We took a somewhat circuitous route to Montepulciano and back last May, just over 4000 miles. There is no nicer feeling than driving out of Calais and knowing you can go anywhere you want.
Some random things we include in our plans:
- HGV's appear to be banned from Motorways at weekends in Germany, France and Austria, probably more. The northern loop through Belgium and Germany on a Sunday is a great way to make progress.
- the cost of tolls to south of France is roughly the same as an extra night's accommodation. If you have time, press 'avoid tolls' on the satnav and enjoy fantastic countryside and lightly trafficked roads.
- we schedule frequent breaks which separate long distances into manageable chunks ( good for driver passenger relations). We look for towns just off the motorway, especially with a river etc. and we often get lucky with a nice place for a walk, coffee / lunch and cheaper fuel. It can be done easily in an hour and you see some lovely places.
- we did not need any stickers other than vignettes for Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Switzerland. Usually they are available at the border, or the nearest service stations. Most checks are also at the border but in Austria they do have random checkpoints on the motorway.
- Luxemburg is the place for cheap fuel, but don't blink or you will miss it. Lovely city as well
- all the kit mentioned in this thread is good to have, but the key items are the high viz vests and warning triangle which you need if you have to stop. Most of the other stuff is likely to be checked only if you are 'in discussion' over something else.
- if you are stopped for any reason it is useful to have scanned copies of passport, registration, insurance, driving licence etc. in a file that is easily accessible, e.g. Under the floor mat. Quick production can make other problems go away. We each have a memory stick with all docs on it which makes life a lot easier if you are unlucky to experience loss or theft.
- watch the flow of traffic and you will keep out of trouble. There is usually a reason for a queue of cars all doing 120 in the near side lane.
i could go on...but do use a map and look for wiggly lumpy bits of country and you find fantastic driving routes and good roads. South Austria and Slovenia are our recent finds. In well known areas such as Alps, pressing 'avoid tolls' and 'find alternative route' are great ways of seeing scenery and avoiding the worst traffic.
As for driving stereotypes, there is a lot of truth in many of them. They really do drive in the wrong side of the road. Euro trips can still be great fun adventures. We should enjoy them while we can.
Have a great trip -
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