[wynne71]

Going to Sorrento in Italia on Monday, driving through France, Switzerland and then into Italy. Spending 4 days driving down, then 5 days in Sorrento, then 5 days driving back.

Setting the car up, I am doing the following, is there anything else obvious that I have missed As the journey will top 3K miles, I need to make sure it is as sorted as possible!

EGR cleaned.
Oil checked.
Head light convertors on.
Tyre pressures increased and checked.
Spare tyre pressure checked.
Washed and waxed.
Spare bulbs/fuses/warning triangle/luminous jacket packed.
Washer fluid filled.
Insurance upgraded to full European cover.
RAC European cover.
Swiss motorway tax purchased.

So, what else??!

All help appreciated.

 

[GTV 3.2 OWNER]

I remember reading in Evo a gadget that you can buy that means you don't have to stop at the French toll booths and lean over to pay......here it is:

sanef / sapn -*Concession et exploitation de réseaux d'autoroute - sanef / sapn

France autoroute tolls, French motorway charges, autobahn, autostrada, autopista fees and costs.


Ah, you are going on Monday....scrap that then.

If you have any form of GPS speed detector like a road angel I'd leave it at home because their illegal in France

 

[wynne71]

Cheers for the link. We looked into that a few weeks ago. They are a brilliant idea, but there is a pretty hefty surcharge for buying and using the tags. So would be ideal if we did the trips regularly, but not for a one off trip. We will have to sit in the queues for a while! Might be a good chance for a rest I think......

Oh, also got a magnetic GB sticker for the rear of the car to stick on.

 

[GTV 3.2 OWNER]

GB sticker?

 

[GTV 3.2 OWNER]

- A couple of Nintendo DS's with loads of games if you have any kids in the back to stop them fighting with each other and for the grown ups to play when they get bored if you don't

- Red Bull

- Sweets - I'm a traditionalist when it comes to sweets in cars and usually go for Werthers Originals or Sherbert Lemons.

- Maybe take some window lean stuff with you to get all the bugs off your windscreen with a tissue

Passports

Other than that I think your pretty sorted!

 

[ponchoj]

Nitrous.

 

[wynne71]

Checked the tyres today, NS rear was at 18psi! Stupid nail right in the middle, sorted now, phew.

No kids, just wife and self. Plenty of sweets packed! Also bug wipes for the windscreen, wipes for the inside of screen to remove sat nav sucker marks.

Looking forward to it now!

 

[PAJ]

I always carry a litre of spare motor oil, in one of the little flip-down cubbyholes in the boot, especially when doing a long journey. Mind you, if yours is a diesel maybe it doesn't get through as much oil as a JTS (I had to top up last year when arriving at my destination in France having covered about 800 miles).

Have a good trip!

 

[EVEL]

Music & Sweets & Sunglasses

 

[wynne71]

Music: iPod full and ready to roll.
Sweets: several packs of Liquorice Allsorts.
Sunglasses: Blocs cleaned and ready to go.

25 layers of wax tomorrow should do, maybe go for 26....... (an excuse to leave the wife to all the other packing, important car jobs to do....)

Had the air-con checked this afternoon, both low and high pressure systems at perfect pressure, temp at the vent at 4.5 degrees. Cool.........

 

[David C]

GB sticker?

The "Euro" on the numberplate symbol is only valid in Europe.
Outside of that (ie Switzerland) you need a proper "GB" sticker (or magnetic/etc).

 

[David C]

If you wear glasses, you need a spare pair in the car.
(not sunglasses)
Remember Switzerland needs the triangle in the car (not in the boot).
HiVis need to be in the car (not boot) everywhere.
Remember the laws on Dipped headlights in daytime.

And if you have a satnav with speed cameras on it, turn the camera feature off in Switzerland & Germany.

 

[wynne71]

The more I read into it the more I think I might by-pass Switzerland altogether! What a PITA is seems.

Cheers for the HiVis in the car, didn't know that. It is in the cargo net in the boot at the moment.

 

[t3yls]

9 days in a car with a woman ....and this is a holiday?

i'd never endorse drink driving, but on this occasion...

but, do have a nice trip!

 

[wynne71]

9 days in a car with a woman ....and this is a holiday?

i'd never endorse drink driving, but on this occasion...

but, do have a nice trip!

Ha, she may be the one drinking after we have done some of the Alps roads! That Q2 may just come into its own......:thumbs:

 

[t3yls]

Ha, she may be the one drinking after we have done some of the Alps roads! That Q2 may just come into its own......:thumbs:

on that basis, I set you a personal challenge to make her scream! (err...whilst driving! )

 

[Persimmon]

The more I read into it the more I think I might by-pass Switzerland altogether! What a PITA is seems.

Cheers for the HiVis in the car, didn't know that. It is in the cargo net in the boot at the moment.

I have to say when we drove down to Italy for the Mille Miglia in May we never has high visability jackets, specials bulbs, GB stickers, masking our headlights etc etc
Search our trip - GTV at Rheims Circuit

We drove the GTV from France through Switzerland and onto Italy and all the way back with not a slightest issue.
In fact it was only at Calais on the way home !! that we even had to show our passport.

Were we lucky. Some might say yes but in four trips to Europe this year in France, Germany Switzerland and Italy never once had an issue with any of this

I did have a triangle borrowed from an Audi but tucked it away in the GTV boot for the whole trip!

Same applies all last year too in the various trips (pleasure and business ).

And I had my Roadangel bang in front stuck on the screen and no one said a word.

Enjoy the trip.
Have fun and drive through the Alps and Switzerland

Alan

 

[gangerlv]

Aa?

 

[gangerlv]

Sounds like my next years trip.

 

[tat2]

aa van to follow u ....only joking when ur in italia check out the alfas the carinbinerie drive have a good one