Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 I prefer the Ubrail to the Stelvio, as it's less busy and you get better advanced view up/down the hairpins. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who's good at watering the Alpine forestry! P = Pee Stop, surely? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Benrobson2999 - Kent AO Posted July 13, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 13, 2022 Day 7 Today we travelled about 290 miles through Italy’s Dolomites and later on into Austria. The Dolomites and numerous mountain passes were something else! Perfectly smooth fast twisty with lovely switch backs. Well worth an early start before the traffic builds. Easily the best roads I have ever driven on we’re today in the Dolomites. The Westfield is so perfectly suited to them! I chased an Audi R8 all the way up one of the passes. I think it surprised us both, hair pin after hair pin he wasn’t getting away! We had a few nice stop offs for coffee and ice cream etc and another pic nic in a random picturesque spot somewhere in Italy! Once we crossed the border into Austria we did the Timmelsjoch high alpine pass (toll one) and it was worth every one of those 17 euros. Fast flowing and almost empty provided some entertainment! We had no destination planned today so when we reached Solden, Austria we went to the first camp site we found and it was spot on. Secure underground parking for the cars and a nice little area to pitch out tents. Lovely staff as everyone seems to be across Europe anyway! Well tomorrow is day 8 and we start to change direction and head towards home via Germany, France etc… The train is booked for day 9 so we have two days to cover 800 off miles which should be comfortable sticking again to D roads and avoiding motorways. I think tonight will be the last camping night if we can find a cheap Motel on route tomorrow. Here’s a few pics from today…. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benrobson2999 - Kent AO Posted July 15, 2022 Author Share Posted July 15, 2022 Day 8 Anothwr early start allowed us to enjoy two or three of Austrias amazing and empty mountain passes we soon then entered Germany. By now the temps were really up and we hot footed it a couple of hundred miles to get into France with the intention of finding an Ibis or something for our last sleep. touching 41 degrees today it was to hot at times but the D roads through rural France kept us focused. The problem was it was Bastille day and everything was closed. Even finding water was an effort! we continued into Luxembourg and then found a camp site for the eve and enjoyed a Steak and few beers with the boys. the final 300 mile push in the morning back to Calais will hopefully get us on an earlier train home with a bit of luck 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 On 13/07/2022 at 19:33, Benrobson2999 said: I see what you did there… 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 Soooo jealous, can't wait to put the Westie back together and enjoy some nice tours 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Benrobson2999 - Kent AO Posted July 15, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 15, 2022 Day 9 so we had an early start. Enjoying some roads out of Luxembourg, then on in and out of Belgium and France all the way back to Calais. we did some fantastic roads through the Ardenne Forrest which I have done previously on bikes so it was great to also do them in the car. We even got on the Chimay circuit which was closed ready to start the classic bike racing weekend! (But quickly got turned around 😂) the weathers been so hot, we’ve been so lucky. No rain. No roof required. my car hasn’t missed a beat which Iam so grateful for and now feel like I’ve bonded with it totally! Trust her fully and found the limits (quite a few times!) 😂 everyone enjoyed the trip. Few minor technical issues along the way with a couple of cars but we all got there. Cheers to all the guys for the fun and banter, organising this and their expertise to make it what it was. I estimate 2600 miles ish. 8 countries, countless mountain passes. The cars had so much stick and in extreme heat and altitudes. Fantastic experience that will stick in my mind for ever. just sat waiting at the tunnel now for the next train back to Blighty (to enjoy the forecasted heat wave!) 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainCameron Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 Great write-up, Ben, thanks for sharing the inspiration! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Taylor Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 Great write up and glad you all had a whale of a time and enjoyed every minute of it 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 Do you guys do Alps tours every year usually? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard (OldStager) Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 Thanks Ben. as said great document of your trip, great to see new ( to me ) vistas and I do hope one day I can see them for myself. Great memories to treasure. 💗 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benrobson2999 - Kent AO Posted July 16, 2022 Author Share Posted July 16, 2022 Here’s a little clip of one of the passes. I now have hundreds of GB of video to trawl through! 🥵 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benrobson2999 - Kent AO Posted July 16, 2022 Author Share Posted July 16, 2022 9 hours ago, LoneWolf said: Do you guys do Alps tours every year usually? The SKCC boys do. It was my first tour. I’d 100% do it again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 2 hours ago, Benrobson2999 said: The SKCC boys do. It was my first tour. I’d 100% do it again It’s the automotive equivalent of crack cocaine; do one alpine/mountain passes trip, and you’ll be planning the next before you know it! Its not just the passes though, there is just something so beautiful about that area of Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France etc. Plus particularly (but not just) around the Austrian side, the road surfaces are generally very, very good. The worst we saw, I think, was in Italy, but even that was no worse than a bad day in the Peaks. We also have found almost all the people we met to be very friendly/welcoming with 99% responding well to the cars. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benrobson2999 - Kent AO Posted July 16, 2022 Author Share Posted July 16, 2022 Just chilling today. Knackered! ….zzzz. done the maths though- 2583.9 miles covered. £754.35 spent on fuel (using a chase pre pay card so you don’t get hammered for exchange rates and also it is quick and easy to use and unmanned garages/toll roads are no issue either) to note - Italy was cheap, Switzerland was expensive- all were cheaper than the UK 😂 I took euros for camping food and beer etc and pre paid the couple of hotels on card also. Not to bad really is it? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard (OldStager) Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 Thanks for adding costs Ben, helps me budget for one of these trips in the future, bet it's hot over there ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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