Drove to Switzerland

[Mossypossy]

In a forest in Alsace this weekend.

On the way back to Blighty. Slowly.

[Mossypossy]

Popping into Germany tomorrow, but the top box means I cannot put my foot down on the autobahn. Shame. 80mph is plenty unless I want to see 60 bars of Swiss chocolate in my rear view mirror.

[Mossypossy]

Back home after a month of Continental wanderings.

Lexus was sublime. Only one issue.

After a long 300 mile drive I accelerated hard onto a slip road. Hurt my back with the power of the car.

Careful out there!

[royoftherovers]

11 minutes ago, Mossypossy said:

Back home after a month of continental wanderings.

Lexus was sublime. Only one issue.

After a long 300 mile drive I accelerated hard onto a slip road. Hurt my back with the power of the car.

Careful out there!

Thanks for the various reports Steve. I enjoyed reading them.

[Malc]

Steve .........  absolutely well written and fun to read ..  glorious piccys along the way ...... maybe, just maybe next spring / early summer I'll be able to physically leap into action and go-get some beautiful Continental travel which your reports have left me drooling over .......  I so so need to get back to some wonderful exciting adventurous travel again in my sturdy steed ....... Swissieland beckons for sure together with northern Italy, but ex snow and ice  tho' in my Ls400 

Malc

 

Just got to move it all around my Oncology Review dates though 

[Mossypossy]

Just have to factor in costs if you are planning Switzerland. We did it on the cheap by not ever eating out, and with a free cable car pass.

About £2.5k spent for the entire trip for two of us, 31 nights, including Covid tests.

Food is about 3x the UK price.

[Malc]

hahahahaha, that seems amazingly good value to me ......  when I travel around, usually solo and in the Ls400, driving about 4/5k miles in 4 or 5 weeks I generally spend about £4k on the holiday with ferries etc

It ain't cheap for sure and I rarely eat posh or stay anywhere expensive and drink little tbh ......  just European travel is sooooo amazingly wonderful given the time, weather and enuf financial resources not to stress about it all

Adventures abound and just going off-piste wherever the fancy takes me, often well-off any pre-planned route for sure .....  and I don't think I ever pre-book accommodation, just stopping where the fancy takes me 

She, her indoors, certainly won't ever come with me for longer than a fortnight anywhere .......  that's why we used to cruise a little too but with limited time frames and on smallish boats, Fred Olsen and suchlike

Those big P&O monsters turn me right-off

My Ls400 is a good and loyal friend, honest and comfy, reliable and totally trustworthy .....  just have to make sure I avoid any snow and ice and hunt the petrol stations now selling E5 ......  that's going to be a challenge methinks

Switzerland is magnificent and I am lucky to have a buddy ( ex banker too who worked for me at sometime ) who lived in Bern and now lives in Singapore ............... flying in to see him and his family was always brilliant AND the car trips to see him in my first Ls400 Mk1 and my then Vauxhall Carlton, back in the day ....  ah memories

I MUST do some planning for my next adventure into Switzerland and Italy methinks ....  but I'm not sure I'm venturing anywhere abroad whilst all this Covid Crap is a threat .......  let's see

Itchy feet here for sure

AND it's all your fault Steve 

Malc

[royoftherovers]

12 minutes ago, Malc said:

hahahahaha, that seems amazingly good value to me ......  when I travel around, usually solo and in the Ls400, driving about 4/5k miles in 4 or 5 weeks I generally spend about £4k on the holiday with ferries etc

It ain't cheap for sure and I rarely eat posh or stay anywhere expensive and drink little tbh ......  just European travel is sooooo amazingly wonderful given the time, weather and enuf financial resources not to stress about it all

Adventures abound and just going off-piste wherever the fancy takes me, often well-off any pre-planned route for sure .....  and I don't think I ever pre-book accommodation, just stopping where the fancy takes me 

She, her indoors, certainly won't ever come with me for longer than a fortnight anywhere .......  that's why we used to cruise a little too but with limited time frames and on smallish boats, Fred Olsen and suchlike

Those big P&O monsters turn me right-off

My Ls400 is a good and loyal friend, honest and comfy, reliable and totally trustworthy .....  just have to make sure I avoid any snow and ice and hunt the petrol stations now selling E5 ......  that's going to be a challenge methinks

Switzerland is magnificent and I am lucky to have a buddy ( ex banker too who worked for me at sometime ) who lived in Bern and now lives in Singapore ............... flying in to see him and his family was always brilliant AND the car trips to see him in my first Ls400 Mk1 and my then Vauxhall Carlton, back in the day ....  ah memories

I MUST do some planning for my next adventure into Switzerland and Italy methinks ....  but I'm not sure I'm venturing anywhere abroad whilst all this Covid Crap is a threat .......  let's see

Itchy feet here for sure

AND it's all your fault Steve 

Malc

All music to my eyes Malcolm as I plan my route back in 12 days time via Madrid,Bordeaux,Rouen and Calais.

It was a delight to read the reports from Mossey on his journey to Switzerland.

[Mossypossy]

You have to stop over in Montreuil Sur Mer, a bit south of Calais. Wander around the town walls. A place where health and safety does not exist.

[DBIZO]

What about insurance, gents? Do you buy addons from your standard insurer or buy third-party products? Any pointers are welcome. About to embark on a long drive across Europe and back, total of 9 days driving abroad.

 

[Malc]

2 hours ago, DBIZO said:

What about insurance, gents?

Car insurance is just standard, just tell them and see if you need a special document ..  plus a good checkover on the car by my indy before I go to make sure there's no likely surprises in store ....  there never has been to date ........... and  just the normal RAC European breakdown etc cover in my RAC Membership stuff .........  that's free these days too for me as I seem to have been a paid up member for 50+years ........  and never needed that abroad either touch wood ..........

Health insurance, well, just the standard stuff with my Nationwide FlexPlus policy takes care of that but I guess there'll need to be an add-on next trip as I'm now 71 

Nothing over the top for sure .............. 9 days won't get you far tho' ............. where u thinking of going ? 

Malc

Oh and don't forget the need for a UK badge/logo on the back and removal of the GB logo BUT check the up-date on the Govt website for that just before you go in case that changes too

M

[Mossypossy]

I have European breakdown cover and my insurance gave me a green card, though not needed.

Did take out extra health cover for the month though.

As to mileage. I did a straight run in one day from Brighton to Southern Switzerland last year on the peages. Very tiring.

This year did a max of 250 miles in one day. Much easier on the bum, although the GS seats are exceptionally good.

[Mossypossy]

Oh, I also very much enjoyed the Lexus female navigation voice chipping into my journey, even though I was using a TomTom.

Very accurately she would say "You crossed the border."

Worth crossing a border just to hear her voice!

[DanD]

On 10/7/2021 at 5:12 PM, Mossypossy said:

You have to stop over in Montreuil Sur Mer, a bit south of Calais. Wander around the town walls. A place where health and safety does not exist.

Should make a detour via Le Touquet for lunch. Well worth it.

[DanD]

Going to Paris next week. Finally managed to get a magnetic UK badge off amazon.

[Malc]

1 hour ago, DanD said:

Finally managed to get a magnetic UK badge

are all your panels metal then ?  none plastic ?

Malc

[royoftherovers]

8 minutes ago, Malc said:

are all your panels metal then ?  none plastic ?

Malc

Large Mag Sticker can only be fixed to rear and my Mk3 is metal.

[Mossypossy]

My magnetic one left a mark on my paintwork. Might buy a new UK numberplate unless that is outlawed.

[royoftherovers]

2 hours ago, Mossypossy said:

My magnetic one left a mark on my paintwork. Might buy a new UK numberplate unless that is outlawed.

No need as stick ons are available and they are very good.

Just affixed two to the Merc.

[Mossypossy]

Just ordered 4 stickers for £2.19.

[DanD]

22 hours ago, Malc said:

are all your panels metal then ?  none plastic ?

Malc

The only one that matters, the rear door/hatch/boot, is metal