Off to that there Europe in't bus - advice and tips needed!

We've finally planned our belated honeymoon - we were supposed to be going to the States and doing a fly/drive but with all the money we've spent on Arthur, coupled with the [glow=red,2,300]FACT[/glow] that he's essentially been rebuilt from the bottom up so *should* be at his most reliable (famous last words) we decided to ditch it and embark on a road trip of Europe this July.

So....6 countries, 3 people (taking the teenie), 2 airedales, 1 campervan...I am sorting european breakdown cover, a directory of air-cooled specialist for emergency help in each country (assistance compiling list will be gratefully accepted!), a European disc for the sat nav, and the number of a good divorce lawyer ;D

We're going from Hull to Zeebrugge, through Belgium and into Germany to visit where I grew up, over to Wolfsburg for a marvel at the collection cente and then a pootle through Switzerland to South of France and on into Spain to Barcelona and then up and back out from Santander/Bilbao to Portsmouth.

What do I need? What are your tips? Do's, Don'ts, Forget at your Peril type stuff...

Someone at work mentioned the small matter of the Pyranees and the Alps which hadn't even occured to me, so please don't credit me with any intelligence - it can be as simple as you like!

 

Sounds absolutely wonderful - how long do you have to do this? Our last european tour was 8 years ago and a complete disaster (nowt to do with the bus I hasten to add). Not sure the scars have healed enough for the Mrs to do it again. I would go tomorrow!

 

Make sure you look up Low Emission zones for any cities you might be visiting.
As far as I can tell any Bay is not going to qualify for a Low Emission sticker as it predates the necessary Euro standards and its use of petrol as a coolant means it would fail anyway.
Without a sticker its an on the spot fine.
So its into the Park and Ride for Cologne for example.

Found this out while planning a trip to the Floriade at Venlo with a quick visit to Cologne afterwards.

I envy you having the time for your trip.

 

when you do your aircooled repairers list, i think it would be a good idea to put it up on a thread. this forum could do with a european list by country as alot of us do travel in our buses. We are doing france in july so a bit of a security net of info would go a long way.

PSG

 

You will need hi vis jackets that immediately accessible for all on board in case of breakdown you will need to wear them.you will be fined for not having them if you get pulled up for check.

 

Make sure you book in to have a full service before you go.

You'll have such an amazing time. We know people who went to Italy and Corsica last summer and I think their trip is going to be in one of the VW magazines in the next issue or two.

 

We did France Germany Switzerland, italy last summer in ours and had a brilliant time. Our tip is to drive in the evenings/through the night and went you get tired spend a few hours sleeping at a services. Otherwise it's very hot for you and the camper and then you don't feel like you wasting any days you have by driving.

 

we are at the shall we sharnt we go stage , having been to france twice and loved it

 

Not sure what engine you have, but the usual spares and tools are a boon. If you breakdown its v. hard to get spares we found, and you list of garages may be few and far between.

We found a couple of the main UK parts places were very good about overnighting parts. So maybe worth checking with them and adding to your list?

Cheers.

 

Oh, and finally, if you're still running a mechanical fuel pump, then take an electric one and spare fuel lines as a get you home measure.

I found this out the hard way!

Cheers.

 

Don't calculate your total mileage and then work out your fuel costs. It's never good news.

 

^yep, i think JK do overnight to europe. Make sure you remember to drive on the wrong side of the road. Sounds obvious i know, but it can be easy to forget.

 

The good news is that we didn't use any of our spares, they were more of a comfort blanket for me. :

We should have had a starter solenoid on our list, but technically this broke on home soil, Dover quayside to be precise. ;D

We laughed

 

chose the route to suit the van. Alps and Pyrenees won't be an issue, the Pyrenees are actually a breeze, dependent on the route you take. You'll find bigger hills an issue in Germany as they go on for longer, you spend a lot more time climbing, and you'll be sooo much slower than everyone around you. Remember to change down gears so you don't have the engine labouring. Switzerland you need a Vignette for travelling on the motorways. I find it much nicer to drive Switzerland on the single track roads - make sure all of your gear is secured as there are a lot of hairpins.

A full brake service before doing mountain runs is essential - for the sake of a few £££ you can have all new brakes before you go.

Belgian roads, even motorways, are appalling - make sure you have adequate glass cover for the screen.

Take plenty of memorycards for the camera!

July in Spain in a van - stock up on water and make sure you have fans in the back. The trek down to Barcelona (guessing you're going coastal from Perpignan?) is an absolute nightmare in the summer - toll, single track road, lots of kids heading to the beach and 40+ can spell disaster to an aircooled.

As for spares, don't over do it, have a little packed box - most important is that you have a suitable toolbox for roadside repairs. Proper breakdown cover from one of the mains is essential - insurance cover breakdown cover is normally not up to the same standard.

Have fun - we envy you. We really wanted to do a tour this year but it looks like we're doing the USA instead