Travel Advice

[Paddy]

Just back from France and no sign of any migrants. Really watch out for people pulling out on you.

[Paddy]

Got one of these tag things for the annual drive South Motorway Tag

Will see if it's worth while

I first drove to Greece in 1969. At that there were only tolls in France and Italy.
This time my one way journey is 1,800 miles and now it seems that almost every friggin country has tolls.

[Troll]

I first drove to Greece in 1969. At that there were only tolls in France and Italy.
This time my one way journey is 1,800 miles and now it seems that almost every friggin country has tolls.

I did drive to Italy regularly in my yoof, but always avoided as many tolls as possible by going the Belgium > Aachen>Suisse > Milano route

Suisse carnet was mandatory though

A carnet is something we should do in this country

[TwoWolves]

Don't listen to these posturing idiots, there is a real risk when returning to the UK and no police presence.

Depends on time of day, activity waxes and wanes. Drive at the limit and stop for nobody. Mornings are the clearest as the migrants sleep in - they do target lorries and vans though so you should be safe.

The truth is it's been like this for decades, I started touring Europe by bike in the '90s and returning to Calais via the country roads was like heading to an "African Glastonbury".

[scooterscot]

Were they in a BWM or Audi? If so, it’s not just Belgians.

don't remember - too busy trying to calm the screaming children in the back

[DeludedKitten]

Got one of these tag things for the annual drive South Motorway Tag

Will see if it's worth while

If you go regularly then it's worthwhile, particularly if you are going through the tolls in southern France where you can literally queue for hours.

There's also (IMHO) a certain amount of schadenfeude (is there a French for that?) watching cars follow you into the T lane and then having to reverse out because they don't have a tag

[Troll]

Got one of these tag things for the annual drive South Motorway Tag

Will see if it's worth while

pointless - using the tolls going through France recently, booth accepted contactless payment - was through in 30 secs.

Fooking hell that was good!

Swanned through the toll booth queues full of Belgium & Dutch camper vans finding change , felt positivity un British like to queue jump like that!
£125 for France/Spain border and back ... & may get a Spanish tag next year

[Zigenare]

Fooking hell that was good!

Swanned through the toll booth queues full of Belgium & Dutch camper vans finding change , felt positivity un British like to queue jump like that!
£125 for France/Spain border and back ... & may get a Spanish tag next year

I'm seriously considering putting our car on the train, at least one way down to the Cote D'Azur next year. Has anyone here done this?

[vetran]

Especially Belgiums, they never indicate. Had one driver recently pull out into my lane at speed. I had to serve and hit one of those plastic posts in the process.

would have thought even you would have seen something as big as Belgium pulling out on you!

[vetran]

Was there the other day, nada...The only migrants you'll see are middle class Brits escaping to greener pastures :-)

ah that's why we are spending £20 million on new radar its to stop Bozo & JRM escaping

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/poli...-a3827301.html

The Home Office has bowed to pressure to spend more on border security to detect illegal migrants hiding in lorries bound for UK ports from Northern Europe.

Border Force officials are planning to spend £20 million on new scanning equipment that can spot stowaways inside vehicles, the Evening Standard has learned.

Britain currently has only five scanners to use on the hundreds of thousands of freight vehicles crossing the Channel from Calais and Coquelles in France, and Zeebrugge in Belgium.

They tend to go for trucks going into the UK, for some reason they don't want to stay in France or mainland Europe. I can see why you were confused driving a car into Europe.