"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
10/20/2018 at 05:54 • Filed to: oppomeet, Europpomeet
9
91|
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
10/20/2018 at 05:54 • Filed to: oppomeet, Europpomeet | 9
| 91 |
With two, week-long, Europpomeets behind us in 2018 (Wales & Nürburgring/Alps) it’s time to look forward. Where will we go in 2019? And when? Please make your suggestions here, so we can vote later. Everyone can make a suggestion! New people are very welcome too!
What is this whole Oppomeet thing about?
There have been multiple of these in North America and Europe. Here I focus on the latter only.
We tend to arrange a meet that has the potential of a week long vacation as well. Some come just for a day , others up to a week . We drive great roads, since the last meet we’ve added a bit of culture beyond purely car culture and there’s socializing at night (and during breakfast, and lunch, and...).
We have up to 6 nationalities present at the same time, and I would like to see more the next time. I’ve seen American, Belgian, British, Dutch, French, German and Hungarian people show up so far. No Scandinavians, no Poles, no Italians, no Canadians, no Spaniards and not othersso far. This needs to change!
Nürburgring/Oktoberfest/Alps, September 2018
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(more to come)
Wales, March 2018
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Alps (June 2017)
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Spa (Belgium) and Nürburgring (Germany) (March 2017)
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This post allows you to make suggestions about where we can go next year, preferably in the first half of the year. Some suggestions have been made already. Namely:
The France/Switzerland/Germany triangle. Maybe add in Europapark, Nürburgring, something else.
Croatian coast
Pyrenees (France/Spain)
Mini Mille Miglia (Italian coasts), Tuscany, ...
Tatra Mountains
Your suggestion here!
If you have other ideas, I urge you to elaborate on them here.
Most of our Wales lineup
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Why is your suggestion a good suggestion? What is there to see, to do, to drive ? Don’t hesitate to post many pictures as well! Note that what seems obvious to you might be completely new to others. The more convincing your case, the bigger the chance it will be voted for. Pictures speak louder than words!
Note that if you pick a location where we are unlikely to drive to (Malta? Romania?), include something about cost/availability of airline tickets and car rentals.
One thing we’ve changed after Wales is that while we spent almost all the time driving in Wales (which was great), we added a bit of culture in the Nürburgring/Oktoberfest/Alps trips as well. Which was even better. IMHO.
I would like to ask those that made the suggestions above (or others) to elaborate on them as well. It makes it easier to know what we can chose between.
What kind of requirements should your suggestion meet:
It should be in Europe. Yes, despite what some of their politicians say, the UK/Ireland are part of Europe too.
It should have nice driving roads.
There should be something to do other than driving.
There should be enough to do for multiple days, up to a week.
It should be somewhat scalable. As in, some people will show up for a day or weekend while others will want to join for a whole week.
It should be somewhat budget friendly. We’re not expecting to eat ramen noodles and camp in the wild every day, but it should be accessible to those that are on a somewhat tight budget.
If the season is important (for example: roads are closed in winter), elaborate on this.
If those of us who live in Europe will be able to get there by car (most live in the UK/Germany/Benelux/France) within a day of driving that would be a plus. Not a hard requirement though.
Note that it does not need to be 1 place. Last month we started in the west of Germany and drove through Austria, Slovenia and Italy as well.
Next step
After the suggestion period a poll will be made. In this poll you you will be able to vote on the date (week) and the location. In this poll we will incorporate all suggestions posted here that are at least somewhat reasonable, with the descriptions provided by you. If multiple people suggest the same thing, or add additional information, it will be included or linked to.
I realize some suggestions have been made in one of our whatsapp groups, but there were hundreds of other messages soon after. This Oppo post provides, I believe, a better medium to post a detailed suggestion anyway.
Bonus : I think DutchieDC2R !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! promoting Croatia last year. You might use that as inspiration. You might even add more details than he did back then.
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Take your time to post something here, it does not need to be today or tomorrow. I will shamelessly re-post this a few times anyway. Quality is more important than speed. But don’t wait multiple weeks either.
Additionally, if you see someone post a good suggestion and you have something to add to that, do not hesitate to reply.
FSI
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 12:38 |
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I’m leaning towards Italy or the Pyrenees to be honest but an Oppomeet in the East for would be nice too. I also liked that this year’s meet wasn’t just car related ( not that I would have a problem with that).
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duurtlang
> FSI
10/07/2018 at 12:43 |
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While I agree, ‘The East’ is a bit unspecific here . Could you elaborate? Which country/countries, which regions? Mountain ranges, national park s, tracks?
I’m merely trying to tickle your imagination and writing skills here ;)
BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 12:47 |
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I think including the south of France might be interesting . I’ve seen a few car reviews that took place at some great roads in southern France (the D2 near Paul Ricard in the case of the Alpine), no clue if it would be a good area for other aspects of the meet though. I’ll have a look into that.
Here for some Mclarens in slightly better weather on the same road.
And in the same area, but closer to Nice on the Col de Vence:
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FSI
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 12:50 |
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Poland, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia etc. I’ve never been further East than Berlin to be honest so I can’t tell lol. Prague is on my to-visit-list so...
Europe is just full of great places
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duurtlang
> FSI
10/07/2018 at 12:54 |
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Fully agreed, but I would like to ask you to take some time today or in the next few days to research this a little and be more specific. We don’t need a specific route yet , but “Poland, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia” is still a bit to unspecific. Prague is specific though. Is there a region or regions in those countries you would like to see/drive through?
I apologize if I sound like a school teacher :)
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FSI
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 13:03 |
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I was just counting those countries as an example haha. But to be more specific I have always been interested by the Basque Country in Northern Spain or the Normandy in France.
Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 13:04 |
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I'll do a bit more research on specifics, but I'd love to do South of France + Northern Italy. Maybe even have a day trip to Monaco (probably too pricey to stay a night).
Texa
> BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
10/07/2018 at 13:13 |
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Just one thing to keep in mind about the Pyrenees : weather is hell in spring. I should know, I lived in Pau 2 years.
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Texa
> Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2018 at 13:13 |
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Not if we win at the Casino !
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duurtlang
> Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2018 at 13:15 |
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We could visit Monaco without staying there for the night . Monaco is only a laughable 2 square kilometers (0.78 square miles) small. We would need a non-touristy season though.
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BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> Texa
10/07/2018 at 13:15 |
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That definitely is a good thing to keep in mind, thanks for the input!
DutchieDC2R
> BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
10/07/2018 at 13:38 |
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The only thing I absolutely hate about the South of France (or France in general) are the speed cameras. God, the speed cameras!
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DutchieDC2R
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 13:42 |
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Ill elaborate this post more when I have a bit more free time, but Id either go for Croatia or, as some have suggested it already, northern Italy and the south of France, Cote d’Azur, Monaco.
If we do northern Italy, we could include Maranello and Turin.
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Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 13:54 |
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We can make that work then. Seeing our various oddball cars mixed in with the fancy stuff in Monaco would be amusing.
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duurtlang
> Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2018 at 13:57 |
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Are you saying the Frankenspitfire and your Skoda 330i, both of which will be long done by then, are not fancy?
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BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> DutchieDC2R
10/07/2018 at 14:02 |
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Yeah, they do tend to have too much of those. So that is indeed a pretty big downside to France
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Texa
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 14:06 |
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I’ll expand a bit on the 3 frontiers region (France, Germany and Switzerland). I am all for this destination, not only because it’d be convenient for me, but there is a load of things to do:
-
DRIVING:
The wine road, which is a funny concept in itself (get it
? be
cause drinking and
driving don’t exactly mix, but they did it anyway!). It may not Swiss Alps level but there are some twisties. We could even make a detour in the Vosges for a bit of mountain fun.
- CAR STUFF
: The Schlumpf Museu
m, THE LARG
EST CAR COLLECTION IN THE WORLD!
https://www.citedelautomobile.com/en/home
- CAR STUFF
: Just a bit south of Alsace there is Montbéliard, where there is the Peugeot Museum. I’ve been there, it’s
great, you learn a ton of stuff about the Peugeot cars but also about the company’s history (these guys have done everything
! Cars
, boat engines, tools, pepper grinder and washing machines)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_de_l%27Aventure_Peugeot
Warning : some 205 lovers may lose their shit
- CAR STUFF : If you feel like driving to Stuttgart, this city is home to a few rather anonymous car manufacturers frowned upon by enthusiasts, namely Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. I only did the Mercedes museum but it was a hoot. I’d love to see the Porsche one.
- CAR STUFF AND MORE:
Ever hear
d about the Sinsheim Technics Museum
? If you love things with engines in them, you’ll love it. We’re talking about cars, bicycles, tractors, tanks, trains and
aircrafts.
- NONCAR STUFF : Europa P ark is close-by (less than one-hour drive from Colmar) ! It’s only the world’ s best amusement park (well, it won this award every year since 2014 at least).
- NONCAR STUFF : There is also a train museum next to the Schlumpf museum which is quite interesting !
- NONCAR STUFF
:
Did I mention some cities are just drop dead gorgeous
? Colmar:
Strasbourg:
- GASTRONOMY : You’ll learn what a proper Tarte flambée is !
- OTHER : The weather is quite nice year-round (there is a micro-climate)
I guess that is about 5 to 6 days of fun (1 day for Europa P ark, 1 for Mulhouse and its museums, 1 for Stuttgart and its museums, 1 for Colmar for tourism, 1 for Strasbourg for tourism, 1 day for Sinsheim ) plus a bit of driving around / chilling. That should do nicely I think !
There is also the Bugatti factory in Molsheim
, but based on their website, if you are not all willing to chip in for a Chiron, we won’t be allowed in.
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duurtlang
> Texa
10/07/2018 at 14:12 |
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Thanks! That’s very informative and a good illustration why this region might be a good pick. I hope the others are inspired to write something similar for other locations.
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duurtlang
> DutchieDC2R
10/07/2018 at 14:14 |
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Upside is that it motivates us to skip the highways and pick the B roads. Which might not have as many cameras?
MultiplaOrgasms
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 14:35 |
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Insert my Opinion here.
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FSI
> MultiplaOrgasms
10/07/2018 at 14:45 |
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That’s quite a nice place in Spring!
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BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> Texa
10/07/2018 at 14:50 |
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That’s a very good suggestion! Looks like we could have a very varied week there.
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DutchieDC2R
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 15:00 |
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Actually, the B roads are the roads with the most of them, the highways have them as well, but not that much.
Something else to take into account, the highways, nearly all of them, are toll roads.
Hoccy
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 16:50 |
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Feeling bad about not joining this year, but work had to come first.. As for future Europpomeets, I think it could be cool going north or eastwards compared to where you’ve been so far. One route could be to meet up in Northern Germany, for instance Hamburg, Bremen or Lübeck depending on how much of a big city feel you want .
Later, one could drive northwards into Denmark. Although the roads themselves aren’t too interesting in this flat country, you can drive at several beaches, which could be interesting.
Larvik in Norway is from Hirtshals just about 4 hours away with the ferry, which means that one could get to an expensive country with cool roads quite quickly. There are slower ferries as well going to Oslo, Kristiansand and Stavanger. The good thing about Norway is that you can camp almost everywhere, as long as it’s not someones garden, so it would be doable on a budget. There’s plenty of opportunities in Southern Norway, but one should visit the west coast with the fjords. Lysebotn pictured below would be one of the goals.
This would of course be a trip of at least 2200 km, partly on roads where you can only manage 3-4 00 km a day. It should be the most friendly way to include Scandinavia though. Route in Norwegian Google Maps for you, from Bremen and back :
I’ll think of another option later!
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DutchieDC2R
> MultiplaOrgasms
10/07/2018 at 16:57 |
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Glad you agree with me on every account.
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Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 17:02 |
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You know fine we ll the Frank enskoda will not be done by then XD
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MultiplaOrgasms
> DutchieDC2R
10/07/2018 at 17:32 |
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You say that but I am a proponent of going for central europe. Reason being my ongoing shenanigans with la policia. If i were to have another horse at that point I’ll most certainly be a broke MF who can’t afford several tanks of fuel just to get to the starting line.
Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
> FSI
10/07/2018 at 17:44 |
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Prague is a wonderful place, I lived there for six months and still didn’t see everything.
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DutchieDC2R
> MultiplaOrgasms
10/07/2018 at 17:48 |
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Central Europe is no problem for me either. If we do Croatia, ‘La Policia’, or Vlado/Drago/Mr. Police Officer, wont be a problem, so long as you have a couple of Kuna’s in your pocket.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Hoccy
10/07/2018 at 18:14 |
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How is the camping weather in April?
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> duurtlang
10/07/2018 at 18:30 |
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https://velopeloton.com/photo-gallery/picture.php?/519
pyrenees look pretty.
If we did Italy anyone mind a passenger? I’m willing to pay for gas.
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BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> Hoccy
10/08/2018 at 03:59 |
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This is definitely a great suggestion! I like that it would see us going in a different direction, one that probably also less people have seen. And if you join you could do some Norwegian translating for us if needed, which is a plus.
pip bip - choose Corrour
> duurtlang
10/08/2018 at 04:36 |
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Sark
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FSI
> Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
10/08/2018 at 05:16 |
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I want to go there this Fall/ Winter.
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duurtlang
> pip bip - choose Corrour
10/08/2018 at 11:52 |
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Again?
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Hoccy
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/08/2018 at 14:03 |
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At the coast it could be very good or very bad , above 200 m you’ll need to know how to build a snowcave.
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Hoccy
> BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
10/08/2018 at 14:08 |
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I can translate all the languages on this roadtrip, if needed :P
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BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> Hoccy
10/08/2018 at 14:10 |
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Good! This time around we lacked someone who spoke proper Italian, and Slovenian (minor issue as we only where in Slovenia for about 2 hours). I found out that my limited Italian does not cut it when trying to pay a hotel bil l ;p
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Hoccy
> Texa
10/08/2018 at 14:11 |
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A very good suggestion that would be convenient for a lot of people. I’ll probably visit the area in the future even if it doesn’t end up being an Europpomeet!
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duurtlang
> BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
10/08/2018 at 14:29 |
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Did you try it this way?
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BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> duurtlang
10/08/2018 at 14:49 |
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No, haha. The lady figured it was going nowhere and asked someone from the kitchen for help.
Out, but with a W - has found the answer
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/08/2018 at 15:26 |
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You survived Wales, you’ll survive Italy. Just make sure to rent a car just across the border.
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Out, but with a W - has found the answer
> duurtlang
10/08/2018 at 15:43 |
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If people would be willing to extend it to 7-10 days on the trip (so two weeks including there and back again), I really think we’d be hard pressed to find a better spring destination than Tuscany and Umbria. The Pyrenees or (French) Alps would be great as well, but weather wise they are a safer bet in September than in April.
Why Tuscany and Umbria?
General history
Automotive history (Mille Miglia, Ferrari, Lamborghini et al if we meet in Milan)
Food
Wine
The views
The roads. Well graded gravel roads too. There’s a reason one of Gran Turismo’s course creator settings was Tuscany.
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duurtlang
> BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
10/08/2018 at 16:14 |
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But you were at a hotel close to Austria and the lady at the desk didn't speak English or German? That is odd.
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duurtlang
> Out, but with a W - has found the answer
10/08/2018 at 16:20 |
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It’s a compelling suggestion. I am skeptical about 2 weeks though. It might be a bit ambitious. Time off from work (/school), cost and complaining partners will be limiting factors.
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BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> duurtlang
10/08/2018 at 16:26 |
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Didn’t try in German, maybe she was able to do that. But English was a no-go for her
CaptDale - is secretly British
> duurtlang
10/08/2018 at 17:30 |
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I am going to try super hard to make it Pub2Pub’s Eagle R ally May 2019. So if it is around then, then I would try to make it.
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Out, but with a W - has found the answer
10/08/2018 at 20:29 |
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but then I can take in the scenery and drink
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pip bip - choose Corrour
> duurtlang
10/08/2018 at 21:06 |
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Out, but with a W - has found the answer
> duurtlang
10/09/2018 at 00:33 |
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Yeah, that's the biggest issue... I'll look into a condensed version.
Dusty Ventures
> duurtlang
10/09/2018 at 01:12 |
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I’m 98% sure I wouldn’t be able to go regardless,
but personally I’m fond of the Nordic countries
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Out, but with a W - has found the answer
10/09/2018 at 06:36 |
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True with the weather still a risk in the mountains. A spread out Mille Miglia would be fun.
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CaptDale - is secretly British
> duurtlang
10/09/2018 at 13:40 |
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I have always wanted to go to Burges
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duurtlang
> CaptDale - is secretly British
10/09/2018 at 14:03 |
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Burges? Did you mean Bruges (Brugge) in Belgium? I have to shamefully admit I've never been there myself. I'd like to go there too.
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CaptDale - is secretly British
> duurtlang
10/09/2018 at 14:05 |
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Yes, that is what I typed, but my phone autocorrected. It looks likes really neat place and I really liked the movie
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Texa
> Hoccy
10/09/2018 at 14:18 |
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You should ! The Schlumpf museum alone is worth the trip.
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Texa
> Hoccy
10/09/2018 at 14:22 |
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How about Trollwegen ? Only about 2000 additional km
!
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Out, but with a W - has found the answer
> duurtlang
10/09/2018 at 14:45 |
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So, after some quick Google Maps browsing, I think pretty much everything from 5 to 50 days could be filled completely in the area between Modena and Rome. Meeting up in Milan (or further north for the northwestern Europpos) would work best.
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> duurtlang
10/09/2018 at 18:12 |
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This was mentioned in passing one night.
Loop of Scotland.
Time:Aug, Sept
Sat Travel day for long range Oppos.(Duurtland, Dr Canard, Ra WR, Klaus) 8 hours, + ferry from Ijmuiden to newcastle 350 euros)
Sunday meetup near Edinb ur gh.
Monday head north through cairngorms national park, to Loch Ness, Iverness.
Tuesday:
Wed: kayaking or hiking. ( haha there is a company called Ewe Canoe)
Thursday: Ferry to Islay (car is 66 L so maybe just ditch extra cars and consolodate into the sedans?)
Friday:
Saturday: split
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/aug/23/scotland-north-coast-500-road-trip
someassemblyrequired
> duurtlang
10/10/2018 at 15:00 |
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For a longer trip, I might convene in Nice, just because it is reachable by air and semi-central. From there exploring/driving Monaco is close by. After that I’d head to Aix, which is a good base of operations for exploring Arles/Avignon/the Luberon/the Camargue/Marseille/Gorges de Ardeche and Pont de Gard. It is also worth checking out the D559 between Marseille and La Ciotat - it is a great road.
From there, I would head for Turin at whatever pace you chose via the N94 in Briancon. There are an absolutely stupendous number of good roads in the area. You can stay at the Lingotto factory/test track (which is now a hotel) and explore Turin (there is the Fiat Museum and National Automobile Museum) or head to Maranello (3h) or Arese (1.5h) from there. After that, return to Grenoble and then back to Nice via the Route Napoleon.
I’d suggest June since it’s after ski season and before summer tourist season.
Some photos from when we did a similar tour:
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duurtlang
> someassemblyrequired
10/10/2018 at 15:50 |
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Looking interesting, thanks!
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duurtlang
> Texa
10/11/2018 at 06:40 |
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Surely gasoline is relatively cheap in Scandinavia ;)
William Byrd
> duurtlang
10/11/2018 at 10:41 |
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You guys nailed it with the Alps trip, that looks amazing.
I’ll post some
thoughts from my experiences. First up:
Italy!
My trip in 2015 started with a drive from Munich to Venice was amazing, but the scenery kept improving as we went went further into Italy. Here is one route that I’ve done that would be a lot of fun.
1. Castiglione della Pescaia - a gorgeous little beach town that we found when we got tired of tourists in Pisa.
2.
Radda in Chianti
(Tuscany) - this is where we stayed during that time, a cool little walled city with a couple of solid hotels and a bunch of restaurants. The driving roads around Tuscany are fantastic.
3. Maranello - obvious one here, Museo Ferrari. Here’s my quick summary of the visit, it was awesome. As mentioned in the article, you can park yourself on a bench and watch new Ferrari’s getting tested as they come in and out of the factory.
4.
Bologna
- same goes for Bologna, you get
Lamborghini
and
Pagani
! I wrote on both of those visits as well, and since then the Pagani museum was redone!
5.
Lake Como
- one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. We stayed across from Bellagio on the opposite side of the lake. Not a super car friendly place, but a great stop on a trip.
From there we went down into France/Monaco and back up in to Switzerland. I’ll try and post about those bits as well.
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William Byrd
> CaptDale - is secretly British
10/11/2018 at 10:45 |
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We loved Bruges. The issue is that the roads around that part of EUROPE are BOOOOORING.
Last fall we flew into Luxembourg, drove up to Amsterdam (very cool, VERY not car friendly) and over to Bruges. In the US it’s like driving through rural Pennsylvania. Pretty, but not all that interesting. We took some OK roads over to Normandy and then to Paris via LeMans. All in all a very dull trip from a driving perspective.
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William Byrd
> duurtlang
10/11/2018 at 11:00 |
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My first suggestion was
Italy
. Next up from that same trip, France-Switzerland! This route can be highway-heavy if you follow Waze, but if you stay along the coast In France
it’s ridiculously cool.
1.
Cannes, France
- The map is a little out of order, this was the southernmost point on the trip. Cannes was a very pleasant surprise, and amazing for car spotting. The beaches were a little pricey, but super well organized. My wife and our 15 month old and I
rented a couple of umbrellas and chairs and spent the day eating and drinking for maybe 100 Euros or so. Pretty
reasonable
.
2.
Monaco
- This is a must for car lovers. We went during July and it was super hot out, but still really enjoyed it. We stayed right next door in Roquebrune Cap-Martin France. Soooo much cheaper and like a 5 minute drive into Monaco. Dress well and act like you know where you’re going and they’ll let you walk into the casino downtown. For some reason they were turning people away when we walked up, but we got in.
3.
Mont Blanc
- From France head up through Mont Blanc, enjoy the exhaust noises through the tunnel.
4.
Lucerne, Switzerland
- One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The nearby
lakes around there are a weird green/blue color. Head up to the top and look out across the mountains/water, it’s amazing.
5.
Zürich, Switzerland
- Just a cool city, we ended up staying in Zurich vs. Lucerne.
From there, we went up into Germany. Stuttgart, Heidelberg and Munich were all fantastic and most have some car-related stops. Maybe I’ll write that one up too, but the driving roads weren’t quite as good.
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Hoccy
> Texa
10/11/2018 at 11:18 |
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The road itself is a bit overrated (still spectacular !) , but the surrounding area is amazing.
The Geirangerfjord is a place one has to visit when in the area:
...but as you pointed out, it’s a lot of km’s to get there. And then you’re not even halfway through Norway. Drive another 1200 km north and you’ll get to this place:
I drove there last year and while it is possible, it is very far. From there on you still have another 1200 km of Norway before you end up at the Russian border. That’s still on my bucket list.
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Hoccy
> duurtlang
10/11/2018 at 11:19 |
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Relative to Norwegian payment, that is ;)
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CaptDale - is secretly British
> William Byrd
10/11/2018 at 11:20 |
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Yeah I kind of figure most of that area is boring if you are there for driving.
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duurtlang
> William Byrd
10/11/2018 at 13:27 |
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Given that I actually live in Munich this is of actual interest to me :)
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William Byrd
> duurtlang
10/11/2018 at 13:33 |
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Nice, we flew in and out of Munch, spent the last night of a 3-week trip there. Wish we had stayed there longer, really cool city!
Munich to Venice was ridiculously good. Easy to get into Tuscany, Como, and other parts of Italy from there. Any non-highway driving is a ton of fun.
505 - morphine not found
> duurtlang
10/11/2018 at 13:34 |
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Here’s a suggestion: let the group venture behind the former iron curtain this time! I live in Hungary, but despite the relatively short distances, most of these places I haven’t driven to myself, so can’t completely vouch for the roads. Still, as culture, hiking and mountains go, I think the Tatras deserve a vote!
I would suggest to meet in Prague. It’s probably not yet fully packed by Easter, but we should expect tourists non-the-less. However, I haven’t been for 20 years now, and it really is a gem of a city, so it’s worth at least a day of such a trip.
Half a day of driving on motorways and highways takes us to the hilly regions in the east of the Czech Republic, to an overnight stop in, say,
Vsetín
. On the way there, we can stop in the
Technické muzeum Tatra
to look at all the trains, cars and trucks built by the company!
The third day should take us into Slovakia, and thus to the Tatra mountains. Stop could be Žilina , where the Kia Ceed is manufactured, which also has quite few medieval buildings. Also next downstream is Streno , where there’s an excellent fort on a rock.
Fourth day should be a nice drive through the Tatras to the Slovensky Raj national park, where there are great routes, including a via ferrata over a stream. I almost died there in the winter of 1996, and it’s beautiful.
Then I would propose to drive into Hungary. I will come up with a great route through the forests there, but the day’s stop should be Miskolc-Diósgyr , where there’s a medieval castle, and I happen to know the captain - maybe some swordplay?
This trip proposal will take a bit of refining, but I would say this could turn out to be a great few days, and as I live less than two hours from that last stop, everyone is welcome to my place for a goodbye party - open fire cooking in the garden, wines and spirits galore, and a chance to get into Budapest the next day, or get onto the motorway and head home on the quickest route. Also, Sissy really liked this town where I live, so there’s a Habsburg palace here.
Alternative would be to turn north, instead of south, and visit Zakopane & Krakow in Poland.
What do you think?
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> duurtlang
10/13/2018 at 22:47 |
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All this talk of road trips have made me start planning out a cross country cannonball run.... in the US. A bit more of undertaking due to the size.
2 weeks, $ 2700 for the RV mileage charge $ 3 400, Fuel $ 1600, hotels,+ campgrounds. tbd /4 2k a persion. 5, $ 1600 a person .
RunTheRedArrow
> duurtlang
10/17/2018 at 13:27 |
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Anyone else planning on attending the 2019 Mille Miglia? In 2017 I followed the race from Brescia to Padua to Rome to Parma before peeling off to take a break in Tuscany. This year I plan on doing the last leg back to Brescia as well before heading to Garda for a day of exploring the Strada della Forra. If anyone else is going follow the 2019 edition it might be fun to meet up!
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Hoccy
10/17/2018 at 22:41 |
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no sleep till Bergen!
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DutchieDC2R
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/20/2018 at 06:23 |
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This!!!
SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> duurtlang
10/20/2018 at 07:23 |
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The Pass of the Cattle in Scotland and the Applecross Peninsula along with a few of the roads north of Fort William are ‘worth a look’. As for culture no worries there.
Otherwise...the west coast of Ireland cones to mind. As does Scotland's Isle of Skye.
AuthiCooper1300
> duurtlang
10/20/2018 at 09:15 |
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AuthiCooper1300
> SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
10/20/2018 at 09:20 |
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Out, but with a W - has found the answer
> duurtlang
10/20/2018 at 13:17 |
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Left field suggestion (and technically not in Europe): Morocco.
I’d suggest a visit to one (or more) of the Imperial Cities (Marrakech, Rabat, Fez, Meknes) and combine it with the Atlas Mountains and ideally one or two days in the desert.
Estimated costs (in euro):
Flight: 150-300 return
Hire car: 200-???/week (Dacia Duster 4x4 is around 300, a Land Cruiser 600)(most roads are also doable without a 4x4)
Lodging: cheap. I’m seeing 30-50/night for a twin room in Meknes in April.
Food: cheap.
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SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> AuthiCooper1300
10/21/2018 at 18:41 |
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Wouldn't surprise me. However, most everybody goes to the north of the island and leaves the south to the adventurous and the sheep. I'd suggest that Europpo's do the same.
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> pip bip - choose Corrour
10/21/2018 at 20:41 |
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how about S aint P ie rre?
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pip bip - choose Corrour
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/21/2018 at 20:56 |
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Sounds good to me
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duurtlang
> duurtlang
10/24/2018 at 16:30 |
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Mallorca, a Spanish party island in the Mediterranean. Population: 850,000. Mallorca, driving paradise. A suitable place for a next Oppomeet. Off-season, when the tourists are gone and the hotels, car rental agencies and restaurants struggle to find customers.
Hold on, a Spanish island, isn’t that way too expensive?
No. I’m looking at late October, early November here. Or maybe early spring. The few months a year the island is not overrun by tourists. A two-way airline ticket from Europe (incl. UK) can be had for less than €100. From the US? Starting at €400. Small rental car for a week from a random big international rental agency? €150. A place to stay? When you share a double room, €25 a night a person will be realistic, but assume €35. So, for a European you’d have flight + personal rental + hotel for a full week for a realistic €500. Probably in the €350-400 range when we find some deals. Not much for a week of vacation, right? This is excluding food and fuel, but that won’t be overly steep either.
It might even be a good idea to not go there for a week, but reduce it to something like 4 days.
There is lots of hiking potential here too. From long trips to fat clumsy tourist friendly spots.
Mallorca has 2 mountain ranges, the highest accessible peak at 1,364 m (4,475 ft). As you can see on the map a few pictures above the north of the island is very hilly.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
There is drinking
There are old buildings
There’s a circuit for karts
You can rent a holiday home like this one (6 bedrooms, 11 beds) for €200 a night (taken from airbnb)
Rental for one week (screenshot taken on oct 24th. Selection: Europcar, Palma de Mallorca airport, oct 31st-nov 7th 2018)
What’s not to like?
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DutchieDC2R
> DutchieDC2R
10/25/2018 at 01:34 |
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I was going to ellaborate on my suggestion for Italy and France, but after coming hom e from an epic trip to Scotland (for the second time this year) and heading down to Cumbria, Im switching my suggestion. Again, I will do a proper comment , with personal pictures!
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> someassemblyrequired
11/29/2018 at 22:01 |
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How are the western alpine passes in Apr il? Are they open?
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someassemblyrequired
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
11/29/2018 at 22:58 |
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We were there in early June, and there was still some snow on the side of the roads as you crossed the Col de Montgenèvre, and it was greasy when we drove back to France from Turin one evening, but it is over 6,000ft. However they do try to keep that one open all year - it’s the lowest of the Alps passes and there’s a huge ski resort at the top.
I haven’t done the other Alps passes, but my guess based on what we saw there
was they probably were open a few weeks before - probably end April/early May.
You can always cross via the tunnels or along the coast as well if you’re concerned about getting trapped on the wrong side of the mountains.
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> someassemblyrequired
11/29/2018 at 23:12 |
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I was thinking t he D roads. Given that they’re snow still in June, I imagine April is still sk et ch y.
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someassemblyrequired
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
11/29/2018 at 23:51 |
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Yeah some of those routes were just opening/still closed when we were there early June. You never know, you might get a warm spring.
The Route Napoleon is nearby, and a little lower (runs from Grenoble to Cannes)
. It’s still a spectacular drive and it seems like it is generally open the 1st of April.
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> duurtlang
04/28/2019 at 18:48 |
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Normandy/Brit tany:
A bit less mountain (probably little to none) driving than the other trips , instead a meandering through the French countryside.
A possible detour south may be Le Mans.
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> duurtlang
04/30/2019 at 19:02 |
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P ortugal
I little to nothing about the country, but some family and friends had a terrific time. Due to costs fall seems to be the better time of the year.
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505 - morphine not found
> duurtlang
12/15/2019 at 15:12 |
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So people, after some deliberation, I think there’s one more trip I can recommend for a future spring Eurooppomeet: Hungary :-) Yes it’s my country, so I wouldn’t travel far and see brand new places, but that’s also a good thing, as I’m here to do all the recce runs we’ll need. Plus trans la tions :-D
Because Easter is quite early in 2020 , snowy places can be a bother to travel through . However, Hungary is quite low, with only a single peak over 1000 meters, and it is quite warm and continental. That’s not to say it can’t rain, heck, in April it can rain for the full week, but with global warming this is less of a threat and more of a possibility.
I would propose to do two hubs. One should be in the north-east, to combine the vine region of Tokaj with some of the best loved rally stages in the Bükk hills. I happen to know the captain of the Diósgyr knight castle, he used to work for Renault Hungaria, maybe we can organize some sword
play? In any event, there are good roads, and great places to visit,
with some broken down industrial regions and poverty stric
ken v
illages mixed in.
On the way towards Budapest and the other hub, we should probably call on the tape museum in Terény. I’ve been there,
that place is completely bonkers.
M
aybe not for everyone, anyway, I would say we should do a night out in Budapest between two hubs, then drive on towards the south-west!
The other hub should be in the Mecsek, an other rally-infested woods, with the marvel ous city of Pécs as the center. There we can combine day- trips and driving with bathing and for est.
As an extra program, one of the greatest roads out there, the Transfgran, isn’t that far anymore, once you made it as far as Hungary. I’m yet to drive there, but have been told it is truly great, with the caveat the roads to and from are sometimes hurting low cars and low profile tires. And would add another night sleep and a lot of miles, so it’s not for everyone, but who wants to, can go :-)
Ok, so all this needs a lot more thought, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. A bit different, than our previous trips, as most of these places aren’t off the beaten paths, but should be fun!