Planning a European road trip...

mani · 26-05-2008, 15:07

Basically me and a few of my relatives *all lads* are planning a wee road trip. its a non-boozing trip and just chilling out not doin much kinda thing.

What we want to do is hire a decent minibus - around 5 lads *all in mid 20's early 30's* and drive - stay a nite or two in some nice places

at the moment this is the trip i sorta have in mind

from east london down to dover cross over france down to strasbourg (are there any worthy diversion to be taken? any points of interest along that route? battlefields etc?)

from strasborg over to zurich across the alps to milan then down to torino then back over the alps over to lyon then dijon through paris and then back upto london *though i wouldnt mind going via normandy to see the landings*

stay friday night in strasbourg
stay satuday night in milan maybe torino
stay sunday somewhere in france and get back to the uk monday

after torino the route is flexible - as long as we pass thru paris and maybe via normandy to see the wwII landing sites. anywhere you can recommend to go thru france and stay the night???

lancsdave · 26-05-2008, 15:45

Are you actually planning on getting out of the minibus at any time mani ?

I think you may have underestimated the mileage in that lot.

lindsay ormerod · 26-05-2008, 15:53

Mani, you have no chance of covering that distance in a mini bus in that time frame, unless you have a time travelling mini bus.

cashman · 26-05-2008, 16:02

don't think ya will have much time to chill mate, its all travel is that schedule.

i would have to make it a few days extra fer that one.

mani · 26-05-2008, 16:30

well we're actually not planning much stopping. thats the point. get our heads down in a b&b around 8pm and then set off again 9am. just the break away from the routine is change enough.

lindsay ormerod · 26-05-2008, 16:34

According to my ex hubby who does this route planning for a living you would have to cover 60 miles every hour without stopping for 11 hours a
day, he reckons its' a week's trip.

MargaretR · 26-05-2008, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by mani

well we're actually not planning much stopping. thats the point. get our heads down in a b&b around 8pm and then set off again 9am. just the break away from the routine is change enough.

Lindsay has pointed out that it would be a mission impossible,
but even if it was possible, doing it so fast would be pointless - no time to visit places of interest etc.
You would see more of a country by watching the Travel Channel

mez · 26-05-2008, 16:40

i would go from hull overnight ferry to zeebruger or amsterdam & plan my route from there, you would get some battlefieds & cemetries in too.

lindsay ormerod · 26-05-2008, 16:43

It's a round trip of 1732 miles non stop.
( without accounting for delays, traffic jams and congestion in the cities, plus you need a " green card " for Switzerland.)

lancsdave · 26-05-2008, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by mez

i would go from hull overnight ferry to zeebruger or amsterdam & plan my route from there, you would get some battlefieds & cemetries in too.

The Hull ferry is very expensive. Damn sight easier than the drive to Dover but several hundred pounds dearer. You can sometimes get a special offer like we did last year but then you only get a day over there

jaysay · 26-05-2008, 16:46

If you really want to chill out Mani theres nthing better than the Lake District, that is if the wind will die down

lancsdave · 26-05-2008, 16:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysay

If you really want to chill out Mani theres nthing better than the Lake District, that is if the wind will die down

I get the impression he is trying to avoid 'rip-off' Britain

mani · 26-05-2008, 17:00

that 11 hrs a day thing is plausible - we're plannin to rotate drivers etc. bunk in the back of the bus if required. its a lads thing so we aint gonna b fussy!!

might just do it to milan and back. stay one nite in stras one nite in milan one nite else where and back.

MargaretR · 26-05-2008, 17:08

None of you will be fit to drive unless you sleep in a bed on an overnight stop.
You plan is a nightmare - be prepared to no longer be friends after this trip.
PS - if you make it back

mani · 26-05-2008, 17:20

yeah just an over nite stop - 8-10 hrs stop - 3-4 days why not?

its worse

three of them are my cousins and one is my bro in law.. .