan before Christmas in my Defender. Really enjoyed not flying!
I need to go back at the end of the month but this time my daughter wants to come and drive it in her D3 to give her practice for her road trip.
We're going to do a road trip to the Dolomites next year via the old roads through the Alps with a bit of wild camping.
Re fines, not sure about France, but Italy definitely has access to the DVLA!
Have a good trip and keep us updated. New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
7th Aug 2023 8:41 am
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8135
Extra capacity with the boot bag, plenty for 16 nights 👍
Click image to enlarge
3rd Sep 2023 6:21 pm
Farmer Chalk
Member Since: 06 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4195
Enjoy.. incredibly jealous!
3rd Sep 2023 7:26 pm
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Very neat - enjoy your trip Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
You’ll surely get the weather for the drop top too
Are you hotel/motel-ing it?
I got a lovely speeding ticket from France in the post on Friday….. sent to me in Ireland ……. Be careful out there
That's because you (Ireland) and France are within the EU. The UK currently has no reciprocal agreement with France on speeding.
Spain has signed an agreement.
That doesn't mean it's a free for all with speeding in France but unless you are unlucky and hauled up at the Port/Border you won't see a ticket via your door mat in the UK...
Unless someone tells me otherwise?
Ignored mine from the French even though my wife signed for it. What could/would they do? Nothing for 10kph over the bleedin limit? Fishing trip thats all....
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……. Be careful out there 
