The Ring!

Can I git a WooHoo !!!!!!!!!! ??????

Enjoy :-)

P.S. Bring a coupla sets of front pads ;-)

I am considering throwing in a few spares ;-) The camera will also be doing good work.

Cooool - you gonna take in the millau bridge too?

Grab a laptop, some 3G and blog the whole damn thing for us.

I'll be blogging it but I'll be uploading it all when I get home - unless I find some Wifi or anything. There will be pics and a write up - possible Milau bridge as well. It's gonna get a bit pushed for time. We're planning on just finding a B&B or camp site each night and hoping enough people speak English - does that sound plausible do you all think...? Any one have any tips for driving abroad?

And mum just said we were going to New York for 4 nights on the 11th. Awesome :-)

Drive on the right. Think and go careful when joining dual carriageways (yes I did...) and roundabouts. Priorities in France are a weird as their cars. French cops don't like British registered cars. Don't speed. Whatever you do do not get into an accident. Carry bulbs, first aid kits, at least one mobile, charger, food and drink, license, passport, emergency numbers, water, oil, compressor, sat nav. Avoid Paris and Rome if you don't want to scratch your car.

I've never driven abroad (except in England), but in the true spirit of the group here is some advice:

The cops are probably all bent. Work out your budget then take the same again for bribes.

They drive on the wrong side. Make sure your horn works.

Get a book with maps of where all the accomodations are, or a POI file for sat nav. How hard can it be?

Their electrickerys are different. Take a generator. People on camp sites and in B&Bs love these.

They speak a language called 'Foreign'. You won't be able to understand them, but if you shout the same thing louder and slower they'll get the message eventually.

Have a blast man, sounds like a good trip.

Make sure you've got euro cover on your insurances.

Fill in an E111 or whatever it is you do these days.

Just for a laugh, see if you can get a quote for private medical cover and post back.

You can largely ignore GATSO type cameras, as there are no reciprocal arrangements to fine furrin drivers for fixed camera offences in the EU.

Don't get caught speeding by real plod, though, as many countries have on the spot fines which tend to ruin your holiday.

Make sure you have a full set of bulbs, first aid kit, warning triangle and hi-vis waistcoat in the car - a combination of one or more of these tends to be compulsory wherever you go in furrin places.

Check that EU insurance cover also covers Switzerland. It should do, but you never know. I'd imagine getting caught uninsured in Switzerland will be painful.

Insurance for the 'Ring will be tricky. You're unlikely to be able to cover your own car, but google for insurers who'll cover you if you hit an armco and close the track. That is usually hugely expensive, several thousand pounds on average just for the armco, then you have to pay for lost track time....

You *will* need the modern equivalent of the E111 (EHIC?) card, so make sure you get one and carry it with you *everywhere* - if you don't have it on you when you are admitted to hospital, you have to pay, no arguments.

Priorite a droite in France doesn't really exist these days, but still be aware of it. You *have* to experience the Peripherique and the L'Arc de Triomphe in a motor vehicle.

Roundabouts confuse furrin types, but they're getting used to them. Going round them the wrong way is surprisingly easy, even for experienced furrin drivers....

Germans are fast, agressive and expect you to get the f*ck out of their way on motorways. The plod over there look like Allo Allo rejects and like thier guns and shiny jack-boots. Don't argue with them ;-)

Germans also tend to hide their speed cameras quite effectively, but that's not an issue on furrin plates.

That's about all I can think of at the moment.

Most of all DFC.

Now you also have to drive non-stop on your own to Sweden, and eat spunk to keep going.

Ah sounds like a format for a telly show that does.

Agreed

Disagree. Life's too short. Go do nice things instead, joining the peripherique would be like trying to merge in turn on the 'ring if there were no tolls on public days. Place de l'Etoiles (or whatever it's called) is the worst road junction in the world. Though if you really must do paris mount the camera on your front bumper and overdub some ferrari sounds on the edited video.

'tler!

Circumnavigating the Arch of Triumph in one long, smoking drift would be impressive, even more so now you're in a girly front drive shopping trolley.

Do it in reverse, that way you're mid/rear engined RWD again.

I'd love to see that on youtube.

Don't speed ??????

Don't speed ????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you serious man ?

If there was ever an opportunity to cross the channel and give it some serious beans, this is it.

That there was a very rare laugh out loud moment in this house.

Top notch. :-)

As of the end of last year France is splattered with average speed cameras and Police to pull you for on the spot fines.

And left hand drive.

Ooh k3wL, there's so much to see around those parts. I thoroughly recommend any route that takes you past Ivrea (Mont-Blanc to Torino, look left as you pass Ivrea, stunning). And going the other way Torino to Bonneville the road from the Mont Blanc tunnel to Bonneville is stunning if you're going in that direction. Gob smacking views from the viaduct as you soar over bloody miles of bugger all.

Hell, keep on going and head for the Grand Canyon du Verdon and really give yourself a treat, driving on a road that clings to a cliff 3,000 ft above a raging river.

It was the location used by Top Gear for the RS4 vs two skinny guys with ropes challenge.

The problem is that Les Flics do on the spot fines and take your licence away if you are going fast enough. That puts a damper on a motoring holiday.

Make sure you drive on the correct side of the road :-)