The summer trip

R

ronk

Lifer
 Durham
We normally go to Germany in my Disco 3 and lug a caravan behind, but this year its just me, the missus and the Zed!

The plan is to travel from Imuiden to the Koblenz area then down to Colmar in Fance. The journey back is flexible.
We will stay in, gasthous / hotels in Germany, hotels /gites / chambre d' hote in France

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

ronk
 
We usually crack on through that region and head south. Let me know if you are heading down towards the Alps as I have many years experience of the roads down there driven purely for the joy of it rather than from going form A to B :driving:
 
lacroupade said:
If you're using french autoroute get a tag - otherwise its become a royal PITA to negotiate the tolls.
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Thats a new one! What's a tag? its many years since I have driven in France. I just got my wife to chuck the visa card at the toll booth in those days

Thanks
ronk
 
Some good advice already, thanks. I'm looking forward to a top down run in the sun!

It makes good sense for me to sail from the Tyne as its only 20 miles away from home.
Dover is 400 miles ie. 12 gallons + an overnight stay in a hotel each way (I'm no spring chicken so I need the rest! )

Dover / Calais = £100
Tyne / Ijmuiden + £400

You guys in the south are lucky - you can do a cheap booze cruise in a day!
 
TAG is basically a card that sits in your windscreen, you don't have to stop you just drive through and it debits the toll from your tag amount.

Having done a drive last year from the Midlands to Paris, France to Zurich, Switzerland to Mialn, Italy and then Brussels, Belgium (in 9 days but sadly in a VW Passat lol!) I can tell you they are REALLY useful to have...

You can pick them up from Petrol Stations/Service Stations I beleive.
 
Similar thing to the Dart TAG thing which is well worth getting if you do the Dartford crossing occasionally (which i think it is a minimum of 1 trip per year to keep it active)

Its cheaper (£1 rather than 1.50) plus you dont have to sit there and hunt around for change. you can do occasional top up PAYG style and it is free to set up.
 
The french tag costs about 30 euros and you can apply online, google for the website which i think is in english as well.

The charge is actually a deposit that you get back when you return the key, then you pay a flat 4.50 euros in any month you use it plus standard toll charges, billed to the credit card you select.

Trouble is a lot of the tolls now are unmanned since the Spanish took over and they've removed options for using some credit cards, including Amex the last time I was over. That means if you arrive at a small toll in the middle of the night and the machine doesn't take your card, you're stuck!

Its also worth its weight in gold to piss off the french drivers who (i) are too tight to pay for a tag and hate it cos you jump them and (ii) flash the hell out of you cos they think you are in the wrong lane....
 
lacroupade said:
Its also worth its weight in gold to piss off the french drivers who (i) are too tight to pay for a tag and hate it cos you jump them and (ii) flash the hell out of you cos they think you are in the wrong lane....
Click to expand...
I'm definately getting one of those next time we venture over, that sounds ideal! I've not forgiven the daft French woman who used her oversized campervan to remove my passenger side mirror last year on a mountain pass. Luckily i the van and not the Z4...
 
Ronk sorry to hi jack your post but regarding these Tags folks i take it you gestimate what amount you will need and pay that onto the Tag or do you get a bill for the tolls you used.
 
I use my Shell card as with that I get the VAT back of the tolls ...
 
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