This is definitely a little bit of a 'I've sort of planned a road trip but realised all I've really got is a plan that I thought was a really in depth plan but in reality is pretty much just a basic outline' thread. I'll give you some background.
I have a friend (Isn't that nice?) who does photo's and... stuff. You know, camera-y things. He's also interested in cars. Great combination to have within a friend. He really wants to go to Worthersee 2016 which, funnily enough, is next year - Who'd have thought - to take some pretty pictures and make a video for all of his fans on YouTube to mindlessly watch whilst listening to whatever pretentious backing track he decides to use. I'm not coming across sour at all, am I?
For those of you who don't know, the Worthersee car show is basically a 'modders' car show. Apparently it's rather good. I just want to drive through Europe. Anyway, that's besides the point, we're going and that's that. What I decided to do was seem really eager and prepared in hope that he'll take some fantastic photo's of my car, and grab some lovely footage of me doing a continuous and faultless drift down Grimsel Pass, which is definitely totally achievable and won't end up with me walking home.
I found the most fantastic tool for getting directions and creating yourself a road trip plan online. I'm not sure if any of you guys will have heard of it, but it's called Google Maps. Alas, I digress, this isn't important. What's important is where I'm going and if you guys can help.
There will likely be 3 cars attending this meticulously planned road trip, a 125i Coupé, a Z4 3.0si (As I will be buying one after Summer), and an Audi S3, which nobody should ever ask me to specify upon, as I know many nothings about this particular brand. The 125i Coupé could change into a Megane RS, and the S3 into scrap metal. Not that any of this has anything to do with the road trip, but I thought it should be mentioned because... well, because race car.
Our journey will begin sometime between the last moon of April and the first sun of June. I'll also be sure to hire a dwarf, an elf, and a couple of hobbits to help carry the ring. Being in the middle of May, I understand some of the Austrian and Swiss mountain roads will be closed, which I have under control. I'll be sure to be getting all the appropriate numbers and sites to contact prior to arrival on these areas to make sure we can actually drive them.
I'll now give you all a general idea of what we've got planned so far, and everyone can shoot me down in as many places as you see fit before giving me better suggestions and sending me on my way.
We'll leave Oxford and drive to Austria. The end.
I jest.
Forget the boring pre-France stuff. Let's skip that. So here we are, already halfway through France, having a great time. Sun is shining in the sky, there's not a cloud in sight, it's stopped raining. We're on our way to Salzburg, which is in Austria don't you know. From here we head towards Worthersee, for the main reason my friend (you know, the one with the camera) wanted to come. On the way to Worthersee, we stop by Tragoss to see the Green Lake. Google it if you've not heard of it, it's outstandingly pretty.
Worthersee is followed by Badgastein, which takes us up to Zell Am See. This allows us hit the Grossglockner from the North to take us towards Winklern. Chances of the Grossglockner being open in the tail end of May? Slim going by what I've read. Anybody had experiences of it being open early in the year? We then take a drive to Imst for the beginning of what is supposedly a lovely road to drive with some beautiful scenic... scenes. This delivers us to Elmen.
This section of the trip can be seen in the screenshot below. Please peruse at your leisure.
We do not stop in Elmen. We do not pass go. We do not collect £200. We continue towards The Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen, which is purportedly Europe's 'largest waterfall'. Doesn't seem like much looking at the pictures, but I'm a cynic, so I'll let it slide. From here we head to Zurich for a few nights, undoubtedly to get very drunk and enjoy what the city has to offer. Or, realistically, getting slightly tipsy before realising we've already spent an obscene amount of money, accept that we can't afford such an outrageously expensive city and go back to the hotel with our tails tucked neatly between our legs.
After thoroughly enjoying Zurich, we'll head for my favourite part of the current plan. Our first stop will be Mt. Pilatus - not so much for the driving pleasure, rather the aesthetics - before making tracks to Susten Pass. Finally! Silent cheers all round, the only reason I really came. Actually, sod the silent cheers, make them vocal. Will Susten Pass be ok to drive late May? I read all I can, but there's only so much one man can take in. Like a sponge. Or a bucket.
Grimsel Pass is next. Also fun. The location of previously mentioned and totally achievable professional grade drifting. Look for my obituary in the local. After finishing Grimsel, if all still alive and well, we'll slide into Milan through the mountain roads, potentially stopping at the 'Concorso D’eleganza Villa D’este' on Lake Como if it's date lands kindly. Lake Como's nice, allegedly. Anything round it's waters edges worth seeing? Nothing is planned after Milan, but I doubt I'll fancy driving straight home - any suggestions from the wise? Screenshot of this leg below.
The above is what we have so far. The places were chosen after a brief, albeit committed, research session of some of the best places to visit in Austria and Switzerland and driving roads to compliment, before joining them up like a dot-to-dot for adults. And so, I'd like to open up the floor - careful sir, there's a hole there - for any ideas that some of you well travelled lot may have. It's all well and good reading through tourist guides and short write ups found through search engines, but nothing beats experiences when all is said and done. Pictures, map drawings, finger paintings, all are welcome.
If nobody has any experiences or tips from these parts of Europe, then never mind, hope you all enjoyed the read anyway. I'll let you know my experiences and top tips when I get back
Furthermore, if anyone would like to join, there's plenty of road to drive on, and I'm sure we can all be friends...
I have a friend (Isn't that nice?) who does photo's and... stuff. You know, camera-y things. He's also interested in cars. Great combination to have within a friend. He really wants to go to Worthersee 2016 which, funnily enough, is next year - Who'd have thought - to take some pretty pictures and make a video for all of his fans on YouTube to mindlessly watch whilst listening to whatever pretentious backing track he decides to use. I'm not coming across sour at all, am I?
For those of you who don't know, the Worthersee car show is basically a 'modders' car show. Apparently it's rather good. I just want to drive through Europe. Anyway, that's besides the point, we're going and that's that. What I decided to do was seem really eager and prepared in hope that he'll take some fantastic photo's of my car, and grab some lovely footage of me doing a continuous and faultless drift down Grimsel Pass, which is definitely totally achievable and won't end up with me walking home.
I found the most fantastic tool for getting directions and creating yourself a road trip plan online. I'm not sure if any of you guys will have heard of it, but it's called Google Maps. Alas, I digress, this isn't important. What's important is where I'm going and if you guys can help.
There will likely be 3 cars attending this meticulously planned road trip, a 125i Coupé, a Z4 3.0si (As I will be buying one after Summer), and an Audi S3, which nobody should ever ask me to specify upon, as I know many nothings about this particular brand. The 125i Coupé could change into a Megane RS, and the S3 into scrap metal. Not that any of this has anything to do with the road trip, but I thought it should be mentioned because... well, because race car.
Our journey will begin sometime between the last moon of April and the first sun of June. I'll also be sure to hire a dwarf, an elf, and a couple of hobbits to help carry the ring. Being in the middle of May, I understand some of the Austrian and Swiss mountain roads will be closed, which I have under control. I'll be sure to be getting all the appropriate numbers and sites to contact prior to arrival on these areas to make sure we can actually drive them.
I'll now give you all a general idea of what we've got planned so far, and everyone can shoot me down in as many places as you see fit before giving me better suggestions and sending me on my way.
We'll leave Oxford and drive to Austria. The end.
I jest.
Forget the boring pre-France stuff. Let's skip that. So here we are, already halfway through France, having a great time. Sun is shining in the sky, there's not a cloud in sight, it's stopped raining. We're on our way to Salzburg, which is in Austria don't you know. From here we head towards Worthersee, for the main reason my friend (you know, the one with the camera) wanted to come. On the way to Worthersee, we stop by Tragoss to see the Green Lake. Google it if you've not heard of it, it's outstandingly pretty.
Worthersee is followed by Badgastein, which takes us up to Zell Am See. This allows us hit the Grossglockner from the North to take us towards Winklern. Chances of the Grossglockner being open in the tail end of May? Slim going by what I've read. Anybody had experiences of it being open early in the year? We then take a drive to Imst for the beginning of what is supposedly a lovely road to drive with some beautiful scenic... scenes. This delivers us to Elmen.
This section of the trip can be seen in the screenshot below. Please peruse at your leisure.
We do not stop in Elmen. We do not pass go. We do not collect £200. We continue towards The Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen, which is purportedly Europe's 'largest waterfall'. Doesn't seem like much looking at the pictures, but I'm a cynic, so I'll let it slide. From here we head to Zurich for a few nights, undoubtedly to get very drunk and enjoy what the city has to offer. Or, realistically, getting slightly tipsy before realising we've already spent an obscene amount of money, accept that we can't afford such an outrageously expensive city and go back to the hotel with our tails tucked neatly between our legs.
After thoroughly enjoying Zurich, we'll head for my favourite part of the current plan. Our first stop will be Mt. Pilatus - not so much for the driving pleasure, rather the aesthetics - before making tracks to Susten Pass. Finally! Silent cheers all round, the only reason I really came. Actually, sod the silent cheers, make them vocal. Will Susten Pass be ok to drive late May? I read all I can, but there's only so much one man can take in. Like a sponge. Or a bucket.
Grimsel Pass is next. Also fun. The location of previously mentioned and totally achievable professional grade drifting. Look for my obituary in the local. After finishing Grimsel, if all still alive and well, we'll slide into Milan through the mountain roads, potentially stopping at the 'Concorso D’eleganza Villa D’este' on Lake Como if it's date lands kindly. Lake Como's nice, allegedly. Anything round it's waters edges worth seeing? Nothing is planned after Milan, but I doubt I'll fancy driving straight home - any suggestions from the wise? Screenshot of this leg below.
The above is what we have so far. The places were chosen after a brief, albeit committed, research session of some of the best places to visit in Austria and Switzerland and driving roads to compliment, before joining them up like a dot-to-dot for adults. And so, I'd like to open up the floor - careful sir, there's a hole there - for any ideas that some of you well travelled lot may have. It's all well and good reading through tourist guides and short write ups found through search engines, but nothing beats experiences when all is said and done. Pictures, map drawings, finger paintings, all are welcome.
If nobody has any experiences or tips from these parts of Europe, then never mind, hope you all enjoyed the read anyway. I'll let you know my experiences and top tips when I get back
Furthermore, if anyone would like to join, there's plenty of road to drive on, and I'm sure we can all be friends...
I've been truly faithful to this prospect since he mentioned it when I posted my 'wanted' thread in the for sale section months ago - barely looked at any others since due to being so hopeful! :roll: