Right, I've had this planned all year, my LONG WAY ROUND tour, it is the biggy for this year..! A road trip of a lifetime..! Those of you that visit the orange forum will know that I'm always darting off somewhere but I thought for a trip like this I should share it with the members on this Forum.

Actually all I'm doing is driving the Car from Grenoble in France back to the U.K. as its time to take it home.

Except I'm gonna do it the "LONG WAY ROUND"....!

 

12 countries, 9 Days, 6 currencies, 2 time zones, 1 Idiot..! :D

 

With some top driving roads, and some fairly bad roads too.

I estimate the route at 4600kms or just over 3000 miles but will probably be more. Don't ask what the estimated petrol bill is going to be as it brings tears to my eyes...! the road tolls and Vignettes will not be cheap either.

 

Now I know you guys will be disapointed I'm not doing it in a Zed of some description, but trust me if I still had my Zed I would be doing this run in it. I suspect I will return to the Nissan fold at some point in the future but I think it would have to be with a GTR rather than a zed.

 

So the Focal point of the route is the Transfargarasan mountain highway in Romania, It was declared by the Top Gear team as the best driving road in the world..! Clarkson owned up to the fact that he got it wrong when he announced that the Stelvio Pass in Italy was the best driving road in the world (and trust me, it ain't the best by far) and declared the Transfargarasan as the best, So its time to take a look and find out if he's right..?? :devil:

 

The Starting point is Grenoble in the south of France and Grenoble to Romania is going to take 3 days, I've allowed a day to play around on the mountain Highway and then its a 5 day drive back to the U.K. Should be fun...!! although its not all about the mountain highway as the route starts in France, ends in France but takes in 11 other countries on route.

 

1 France

2 Italy

3 Slovenia

4 Croatia

5 Serbia

6 Bulgaria

7 Romania

8 Hungary

9 Slovakia

10 Czech Republic

11 Germany

12 Belgium and back into France

 

Link to full route below

 

Meylan, France to Calais, France - Google Maps

 

 

I wanted to include Poland but I don't have enough spare time available to squeeze it in.

As its a nine day hike and I've no rest days I made the decision to stop at real top hotels every night for comfort and also to ensure secure parking.

 

My epic adventure starts this coming Friday afternoon when I set off through France heading for the Italian border. Its then motorway to Alessandria and down to Venice for my first overnight stop. the hotel is outside Venice at Quarto d'Altino just off the motorway so nice and easy.

 

Route for Friday.

 

Meylan, France to Crowne Plaza Hotel Venice East-Quarto D'Altino - Google Maps

 

Hotel for Friday Night.

 

Booking.com: hotel Crowne Plaza Venice East, Quarto d?Altino, Italy - 81 Guest reviews. Book your hotel now!

 

On the Saturday I hope to cover 4 countries in the one day. I will continue east across northern Italy to the Slovenian Border, through Slovenia via Ljubana and Nova Mesto then on to Croatia. Over the border and on to Zagreb then right across Croatia and into Serbia.

Once in Serbia I will head for Belgrade for my overnight stop.

 

Route for Saturday

 

Crowne Plaza Hotel Venice East-Quarto D'Altino to Holiday Inn Belgrade - Google Maps

 

Hotel for Saturday night.

 

Booking.com: hotel Holiday Inn Belgrade, Beograd, Serbia - 19 Guest reviews. Book your hotel now!

 

On the Sunday I will continue on across Serbia to Bulgaria, I only cut across the top tip of Bulgaria via a ferry river crossing at Vidin so only have a short way to the Romainian border. Then its straight on to a town called Pitesti for my next overnight stop.

 

Route for Sunday

 

Holiday Inn Belgrade to VICTORIA HOTEL PITESTI Hotel - Google Maps

 

Hotel for Sunday night.

 

Victoria Hotel, Pitesti, Romania - Home, en

 

Monday is playtime..! The Transfargarasan highway runs from Pitesti over the Fargaras Mountains, part of the Carpathian mountain range and is about a 1.5 to 2 hour drive. That gives me time to drive the road in both directions and then 1 more time back over the mountains and on to Sibiu for my next overnight stop.

 

Wikipedia link for the Transfargarasan

 

Transf?g?r??an - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Images for the Transfargarasan

 

transfargarasan - Google Search

 

Route for Monday

 

Piteşti, Romania to Sibiu, Romania - Google Maps

 

Hotel for Monday night.

 

Golden Tulip Ana Tower Sibiu | Golden Tulip Ana Tower Sibiu

 

Its an early start Tuesday morning as I have a 7.5 hour drive to Hungary and Budapest airport where the wife (believe it or not) is flying in to join me for the rest of the trip. So got to be at the airport by 3:00pm for when she lands. (I also cross a timezone so should gain an hour giving me more time) then its onto to Budapest city centre for our overnight stop right on the river Danube.

 

Route for Tuesday.

 

Golden Tulip to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport - Google Maps

 

Hotel for Tuesday night.

 

InterContinental Budapest

 

From here on, as I will have the wife with me the trip will take on a more leisurely pace with a bit more sight seeing and stopping for lunch here and there etc etc.

So Wednesday is roughly a 6 hour drive and in the morning we head for the Slovakian border and on to Bratislava, from there we head for the Czech border and on to Brno where we will stop for lunch.

From Brno we head straight to Prague for our overnight stop in the city centre.

 

Route for Wednesday.

 

Budapest, Hungary to InterContinental Prague - Google Maps

 

Hotel for Wednesday night.

 

PRAGUE Hotels - InterContinental Hotels & Resorts PRAGUE Hotel in PRAGUE | Book Direct for Best Rates

 

On Thursday we head for the German border and an easy 4 hour drive to Frankfurt for our next overnight stop in Frankfurt city centre. So it will probably be 2 hours drive, stop for lunch somewhere on route and a look about, then another 2 hours to Frankfurt.

 

Route for Thursday

 

Prague, Czech Republic to Frankfurt, Germany - Google Maps

 

Hotel for Thursday Night

 

FRANKFURT Hotels - InterContinental Hotels & Resorts FRANKFURT Hotel in FRANKFURT | Book Direct for Best Rates[DEU]-_-Exact-_-intercontinental%20frankfurt&siclientid=1937

 

Friday it's off to Belguim and on to Brussels for our last overnight stop in the city centre.

The route is roughly another 4 hour drive from Frankfurt to Brussels with another lunch stop off along the way.

 

Route for Friday

 

Frankfurt, Germany to City of Brussels, Belgium - Google Maps

 

Hotel for Friday night.

 

Crowne Plaza Brussels – Le Palace | Hotel Brussels City Centre

 

Saturday is an easy drive of 2 hours to Calais for the Ferry so will probably kill a couple of hours in Brussels before heading for the boat. Once back in good ole Blighty we only live about half hour from the Dover port so no U.K. traffic worries there.

 

I will get as many pics as possible and will try and update the thread on route with snippets if possible then do a bit of a review after. ;)

 

 

http://www.jurnalul.ro/webcam/b-lea-lac-transf-g-r-an-170.html

The garage Parking at the hotel in Prague was interesting as there was a few examples of Exotica parked in there, some in there Pyjamas :cool3:

 

Some pics of Prague :cool3:

 

From Hungary onwards all the border posts are now open with no passport check just drive through and I bought the Slovak and Czech Vignettes from a filling station for 17Euro for the pair. the only other requirement was the pollution sticker for entering Frankfurt city centre.

I leave you to google that one if your interested.

 

Some pics from Frankfurt.

 

 

some pics from Brussels.

 

Waiting for the Ferry.

 

 

nice collection of Vignettes

 

 

And the only bit that fell off the car, the Wheel centre cap due to the state of the roads.

 

 

A link to all the pics.

 

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x449/Croeso1/long%20way%20round/?albumview=slideshow

 

 

Next year, "LONG WAY ACROSS"...! :biggrin:

Awesome read! Bit disappointed that the vacuum in the last picture has no pj's on! lol....Its owner not looking after it! :)

I didnt like the vacuum, the wheels were too small. it needed at least a set of 18"s to set it off. :wink:

I didnt like the vacuum, the wheels were too small. it needed at least a set of 18"s to set it off. :wink:

 

Some good deep dish alloys would have done nicely! :)

 

I tell you what though mate, next time you do a European road trip, can I come please!! Looks absolutely superb!!!

Some good deep dish alloys would have done nicely! :)

 

I tell you what though mate, next time you do a European road trip, can I come please!! Looks absolutely superb!!!

 

I'm hoping to do the Grossclockner Pass amongst others in Austria this weekend, or is that a bit short notice for you?? :balloon:

I'm hoping to do the Grossclockner Pass amongst others in Austria this weekend, or is that a bit short notice for you?? :balloon:

 

I would give my right arm for that! lol.....With a name like that it has to be a brilliant road!

I would give my right arm for that! lol.....With a name like that it has to be a brilliant road!

 

http://www.grossglockner.at/en/

http://www.grossglockner.at/en/

 

Wow! :ohmy:

All i can say......wow!!! great trip and fantastic pics mate, write up was great too. Would love to give something like this a try. Lucky lad.

Some fresh pics just received from the Romanian bikers I met at the Transfargarasan. :D

 

 

Epic!!!!

 

I'm stuck for words mate!! And not jealous at all!!

Epic!!!!

 

I'm stuck for words mate!! And not jealous at all!!

 

Next time Andy I'll take you along as chief cameraman for Team Croeso :balloon:

Next time Andy I'll take you along as chief cameraman for Team Croeso :balloon:

 

Are you planning your next road trip already? If so, where too??

Next time Andy I'll take you along as chief cameraman for Team Croeso :balloon:

 

DEAL!!!!!:shuriken:

Are you planning your next road trip already? If so, where too??

 

Already done it mate, this weekend as mentioned, Grossclockner pass in Austria as well as a few others.

 

Next year, LONG WAY ACROSS..! see if you can guess what that might be????

DEAL!!!!!:shuriken:

 

If I'd Known you were sat on your ass redundant you could have come this time and I would have made my excuses to the wife

Next year, LONG WAY ACROSS..! see if you can guess what that might be????

 

Hmmmmm maybe this?

 

Starting in Southampton and crossing by ferry to Le Havre, France. Travelling down to the south of France into Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel. Down to the south of Italy and taking a ferry crossing to Patra in Greece. Up through Greece and Bulgaria.Up through Romania and across to Hungary. Through Hungary and up through Slovakia. Across Czech Rep and up through Germany. Across the Netherlands and across the top of Belgium and last of all a ferry crossing back into the UK.

 

:thumbup1::thumbup1:

Hmmmmm maybe this?

 

Starting in Southampton and crossing by ferry to Le Havre, France. Travelling down to the south of France into Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel. Down to the south of Italy and taking a ferry crossing to Patra in Greece. Up through Greece and Bulgaria.Up through Romania and across to Hungary. Through Hungary and up through Slovakia. Across Czech Rep and up through Germany. Across the Netherlands and across the top of Belgium and last of all a ferry crossing back into the UK.

 

:thumbup1::thumbup1:

 

He he, Mate, I'm Amazed that you put that much thought into it but your way off. :wink:

 

Historic Route 66 across the states :beta1:

He he, Mate, I'm Amazed that you put that much thought into it but your way off. :wink:

 

Historic Route 66 across the states :beta1:

 

Ha ha worth a crack!

 

Route 66 eh? Awesome!!! :cool3::cool3: