Planned your 2017 road trip(s)yet?

[anglaslt]

Very good friends of ours are from Klaipeda (sp?) and often say we should visit. Is the drive/ferry/drive a good one? We’re in Cambridgeshire.

From Cambridge the ideal route is Harwich to Hook of Holland on the night ferry and head east on E30/A2 through Holland and Germany to the Polish border at Frankfurt Oder; continue east towards Warsaw and then head north to the Polish/ Lithuania border. From there it's about 300 kms to Klaipeda.

It is pretty much motorway all the way from Hook of Holland to Warsaw. The motorway in Poland is a newish toll road but not expensive and better than most of the German autobahn. The road north to the Poland/ Lithuania border is now mainly dual carriageway, a far cry from 20 years ago when the roads through Poland were mainly single carriageway, very poor and very slow. The journey from Hook to Klaipeda is achievable in two full days with one stop on route. To Vilnius it's about 100 kms less and I usually stop near the German/Polish border which is about half way but of course it depends on whether you want to take your time or visit places on route. We rarely do but on a couple of occasions we've broken the journey with a few days on the Polish Baltic coast.

An alternative route is to drive from Hook of Holland to Kiel and take a ferry direct to Klaipeda. I've made the journey a couple of times but the crossing is quite expensive and the Baltic sea can get rough. I prefer to drive.

Beware, Poland has more than its fair share of speed cameras and policemen that like to jump out to stop you. It has a reputation too for poor driving which I think is unfair. They do drive quickly but do not impede faster traffic and neither do the trucks. Klaipeda old town architecture has a strong German influence and is well worth a visit but so too is Vilnius. If you decide to go and you need any advice just let me know.

 

[Flyinspanner]

I’ve just fed the tour for 2020 into the shredder

 

[Meldrew2]

I’ve just fed the tour for 2020 into the shredder

I just came across my plans for our 2017 road trip... great memories. Perhaps later this year another will be possible, it is in a loose "partly planned" form at the moment, but when things get back to normal, we'll be off.

 

[Meldrew2]

Well, it appears that hospitality may open on 4th July, so the Road Trip is planned for the 9th.

Starting in Gretna Green (where we married in 2018) and onwards to Beamish - as an outdoor museum we are hopeful of it opening. Then to Bridlington for walks along the prom and around Flamborough Head, and finally to Harrogate.

Obviously this is still a tentative plan, and we have no intention of going against government advice...

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I’m so looking forward to a holiday!

 

[Meldrew2]

I’m so looking forward to a holiday!

Us too. A holiday to the Canaries for my birthday and a cruise for our anniversary have already been cancelled, so we are climbing the walls with cabin fever... ah well, we're all in the same situation.

 

[Neiltodd]

I’m so looking forward to a holiday!

Somewhere with the caravan?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Somewhere with the caravan?

Yes that’s most likely now, and I can’t wait. Looking forward to the smell of sausages cooking, and feel or the cool sea breeze on my face and heat from the sun on my back.

 

[del320]

Yes that’s most likely now, and I can’t wait. Looking forward to the smell of sausages cooking, and feel or the cool sea breeze on my face and heat from the sun on my back.

That'll be Skegness then.
It's so bracing...

 

[Neiltodd]

Yes that’s most likely now, and I can’t wait. Looking forward to the smell of sausages cooking, and feel or the cool sea breeze on my face and heat from the sun on my back.

Arisaig or Bunree probably for us with the van when allowed

 

[MercedesDriver]

Since we wont be crossing the Channel this Summer my plans and hopes are to finally do the North Coast 500. Route was planned and mapped few years ago and if we get back to some sort of normality this Summer - Scotland Here We Come!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Arisaig or Bunree probably for us with the van when allowed

I’ve booked Bunree several times but never made it - ended up going somewhere else each time. Beautiful part of the world though.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Since we wont be crossing the Channel this Summer my plans and hopes are to finally do the North Coast 500. Route was planned and mapped few years ago and if we get back to some sort of normality this Summer - Scotland Here We Come!

I’m contemplating whether I should book something for the NC500 too.

 

[del320]

Arisaig or Bunree probably for us with the van when allowed

Bunree

By Jove, that takes me back around 60 years.

I have visited pretty well all of the Scottish mainland, much by way of caravan holidays throughout childhood. The old man had a 14ft Thomson "Almond" towed by the Standard Vanguard and many holidays were spent in carefully chosen casual sites.

One of our favourites was at the wall beside Corran lighthouse at the narrows which were crossed by a six-car turntable ferry.



Back then, the lighthouse was manned and as well as becoming friends and being shown around, the keeper let us use an outside toilet and hang a can on the gate to be filled with milk along with a delivery of eggs and bread.

One other memory was standing on the shore in the evening watching the King George V glide past - all lit up and a deep whine from the turbines. Heady times for a ten year old!

We covered the whole of Ardnamurchan (all single track) including up the lighthouse - the most Westerly point of Britain. We also visited Glenuig by bike on the drover's track before the road was built through to the A830 to Mallaig in 1966.

 

[ToeKnee]

Can anyone post a link to info on the NC500, or route map, poi's etc please?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Can anyone post a link to info on the NC500, or route map, poi's etc please?

North Coast 500 - The ultimate road trip around the North of Scotland

Bringing together a route of just over 500 miles of stunning coastal scenery in the far north of Scotland, the North Coast 500 is one of the world’s most beautiful road trips. Explore opulent castles, sample a dram of whisky or take an exhilarating wildlife safari, enjoy a truly unique touring...

www.northcoast500.com

 

[ToeKnee]

North Coast 500 - The ultimate road trip around the North of Scotland

Bringing together a route of just over 500 miles of stunning coastal scenery in the far north of Scotland, the North Coast 500 is one of the world’s most beautiful road trips. Explore opulent castles, sample a dram of whisky or take an exhilarating wildlife safari, enjoy a truly unique touring...

www.northcoast500.com

That looks fantastic, thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Neiltodd]

A trip to do at least once.

 

[KennyN]

We had the NC500 planned for May but Covid kicked that into touch so we had re-scheduled it for next year but today we received an e-mail from the camper van hire company telling us that they still had availability in August due to most people who had booked for that month had now cancelled.

So , NC500 here we come , second week in August

This time the dog is accompanying us as his kennels may still be closed , or properly closed due to lack of business.

K

 

[MCFastybloke]

NC500 was on our list this autumn, along with Skye over easter, was going to take a week. Some of my Car mates in Scotland are mumbling about a northern raid just to tick the box.