(hypothetical) Europe Road Trip!

[Ibby]

So, a friend of mine who lives in Zurich and I were talking about dream road trips across europe.



from:London, United Kingdom
to:Le Havre, France
to:Nantes, France
to:Bordeaux, France
to:Bilbao, Spain
to:Porto, Portugal
to:Madrid, Spain
to:Barcelona, Spain
to:Marseille, France
to:Zurich, Switzerland
to:Florence, Italy
to:Venice, Italy
to:Salzburg, Austria
to:Vienna, Austria
to:Prague, Czech Republic
to:Berlin, Germany
to:Copenhagen, Denmark
to:Stockholm, Sweden
to:Oslo, Norway
to:Nürburg, Germany
to:Amsterdam, The Netherlands
to:Bruges, Belgium
to:Cardiff, United Kingdom
to:Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Anyone more familiar with europe than me: how does this look for a road trip itinerary to be accomplished in roughly a month? The cities listed are mostly not so much destinations in and of themselves, most just define the route. That is to say I wouldn't necessarily STAY in Bilbao or Bruges or whatever, but theyre along the way and I'd pass through them.

edit: also, I think i'd hit up Ireland somehow, and probably more cities in the UK than just the three listed. Google Maps limits the total destinations.

[ZenGum]

Speaking as a person who has never been to Europe ...

If you're going for the European culture and scenery, you're moving way too fast and are going to miss heaps.

If you are going for the road-trip driving experience, do the autobarn, the Italian alps, and that highway in Romania that Top Gear endorse as the best road in the world.

[Ibby]

its as much for the rural road experience - seeing the countries, not just the cities - as it is for anything else. I'm thinking stay a few days each in major great cities, and maybe just hours or just passing through others. But trying to get out and see a bunch of the country. Taking back-roads and stuff when I can find my way. Iono. Google Maps says it's only like, 5 24-hour-days of drive time, leaving in theory 25 days for sleep and tourism.

[ZenGum]

Well, if it is serendipitious adventure you want ...

Buy a paper map.

Draw a giant dick across the continent.

Follow the lines of the dick.

Just make sure the tip doesn't touch the sea, else you'd be incontinent while in continent, and you wouldn't want that.

[Rhianne]

Like Zen says, it's far to ambitious a schedule. For me, just a few hours in each place is a waste of time.

[Rrrraven]

I think you'll need longer than a month, esp. if you want to explore the back roads. Add Luxembourg ( Luxembourg City is really beautiful) to the mix when you're near Belgium. I spent a bit of time there growing up. It's quite lovely.

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by Rhianne

For me, just a few hours in each place is a waste of time.

Compared to possibly - probably - never seeing those places at all?
If i were ever to afford a month-long trip to europe (yeah right) why would it be better spent doing, say, a week in london, a week in paris, a week in oslo, a week in amsterdam, or whatever?

[grynch]

as a Geneva resident.... my opinion?

if you have a very fast car, and don't actually want to see anything it's a great trip.

otherwise... for a month long trip pick half a dozen spots and plan your itin. around them...and then stop at another place or two that catch your fancy enroute.

[grynch]

Originally Posted by Ibram

its as much for the rural road experience - seeing the countries, not just the cities - as it is for anything else. I'm thinking stay a few days each in major great cities, and maybe just hours or just passing through others. But trying to get out and see a bunch of the country. Taking back-roads and stuff when I can find my way. Iono. Google Maps says it's only like, 5 24-hour-days of drive time, leaving in theory 25 days for sleep and tourism.

you talk about taking rural back roads etc... and then google says it's only 5 24hrs !! guess what.. that is highway driving I'm sure

marseille to Geneva on highway would be about 6 hours (without pee breaks ) plus another 3 to Zurich ...

on the backroads?... that leg of the trip is a full day driving in itself again without pee breaks, gas breaks, food, and asuming you don't get stuck behind a french farmer with a tractor load of parsnips

[limey]

Realistically - whatever Google says, it will take you three days to drive your UK itinerary. Also, I wouldn't bother with Cardiff. And adding Ireland will add minimum two days to your itinerary.
I agree with Grynch.
Roads, even big ones on the European continent, are nothing like the roads you have in the US (so i'm told, never been to US).

[ZenGum]

I think Grynch's structured but flexible plan is a good one.


That highway I mentioned was the Transfagarasan highway. I think it is best if I just show you the google images results page:

[infinite monkey]

Something about shortest distance between two points is a straight line...

[glatt]

It's definitely doable in a month, but you're going to be going through the places pretty quickly.

I recommend getting a tent and car camping. You will save a ton of money on hotels, and you can afford to turn it into a 2 month trip. Also, buy a used car and then sell it later. Don't rent one.

I'd also recommend going up from Switzerland into southwestern Germany and spending a day or two in the Black Forest/Freiburg and cutting over into France around Mulhouse and then going down to Southern France.

Also, how can you skip Rome? Unless you have already been there? And Pompeii?

[Undertoad]

they say the trains in europe are fast and run on time

they say rail passes in europe are economical

they say never drive a car in london town

that's what they say

[grynch]

Zen, the "grand st. bernard pass" between Switz. and Italy is much the same....