Just got one for 10km over the limit, €45 which is annoying as they are well signed.

Amateur. Over one weekend I got 3 tickets for 6,6 and 7 over the limit. They do send them to Luxembourg sadly.

Overnighting in Luxembourg with an afternoon/evening exploring the city.

That’s about all the city needs so I doubt you missed much. It’s beautiful but really tiny particularly if the EU stuff doesn’t interest you. If you use the bike hire I reckon you could see the sights in about an hour if you didn’t stop 😛 The rest of the country is lovely too, particularly if you see it by bike.

We drive down twice a year. We drive to Folkstone after work on the day we break up and camp at a pub near the tunnel. Then a early morning train over to France, then drive down, arriving in the northern Alps around teatime. Had some real laughs getting the tolls totally wrong.

Done it twice a year for the last five years (one MTB trip with riding buddies, one road trio with 2 x sons). Always Eurotunnel. Even with this year’s issues re strikes and Calais side fences being overrun only had an extra 30 minutes waiting time.

As above really, roads are a dream in France, more like British roads re potholes in Belgium.

Stick to the toll roads and price that in to your cost of the holiday.

I’ve booked Eurotunnel up to two weeks before the trip. Was less than a tenner more than booking well in advance but don’t necessarily chance it. if you know when you are going, book in advance

It’s long way. regular stops and change of drivers are best. Although I have done Surrey to the Alps with just two petrol stops and me doing all the driving once my head was pounding by the end of it. Not recommended.

I often drive overnight as others recommend. Roads even quieter, cooler too rather than 30+ degrees during the day (especially as my aircon packed up this year).

Never bothered with the tags but seems like a good idea.

Don’t eat large meals or snacks when travelling. 30 minutes after eating them you will feel really sleepy as your body digests them. Not good on fast autoroutes. small snacksmore often or a bag of sweets in the middle armrest to keep you going.

Use a sat nav. If you borrow one off your in-laws make sure they haven’t set the ‘avoid toll roads’ option (hence why I experienced Belgian roads)

75% of signs on the autoroutes say ‘aire de something or other’. These are places to stop, relax, stretch your legs, have a pee. Some are just grass and benches, some are the full motorway service station experience. It doesn’t take long to work out which is which.

Contrary to someone above, in my experience paying by card at the toll booths is expensive, often at a 1 euro = 1 pound kinda rate. I always pay by cash.

Mount your bikes very securely. I’m guessing with a motorhome they are either inside or on a proper rack outside. There are some quite large dips on the autoroute which if you hit them at 90mph give a massive compression effect and can cause your bikes to wobble worryingly on a tow bar mounted rack, even a nice sturdy one like my Thule euro S3 wassisname.

Enjoy the views.

Drive on the right!

@rickmeister where did they post the fine to ? Where you in your own car or a rental ?

Jambalaya,

I maybe should have said, we live in Germany, camera was somewhere near St Die which is a duel carriage way, 130kmh. 2am, 10kmh over.
German car, German plates, fine and documents in German posted to our home in Black Forest.

For some reason the electronic online payment failed each time we tried to pay. Had to go to a bank.

Hth

I’ve done it many times now – every year since 1999.
3 drivers is better than 2. Swop drivers every 2-3 hours.
Tunnel is far better than ferry.
Leave Fri afternoon. Kip in northern France & complete the drive early next morning. Couple of quick stops & a longer one for lunch (30mins). Arrive fresh(ish) about 6-8pm.
Use the toll roads.
Use Sanef tag – works really well.

Lots of useful info here. Tagged for reference.

I’ve had a speeding fine sent on by hire car company from a camera in Austria. So had the double whammy of a €30 fine and a €30 admin fee from hire company.

These sneaky Austrians place cameras just after the change of speed limit signs. So actually brake rather than just taking your foot off the gas and letting the car slow by coasting. Annoyingly I wasn’t speeding before the speed limit dropped (just before the entrance to a tunnel).

Best advice (which was given to me by a transfer van operator who’d been doing it all summer of years):

the last hour of driving is the worst – you’ll be tired and trying to navigate off the toll roads – so be aware and stop for break/coffee BEFORE doing the last stretch. SatNav can be invaluable for reducing stress levels!

Hi folks,
Thanks for all the very useful comments on this topic.

A couple of you asked where I’m heading to, I’m heading for Bourg St. Maurice so should be ok in avoiding the Robbing Swiss buggers!

There will be two of us, we have sat nav, During the journey the bikes will be inside the van where possible (except when sleeping)to reduce fuel consumption.
We are staying with friends so time of arrival isn’t really an issue.

I look forward to any other replies, tips or advice.
Thanks a lot 🙂

SatNav can be invaluable for reducing stress levels!

On the flipside if it shows the remaining journey time it can be soul destroying. The first 6 hours always crawl past, the last 2 fly by!

miketbrown – Member

Best advice (which was given to me by a transfer van operator who’d been doing it all summer of years):

the last hour of driving is the worst – you’ll be tired and trying to navigate off the toll roads – so be aware and stop for break/coffee BEFORE doing the last stretch. SatNav can be invaluable for reducing stress levels!

Dam straight, it’s almost cruel, hours and hours and hours of flat, boring, fields whilst you’re at your most fresh (yes, yes they’re pretty for the first 5 hours but then it starts to grate a bit) as you’re starting to really feel it, you get massive hills, so massive you might have to drop a gear, or two – something I’ve not had to do in the UK for decades, and then finally when you’re really tired, mental tight and twisty Alpine roads with concrete barriers and you’re on the wrong side of the car relative to the road so your usual special awareness is all to crap.

Hi, we have done this trip several times in our camper, we too are Midlands based.

Leave home around 7pm, miss the M25 traffic on the way to the chunnel, get a midnight crossing. Once in Calais, follow the signs for Cite Europe (Calais shopping centre near chunnel) and follow the little motorhome signs to the car park with no height barriers.

You can then park here overnight for free (and safely! as it is next to the police station) – BE WARNED of staying in aires on motorways close to Calais – there have been lots of thefts and robberies from people staying in motorhomes!

Get up early next morning, drive straight to alps, get there in time for tea 🙂 and not too knackered as you haven’t driven through the night and lost sleep.

Hope this helps & have fun.