[dy63]

Hi,

just asking for some advice..

i want to take my car to europe next month and will probably go Dover to Calais and then head to amsterdam,

i wanted to go paris aswell to stop off but looking at the map its the opposite way

if i head from calais to amsterdam could i stop anywhere off for the night thats interesting before touching down in dam?

also people keep telling me i wont be able to drive my car anywhere in amsterdam as its like london so where could i park it?

has anyone had any experience of doing anything similar? do i need some stickers or something for my headlights?

guess ill have to make sure the hotels i book have parking

plan is for me to take my car with 4 people in and my friend to take his aswell with 4 in.

[Ao1]

I've driven in Amsterdam, but in a hire car. I was dreading the mix of cyclists, pedestrians and tram lines but it was OK. Once you get out the centre its a lot easier. Parking is like any busy city. Keep a wide berth from the canals.

[335d Rocco]

You could stop off in Brussels for the night, it's a bit of route but if you wanted to stay on route then Bruge and Gent could be worth stopping in

You could park somewhere near Schipol Airport and jump on a train into Amsterdam, it's about 15 mins

[dy63]

Originally Posted by Ao1

I've driven in Amsterdam, but in a hire car. I was dreading the mix of cyclists, pedestrians and tram lines but it was OK. Once you get out the centre its a lot easier. Parking is like any busy city. Keep a wide berth from the canals.

any hotels with parking you reckon or is it like central london?

Originally Posted by Uk 330d

You could stop off in Brussels for the night.

You could park somewhere near Schipol Airport and jump on a train into Amsterdam, it's about 15 mins

ideally i wanna keep my car with me at all times

[The0pportunist]

Did the trip a couple months ago. We drove from London 1am, eurotunnel, reached Amsterdam around 8am. Parking was a issue, the hotels with onsite free parking seem to be further from the city centre. We went with Albus hotel in the end who gave 40% off of a nearby secure underground car park. Still worked out to 35euros for 2 nights after discount.

When i went, sections of the motorway were being repaired and thus kicked up a lot of stones/debris, i think i got like 4 chips from that weekend away. Apart from that i welcome the 80mph signs and actually good quality roads all the way up to Amsterdam.

[dy63]

Originally Posted by The0pportunist

Did the trip a couple months ago. We drove from London 1am, eurotunnel, reached Amsterdam around 8am. Parking was a issue, the hotels with onsite free parking seem to be further from the city centre. We went with Albus hotel in the end who gave 40% off of a nearby secure underground car park. Still worked out to 35euros for 2 nights after discount.

When i went, sections of the motorway were being repaired and thus kicked up a lot of stones/debris, i think i got like 4 chips from that weekend away. Apart from that i welcome the 80mph signs and actually good quality roads all the way up to Amsterdam.

did you take the x5?

I plan to get ferry not tunnel and dont want to head straight to dam from calais want to stop off

What was the motorways like?

Speed cameras?

How did you find the parking

[RCUK]

Whenever we go to amsterdam - we get a hotel near the airport and get a train in.

Parking is far easier, and most hotels have courtesy bus to the airport.

[mob17]

Just be aware of the issues that are currently going on in dover/calais re migrants. They say it could be there all summer.

[The0pportunist]

Originally Posted by cupraraj

did you take the x5?

I plan to get ferry not tunnel and dont want to head straight to dam from calais want to stop off

What was the motorways like?

Speed cameras?

How did you find the parking

Yep went in the x5, motorways are fine, i was confused at first at the conflicting speed signage, they display a limit for normal cars then a reduced limit for lorries.

Did not spot any cameras at all to be honest but i dont think their as visible as the ones in the UK, 80mph is about the right speed i reckon for speed & economy, cost us 1 tank of diesel (£90) in the 3.0d.

I just emailed hotels and compared locations for parking, when you find your desired hotel/parking i would definitely recommend booking direct, we got free upgrade to a suite & other small perks.

One thing i didnt know was how to switch my headlights to left hand drive, my bros Audi A5 use to have a simple option on the 'idrive' to focus the lights the other way. Does yours have it?

[dy63]

Originally Posted by RCUK

Whenever we go to amsterdam - we get a hotel near the airport and get a train in.

Parking is far easier, and most hotels have courtesy bus to the airport.

So do you drive to dam i take it?

Will look into that. How far is the airport to the centre?

[dy63]

Originally Posted by mob17

Just be aware of the issues that are currently going on in dover/calais re migrants. They say it could be there all summer.

I know mate but ive been planning to go for a while now and dont want to let that stop me going as i dont see it ending soon either

[dy63]

Originally Posted by The0pportunist

Yep went in the x5, motorways are fine, i was confused at first at the conflicting speed signage, they display a limit for normal cars then a reduced limit for lorries.

Did not spot any cameras at all to be honest but i dont think their as visible as the ones in the UK, 80mph is about the right speed i reckon for speed & economy, cost us 1 tank of diesel (£90) in the 3.0d.

I just emailed hotels and compared locations for parking, when you find your desired hotel/parking i would definitely recommend booking direct, we got free upgrade to a suite & other small perks.

One thing i didnt know was how to switch my headlights to left hand drive, my bros Audi A5 use to have a simple option on the 'idrive' to focus the lights the other way. Does yours have it?

Ive got adaptive xenons dont know if i can do something with them?

Friend of mine said i need stickers or something to put on the headlights

Do i need to get a copy of my insurance to say im covered in europe? Did you get stopped much out there or any hassle?

Will probably cost me full tank just to get to dover in x6 lol

Going to try fit some kind of alarm system before i take it out there tho

[Kerr]

I'd be leaving the car at home.

You're likely to have issues at the tunnel with all that nonsense going on.

It's bad enough driving in Cities as it is, but if you haven't got a clue where you're going, it is much worse.

The plane is usually cheap and takes an hour. You won't have the worry of having your car with you, you'll cut out huge amounts of time using transport, you'll be able to relax, have a beer and enjoy the break.

Having the car will be a pain.

[The0pportunist]

Technically you do need stickers for your headlights but then you also need hi-vis jacket, breathalyzer + more in the car when going through France. I didn’t think I needed any of that stuff till I got into Eurotunnel duty free, where there was a poster with a nice long list of useless shit that are required. Maybe I was just lucky, did not get pulled over or ever asked to show I had them.

I took my insurance policy and the green card thingy (your insurance company will be able to send this over), the green card basically shows you have the correct insurance, the countries you go through to get to Dam does not require this but some EU countries do by law. I had it all but again never asked to produce it.

Cost:

Fuel = £90
Eurotunnel = £60
=£150

£50 (3 passengers) return is the cheapest I have ever got to Dam.
The drive is long enough to feel like a proper road trip & short enough to not completely tire you out.

Have fun.

[dy63]

Originally Posted by Kerr

I'd be leaving the car at home.

You're likely to have issues at the tunnel with all that nonsense going on.

It's bad enough driving in Cities as it is, but if you haven't got a clue where you're going, it is much worse.

The plane is usually cheap and takes an hour. You won't have the worry of having your car with you, you'll cut out huge amounts of time using transport, you'll be able to relax, have a beer and enjoy the break.

Having the car will be a pain.

plane is probably the cheapest route but im not opting for that really. just want to take my car on a long journey and enjoy.

do the CCC satnav In BMW work well in Europe?

Originally Posted by The0pportunist

Technically you do need stickers for your headlights but then you also need hi-vis jacket, breathalyzer + more in the car when going through France. I didn’t think I needed any of that stuff till I got into Eurotunnel duty free, where there was a poster with a nice long list of useless shit that are required. Maybe I was just lucky, did not get pulled over or ever asked to show I had them.

I took my insurance policy and the green card thingy (your insurance company will be able to send this over), the green card basically shows you have the correct insurance, the countries you go through to get to Dam does not require this but some EU countries do by law. I had it all but again never asked to produce it.

Cost:

Fuel = £90
Eurotunnel = £60
=£150

£50 (3 passengers) return is the cheapest I have ever got to Dam.
The drive is long enough to feel like a proper road trip & short enough to not completely tire you out.

Have fun.

ahh thanks... ferry is coming out £150 alone from dover to Calais lol

might try the tunnel then hopefully next month it should calm down.

any other advice you can give me when I get out there?

[DriverLDN]

Hi Raj,

I think most of the guys have covered all the main stuff. My wife and I drive into Europe quite often and we go to Belgium a lot, which is on the way to Amsterdam. Eurotunnel is by far the easiest way, Ferry is ok, but there is a lot of waiting around. Its a really easy route to Belgium, you pretty much get off the Eurotunnel and head on the E40 straight into Belgium. I'd recommend stopping off in Ghent, its a lovely place, great food, beer, wine, chocolate and lots to see. Driving wise from my experience, people are more disciplined compared to drivers in the UK. People over take and then resume the correct lane again, people seem to use cruise control a lot more.

Compulsory things you need for France, Belgium & Netherlands:

Original V5 Document
Certificate of Motor Insurance
GB Sticker (If you have one on your number plate you're ok)
Warning Triangle for breakdowns
Reflective Jacket for each person in the car (These should be kept in the car as you're suppose to have the on before you leave the car incase of a breakdown)
Headlamp adjustment (I carry these in the car, but never fit them as I usually drive in daylight hours)
Breathalyzer is compulsory for France

I'd recommend taking extras such as tyre weld, electric pump, fire extinguisher and whatever else gives you peace of mind in case of breakdown.

Regarding SatNav devices, French law says that any devices which have speed camera alerts on need to have the alerts disabled. If you have a newer SatNav device, they switch to a mode called Dangerzone mode (Nothing to do with Topgun) which tells you you're in a speed camera area, but it doesn't tell you exactly where it is. Their generally behind bridges from what I've seen. My advice is just stick to the speedlimit on the road to be on the safe size, although it is tempting to put your foot down.

I also have this stuck to my window in view, its a handy reminder for speed conversion at a glance:

Speed Right

This one is handy for roundabouts:

Drive Right

Here is a timelapse video I do from South East London to Ghent last year, gives you an idea of how easy the route is:

Bhavik Drives to Ghent

Have a good trip!!

[dy63]

Originally Posted by Bhavik

Hi Raj,

I think most of the guys have covered all the main stuff. My wife and I drive into Europe quite often and we go to Belgium a lot, which is on the way to Amsterdam. Eurotunnel is by far the easiest way, Ferry is ok, but there is a lot of waiting around. Its a really easy route to Belgium, you pretty much get off the Eurotunnel and head on the E40 straight into Belgium. I'd recommend stopping off in Ghent, its a lovely place, great food, beer, wine, chocolate and lots to see. Driving wise from my experience, people are more disciplined compared to drivers in the UK. People over take and then resume the correct lane again, people seem to use cruise control a lot more.

Compulsory things you need for France, Belgium & Netherlands:

Original V5 Document
Certificate of Motor Insurance
GB Sticker (If you have one on your number plate you're ok)
Warning Triangle for breakdowns
Reflective Jacket for each person in the car (These should be kept in the car as you're suppose to have the on before you leave the car incase of a breakdown)
Headlamp adjustment (I carry these in the car, but never fit them as I usually drive in daylight hours)
Breathalyzer is compulsory for France

I'd recommend taking extras such as tyre weld, electric pump, fire extinguisher and whatever else gives you peace of mind in case of breakdown.

Regarding SatNav devices, French law says that any devices which have speed camera alerts on need to have the alerts disabled. If you have a newer SatNav device, they switch to a mode called Dangerzone mode (Nothing to do with Topgun) which tells you you're in a speed camera area, but it doesn't tell you exactly where it is. Their generally behind bridges from what I've seen. My advice is just stick to the speedlimit on the road to be on the safe size, although it is tempting to put your foot down.

I also have this stuck to my window in view, its a handy reminder for speed conversion at a glance:

Speed Right

This one is handy for roundabouts:

Drive Right

Here is a timelapse video I do from South East London to Ghent last year, gives you an idea of how easy the route is:

Bhavik Drives to Ghent

Have a good trip!!

Hi Bhavik,

appreciated! Seems like you go often...loved the video and wow it seems so easy and straight forward...just get on the eurotunnel and get off and drive.

i will make sure i get all the needed things from the list...and defo think i will be needing them stickers as it will be my first time driving in europe.

when you get off in calais i take it all the speed signs are in kmh? many cameras to watch out for? i may struggle sticking at 80mph the whole journey lol

im hoping my bmw CCC nav in the x6 will not let me down in europe and i dont think it has any speed camera warning things anyway.

[The0pportunist]

Originally Posted by Bhavik

Hi Raj,

Compulsory things you need for France, Belgium & Netherlands:

Original V5 Document
Certificate of Motor Insurance
GB Sticker (If you have one on your number plate you're ok)
Warning Triangle for breakdowns
Reflective Jacket for each person in the car (These should be kept in the car as you're suppose to have the on before you leave the car incase of a breakdown)
Headlamp adjustment (I carry these in the car, but never fit them as I usually drive in daylight hours)
Breathalyzer is compulsory for France

Carrying around your V5 is a big ask, what if its stolen, the thief can claim they paid cash for the car.

[zltm089]

Amsterdam is awesome! Enjoy!

[DriverLDN]

Originally Posted by cupraraj

Hi Bhavik,

appreciated! Seems like you go often...loved the video and wow it seems so easy and straight forward...just get on the eurotunnel and get off and drive.

i will make sure i get all the needed things from the list...and defo think i will be needing them stickers as it will be my first time driving in europe.

when you get off in calais i take it all the speed signs are in kmh? many cameras to watch out for? i may struggle sticking at 80mph the whole journey lol

im hoping my bmw CCC nav in the x6 will not let me down in europe and i dont think it has any speed camera warning things anyway.

Glad it helps Raj, yes when you get into Calais all the signs will be in Kmh, generally people over there do speed, everyone is generally cruising around at 90mph depending on how busy the road is.

In regards to speed camera's just follow the locals, when your in a speed camera zone, they show the sign below as you enter it, so you'll notice everyone will slow down and then speed up again.



Some roads have two speed limits, it will have one for dry weather and one for wet weather. Sometimes you'll also see a speed limit for trucks.

While I believe the French are quite strict with speeding, I've not as yet seen Police on the roads with speed traps etc, but I guess that's just down to luck.

[imy]

I go Amsterdam once or twice a yr and have been doing so for the last 10yrs. Ive driven a few times, and taking the Chunnel I usually do door to door in around 5 - 5 1/2 hrs depending on driving. Motorways in Europe are much better than here and free flowing. Regarding speed - as Bahvik mentions above they do drive quite spirited all across France and Belgium, I usually just tail the fastest car, never been done or seen anyone done for speeding.

The centre of Dam is a ball ache for driving tbh. Parking is the same prices as central London and its not always easy finding a spot. Summer in Dam is also rammed, its extremely busy, but if your going September time you may get lucky. Best bet for driving is usually leaving it in a car park just outside the city, they are generally secure and reasonably priced.

Depending on what your trip is for I wouldn't recommend staying near the airport. Its not a great journey back especially if your there to "party", and I don't think services run all night.

As above Dam is wicked! Its my second home and you will have a great time there!

[Wayne-G]

I've just recently returned from a trip to Germany last week. We stopped off in Brussels on the way too.

We got the ferry over as the euro tunnel was around £100 more because we booked up quite last minute. Next time we will definatley get the tunnel to save time.
Some other lads I know went a couple of days later than us and the euro tunnel was cheaper than what we got our ferry for. The waiting around for the ferry is a ball ache, luckily we arrived a fair bit earlier as we set off earlier due to 'Operation Stack' so we got put on an earlier ferry.

As for the headlight stickers, we Didn't fit any but you ARE supposed to if you drive at night. They hassle you on the ferry to Buy headlight stickers and a GB sticker if your number plate doesn't have it on.

Good thing about Europe is the price of fuel over there is far far cheaper than over here, it was around €1.20 around France which always helps, was even cheaper in Germany too!
As already covered by Bhavik, the roads are excellent. People make a fuss of driving in Europe but it was a doddle, but maybe not in Amsterdam by the sounds of it.

Enjoy your trip!