Long story short, I'm about to embark on a lot of driving on the continent in the next couple of weeks; driving down to Munich for a few nights (via the Chunnel), the Dolomites for a few more, then lake Garda for a week or so, before coming all the way up to Blighty over a couple of days (via Calais - Dover ferry).
I've driven hire cars on the content before (Mallorca, took to it no problem) and am a confident driver, but i've never taken my own right-hand drive motor over there, and not done long haul trips over there for a number of years.
So i'm all ears for tips about driving through France, Germany and Italy (i'm fairly well briefed on the hairy Italian road-sense).
Main point of interest is what's best for cheap (&relatively clean!) overnight rest stops. Saturday evening i'm looking to get 3 hours of driving in through France which should get me to Reims. Any recommendations for a restful sleep around there? Looks like Formula 1 hotels are still a thing over there, but with very mixed reviews!
Also looking to camp for a couple of nights near North Garda. Any recommendations for campsites that way will be much appreciated (although i'm happy to follow my nose after a bit of research over the next week, if need be).
Cheers in advance!
Don't speed.
Triple check your mirrors when overtaking. Be aware of blind spots.
Don't use French truck stop toilets.
Driving in France is une piece de piss - the autoroutes are quieter and in much, much better nick than motorways here, the driving standards are good, and the service stations serve food that is reasonably priced and good quality. Not driven in Germany for a while, but from memory it's the same there.
Avoid cheap supermarket diesel, unless you've got a spare bottle of Forte etc with you to clean your injectors afterwards. It's not everywhere that sells dirty diesel but how lucky do you feel on a long trip....?
Check your aircon is in good order; maybe get the gas re-charged first, if it's not been done for a while.
Plan in advance how you'll organise toll paying, whose bank card/cash, can the front seat passenger reach the toll booth comfortably while you're judging distance from the other side of the car.
Get the French toll tag if you can.
Try not to leave anything exposed in your locked car.
High viz vest, Euro breakdown cover, light blanket and lots of water in the car (in case you get stuck in a massive jam).
Can you sleep in the car? Or take a little tent and sleeping bag for campsites on the way?
Be very attentive when you pull back onto a carriageway after a stop, especially if you’re tired / have eaten, it’s times like that you revert to learned behaviour.
Don’t speed
Decent mapping on the phone, we use Here we go
Vehicle breakdown cover and check tyres / easy to see bits in advance.
Don’t drive to moraine in an ex british gas diesel combo van with no air con and a crappy stereo
Don't lane hog - especially in France, pull back as soon as you've overtaken.
Get a Sanef / Peage tag for France.
Don't underestimate the distances - France alone is massive.
An attentive passenger/rear windows is essential on roundabouts if you're driving a RHD van.
Avoid the Paris periferique on a Friday @ 5pm in a LWB RHD van!!!!!
f1 for cheap hotels in France.
If you're by yourself then an electronic tag is useful for motorway tolls https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/ - there may be better ones as you're looking at other countries apart from France
Overtake and pull back in and expect other drivers to do the same. Avoid Dutch and Belgique cars on French roads, they apparently have no call for braking distance and never need to pull back over. French drivers are in my experience friendlier and very predictable.
Formula 1 hotels are basic and a bit odd, I flushed the toilet in one in the UK and it flushed the room, i.e. full wash down internally, bit odd, but fine.
Picking aire, just check that it's not just a picnic bench option.
If you are driving solo it'll be a pain getting through the peage tolls as you'll be on the wrong side of the car, having a Sanef tag would help but it's probably too late to get one now.
Some major French cities require you to have a sticker for your emissions, but they have to come from the official place and you need them in advance.
Italy, good luck!
An alternative route goes into Belgium, down thru Luxembourg (cheaper fuel) and into Germany earlier than down thru Reims. It is likely to be a bit cheaper due to tolls too.
You could stay the first night in Dinant. Lovely place
Toll tag - Blip and Go, or Tollbird (does multiple countries) not the SANEF France only version.
You'll settle in easy after a few miles so wouldn't worry. Agree on usual preventative maintanence and fill all fluids.
I've done your route before, but went via belgium as it's way cheaper (no tolls). Stopped off in Blaubeuren (for which was an odd little German hamlet but quite cool - hotel was very reasonable for a family of 4), then Molveno and ended up in Jesolo (Venice). Hadn't realise how cool the scenary is as you go down through Southern Germany and into Austria.
Avoid cheap supermarket diesel, unless you’ve got a spare bottle of Forte etc with you to clean your injectors afterwards. It’s not everywhere that sells dirty diesel but how lucky do you feel on a long trip….?
To counter this, I pretty much always fill up in supermarkets, here and in France (at least 2 trips a year, alps & Pyrenees/Spain) and have never ever had an issue with fuel. Much cheaper than Toll road fuel.
Fuel in Luxembourg is usually cheaper, driving is easy when theres other cars on the road, as soon as you need to pull out of a junction on an empty road you'll find yourself on the wrong side.....
If most of your driving is going to be Belgium, Germany, Switxerland & Italy I wouldn't bother with a French toll tag. I have one and its great, but probably not worth the hassle for one trip back from Italy.
f1 hotels are the absolute cheapest near autoroutes, and are just about passable (shared toilets etc), ibis budget are the next stage up, equivilent of a travelodge.
I wouldn't bother with a toll tag. back in the day there'd be a load of toll gates to go through but now they just bip you in and out of the system - down to morzine there's maybe a total of 6 interactions, the toll tag is a faff to get and set up, and doesn't (imo) add much value.
you need a carnet for swiss motorways. via mitchelin website has an option to plug in your route and optimise for tolls/time. You'll likely find getting out of france asap on the way down is your cheapest bet, as the roads elsewhere are free - I think it'd add maybe 40 mins but save 60 euros in tolls and a bit of fuel, plus you get to do a high speed run on the motorway for fun. luxomberg for a fill up if you're passing through - cheaper than elsewhere.
No need to overthink it basically. Tolls: if you're on your own, don't have a tag and can't reach the contactless pay thing the world doesn't end if you have to get out and walk round. (Not that I've done this...) French hotels, we've never quite gone down to formule 1 but etap are okay and ibis, particularly if you've kit on the car and want to be out of town. These days prefer to be at a quirky place in town, but you can just check booking.com or whatever and see what takes your fancy.
Flashing of headlights means the opposite to what it's usually taken for in the UK. So don't flash your headlights to 'let someone out' and if someone is flashing their lights at you, it means watch out: I'M COMING THROUGH!
Check what you need in terms of emissions stickers. French ones (Crit'Air) are cheap if ordered from France (you need to upload a copy of your V5) and you get a digital receipt when you order one that I think can be used in lieu of the sticker if it doesn't arrive in time.
https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/
Many French places require you to have a certain standard of sticker to drive through them (either permanent or temporary clean air zones).
(Not sure about Belgium / Germany /Luxembourg / Italy).
Put a big sticker / arrow / notice near your line of vision in the vehicle to remind you which side of the road to drive on. Do not go thru paris / via the peripherique
Wear a glove on your right hand to remind you which side of the road you should be on.
Cheers for the responses all.
Will have a tent with me hence why looking for some camping around North Garda.
I'll be seeing and staying with friends en-route but will be driving solo. Is it possible to pick up a toll tag from petrol stations the other side of the tunnel? or at the tunnel?! A good suggestion that i hadn't thought about and a bit late to get one in the post now.
Any recommendations for good and cheap hotels about 3 hrs the other side of the tunnel would be much appreciated (the luxembourg route does appeal).
Flashing of headlights means the opposite to what it’s usually taken for in the UK
Excellent point!
i assumed all tolls will be contactless these days, so wont sweat too much over getting a tag.
The benefit if the toll tag is that you don't have to stop at the ticket gates, you just stay in the moving traffic lanes. The queues at the ticket gates are (were?) heinous at busy times. But you're right, the wait at the ticket gates was not such a big deal off peak.
If you can, avoid travelling between Friday lunchtime and Sunday afternoon. The traffic can be absolutely nuts. I drove from London to past Brussels on a Friday afternoon and basically spent the whole time in a traffic jam.
You don't need the physical Crit'Air sticker to arrive - you just need to be registered online. And in any case plenty of French cars in Paris didn't have them - it doesn't seem to be like ULEZ where you get immediately pinged once you cross into the city. It seems to be much more manual - if the cops notice you and pull you over, you need to explain. But in any case it doesn't seem like OP will be stopping in any big towns.
I don't know if any of other places have clean air zones etc.
Don't speed - the fines are very high and payable on the spot.
Have a read of the vehicle requirements (like carrying hi-vis etc) before you go, make sure everything is in place.
The driving around the port areas is abysmal, it's mostly British drivers. Once you're into France proper, it all settles down and the driving standards are (usually) better than here, as are the motorways. This does not apply in Paris which is a special kind of chaos all of its own. If you go through cities, check for parking, congestion / pollution charges etc. Paris in particular massively stepped up on restrictions leading into the Olympics but plenty of cities have similar schemes.
Really, don't speed.
Just my 2 pence from living in the South of Germany for the last 6 years ...
When you are in the south of Germany, be aware of signs saying "lärmschutz" and then a time eg: 2200-0600. Basically in some of the local towns and villages the speed is 50km/h - however between the times stated the speed is down to 30km/h (which can seem painfully slow in places.)
And dont forget to buy a vignetta if you want to drive on the main motorways / autobahns in Austria and Switzerland. They can be bought cheaply either online or at local petrol stations.
Have a great trip
As above, France with a RHD car, get a Sanef tag or borrow one unless you have one long arm.
Don't speed in France or Germany. Cameras are easy to spot in France as little boxes, fines are steep. Germany, an unmarked van, some cables and a little tripod are what you see. Headlight warning flashing doesn't seem to be a thing here in Germany. Just chill, don't rush. Good lane discipline saves a lot of stress as does being decisive.
Nav on the phone. Here we Go, download the maps for the countries (free) and it works fine offline.
Autobahns, still a lot left. The old ones are two lanes so trucks and slow stuff on the right then 100mph + family wagons and estate cars on the left. Check your mirrors a lot before overtaking. Like, a lot. Gaps close quickly.
German service stations are interspersed with rest stops with free toilets and are a good option instead of big service stations which are almost pay-per-pee now. Get a pocket full of euro coins. Germany is a bit backward on card purchases.
Have fun, it's an adventure!
To enter Munich and even travel past many German cities on the motorway you'll need an Umwelt sticker. I use Stuttgart's service for this. Drop a mail explaining that you need one to feinstaub@stuttgart.de along with a scanned copy of your v5. Should cost less than €10.
+many for a toll tag. There's a few now that cover France and Italy. Italian peage queues can be truly comical. Their service areas are also generally awful. Best plan is to leave the motorway find a little restaurant and eat there.
There are very few non-automated fuel stations in Italy - particularly in towns and cities. Take a variety of cards and try them all.
Use cruise control. Take in the scenery (except in austria where all you'll see is a 5m high concrete fence). Enjoy the ride. Autstria's digital vignette service is clunky but works. You'll need the comedically named ASFINAG app. Oh Austria has a blanket 100kph speed limit on their 120kph motorways. Unless you're in an electric car.
The French crit-air emissions sticker is also valid for German emission areas so you don't need multiple stickers (at least it was for Freiburg when I checked a few weeks ago so assume it is a national thing)
German service stations are jammed full of trucks parked up on a Sunday so it is occasionally a faff to park but not a big deal.
Don't forget an Austrian motorway vignette even if you are "just popping through" to Italy. Those bits of motorway are favourites for them setting up stop checks (the entire motorway traffic is looped off and back on through a check area). Last time we had it there was a big queue of Italians on the naughty step. Easy to buy for a few days or weeks from any petrol station.
And I'd second having a bit of cash for disasters in Germany. We once broke down on the way to Sweden so didn't have much Euro cash. ADAC couldn't take a card and a main dealer couldn't do Visa or MasterCard!
I've got a Halifax Clarity credit card that doesn't charge fees for using abroad or foreign exchange. I use it for everything while I'm away otherwise you pay a percentage every time you beep it.
driving down to Munich
You need a German emissions sticker to drive into Munich - 80 euro fine if not!
From a quick google, you can buy them en-route, as the on-line process is reported to take weeks.
Edit:
The French crit-air emissions sticker is also valid for German emission areas so you don’t need multiple stickers.
I didn't know that - thanks! 🙂
F1 hotels are basic but fine for just getting some kip. Make sure you have your crit air sticker on for France. It comes quickly so order today. Not sure what the other countries need for windscreen-stickers.
Tags are handy for tolls, but I have always had a passenger so less hassle for RHD.
Garda - there are campsites in places like Riva del Garda, but it's busy. A nice nearby quieter alternative would be Arco. Arco is lovely anyway by comparison and a bit inland, hence less busy.
Driving in Italy is a little hairy, but you will get used to it. Driving in France is far easier than driving in the UK. I haven't driven in Germany though.
Not had issues with supermarket fuel.
Don't speed.
What Kilo said - in France I had the scariest of scary near misses pulling out of a petrol station looking the wrong way on my motorbike many years ago, I missed a fast moving car by millimetres (or more accurately, they missed me). These are the moments when your concentration slips - you’ll only do it once, if you survive!!!
Just to caveat that I only checked the emissions sticker thing for Freiburg. Hopefully it is a national thing and here is where I found it.
https://visit.freiburg.de/en/important-information-for-your-stay/freiburg-environmental-zone
The link to apply for the sticker is where it says equivalent Crit-air sticker is ok.
The French crit-air emissions sticker is also valid for German emission areas so you don’t need multiple stickers.
Dinant is indeed a splendid place. A drive through the Ardennes to Lux would be my choice if not in a rush.
Great stuff all. Will read through in more detail when i'm not so busy getting stuff signed off on the last day of work for two weeks.
Friends in the Dolomites warned me about traffic around Brussels unless its the dead of night, hence i'll be giving it a wide berth.
Forgot to add that i've already picked up a continental travel kit with all the kit needed plus some breathalisers, so all prepped there. Sounds like i'll need to look into the clean air stuff this evening still though.
Unfortunately, thanks to the exploits of England in the Euro's, i will be in a bit of a rush to get to Munich in good time to watch the match there (i'm leaving a day earlier than planned thanks to them already) so sightseeing on the way will be limited. After that i'm free to bimble along though. I've already been told the journey through south Germany towards the dolomites is superb. looking forward to it.
A few tips for France:
Learn about priorite a droit (can't post accented characters on here for some reason) in case you end up going through any villages. People will roll out from completely unsighted junctions at 5mph onto fast roads.
Stop signs mean stop, you must literally completely stop the car for 3 seconds. There was a big clamp down on this a few years ago.
Occasionally you might encounter 3 way junctions like this (note, zero road markings!), these in general operate a bit like mini roundabouts thanks to priorite a droit, but use extreme caution!
In general motorway driving is very easy and fast. Just don't hog the overtaking lanes..
Yeah, ^ priorite a droit is a thing in villages/ towns still. Don't be shocked when it happens.
Have a great trip!
Never do a u-turn in Italy.
And remember you don't need to speak their language just speak slowly and very loud and all will be tickety-boo.
If you are going through Austria, you'll need a Vignette. they can be bought at the first services you pass.
As others have said keep your eye on the speed limits. You'll be fined on the spot if it's a speed trap for being just over the limit, even if you are just keeping up with local traffic. Then there's the fixed cameras. My Father in Law has been caught many time is his home town for just being slightly over the limit.
Edit: Enjoy the trip, it sound fantastic!
Probably doesn't apply in this instance but seem to remember somewhere in Europe there was a company that placed kiosks selling carnets at inflated prices just a short walk down from the 'official' vending machine.
Just back from 2 weeks in the motorhome around france, switzerland and italy. Absolute piece of piss driving. Driving standards are much higher over there and the roads are generally in much better condition. Dont bother with Toll tags. just use a contactless card. I used Starling as there were not fee's.
Really good site camp site on North Garda here :-
https://www.campingmaroadi.it/en
Right on the lake shore with good pitches and cycle links. Only 20 mins walk into Riva and Torbole less than 5 mins. Good shop and restaurant on site.
Take your V5 with you, and stop at the first TÜV place you see in Germany. They'll do you an Umweltplakette there and then. Typically 5-8€, depending on stuff. Dekra do them as well, but they're 14€ there for some reason. Do your Critair thing now, and print out your receipt. Leave it on the dash if you have to park in a French city.
You can buy a toll tag in some service areas - sometimes from a vending machine, sometimes from the APPR/ARREA kiosk. They are absolutely worth getting, especially the ones that do Italy and Spain as well, as Italian toll areas can be a proper clusterfornication.
You'll need a vignette for Austria and Switzerland if you plan to go through them. You can do that online these days, which sucks because I like stickers! I avoid Switzerland in its entirety - their vignette is 40€ and even 1kmh over the limit is a fine of about a quarter million francs and it's easier for me mentally to just not go there.
Priority from the right has been covered, but it's common in Belgium and NL as well. Less so in Germany.
Use Waze or Flitsmeister - they're not just for warning you of speed traps, they're great for hazard notifications as well.
You've got a 'free' threshold in France as well - 5 or 10% above the autoroute limit is ignored, then 10 to 20% above is 90€, or 45€ if you pay quickly. This is useful because France is huge. I'm on NL plates, though. So I do actually get fined by post. With 'rosbief' plates YMMV...
French drivers are in my experience friendlier and very predictable.
You may need to leave some more space on hills when stopping as hill-starts don't appear to be taught in French Driving Schools (or forgotten after getting a licence). The car in front will roll back.
Not all those in French registered cars are French.
