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[Varche]

We are getting near the end of 15 year Spanish house restoration project. During that time we haven't travelled much for one reason or another. When the circumstances are right we fancy doing a tour of Europe.  tunnie will be pleased to know that we won't be using a tin tent despite our very happy months spent looking for houses in France and Spain back in 2004 with Omega as tow car. The reasons are we haven't a caravan, a towbar and too limiting in speed and finding a site and so on. So it would be hotels booked on the move each day.

Might call it the Fare Well Europe Tour for want of something better!

Have been to France, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Germany Austria and a bit of Italy. So would like to do Ireland Holyhead to Dublin and then Belfast to Cairnryan) and Scotland call in and see relatives ( the Highlands) . Looked at ferry from Immingham to Stavanger but at 36hours that is no good for me. Hugh and Ralf would be my best friends. So it would be English channel crossing and then up the coast.

Quite keen to see Denmark, Scandinavia and then the Baltic countries. I am thinking early summer best time for those, less midges and less snow.

Poland, Ukraine? (Rods2 is it safe in the West?) plus central East Europe countries

Then, or perhaps before, pull in South east Europe including Italy but even with air con would not want to be doing that in the height of the summer.


Probably cost a fortune (but no pockets in a shroud) and take weeks. Spanish friends would look after the house while we are gone.

When it comes to route planning and itinerary we obviously won't be able to do everything but the idea would be to use scenic routes as well as motorways and to have specific places to go and see in each country.  If someone asked me for Spain , I would say see Monserrat near Barcelona, The Alhambra at Granada and the Segovia area plus drive through the Picos de Europa in the North.


One downside is we will have to take the damn dog with us. His passport would be up to date and he will be vet wormed within five days of UK entry. A plus is he loves car travel.


Has anyone done anything similar?  Or parts?  How did you get on?   Any tips especially over which season as don't want to be battling the elements? The car is well serviced and has European breakdown recovery included in the insurance. I would have a look at each countries minimum requirements like high vis jackets, warning triangles, breathalyser kits etc.
   

[Sir Tigger KC]

I've always wanted to do a road trip round the Baltics.   

Basically, ferry to Calais and turn left, keep going to Poland and then into Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.  If brave enough, nip into Russia, through St Petersburg and nip out again into Finland (if not brave enough ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki), round to Sweden, down to Denmark, on to Germany, turn right and home! 

I've been told that there are some amazing beaches on the Baltic coast and there is a Lake District in the north east of Poland, which I have been to, but it was January and minus 20-something!    What we saw through the blizzards was very pretty! 

I'd also recommend Hungary (Budapest, Lake Balaton), Romania (Bucharest, Constanta and the Black Sea coast, Cluj Napoca, Brasov, Timosara), Bulgaria (Sofia, Varna) and down into Greece.    Driving around Greece was awesome as you don't see many tourists away from the coast, there are ancient ruins all over and you can almost see and feel the Roman Legions marching across the countryside.  The food is great as well! At the Greek version of the Burger Van, the Kantina there are great kebabs to be had! Yum!! 

I've not been, but a friend has been to Slovenia a few times and raves about the place!  Also have you considered heading south across the Med to Morocco? Another friend did a 'Banger Rally' a few years ago to Timbuktu, which is probably not so good these days  , but said Morocco was great. 

Keep an eye on what happens if we end up in 'No Deal' territory as Junker has said that British people will not be able to bring pets into the EU, so you might be able to take Fido to Blighty but not out again.    Such a nice chap!   

[Figureman52]

Western Ukraine is perfectly safe. Visit Lviv, a beautiful city.

[Keith ABS]

 Crossing channel I would recommend going via Harwich to Hook of Holland.
Dont have to deal with French immagration
Night ferry is good, leaves Harwich at 10pm, docks in Holland at 7am

[Varche]

Thanks

Lviv added to the list.

I think the dog wont be too much of a problem, at least paperwork wise, as he has a Spanish pet passport. You have to have a vet administer and record in passport, worming tabs within five days of entry into UK.. So would have to “do “ Ireland in 3 days.

Mrs V wants to go to Morocco sometime. Quite hard to get car insurance here for Africa but plenty of short trips available.

What is East Europe like ? Romania , Bulgaria for example? Safety, getting accomodation. Anyone been?

[Sir Tigger KC]

What is East Europe like ? Romania , Bulgaria for example? Safety, getting accomodation. Anyone been?

See above.  I spent 6 weeks in Romania a few years ago and loved it.  The people were very friendly, scenery is often stunning, the Black Sea resort of Constanta was fun, accomodation was easy to find and it was cheap. 

Be wary of the Romany gypsies though and I know that this is not a very PC thing to say but they are often criminals and are despised and marginalised by the general population.    Having said that we didn't have any problems in 6 weeks touring all over the country. 

[Varche]

 

[Sir Tigger KC]

A good trip if time and money were no object would be to do my Baltic trip in reverse and then head south through Eastern Europe to Greece, back north to through the Balkans to the UK. 

So..... ferry to Calais turn left to Belgium and onwards to Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, France and home wherever that may be!   

[Keith ABS]

 If you are going to Bulgaria, why not pop over the bridge into Turkey?

[Doctor Gollum]

If you are going to Bulgaria, why not pop over the bridge into Turkey?

Do you need a list... 

[Sir Tigger KC]

If you are going to Bulgaria, why not pop over the bridge into Turkey?

Do you need a list... 

Yes please. 

[Varche]

yes if you have some places or scenic routes in mind. We quite like old buildings and medieval towns. That sort of thing we can google.

If you look on an atlas something like the n340 in Portugal and Spain looks as though it hugs the coast but it doesn't really and is now terribly slow and built up so if someone asked me I would say avoid it.

[Viral_Jim]

yes if you have some places or scenic routes in mind. We quite like old buildings and medieval towns. That sort of thing we can google.

If you're passing that way, Deventer in the Netherlands is rather beautiful, my old company was headquartered there. Its an old part-walled medieval town (800AD ish) and the cathedral is lovely. I stayed once in a place called the IJssel Hotel which is right by the river, its a lovely building and a great restaurant and you can get a water taxi into the town from there.

Bizarrely they also have an annual Shakespeare festival there too 

[Doctor Gollum]

If you are going to Bulgaria, why not pop over the bridge into Turkey?

Do you need a list... 

Yes please. 

Apologies, I was thinking of reasons not to go to Turkey

[Sir Tigger KC]

If you are going to Bulgaria, why not pop over the bridge into Turkey?

Do you need a list... 

Yes please. 

Apologies, I was thinking of reasons not to go to Turkey

That's fine.  You can still give us the list! 

[Webby the Bear]

I backpacked round Europe over ten years ago when it was more fashionable to go to Australia, NZ etc. Had an epic time.

Highlights were Belgrade, Sarajevo, Budapest, Zagreb, Krakow, Istanbul and Varna in Bulgaria. Only two cities I’d never go back to. Bucharest and Sofia.

Loved Copenhagen and Oslo. Not so keen on Gothenburg.

I recently went back to Krakow and though it’s still a great place and a base for Auschwitz it was littered with Brit louts. When I first went I was the first fatty they’d ever seen 😂😂😂

[TheBoy]

Loved Copenhagen and Oslo.

I went there in the mid 80s.  Didn't like Oslo at all - probably not helped by the weather, cold and wet (yet where we stayed for the week, inland a couple of hundred miles, was stunning and really warm). Copenhagen, never saw much more than the bit around the port, so not fair to make judgement.

[Kevin Wood]

Loved Copenhagen and Oslo.

I went there in the mid 80s.  Didn't like Oslo at all - probably not helped by the weather, cold and wet (yet where we stayed for the week, inland a couple of hundred miles, was stunning and really warm). Copenhagen, never saw much more than the bit around the port, so not fair to make judgement.

Had a similar trip to Ostende once. Walked off the boat with a few mates, saw this nice looking bar by the seafront. A dozen or so Trappiste beers later I somehow managed to focus on my watch and realised our boat was about to leave.

[Doctor Gollum]

Ports are the best bits... Pouring, whoring and snoring all in walking distance 

[TheBoy]

whoring

I was worn out from Norway....

[Sir Tigger KC]

whoring

I was worn out from Norway....

I worked in Oslo for a few days at the power boat F1 many moons ago and had to walk through the red light district to my hotel from Aker Brygge (the trendy docklands area) where I was working. 

The girls were very persistent, especially towards the end of the week when they knew me.    I didn't succumb though... 

Looking back I think silly bugger as a couple of them were stunnas!     

[Varche]

whoring

I was worn out from Norway....

I worked in Oslo for a few days at the power boat F1 many moons ago and had to walk through the red light district to my hotel from Aker Brygge (the trendy docklands area) where I was working. 

The girls were very persistent, especially towards the end of the week when they knew me.    I didn't succumb though... 

Looking back I think silly bugger as a couple of them were stunnas!     

Now you prefer a cup of tea and a toasted crumpet.....

[Webby the Bear]

The first time I went Amsterdam there was one that looked like a young Rachel Stevens. I didn’t. But wish I had 😂😂😂

[Kevin Wood]

Ports are the best bits... Pouring, whoring and snoring all in walking distance 

Ah, well, 2 out of 3 'ain't bad, as Meatloaf once said. I was certainly not in a fit state to even attempt the third.

[Doctor Gollum]

Ports are the best bits... Pouring, whoring and snoring all in walking distance 

Ah, well, 2 out of 3 'ain't bad, as Meatloaf once said. I was certainly not in a fit state to even attempt the third.

in context," I want you (beer), I need you (sleep), but there ain't now way I'm ever going to love you..."

[New POD]

My parents are almost as old as you (in their 80's)

To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary about 5 years ago, they packed up their Focus estate and Headed East from North Wales on (judging by the photos they took) a tour of European Churches.  They headed for Poland, and then through germany to austria and down to southern italy, and across to france, round spain, and portugal, and then got a ferry to Ireland, before getting the boat back to Holyhead.

4 Months. They took a tent, and also a laptop and booked hotels and b&b's at least 3 nights every week.

I think there were about 3 photos of them and 2 of beaches. (Weird)

 

[Varche]

Haha

Almost as old and they are in their80’s. My dad is 91.

Anyway it is good to know others have done similar. I can see the attraction of churches and cathedrals. They are always magnificent and the oldest buildings and built before steel, machines and computers. I say good on them , i bet they had a fantastic time.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Haha

Almost as old and they are in their80’s. My dad is 91.

Anyway it is good to know others have done similar. I can see the attraction of churches and cathedrals. They are always magnificent and the oldest buildings and built before steel, machines and computers. I say good on them , i bet they had a fantastic time.

Not necessarily old.  When I spent a few weeks in Romania in the summer of 2004, I saw a few large churches and cathedrals under construction.

Apparently mostly they were replicas of originals destroyed by the communists. 

[scimmy_man]

I've always wanted to do a road trip round the Baltics.   

Basically, ferry to Calais and turn left, keep going to Poland and then into Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.  If brave enough, nip into Russia, through St Petersburg and nip out again into Finland (if not brave enough ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki), round to Sweden, down to Denmark, on to Germany, turn right and home! 

thats basically what we did in august, exept we stayed out of Russia, (£100 and a few weeks wait for a visa, per person,)
we all said we would like to have spent more time in the baltics, and will go back,
Finland and Sweden ... er not so much,  lots of long straight roads with trees, 5000 miles 3 weeks and 11 countries,

couple of years back we did the wild west coast of eireland, definately a must do.

[Varche]

That is really interesting.

Looking at Norway, Sweden and Finland and then a ferry across to avoid the Russia visa bit would be a lot of driving if it is just boring stuff.

What did you do for accommodation? Just hotels en route?
What did you like about the Baltics that you would like to go back for? I have never been. Only seen travel progs like Portillo.

[scimmy_man]

We went in a group (3) land rovers, we have a 130 ex ambulance camper the others had roof tents,  https://robinhoodoverlanders.com/blog/

Poland is a beautiful country but the roads are dreadful,

Lithuania Latvia Estonia are all like stepping back 50 years, the people are very friendly,

Btw most of them seem to like bikes, so loads of early 20s girls in hotpants with legs that go on forever. Keep your eyes on the road.