continental driving
in [UK Drivers]
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From: Brimstone on 6 Jan 2010 09:26 "Bod" <bodron57(a)tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message news:7qj5pcFsahU1(a)mid.individual.net... > Rank I Mong wrote: >> On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:16:08 -0800, NM dribbled: >> >>> On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >>>> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a bit >>>> later in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc. >>>> >>>> Can anyone point me at useful sources of info regarding driving >>>> requirements and cheap places to stay? >>>> >>>> Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well. >>> As you probably know I have spent a large chunk of my life driving to >>> every country in Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, I could give >>> you a lot of useful information however as you are known to troll and >>> the details of your proposed trip are vague I am reluctant to spout >>> volumes of advice. >>> >>> Some bits of general advice, becoming more obvious the further you get >>> from Dover, >>> >>> 1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages as you >>> can. >>> >>> 2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a bribe or >>> to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big bill, don't rely >>> on credit/debit card service being available in spite of the adverts to >>> the contrary. >>> >>> 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes, find out the >>> preferred brand in the country concerned and make sure you have a >>> supply. >>> >>> 4. Take care to have the correct documents in France, a very expensive >>> frogmarch (no pun intended) to the ATM could await you if you don't. >>> >>> Why not post more detail of your intended trip. >> >> Which part of "Western Europe" don't you understand? >> >> RIM > > > > > So you class "Western Europe" as a detailed report of his trip then? How can it be a "report" when I haven't done it yet?
From: Bod on 6 Jan 2010 09:29 Brimstone wrote: > > > "Bod" <bodron57(a)tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message > news:7qj5pcFsahU1(a)mid.individual.net... >> Rank I Mong wrote: >>> On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:16:08 -0800, NM dribbled: >>> >>>> On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >>>>> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a bit >>>>> later in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc. >>>>> >>>>> Can anyone point me at useful sources of info regarding driving >>>>> requirements and cheap places to stay? >>>>> >>>>> Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well. >>>> As you probably know I have spent a large chunk of my life driving to >>>> every country in Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, I could give >>>> you a lot of useful information however as you are known to troll and >>>> the details of your proposed trip are vague I am reluctant to spout >>>> volumes of advice. >>>> >>>> Some bits of general advice, becoming more obvious the further you get >>>> from Dover, >>>> >>>> 1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages as >>>> you >>>> can. >>>> >>>> 2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a >>>> bribe or >>>> to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big bill, don't rely >>>> on credit/debit card service being available in spite of the adverts to >>>> the contrary. >>>> >>>> 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes, find out the >>>> preferred brand in the country concerned and make sure you have a >>>> supply. >>>> >>>> 4. Take care to have the correct documents in France, a very expensive >>>> frogmarch (no pun intended) to the ATM could await you if you don't. >>>> >>>> Why not post more detail of your intended trip. >>> >>> Which part of "Western Europe" don't you understand? >>> >>> RIM >> > >> > >> So you class "Western Europe" as a detailed report of his trip then? > > How can it be a "report" when I haven't done it yet? > > > Well, report back when you've completed your report then. :-) Bod
From: Halmyre on 6 Jan 2010 10:07 On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a bit later > in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc. > > Can anyone point me at useful sources of info regarding driving requirements > and cheap places to stay? > > Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well. Keep your wits about you. Most foreigners drive six inches off your rear end as a matter of course. Don't worry about it, just let them past as soon as you can. Keep out of the centre of big cities. If you're staying in the centre of a big city, get a decent A-Z. Italian self-service pumps are the devil's invention. Find a filling station with attendants. Don't run low on fuel in the vicinity of Milan Bergamo airport on a Sunday without having a wad of euros in your wallet. Italian slip-roads have a very tight radius. Portuguese drivers are no worse than Italian drivers (this is not necessarily a compliment). Swiss drivers are no slower than any other drivers. Luxembourg traffic wardens will issue parking tickets on Sunday evenings. Don't drive through Alpine tunnels if you're claustrophobic. Don't drive over Alpine passes if you're agoraphobic. Or acrophobic. Belgian and Swiss motorway services are of a higher standard than UK services. Italian motorway services are of very variable quality. Driving down the Mulsanne straight in Le Mans is enormously satisfying. -- Halmyre
From: NM on 6 Jan 2010 10:38 On 6 Jan, 15:07, Halmyre <flashgordonreced...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > Driving down the Mulsanne straight in Le Mans is enormously > satisfying. > > -- > Halmyre Yeah! Brilliant, especially at 44 tonnes.
From: tim.... on 6 Jan 2010 11:59
"NM" <nik.morgan(a)mac.com> wrote in message news:0a8e9f1f-dc26-462c-b162-0ebc4a8a861c(a)o28g2000yqh.googlegroups.com... > On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a bit >> later >> in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc. >> >> Can anyone point me at useful sources of info regarding driving >> requirements >> and cheap places to stay? >> >> Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well. > > As you probably know I have spent a large chunk of my life driving to > every country in Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, I could > give you a lot of useful information however as you are known to troll > and the details of your proposed trip are vague I am reluctant to > spout volumes of advice. > > Some bits of general advice, becoming more obvious the further you get > from Dover, > > 1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages as > you can. > > 2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a bribe > or to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big bill, don't > rely on credit/debit card service being available in spite of the > adverts to the contrary. > > 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes, In Europe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tim |