We are baaaack! – Road trip in Europe
Written by Nez, Posted in Travel, Comments: 4
We are back from our tour. The days goes by way faster when you having fun. We arrived last night and it is darn good to be home.
We visited 7 countries in 18 days. And we drove. Crazy hey? Cant help it, we are bitten by a travel bug. You wont understand why we took this adventure up until you get bitten by the travel bug. Be careful, bugs can be very contagious. You might catch the bug after following my vacation updates in the the next few days.
We took time to plan the trip and found there was no better way to see Europe than by car. And it turned out we were right.
Our adventure started in Lyon, France. We proceeded as marked in the map below. We ended our adventure yesterday on a cloudy day in Belgium. We split our driving distance so we cannot drive no more than 4 hours to reach the next destination. Resting for two or three nights in one country with more nights in Germany.
Europe road trip vs Africa Road trip.
Lets talk about Europe road trip and Africa Road trip. I mean long trips like crossing borders from one country to another. Back in SA before Muli was born we travelled (driving) to six countries, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania. We took 32 days to complete the tour. Africa is insanely beautiful. The trip to Africa must be in the list of your “MUST SEE PLACES BEFORE YOU DIE”.
One thing that stood out for me in Europe road trip was the demolished borders. After experiencing border gates crossing in Africa, I was so glad to find that there were no border gates during our road trip in Europe. It made our travels very smooth and fast. We did not need to stop in long queues to stamp our passports and declare whatever. That was ayoba!
One thing that stood out for me in Africa road trip was the volcanic forest landscape and desert plains, with giraffes, gorillas, elephants and many more animals roaming freely on the road side. You can even stop in a safe place to watch the fascinating dung beetles. People who experienced driving in Africa wilderness will tell you that it is life changing. Like being bitten by a bug, once you experience it you will keep coming back for more.
Both road trips experience changed my personality insight and my mind set. Pure life changing experience.
Road tolls in Europe.
Friends you are warned! This post is going to be boring to you if you are not fascinated by road trips. Its all about road tolls in Europe. Very useful when you planning to take a road trip in Europe.
The beauty of this trip is that we were not in any rush. We stopped whenever we needed a break.
Travelling in European roads can be costly. Cost of tolls and car parking takes a huge chunk in a budget. The cost was worth it because the conditions of the roads were good and we had a speedy travel. We had minor traffic jams in some countries. There are plenty of restaurants, kids play areas and toilet facilities with free parking along the road.
France tolls
We paid more in France tolls than in any country. There is an option if you prefer to avoid tolls. But toll roads worked much better for us because the speed limit is generally 130km/h. They are also free ways and often they don’t pass through towns were you encounter traffic jams. Payment is fast and easy with credit card, debit card or cash! We paid 70 Euros in France tolls.
Switzerland tolls
A vignettes is required. It can be bought in the Swiss border posts, at petrol stations in Switzerland and the German and French border region, and at post offices in Switzerland. We bought ours at the post office in Switzerland and it cost us 40 Euros and valid for a year. What a bargain compared to what we paid in France.
Austria tolls
There is a toll for driving on the highways in Austria. Vignettes are available at the border and at petrol stations and around Austria. There is a 10 day vignette a 2-month vignette or sticker for one year. We bought a 10 day vignette for 9 Euros.
Czech Republic tolls
In the Czech Republic a vignette is required which is available at the border and at major petrol stations. There is a 10 days vignette, 1 month vignette and vignette for one year. We bought 10 days vignette for 12 Euros.
Poland tolls
No tolls no Vignettes in Poland. We love Poland. We went through towns at a speed limit of mostly 40km/h. Guess that’s a price for not paying tolls. The drive was slow in Poland but that was part of our adventure plan. To explore the country in slow pace.
Germany tolls
No tolls no Vignettes in Germany. The roads were the best and we spend more time in Germany. We love Germany.
Netherlands tolls
There are two toll tunnel The Kiltunnel at Dordrecht and the Westerscheldetunnel. We did not need to pass this tunnels.
Belgium tolls
Belgium has one toll tunnel, the Liefkenshoektunnel in Antwerp. We did not need to pass this tunnel.
Hotel parking are expensive. In some hotels there is an option to park on the streets for free at your own risk. We opted to park in paid garages because we thought the cost of having to deal with stolen goods will be more than the payment for indoor parking. In hotels where we where in city centres we paid up to 25euros per 24 hours. The farthest hotel we stayed in was about 10km from town and we paid about 7euros per 24hours.
This was the finest European trip. An amazing adventure for our family and we created so many good memories.
Stay tuned for the vacation updates. Switzerland vacation will be next.
Take care,
Nez