How it all started
Over the past few years having done two trips to Corfu, a car club meet in France followed by a tour of the Black Forest, then a trip to Tuscany celebrating my 60th birthday – you could say we enjoy road trips in my MR2 Roadster!
So................This year I wanted to make it a grand tour taking in the scenery not via motorways ( although those were not entirely avoided), but through all the towns and villages along the route. This made the majority of daily trips at least 50% longer in time but not much more in distance, speed was not on the agenda as we wanted to take in all the sights during each leg of our journey.
Planning was done as far back as October/November 2011; this was to benefit from the early booking prices for hotels. It wasn’t our intention to scrimp on costs, nor did we over-indulge on the obviously OTT places to stay.
Booking the entire trip from home to our return couldn’t have been easier, in fact it took less than an hour to book the return ferry crossing with 12 stop over hotels once our route was decided. The only payment made was for the Dover-Calais ferry. All the hotels were booked with an option to cancel as late as the day before.
Planning and booking was the easy part for me, the difficult bit was what items (clothing, towels, suntan lotion, electrical goods, cameras etc etc etc) to pack into the restricted storage space of the roadster. Fortunately my wife Anne has had plenty of experience during our many road trips and had this down to a fine art. With the advantage of our tailored luggage which we find very useful it made things slightly easier.....still when she asked “what clothes shall I pack for you?” I simply never replied and she did an excellent job despite my apathy!
With all luggage packed and all necessary items gathered together it was time to see how they fitted in the roadster. Doing the packing on Saturday gave us chance to thin out (if at all possible) should there be a problem with space, as driving hundreds of miles with my knees touching my chin would not be an option. Surprisingly everything went in without a problem; there was even space to spare in the ‘frunk’.
Planning was done as far back as October/November 2011; this was to benefit from the early booking prices for hotels. It wasn’t our intention to scrimp on costs, nor did we over-indulge on the obviously OTT places to stay.
Booking the entire trip from home to our return couldn’t have been easier, in fact it took less than an hour to book the return ferry crossing with 12 stop over hotels once our route was decided. The only payment made was for the Dover-Calais ferry. All the hotels were booked with an option to cancel as late as the day before.
Planning and booking was the easy part for me, the difficult bit was what items (clothing, towels, suntan lotion, electrical goods, cameras etc etc etc) to pack into the restricted storage space of the roadster. Fortunately my wife Anne has had plenty of experience during our many road trips and had this down to a fine art. With the advantage of our tailored luggage which we find very useful it made things slightly easier.....still when she asked “what clothes shall I pack for you?” I simply never replied and she did an excellent job despite my apathy!
With all luggage packed and all necessary items gathered together it was time to see how they fitted in the roadster. Doing the packing on Saturday gave us chance to thin out (if at all possible) should there be a problem with space, as driving hundreds of miles with my knees touching my chin would not be an option. Surprisingly everything went in without a problem; there was even space to spare in the ‘frunk’.
The route
A-Home
B-Dover-(England)
C-Metz Augney (France)
D-Dubendorf (Switzerland)
E-Innsbruck (Austria)
F-Paitone (Italy)
G-Savona (Italy)
H-Eze (South of France)
I-Arles (France)
J-Toulouse (France)
K-Gradignan (France)
L-Vaas (France)
M-Les-Andelys (France)
N-Calais (France)
Setting off
Monday morning 23rd July and raring to go we set off at 9.00am for our first destination the Premier Inn at Dover. Not before putting the top down as the weather had finally improved and it was a glorious sunny day. The drive down the A1 was quite uneventful but we expected this might change once we reached London as there was some sort of sports event going on there at the time (erm the Olympics I think it was called.......), but we needn't have worried as we passed through without any problems arriving at our stop around 2.30pm still in lovely sunshine. Our first hotel, the Premier Inn on the A20 is about 10 minutes drive from the ferry – convenient when you have a 7.30am sailing! Quite a friendly place next to a Weatherspoons Eatery. The only thing against our stay here was the poor tv reception and no wi-fi till after midnight....I could have complained but couldn’t be bothered. We decided as it was early to drive into Dover for dinner/tea and to have a look around to kill some time. It was still a sunny day so the top was still down and we had a very nice pub meal, took a few pictures and wound our way back to the hotel to get some sleep ready for our proper adventure to start.
DESTINATION: Dover 23rd July 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:----- Top down, brilliant sunny day, light traffic
JOURNEY TIME:------------- 5½ Hours
MILES:--------------------- 294
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK):- http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/DOVPLO/dover-a20?cmp=GLBC
Not much to say about the ferry crossing – you drive on, sail across, drive off – oh and have a brekkie on the way!
A bright and early start from the Premier Inn on a slightly misty morning was a perfect prelude to our trip across the channel.
DESTINATION: Metz Augny (France) 24th July 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:----Top down, very warm/sunny, light traffic
JOURNEY TIME:----------- 8 Hours (Including ferry crossing)
MILES:------------------- 303
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK):--http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g226874-d624807-Reviews-B_B_Metz_Augny-Augny_Moselle_Lorraine.html
Setting both sat-navs for our first destination (Metz b&b) we drove off without once straying over to the left side of the road. Having made the trip several times before we knew it wouldn’t be one of the most scenic routes and guess what...it hadn’t changed. Neither had the B&B Metz, not a bad place to stop over, basic but clean and situated in an industrial area not earth shattering. But having one reason for our choice of location within walking distance.....Crocodile – not the reptilian kind but a chain of restaurants that we sorta like.........
: 27euros gets you unlimited buffet starters, choice of main course, unlimited deserts and.............unlimited wine!!! After a most enjoyable meal (we haven’t had a bad one yet) we waddled back to the hotel in the warm evening ready for an early start to destination no.2 Switzerland.
: 27euros gets you unlimited buffet starters, choice of main course, unlimited deserts and.............unlimited wine!!! After a most enjoyable meal (we haven’t had a bad one yet) we waddled back to the hotel in the warm evening ready for an early start to destination no.2 Switzerland.
DESTINATION: Dubendorf (Switzerland) 25th July 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:-- Top down, sunny/warm/becoming cloudy, disappointing drive
JOURNEY TIME:---------- 9 Hours
MILES:------------------- 256
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.hri.ch/register/website.asp?basic_guid_pk=%7BBDD57277-DBA8-467C-ACAF-720691FA6D60%7D&lang=EN
Having skirted Switzerland on past trips we were expecting the same stunning scenery as before, if not better......how wrong we were – not a sign of the typical Swiss houses nor quaint villages, instead it seemed to be industrial area after industrial area on boring roads. I suppose I should have planned a better route but setting the sat-nav to avoid tolls I hoped for a more interesting drive. Reaching our next stop the Hotel Swanen things did not improve! The owner seemed most surprised at our arrival and informed us that there were no rooms available due to closure for fire regulation updates, he had told ‘booking.com’ about this 2-3 months previously but somewhere along the line no-one let us know. The owner did however arrange another booking at a nearby hotel, so after a disappointing drive this really topped off our day. Driving the 5 kilometres to our alternative the Hotel Sternan I was still not in the best of moods, referring to it as Shitzerland rather than the correct name. Hotel Sternan seemed ok but a bit dated and dark however our evening meal made up for some of the let downs. We dined outdoors in a pleasant area and the food and drink were fine.
Another early start. After breakfast we headed for our next destination – Innsbruck......
with the disappointment of yesterdays dreary roads fresh in our memories. Things however started to improve within a few kilometres of setting off, winding country roads passing through picturesque villages – just what we wanted.
Then of course another one of my favorite continental driving pleasures
VVVVVVVVV
Then of course another one of my favorite continental driving pleasures
VVVVVVVVV
Lunch on the way with some nice scenery
DESTINATION: Innsbruck (Austria) 26/27th July 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, sunny/hot, fantastic scenery, fantastic drive
JOURNEY TIME:----------- 6¾ Hours
MILES:-------------------- 194
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.booking.com/hotel/at/gasthof-stefansbrucke.en.html
This set the pattern for the rest of the journey to the hotel Stefansbrucke, just a few kilometres from Innsbruck. This was to be a two day stop over as we had stayed in Innsbruck before on a previous trip travelling to Venice to catch the ferry to Corfu and wished to spend more time there. The hotel was pleasant and friendly with stunning views.
On our second full day in Innsbruck with nothing planned we headed for the town centre where finding somewhere to park was surprisingly easy as all you had to do was follow the 'P' signs---Doh!!!!
We had read about the various sights to see and saw the Golden Roof, well it was just round the corner from a very nice cafe where we ate and drank. We saw a couple of cable car adverts so headed for the longest one (of course). All I can say is it was the right choice. The Hafelekarspitze (easy for you to say), is one of the highest peaks shown in the tour guide and boy was it high! We first boarded what looked like a train but it actually tilted as the climb got steeper, then it was two cable car rides up to the proper summit....well within a few hundred feet short of the actual summit. Riding the lift is not to be recommended for anyone suffering from claustrophobia or vertigo as you are rather packed in like sardines and being a very hot day … well it was not the most aromatic of rides. There were great views of Innsbruck and surrounding areas at each stage of the ride with the views becoming ever more breathtaking as we rose ever higher. The thinner air certainly gave it a bit more effect as well. Once at the highest stop Anne decided to wander around then have a drink whilst I foolishly decided to walk to the very top of the mountain...I now know that my heart and lungs must be OK because they both nearly exploded from my chest and I had to scoop them back in before going down to meet Anne! (I think secretly she was busy checking the insurance policies I saw her on the phone...) Taking the cable car back down to the second stop we decided to go and play in one of the few remnants of snow remaining this low on the mountainside. It was then back to the last cable car for the ride to the bottom, then another stroll round the lovely town making our way back to the car. So back to the hotel for refreshments and bed.
We had read about the various sights to see and saw the Golden Roof, well it was just round the corner from a very nice cafe where we ate and drank. We saw a couple of cable car adverts so headed for the longest one (of course). All I can say is it was the right choice. The Hafelekarspitze (easy for you to say), is one of the highest peaks shown in the tour guide and boy was it high! We first boarded what looked like a train but it actually tilted as the climb got steeper, then it was two cable car rides up to the proper summit....well within a few hundred feet short of the actual summit. Riding the lift is not to be recommended for anyone suffering from claustrophobia or vertigo as you are rather packed in like sardines and being a very hot day … well it was not the most aromatic of rides. There were great views of Innsbruck and surrounding areas at each stage of the ride with the views becoming ever more breathtaking as we rose ever higher. The thinner air certainly gave it a bit more effect as well. Once at the highest stop Anne decided to wander around then have a drink whilst I foolishly decided to walk to the very top of the mountain...I now know that my heart and lungs must be OK because they both nearly exploded from my chest and I had to scoop them back in before going down to meet Anne! (I think secretly she was busy checking the insurance policies I saw her on the phone...) Taking the cable car back down to the second stop we decided to go and play in one of the few remnants of snow remaining this low on the mountainside. It was then back to the last cable car for the ride to the bottom, then another stroll round the lovely town making our way back to the car. So back to the hotel for refreshments and bed.
Had a late start today – 7.30am! Heading for Paitone in Italy.
The drive was absolutely stunning as we drove the entire length of Lake Garda on fantastic roads with marvelous views, all in all a very nice day. Nearing our destination we became a little apprehensive as it appeared a little remote as well as industrial. This was still the case at the hotel but in spite of the area we were deceived. It was a very pleasant place with a friendly owner and a very popular restaurant serving very good food.
DESTINATION: Paitone (Italy) 28th July 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, SCORCHIO!!, average traffic
JOURNEY TIMES:---------- 7½ Hours
MILES:------------------- 167
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/tagliere-d-oro.en.html
An even later start today at nearly 9.00am! Still staying in Italy but heading for Savona on the South coast.
Unfortunately we encountered problems with closed roads and the tom-tom seemed to have a nervous breakdown despite having the traffic option that should have detected the problem and diverted us accordingly. We did try to find an alternative route around the roadwork’s but it become too time consuming so we opted to take the toll route instead which in the event wasn't that expensive or boring. Savona itself seemed to us a bit dated and over built, it was probably once the place to be about 50 years ago. The hotel San Marco was a bit past its sell-by date but was basic and pleasant with not so pleasant views of a back yard.
DESTINATION: Savona (Italy) 29th July 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, cloudy but hot, TUNNELS!!!!
JOURNEY TIME:---------- 5¾
MILES:------------------- 197
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.initalia.it/en/hotel/hotelsanmarcosavona.htm
8am start and heading for the second two night stopover in Eze sur Mer
The drive involved lots of small towns and villages, a bit busy but excellent motoring – especially the drive through Monaco (twice............ as we took a wrong turn). Anne loved window shopping on the way through -Versace etc etc and I saw lots of pricey motors driving round but only the one Toyota Roadster!..............ours, reflected in the shop windows
DESTINATION: Eze-Sur-Mer (South of France) 30/31st July 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, bloody hot, busy roads but great...
JOURNEY TIME:----------- 6 Hours
MILES:------------------- 94
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/pantarei.en.html
Hotel Panterei set on the coast road was very pleasant indeed, our first night meal there was surprisingly good with excellent service.
Needing some refreshments on our first afternoon...
Found this beach front restaurant and splashed out on a glass of red
Day 2 in Eze and we made our way to take a much deserved beach break near Beaulieu just round the coast.
I only had enough change for three hours parking so we made our way speedily towards the beach with the intention of returning to top up the time if required but as it was 35deg + three hours was more than sufficient to bake us nicely. So we wended our way back towards the hotel to find somewhere for lunch. We spotted a small roadside stall selling drinks and sandwiches and walked over to it from the hotel. Sitting there with our chips, baguettes and cokes we watched the world go by....several Bentleys, Ferraris, Porches plus thousands of Smart Cars(!) not one Lambo. As the hotel restaurant was closed for the evening we needed to find another eatery, not wanting to drink and drive we went to the only place nearby that we had found within walking distance – the beach front restaurant we visited the day before. Our meal was quite basic - one prawn cocktail shared, whole chicken platter (ok they did present it whole, took it away, then carved it up for us) with chips and salad, two deserts and a bottle of red wine cost us …....160 euro’s!!!! Mind you the view was absolutely magnificent of the bay in the sunset so it was an indulgence bearable for our last night in Eze.
Heading for Arles, still in France, today. 7.45 am start and hoping for some great driving through Cannes (ooooo the boats, cars money....) and along the coast.
Two poorly Tom-Tom's
This however was not to be as unfortunately the new tom-tom decided to pack up just as we got to the beginning of the sea side run into Cannes and the back up tom-tom also threw a whammy and crashed...HELP!!! This nearly bought our trip to an end, I know maps can be acquired but the idea of navigating through all the towns etc in foreign countries would have been a nightmare. Fortunately a way was found to get the tom-tom functioning but not before we had had to drive the main road way to Marseilles knowing Arles was not far from there – so we missed our troll through Cannes.
Pictures taken during the drive from Eze to Arles
DESTINATION: Arles (France) 1st August 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, 30deg , busy roads and boring...
JOURNEY TIME:----------- 6 Hours
MILES:------------------- 181
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/crau-arles.en-gb.html?aid=340475;sid=1505c29623c0c6ff4c6ba4fa928050aa;dcid=1;label=postbooking_directions
Our hotel was a bit like a Premier Inn, OK but nothing to write home about, once again set in an industrial estate but very near to the ancient town of Arles. It was here we had come to meet Jean Loup, a good friend of ours from previous trips to Europe.
It was great to see Jean Loup, as our last meeting was in Tuscany the year before which ended on a sad note due to the loss of my first roadster. This was the one and only time of our journey that we saw another roadster. Driving into the old town of Arles in a mini convoy (2 cars!) we parked up and walked past the ancient arena to a nearby restaurant for dinner and to chat about past events as well as a possible future road trip. Bidding Jean Loup a fond farewell we went back to our hotel in readiness for our next days adventure where we would be meeting another of our French friends.
All packed and ready once more we set off for our next destination – Toulouse. It was a slightly cooler day at only 27-28deg, traffic was light on the pleasant drive so we made good time (not that we were in a hurry) with the nice scenery, twisty and empty roads....
DESTINATION: Toulouse (France) 2nd August 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, a mild 27 deg, light traffic, good roads
JOURNEY TIME:----------- 5¾ Hours
MILES:------------------- 218
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/raymondiv.en-gb.html?aid=340475;sid=1505c29623c0c6ff4c6ba4fa928050aa;dcid=1;label=postbooking_directions
The Grand Hotel Raymond IV was set right in the middle of Toulouse and had its own car park (thank heaven). It was certainly grand although the original grandeur had faded somewhat it still held some of its charm.
Not long after settling in our friend Edouard met us for yet another of our indulgent evening meals. What a meal it was, in a restaurant recommended by Edouard – superb! After which we adjourned to an 'Brit' (I'm sorry) pub where we once more talked of old times with a very good friend......erm we may have had the odd drink or two as well! All too soon the evening came to an end and so it was aurevoir to Edouard and back to the room to rest for our next journey.
8.30am start heading for Gradignan and our hotel Le Chalet Lyrique (posh or what?)
As usual on our journey we always found a place to have lunch, this time we found a tiny Pizza café shop and had a very pleasant conversation with the owner while waiting for our delicious pizza to cook. He recommended where to go for some excellent cheap local wine (he must have recognised a fellow wine buff in me!) and then he even gave us a bottle as we left, so........excellent pizza, free bottle of wine, what more can you ask for?
Some pictures of our journey to Gradignan
DESTINATION: Gradignan (France) 3rd August 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, Cloudy, turning warm & sunny, light traffic, good roads
JOURNEY TIME:----------- 5 Hours
MILES:------------------- 163
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/citotellechaletlyrique.en-gb.html?aid=340475;sid=1505c29623c0c6ff4c6ba4fa928050aa;dcid=1;label=postbooking_directions
A really pleasant hotel with a friendly welcome.
Unfortunately the restaurant was closed but we had a couple of places recommended, opting for the one called Le Moulin – a deceptively small looking place a little tent like (!) that was actually quite large inside and ended up being VERY busy. The food was tasty but service was a little slow and so back to our hotel for the night.
Today is a drive to our penultimate stop in Vaas at the Hotel Vedaquais.
DESTINATION: Vaas (France) 4th August 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, Sunny, mostly boring motorway type roads with only the last 40 or so kilometers being interesting.
JOURNEY TIME:----------- 6 Hours
MILES:------------------- 235
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/le-vedaquais.en-gb.html?aid=340475;sid=1505c29623c0c6ff4c6ba4fa928050aa;dcid=1;label=postbooking_directions
The Vedaquais was a quaint little hotel in a rural setting
After booking in the manager told us how very proud they were of their recent promotion to 3 star status. He also mentioned a 'bread festival' taking place just outside the village and suggested we might like to visit it. With nothing planned we popped down the road to check it out and it turned out to be an excellent afternoons entertainment. Having booked a meal in the hotel restaurant we returned to our room, changed and then went down for an aperitif before settling down to what was one of the best meals of our holiday.
Our visit to the bread fest in Vaas
A very picturesque Vaas
What a meal !!
Leaving the Vedaquais at 9am we set off for our final destination of our fabulous road trip.
DESTINATION: Les Andelys (France) 5th August 2012
JOURNEY CONDITIONS:--- Top down, Sunny, 50-50 driving roads with very light traffic
JOURNEY TIME:----------- 4½ Hours
MILES:------------------- 151
HOTEL DETAILS (CLICK): http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/la-chaine-d-or.en-gb.html?aid=340475;sid=1505c29623c0c6ff4c6ba4fa928050aa;dcid=1;label=postbooking_directions
Our last stop is the elegant Le Chaine D’or
This beautiful river front hotel was a pleasant and relaxing place to spend our final stop over; arriving too early we strolled round the town square then walked along the peaceful river bank before finally booking into our very elegant room.
Apart from the fabulous scenery the best part of our stay was our evening meal (I think you get the idea we like our food), it was yet another two hours plus of gastronomic enjoyment, a fitting end to our fantastic holiday
Apart from the fabulous scenery the best part of our stay was our evening meal (I think you get the idea we like our food), it was yet another two hours plus of gastronomic enjoyment, a fitting end to our fantastic holiday
HOW DO YOU GET 16 BOTTLES OF WINE IN A ROADSTER?
.............and finally A bit of trivia
14 x Days
6 x Countries travelled through
12 x Hotels
2972.2 Miles (Setting trip on leaving to arriving back home)
324 Litres of fuel
41.7 Average miles per (UK) gallon
6 x Countries travelled through
12 x Hotels
2972.2 Miles (Setting trip on leaving to arriving back home)
324 Litres of fuel
41.7 Average miles per (UK) gallon
Anne's Holiday Thoughts
I must admit that I was apprehensive when Les first said he fancied all those days driving – I honestly thought I would end up bored....All those days sitting as a passenger, packing and un-packing – erk! But I really enjoyed the ever changing scenery and got the packing/un-packing down to a fine art.
We both knew the crocodile wouldn’t let us down and this was only the start of our fine eating and drinking..
I asked for the two day stop-over in Innsbruck because I knew there would be something worth seeing, that and I felt we would need a break. I was right! I will always remember that cable car ride and the views from the top.
On our next two day break in the South of France we took the opportunity to chill on the beach – once more it was a much needed break.
Meeting our friends Jean Loup and Edouard was really nice too, we are both hoping to see them again in the not too distant future.
It was fabulous to have the sun stay with us for the whole journey and we didn’t get sunburned once despite having the top down the entire time – clever use of hats and sun tan lotion there!
All in all I found it the most pleasant relaxing two weeks – well I wasn’t driving was I!!
Would I do it again? Probably, but I would prefer a few more days stay somewhere in the middle.
We both knew the crocodile wouldn’t let us down and this was only the start of our fine eating and drinking..
I asked for the two day stop-over in Innsbruck because I knew there would be something worth seeing, that and I felt we would need a break. I was right! I will always remember that cable car ride and the views from the top.
On our next two day break in the South of France we took the opportunity to chill on the beach – once more it was a much needed break.
Meeting our friends Jean Loup and Edouard was really nice too, we are both hoping to see them again in the not too distant future.
It was fabulous to have the sun stay with us for the whole journey and we didn’t get sunburned once despite having the top down the entire time – clever use of hats and sun tan lotion there!
All in all I found it the most pleasant relaxing two weeks – well I wasn’t driving was I!!
Would I do it again? Probably, but I would prefer a few more days stay somewhere in the middle.
My Holiday Thoughts
If anyone were to ask me if I would do this again I would probably say..........Hell Yes!!!
I am very fortunate to have a fantastic wife (Don’t get used to the complements Anne) who shares my love of continental travelling. Previous adventures meant staying several days at one destination before making the return trip; this will be our plan for our next outing, hopefully with our friends again as in past ventures.
If there were anything I would change on this trip it would probably be to plan better driving routes rather than hoping the “None-Toll” option gave the preferred roads for touring, this wasn’t the case unfortunately but the scenic, twisty, tunnely, empty, towny, even busy city driving cancelled out any disappointments when major highways or motorways had to be used.
Highlights:
Meeting friends, food, drink (in moderation of course), Slapa 2 (My Roadster) behaving flawlessly, the food, the weather, the food, tunnels, scenery and...........food
Low points:
Disappointing drive to Switzerland, cancelled booking in Switzerland, faulty Tom-Tom’s, the end of our fantastic holiday and having to put the top up for the only part of our journey, six miles after arriving back in England......
Here’s to our next adventure............
I am very fortunate to have a fantastic wife (Don’t get used to the complements Anne) who shares my love of continental travelling. Previous adventures meant staying several days at one destination before making the return trip; this will be our plan for our next outing, hopefully with our friends again as in past ventures.
If there were anything I would change on this trip it would probably be to plan better driving routes rather than hoping the “None-Toll” option gave the preferred roads for touring, this wasn’t the case unfortunately but the scenic, twisty, tunnely, empty, towny, even busy city driving cancelled out any disappointments when major highways or motorways had to be used.
Highlights:
Meeting friends, food, drink (in moderation of course), Slapa 2 (My Roadster) behaving flawlessly, the food, the weather, the food, tunnels, scenery and...........food
Low points:
Disappointing drive to Switzerland, cancelled booking in Switzerland, faulty Tom-Tom’s, the end of our fantastic holiday and having to put the top up for the only part of our journey, six miles after arriving back in England......
Here’s to our next adventure............