Car for euro road trip

[SilverSaloon]

If you are going to keep the car as a 2nd car to your W211 afterwards i'd definatly go for something a little older.... ie W123 coupe or early s class. a w210 may feel too modern with your 211 to be able to want to use it over your 211, whereas a classic 70s/80s model has its own appeal.

 

[st4]

Been getting insurance quotes which has been putting a dampner on proceedings somewhat. 124 300d is £600odd TPFT ins and a 210 300TD is nearer £1000 TPFT.

Car + cost of insurance going to make this one hell of an expensive trip never mind fuel. Is taking the 211 really the best option? I only have so much money to spend

Thought the 2nd car would also make a great suprise gift for the GF once she through driving test, but guess what, we decided to be friends yesterday so there is that idea to make a 2nd car a "justifiable excuse" out the window. The split up was coming as we not been working well of late, but its still very sad for me but I hope I still have a friend out of it, but not a great way to see in 2010.

 

[Tiff]

7000 miles in 14 days is a major undertaking. I did 2400 miles in 6 days on my bike last year and damn near killed myself. I was ofter well over 100 MPH on the Autobahns,but progress through Poland is painfully slow,the roads are unbelieveably bad,and if you plan to travel through the night as I did,the suicidal truckers,mad local chavs and animals waiting to pounce out of the woods in your path will soon make 500 miles a day an impossibility. I was sooo glad to get away from polish roads I did Szczecin to Berlin at 140 MPH in the sma hours. It was wonderful! No one else on the road,apart from loads of transporters heading the other way,loaded up with smashed BMW's Mercs and Audi's.

Hpoefully I'll be doing it all again this year! I love it,go alone because I only have to worry about me,give myself a good talking to often for being so stupid,but I live for it! :bannana:

Good luck!

 

[wemorgan]

Chin up, things have a habbit of working out for the best.

Back to happier things; I think taking the W211 would be ideal. The car was made for such epic journies. If you've money to burn, maybe an engine remap would be fun.

 

[Tiff]

Been getting insurance quotes which has been putting a dampner on proceedings somewhat. 124 300d is £600odd TPFT ins and a 210 300TD is nearer £1000 TPFT.

Car + cost of insurance going to make this one hell of an expensive trip never mind fuel. Is taking the 211 really the best option? I only have so much money to spend

Thought the 2nd car would also make a great suprise gift for the GF once she through driving test, but guess what, we decided to be friends yesterday so there is that idea to make a 2nd car a "justifiable excuse" out the window. The split up was coming as we not been working well of late, but its still very sad for me but I hope I still have a friend out of it, but not a great way to see in 2010.

Sorry to hear that, breakups are never good news,but if you can remain friends,then at least all is not lost.

Try classic insurance for older W124's. Much cheaper,usually have Euro breakdown insurance,are always fully comp and don't take no claims into consideration. Chaucer insurance were particularily goo when I ran my old Fiats and Lancias

 

[st4]

Chin up, things have a habbit of working out for the best.

Back to happier things; I think taking the W211 would be ideal. The car was made for such epic journies. If you've money to burn, maybe an engine remap would be fun.

Or one with a stonking big engine, I need cheering up fast like . Remaping a 220cdi not a good idea because of the torque capacity of the gearbox not much above that of the standard engine.

Will have a look at classic car Ins and see how it goes. Cheers fellas.

 

[LTD]

guess what, we decided to be friends yesterday so there is that idea to make a 2nd car a "justifiable excuse" out the window. The split up was coming as we not been working well of late, but its still very sad for me but I hope I still have a friend out of it, but not a great way to see in 2010.

Steve

If you need a beer sometime ...........

...... and no - you aren't borrowing my car.

 

[st4]

Steve

If you need a beer sometime ...........

Thanks mate

 

[oldcro]

If the places you all want to visit are more important than the driving experience, why not look into train journeys. Perhaps not the best suggestion in a Mercedes forum, but a lot of the possible problems are eliminated and everybody can relax and enjoy the experience.

Cooped up in a car every day can build up friction between the best of friends, while on a train it is possible to get away for a quiet spell away from the rest.

 

[st4]

If the places you all want to visit are more important than the driving experience, why not look into train journeys. Perhaps not the best suggestion in a Mercedes forum, but a lot of the possible problems are eliminated and everybody can relax and enjoy the experience.

Cooped up in a car every day can build up friction between the best of friends, while on a train it is possible to get away for a quiet spell away from the rest.

I think we are taking 3 cars and six seven of us so we can rotate passangers. I am thinking the 7k miles is a bit steep so might forgoe spain and just relax and enjoy thr trip and banter more.

 

[Niks]

Will, the 7k miles might sound like a lot right now but once your out there and driving, going from place to place, it really isnt as bad as you think. Ours was a lot more than that, but its the company of your friends, enjoying the trip and making the most of it is what makes it fun (i.e. using pictogram with the remote locals of Spain as a method of communication!) You'll have some cool stories for your grandchildren!!!

You already have a mercedes thats well capable of this trip and more, USE IT!!!! lol

 

[Michael G]

Steve, I think it would be cheaper for you to use your W211.
Like has been said it was built to be a crusier so you may as well as use it.
It will save you money and be a lot more economical then a W124 or W210.
I hope you enjoy the trip.
Sorry to hear about your girlfriend, but theres plenty more fish in the sea.

 

[LTD]

Why not blitz through France to the Basque country then head along the French Riveria and back up through Germany/Holland/Belgium and forego the dodgy areas ?

 

[christopherwk]

7000 miles in 14 days is a major undertaking.

Even I don't do that sort of mileage!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Have you tried classic insurance? Not sure if that would restrict overseas use though.

 

[st4]

Why not blitz through France to the Basque country then head along the French Riveria and back up through Germany/Holland/Belgium and forego the dodgy areas ?

I would say thats a sensible suggestion but this involves that mate was telling you about on the way to Falkirk, he just sniffs out danger and dodgy stuff.

 

[219]

Steve , you have pm

 

[Tiff]

I would say thats a sensible suggestion but this involves that mate was telling you about on the way to Falkirk, he just sniffs out danger and dodgy stuff.

Another thing I found in Poland was when the Poles see yellow plates,they assume you are Dutch,and want to kick your head in-football related I believe. When they find you you are Scots they want to be your best friend and drink loads of homebrewed Vodka...I think you'd feel better the next day after the kicking.....

 

[kps70]

I regularly drive down to Bulgaria and have experience of driving in the Eastern Block (including Russia in 1998 in my VW Camper!). It's about 1800 miles to Sofia and takes me between 3 and 4 days but that is pretty much non stop 12 hours on the road every day. So I'd say 600 miles per day is an absolute limit unless there are three drivers. 300 would be better if you want to enjoy the sites more.
Driving in Eastern Europe is fun, a bit like being on a roller coaster when you're not quite sure if they tested it properly! In my experience the Latvian and Polish drivers (at least the ones in Poland) are the worst for overtaking on blind bends and generally not obeying the rules of the road.
You have to avoid the Belgium around Brussels, Netherlands on a working day and NW Germany unless it's dark or you just get stuck for hours in queues. Once you get towards the Austrian border the traffic lightens up. Austria charges foreign cars to use their motorways via a vignette sticker.
I've driven through Hungary which has amongst the best roads in Europe (apart from around Budapest which is a big building site).
Driving in Serbia is fine although you do get regularly stung for quite hefty toll charges on the motorways. The Southern part of Serbia bordering Kosovo is a bit dodgy - we passed through at least 20 police 'check points' in 3 hours but they usually wave you through. This area is the poorest I've seen in the whole of Europe but definitely worth the visit for the contrast.
Driving in Romania is good fun as the roads are quite empty outside the jammed up towns and the people are really friendly.
I hope you have a great time on your trip - take plenty of pictures. Just think, in 20 years when the oil runs out, nobody will be able to do this sort of trip again!

 

[Tiff]

I hope you have a great time on your trip - take plenty of pictures. Just think, in 20 years when the oil runs out, nobody will be able to do this sort of trip again!

All the more reason to buy a 190/250/300D...the roads will be really empty then,but we'll still be chugging along beching out chip fat fumes!:bannana: