Euro Road Trip

[Fluffekins]

For the last few years I’ve done a road trip with a couple of friends in Caterhams, we’ve been to the Highlands a couple of times and to the West Country a couple of times also.

This year we’re going further afield and I’m taking the F430 and they will be in Caterhams.

While I always make a video during the trip, I thought I’d try and keep a daily diary which I’ll publish here if anyone’s interested.

Here goes:-

1. Car cleaned, serviced and packed, 1st stop Folkestone- we leave tonight for an early Eurotunnel tomorrow.




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[Mike01606]

Book marked and watching with interest [emoji106]

 

[Kyodo]

:thumbsup:

 

[Fluffekins]

The Caterham has something like a 25 litre tank, we’re going to see a lot of Petrol stations over the next few days and have a lot of fuel anxiety.

New 2 way radios are an upgrade on previous years, and seem to actually have a range greater than shouting distance.

I’m also having some anxiety about handling my pride and joy over to my mates, have never let anyone else drive any of my cars before except that one time due to a very large hangover.

Anyway Folkestone Holiday Inn is fine for an overnight stay, wouldn’t come here for my holidays.

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[Fluffekins]

Day 1 proper

A bit cliche but a drive down to Reims for a photo session at the old circuit, spot of lunch and then a drive down to Lorraine.

Firstly, Reims was well worth it, easy to drive there and generally on the way to anywhere interesting in France.

Now sat outside a lovely farm house B&B in a tiny village having a beer.

The roads here are superb, motorways empty, country roads smooth.

Off to the Black Forest tomorrow for some proper driving.

For some reason I can’t upload photos from today.



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[jonnyjonkers]

Have a safe trip guys, keep the updates coming!
Jon Eck

 

[Fluffekins]

Spent yesterday getting down to Freiburg in the Black Forest, mainly A roads with a couple of decent tunnels but otherwise uneventful.

All 3 of us got flashed by the same speed camera in town / speed limit was apparently 30kmph - we were doing maybe 30 mph.

Went for a drive up the B500 ‘Black Forest high road’ which is a decent road albeit there was too much traffic and not many opportunities to overtake so ultimately disappointing.

The 10 mile stretch of unrestricted autobahn was also too busy, 110 was all I could safely manage briefly.

Mercure Panoramic hotel is superb, Freiburg city centre is nice and lively and I have a bit of a hangover- perfect for sitting in the blazing sun in the car for the next 4 hours as we head for Stelvio via Zurich.




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[Fluffekins]

Oh, one other thing, this link is from an app that tracks your route and animates it, it’s really cool.

Called Relive.

https://www.relive.cc/view/g21376918257



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[Mike01606]

Keeps the updates coming [emoji106]

Everyone needs at least one pic of their car at the Reims old circuit.

 

[Kyodo]

Oh, one other thing, this link is from an app that tracks your route and animates it, it’s really cool.

Called Relive.

I use that when on my mountain bike with Strava. Were you running Strava in the car? Nice pics btw!

Everyone needs at least one pic of their car at the Reims old circuit.

We stayed just a mile or so from the Reims circuit during a road trip in 2012 but I didn't even know it was there - doh!
I managed this one though

 

[sssdu01]

I use that when on my mountain bike with Strava. Were you running Strava in the car? Nice pics btw!


We stayed just a mile or so from the Reims circuit during a road trip in 2012 but I didn't even know it was there - doh!
I managed this one though

Looks like a nice trip but I often wonder if the caterham guys are having more fun ??? especially when you get off the motorways ?

 

[100badboy100]

Love the thread - great read



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[Modificato]

Looks like a nice trip but I often wonder if the caterham guys are having more fun ??? especially when you get off the motorways ?

I can’t imagine how a caterham could be more fun than a modern V8 Ferrari. I had one for a weekend and thought I had gone half a century backwards....

Like taking a steam engine to a tractor pull.

 

[Fluffekins]

Trust me, when the heavens opened today while stuck in traffic around lake Zurich they were not having much fun!

Full update to follow - thanks for all the comments by the way.

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[Fluffekins]

Good morning, can’t sleep not sure if it’s the excitement of today’s drive or the question of who’s having more fun that Simon asked yesterday.

Anyway, as for yesterday. The drive out of Germany through the Black Forest was epic, the D500 is in part 2 very smooth lanes winding up and down hills around some stunning scenery, meant that corners and bends could be taken looking for the right line rather than just following the white lines. Great fun.

Problem was, due to some stupid school boy errors in plotting our route on a satnav using lots of waypoints we got lost a number of times and wasted a lot of time.

Once across in to Switzerland some poor navigation and communication between the lead driver and me at the back meant I became separated through the myriad of long and enjoyable tunnels.

Once I’d managed to get back to the other two, interestingly having driven down the roads that are being used for the Formula E champs this weekend, it was much later than we’d hoped meaning that we’d hit a load of traffic at rush hour - which we did.

We’d expected to get to Bonaduz near the Italian border with some time to go for a blast, but the weather had been awful during our time in traffic which is awful if you’re in a Caterham, it’s like sitting in a sauna and the window steams up constantly making driving stressful, hazardous and no fun at all.

The hotel here is stunning, food was incredible and it’s remarkably inexpensive.

Back to the question of ‘fun’. Obviously subjective, but all of the best drives I’ve ever had have been in a Caterham, however this is my first time doing something like this in a Ferrari.

I suspect that with my limited driving skills I’d be able to use more of a Caterham’s limits than I can in my car, it’s size and the feeling of being at one with the car is something I’m yet to experience in much else. Today I expect to learn a lot about my car and we’ll swap so I can do a direct comparison.

Plans for today. We decided to choose just 2 mountain passes, Albula and Bernina, both recommended by a local at the hotel - rather than try and do too much. Then we’re off to Bormio tonight.

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[Fluffekins]

Wow! What an epic day, proper write up to follow, off to dinner in Bormio, Italy

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[Fluffekins]

Yesterday-

We set off from Bonaduz to the Albula pass in Switzerland.

The beginning of the pass was pretty busy with traffic both ways and being a little nervous of the sheer drop one side narrow path and a bit of a mistake a young lady in a fiat 500 and I came together - thankfully it was just my GoPro camera that was hit which fell off the car. So no damage done except to my confidence!

Confidence dented I was overly cautious and while I enjoyed the ascent to the top, I know the others in the Caterhams had enjoyed it much more.

The view up there was stunning and the road along the top was long wide and fast, tremendous fun.

From there we came down the other side lots of hairpins and what I discovered is was my technique was lacking especially right handers.

From there we went to Bernina pass, which is very close which was awesome. Lots of fast corners and very smooth roads. Confidence still not up to usual levels, but really enjoying it and getting to know my car better.

From there we drove to Bormio in Italy to attack the Stelvio today.....


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[Fluffekins]

We stayed in a terrible hotel in Bormio, can’t recall why we booked it, maybe it was the underground car park with a steep curved slope that I went down backwards. Whatever, 3 of us in a room in single beds, we played spoof to not have to sleep next to each other. I won and got the bunk bed!

Bormio is literally full of cyclists, lots of motorcyclists but many more fit looking guys and girls in Spandex.

Sadly, most of them were there to cycle the Stelvio this morning in a time trial. This made the journey up very slow. - particularly for me having got stuck behind some idiot in a Citroen.

Coming down the other side was mildly terrifying, lots of cyclists coming up, my right hand hairpins when they were over the wrong side of the road were pretty scary. Finally worked out that taking them wide was the way to go although cars and motorbikes coming the other way didn’t help.

In summary, glad I’ve done it, wish it wasn’t a Sunday and busy, but in no rush to do it again.

It would’ve been better in the Caterham.

From there we headed back to Switzerland- to a place called Vals. On the way I launched my drone and tried to film the other boys. Ended up crashing into a field of long grass and flowers - took 20 minutes to find it using its GPS that was still working.

The way back took us back via Albula which we did in reverse - this was mid afternoon was pretty quiet and was amazing, I’d swapped in to the Caterham for the first half of the pass, which was great fun.

Getting back into the Ferrari for the second part was a revelation, confidence growing with every bend, really pushing it at the end.

From there we set off to Vals, about 100km away. The last 30 km. wow, what a drive. I’d say it was the first time I’ve really graded the car by the scruff and pushed it to my limits - I suspect still a long way from the car’s.

It was a revelation, car was fantastic - sledgehammer fast, flowing from S bend to S bend. What a drive, one of the best ever.

Our hotel is simply stunning. 7132 Vals. I recommend it to anyone coming to this region.

Tomorrow - Various Swiss passes.


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[Fluffekins]

Just a word about the hotel 7132 - don’t let your mate order the wine. I have to say I thought €70 was reasonable for a Margeaux - turned out that was for a glass and while 1995 was a great year, €380 was a bit steep!

Anyway the hotel is owned by a private individual who spent 100+ million on it, who expects it to lose money and doesn’t really care so long it’s of the highest quality. Therefore the room rate was unbelievable €100 inc breakfast - the best I’ve had in a hotel (and stay in lots).

Yesterday should’ve been the best day - it was not. Today we expect to be grim - I’m sure it will be.

More later as I set off for a 350 mile slog back to France.


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[MalcH]

Excellent pictures. Hotel looks superb. Keep it coming..