going on a road trip to germany any tips?

[C488ADO 0]

going to germany -manheim in april this year for 8 days taking the corrado , anything i should be made aware of before i go??

 

 

obviously the useual checks of the car would be done im talking about driving on the other side of the road -ive never done it! lol

 

any legalities i might need to know , there is something like in eurpoe you have to have a first aid kit and high viz is this right??

[carrots 1]

you mite need a spare bulb kit and warning triangle,beam benders.also lots and lots of spare parts and tools :lol:

[bananawhip 0]

When you get to the Autobahn the sign to let you know it's deristricted is a white circle with 3 black lines through it.

 

Don't gun it before you see it, but when you do drop a cog and nail it as everyone else bloody will :)

[C488ADO 0]

you mite need a spare bulb kit and warning triangle,beam benders.also lots and lots of spare parts and tools :lol:

 

 

hi thanks for the reply! wonderd where this thread got to !

 

got the warning triangle

i do need to get the spare bulbs kit and a first aid kit

 

got a high viz

 

 

i guess i better re-fit the spare wheel in the well!! and take a jack and basic tools......

 

i have no idea on driving abroad im quite excited about it but also quite concearned about the signs etc .....esp in germany!

 

 

the trip has now been extended slightly

 

torquay -dover

dover -calais

calais-mannheim

mannheim-praha

praha-roma

roma-monaco

monanco-calais

 

 

got the mileages and rough fuel costs now we just need to sort out what sights to see how long each days driving is etc etc

 

anything anyone can advise i do to the rado before going??

 

 

ive just given her new plugs, oil filte,r fuel filter and oil....all genuine from TPS

i do have a slight water leak from somewhere and its doing my head in!!! i think it might be heater matrix but cant be sure, i can smell coolant but if i put the fan on (4) and the hotest setting you cant smell nothing??? the carpet seems dry??? so maybe in engine bay?? thermo housing??? any way of doing a decent sort of test , dont really want to rip out the dash again to do matrix....

[Walesy 0]

Shame you didn't think to do the matrix while the dash was out anyway! :(

 

All I'd say mate is to keep stopping for fuel as often as you can, I drove down to Southern Spain in my rado years ago and came close to running out of fuel in the middle of no-where a couple of times! It's best to top up even if you've still got half a tank left as you don't know where the next petrol station will be.

[C488ADO 0]

!!! Yes excellent advice!! Lol didn't think of that I've never ever filled my car up I'm dreading it!!

 

What do they take?? £70-£80???

 

We've allowed £600 in fuel !

[V-Dubstar 0]

I don't let mine go right down to the bottom, but close, and he takes a good £65-£70 normally!

 

Good luck! Was hoping to go to Germany with mine this yr, really wanna go to Oktoberfest!

[Walesy 0]

I always fill mine with optimax and it takes about £75!

[C488ADO 0]

Yea I always use either Tesco 99 or optimax

but never been flush enough to fill er up!! Lol

 

should u do a compression test before I go??

 

Going to check brakes and tyres

tomorrow all bushes are poly So that fine.... I woul like to replace all hoses with silicone before I go just to be safe but can't afford it :(

[MikLSP 0]

I'm not sure what route you're planning but by the looks of it it would be rude not to stop off at the Nürburgring on the way.

A must for anyone who's never been.

 

Germany Trip.jpg[/attachment:1owpljvx]

[VAG-hag 0]

all i did this year was:

 

drop the oil

new filter

check brake pads

 

next time ill also be:

 

inspecting all suspension bushes etc.

 

Pack:

 

hi viz

bulbs

triangle

& credit card!!

 

Out of 4 cars (3 were Cs) the only trouble we had was loose wheel (on mine - not good) and a wishbone bush failed on my mates.

 

they all were worked hard up some pretty steep hills in the Alps/ round North Loop etc etc but did pretty well :clap:

 

apart from that - just enjoy cos its a right laugh!! :lol: :lol:

[John-M 0]

You might be advised to make sure you have a flourescent jacket, for each occupant - they are now 'required' in France and you will be fined if you have a breakdown and are not wearing one. I have two, and they fit nicely under the back seat hump.

 

Be aware that fast drivers, in Germany particularly, are quite well-behaved in terms of pulling out, overtaking, pulling in again - outside lane hoggers are not tolerated well !

 

Also, if you are in the outside lane and there is a faster car coming up behind, if you are slow to pull back into the inside lane they will show that they are wanting to press on by putting on their left-hand indicator and coming up quite close !

 

But, I do find that drivers on the continent are much better, in terms of lane discipline, then many of the UK drivers.

 

Let the debate begin ... ...

[philie 0]

I done a 4000 mile trip last year to the ring I would bring a few bottles of coolant,Petrol can and jump leeds and some tools but other than that thats all I brought and driving in Germany is brilliant you will love it.

[C488ADO 0]

Excellent advice peeps appreciate it, I have told the other half it would be rude nit to visit the ribg as I have never been!! Lol she wasn't impressed but I want to go anyway!!!

 

Mannheim to Praha I think we pass throught it?

 

Now the next thing iasi I rely on my I- phone for gps maps? or do I go buy a tomtom??

 

any other places of interest myself or lady partner that would be worth stooping to see??

[MikLSP 0]

If you haven't been to the Nürburgring you should definitely make the effort to get there. It's East of Mannheim though so you'd have to visit that on the way. It is worth checking what events are on at the ring and when there is public driving sessions with the calendar on bridgetogantry.com.

 

The Porsche Museum is just over an hour on from Mannheim according to Google maps. That'd be worth a detour to me but not sure your good lady will necessarily agree ;)

[TomB 0]

I agreed that drivers on the continent seem better than those in the UK (with the possible exception of the Belgiums who will be 3" from your rear bumper at 80mph in a cloudburst...). I had a thoroughly pleasant time driving to Luxembourg and then on to the Nurburgring a little while back.

 

Definitely worth the detour, but I'd treat it as a gentle excursion and just enjoy the experience of driving it if you have any distance to go once you've been there... I managed 4 laps in the Golf with only slight wear to the tyres and got all the way back without missing a beat.

 

Have fun!

 

Cheers,

Tom

[VAG-hag 0]

 

The Porsche Museum is just over an hour on from Mannheim according to Google maps. That'd be worth a detour to me but not sure your good lady will necessarily agree ;)

 

 

mine would!! may have to visit on this years road trip :D

[C488ADO 0]

thanks again floks this is an interesting read for me!

 

have any of you ever had any experiance in driving in italy ? france? belgium? prauge?

 

is it much the same or is there things to look out for in different places??

 

might sound stupid but do i take euros in cash?? or my debit card?? will it be accepted everywhere? will there be charges??

 

never had to worry about this sort of thing before as ive always gone long haul and had prior arrangements with cash .....

 

 

are my red rear lights going to be ok abroad??

 

how about number plate laws abroad any body know them??

[VAG-hag 0]

thanks again floks this is an interesting read for me!

 

have any of you ever had any experiance in driving in italy ? france? belgium? prauge?

 

is it much the same or is there things to look out for in different places??

 

Not much in it mate really..... stick to the right & you are winning 8) I found it hard to tell when swapping from Swiss to Italian Roads & vice versa - its all the same!!

 

might sound stupid but do i take euros in cash?? or my debit card?? will it be accepted everywhere? will there be charges??

 

take both buddy.... ATMs are all over but its nice to have some wedge on you at all times innit?? I used my CC for the fuel though.

 

are my red rear lights going to be ok abroad??

 

how about number plate laws abroad any body know them??

 

I had no worries with my red rears but that is not to say that some coppers wont like them (just like at home then!!) :lol: But that is 2 yrs on trot ive been with no sweat. A mate had VERY red rears and still got no bother. If its something that will nag at you then dont run the risk.

 

RE plates: I had an offical bloke a bit miffed at me in 2008 for having D band plates on in the ring car park.... all was well because I had GB ones which id driven in on. 2009 I simply put a sticker over the D on my plate & all was good :D

[MikLSP 0]

The motorways in France are much less disciplined than Germany and be prepared for tolls as they can fairly mount up depending on your route through France. You can pay with cash or card at the toll gates as long as you pick the right one.

 

We got pulled up on the exit lane off the Nürburgring in my dad's Rallye as he had German style plates on it. I think they initially thought they were invalid German plates with it being LHD but when they realised the car was actually British they insited the plates were removed. They said the plates were an imitation of a legal document seeing as the seal stickers represent their tax/MOT.