Traveling in England by car. Great Britain-England - a trip by car, interesting routes and subtleties of travel Great Britain route by car
Travel half of Europe by car on the way from Moscow to London? Nothing complicated! Nadezhda Agonen, together with her boyfriend, made a great auto-trip and now reports on what she saw in nine parts. In the first - a little about the preparation and travel outside of Russia.
View from the car windowTo drive across Europe to London with the instability of the currency seemed madness to many - but not to us. Taking into account that we have only two weeks of vacation, and ignoring the rising euro, we enlisted the support of loved ones, made a route, filled a full tank of gasoline and set off on a trip.
In fact, we didn’t really even know how to prepare for such a trip, so we took on everything at once. We carefully thought out the route so that daytime hauls would not be too tiring, and there would be strength and desire for at least a cursory tour of the cities. We agreed with our friends and acquaintances abroad about the possibility of staying with them for the night. We studied the sights of several countries and selected the most interesting of them (in our opinion, of course). We also got acquainted with national cuisines and identified restaurants that we want to visit. And, of course, we read hundreds of pages of forums and thematic magazines in order to be prepared for any surprises.
What to take on a trip
Probably the first and most important question that we puzzled over was the question of what to take with us on a trip.
1. Firstly, since we wanted to capture this trip in as much detail as possible, we had a lot of equipment with us. A car's cigarette lighter wouldn't be able to handle that much volume, so we took two extra batteries to charge phones, a tablet, and small cameras.
2. Speaking of sockets: in the UK they are different from the European ones, so an adapter will come in handy. In Switzerland, you will need an adapter if you have powerful appliances (with a “thick” plug).
3. Since our trip to Norway, we have installed a navigator with a map of Western Europe on our tablet - quite expensive, but working without the Internet. We have repeatedly regretted incomplete coverage in Belarus, Poland and the Czech Republic. In addition to building the route you need and calculating the time, the navigator is useful in finding campsites and gas stations. The latter is very important, because gasoline is significantly more expensive on the highway.
4. To travel abroad by car, you need an international civil liability insurance policy "Green Card". Such insurance is issued not for the driver, but for the car, so it does not matter who will be driving. You need to make a "Green Card" no earlier than a month before the trip. The standard terms of validity of insurance are 15 days or a month. You can get a document from any insurance company. However, if you have not thought about insurance in advance, then you should know that closer to the border with Belarus, Green Cards are sold along the highway.
5. Take some food in the car: fruit, muesli bars, something to drink. Regular stops for fifteen minutes will help not only to refresh and rejuvenate a little, but also distract you from the rather monotonous landscape outside the car window, which is typical for many countries.
6. We took a tent and sleeping bags with us, as we planned to spend a couple of nights on the way back at campsites.
7. Take cameras, cameras, phones with you - in general, everything that can capture your trip.
After we loaded everything listed above into the trunk, we headed towards Belarus. It was decided to make a stop for lunch in the city of Yartsevo in the Staroe Ruslo cafe, conveniently located on the M1 highway. Judging by the large number of occupied tables, the establishment is popular. There was a difference of opinion about the taste of the food, but most definitely the portions were large. Ginger lemonade at the end of the meal perfectly quenched our thirst, and we moved on.
If you don’t feel like eating at a roadside tavern, then go to Smolensk. It will not take you much more time, and in return you will be able to see one more city, especially since Smolensk is worth it.
The next stop on our way was Belarus…
TRAVEL BY CAR AND RENT
Tourists arriving in the UK and planning to use a motor vehicle must have an international driver's license valid for at least another 2 years or an International Driving Permit issued abroad, as well as insurance and documents for the car.
The main thing for proper driving:
drive on the left side of the road;
skip forward cars driving on the right;
rebuild in the outer (left) lane;
do not change lanes to the inner (right) lane;
let the cars moving on the right pass ahead, except when the opposite is prescribed by a sign;
allow ambulances and other emergency services to pass ahead;
the driver and passengers must always wear seat belts;
children under 3 years old in the front seat must be in a child seat; in the back seat - only if there are seat belts;
children from 3 to 11 children up to 1.50 m tall must use a child seat, if available. However, in any case, they must be fastened with seat belts;
12 and 13 year old children over 1.50 m tall must wear seat belts;
it is forbidden to use a car horn in residential areas from 23:30 to 07:00;
it is forbidden to use a mobile phone while driving;
driving while intoxicated is prohibited;
private cars are allowed to travel on the bus line only at certain times, which are indicated on different sections of a particular bus route.
Many sections of highways have CCTV cameras that record everything that happens on the roads, including the speed of cars.
Permitted speed:
in residential areas - 30 mph (48 km/h);
on one-way roads - 60 mph (96 km/h);
on dual carriageways (motorways) - 70 mph (112 km/h).
There is no "Main Road" sign.
Many intersections in London also do not have a sign "Give Way"- only a marking triangle.
Be careful with parking. In the city center, parking on the streets is prohibited. The car must be placed in a parking lot or on a paid parking lot on the roadway with a parking meter or free, but not more than 2 hours.
Sign "Residents Parking"("Resident Parking") means that only permanent residents with the appropriate permit may park here, and not temporary guests. Parking ticket can be bought from the machine "pay and display meter".
Always read the parking time carefully, because. it is different everywhere. Each paid car park has a meter that records the time of parking in a given place. The counter accepts 20p, 50p and £1 coins. In some car parks, parking for 15 minutes is free.
There are very few toll roads in the UK compared to other European countries.
The London Toll is charged for being able to drive within the center of London at certain times.
The toll zone is 8 sq. miles in the city center and is limited by the so-called "Inner Ring Road" (Inner Ring Road) . There is no charge for using the "Inner Ring Road".
There are no barriers or special booths on the borders of the said zone. You also must not show any tickets or other documents. The borders are controlled by cameras that capture all the license plates of passing cars, on the basis of which the necessary fee is then paid. The cameras recognize both British and other European numbers.
The fee can be paid daily or weekly. All contributions are made in British currency only. Payment can also be made in advance (90 or less before your arrival in London) at website tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging
It is not obligatory to pay before entering the zone, but it is necessary to make a payment before 22:00 of the current day in order to avoid a fine.
You can also pay by phone +44 207 649 9122 using credit or debit cards. You will need the registration number of your car, information about the payment period and your payment card. Be sure to save the receipt number as proof of payment. Another option to pay the London toll is toll machines installed in all major fleets, at some gas stations and in shops with the London toll sign.
In different companies you will find different prices for car rental. The rental price will depend not only on the size and model of the car, but also on the location where the rental company is located (for example, at the airport, the cost will be much higher).
A credit card number is accepted as a deposit. Rental conditions vary. One of the main requirements is to have a driver's license valid for at least one year. In some companies, two years.
The car is rented only to persons who have reached the age of 21 and up to 75 years.
Contact details of some car rental companies in the UK:
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1-888-223-5555 Information on the Highlands, a mountainous region of Northern Scotland, can be requested in advance from the Central Tourist Information Centre. Tel: 0044-1463-252 401 |
I arrived in London at Heathrow Airport on 03/07/2012 18-15 local time, Moscow time was already 22-15. In winter the time difference is 4 hours, in summer 3 hours.
I booked the car at home via the Internet in the company Enterprise. An international driver's license is required to book a car. Having studied a lot of reviews about different companies providing car rental services, I conditionally divided them into two categories: the first is companies that directly own cars, the second is companies that sell vouchers that give the right to rent a car in the place you ordered from the first.
Voucher sellers do not give any guarantee that you will receive the ordered car at the time and place specified by you, and I decided to narrow the search to the companies of the owners. Hertz and AVIS are the most famous brands in the car rental market, but they are also very overpriced, so I chose Enterprise.
I took an economy class car, but with an automatic gearbox, believing that it would be very awkward for me to switch gears with my left hand. The model, in our opinion, would be called the Opel Corsa, but with the steering wheel in the glove compartment, it was called the Vauxhall.
In the lobby of the airport there are numerous racks of offices that rent cars. Among them, I found Enterprise, but the employee was no longer there, late at 19-00, but you just need to pick up the phone and say that I booked a car, they will tell you which bus stop you need to get off and send a shuttle to it. And so it happened, and I got my car, and headed for Bridlington.
The total should have been 233 mil. (372 km), 4 hours 15 minutes. Not a long distance at all, but everything was complicated by left-hand traffic and the time in Moscow was already 23-30. The road to York is a freeway, illuminated in many places, the traffic is quite dense, despite the late hours and Sunday evening. After York, a local road of only 2 lanes begins. There are fields on the sides of the road, I saw a lot of hares, it’s strange how they didn’t eat all the grass in the local fields.
You quickly get used to driving in a straight line in England, but at interchanges and intersections, of course, there is an explosion of the brain, it is very difficult to get used to it. So I did a route from London to and then a couple of times I rode to York and back, from Bridlington to London. From York to I traveled by train.
You need to rent a car with a full tank, filled the tank is not far from the rental office.
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She loves to travel and has already visited Central and South America, Southeast Asia, the USA and many European countries. But the next trip to the UK was not quite usual for the traveler - the wedding of Daria's relative was planned in London, so the girl was accompanied by all the common relatives from Minsk. How to gather relatives in the UK, party at an English wedding, rent 3 cars for 15 people and show the older generation that independent travel is very cool - read below.
Preparation, car rental and all relatives in the collection
The wedding of my husband's cousin Katya (she has been living in London for 10 years) and Englishman Tom at the end of December last year was an excellent occasion to gather all our Belarusian relatives and rush to England. And then all together go on a big trip around the UK and celebrate the New Year there.
My husband Max was unanimously chosen as the leader and main organizer of the trip. We already had dozens of completed routes in Asia, the USA, Central and South America, and Europe. Max approached the matter responsibly: he thought over the route for a long time, taking into account the wishes of other participants, and booked a car and accommodation in advance. There were 15 people and 3 cars in total.
Booking a car with Sixt at Stansted Airport a few months before the trip is a great way to save money. Our trip fell on the Christmas holidays and many rental companies raised the rental price. Renting a Peugeot 3008 car cost us £250 for 7 days (and £300 was blocked on the map). The cost of gasoline in the UK is £ 1.2-1.3 per liter. We refused insurance, although the Sixt worker tried to persuade us to take this very insurance. By the way, after the trip, we decided that next time we would definitely buy it. Because when we returned the car, they found fault with us because of tiny stone chips on the windshield. Good thing they didn't get fined.
My husband and I flew to London from Vilnius, and my parents and other relatives flew from Minsk. On the night before the flight, Belavia employees called the parents and informed them that the flight to London was postponed indefinitely. Two flying drones were found flying over the runway at London Gatwick Airport, the airport was closed. But, fortunately, everything worked out, and the Belarusian relatives flew out only a few hours later than the scheduled time.
Something about an English wedding
The wedding of Katya and Tom took place in the Gothic chapel of King's College, Cambridge. This chapel was built in the 15th century, and Sir Newton himself got married here. The newlyweds waited in line for a whole year to get married in this place. The magnificence of the chapel cannot be expressed in words: the stained-glass windows cast a colorful kaleidoscope under the rays of light, the carved 30-meter ceiling flies up as if into the sky, and the ancient organ played even at Newton's wedding.
The choir sang with a magic flute inside the chapel, everyone lit candles, and the groom Tom was dressed in a traditional wedding suit: striped trousers, a vest, a bright tie and tailcoat. Feathers rustled on the hats of English ladies. A hat for women, like a tailcoat for men, is an essential element of attire at an English wedding.
When the bride Katya was swimming arm in arm with dad, the long train of her dress was carried by kids in dwarf costumes, and the witness brought up the rear. The English wedding ceremony lasts so long that the children even managed to fall asleep on the benches under the preaching of the priest.
Next, we were waiting for a buffet in the building of the King's College, where English and Belarusian guests mixed. As the tiny snacks and drinks were handed out, the English chatted enthusiastically. Favorite topics: who we are to the newlyweds, the weather, politics, is it good for us to live in Belarus. The English told us what is the difference between the English language in Great Britain and America. According to their version, the difference is that Americans always say what they think, and therefore their language is simpler. And the British will never say their thoughts directly - instead they will start to have ornate conversations.
There were no mayonnaise salads and millions of appetizers at the empty wedding tables. There are no hosts and contests at an English wedding either. And if you came to the holiday as a couple, you will be seated and diluted with the British, so that conversations continue to flow like water.
At English weddings, only 3 people speak in the form of a toast: the father of the bride, the groom and the witness. It is not customary to give cash to the bride and groom at the wedding. Newlyweds make a list in advance of what they need for a happy life together. Guests choose from a list and send gifts by mail. Well, money can be transferred to a special account (honeymoon fund).
After the festive dinner, all the guests began to dance. Belarusian relatives even brought dances with them: polka, oyra and round dances (they even trained with a choreographer). The British were wildly delighted - they did not know such dances yet, but they quickly picked up everything. Well, after the dances, the guests quietly and peacefully went home.
Drunk Liverpool
The next day, we, 15 people from different generations and times, went further - on our big journey. To say that everyone was stunned by right-hand drive cars and from left-hand traffic is to say nothing. It was a real brain explosion, especially for the older generation. Although the whole format of our trip, with daily transfers and overnight stays in hotels and Airbnb apartments, was, in principle, a novelty for our older relatives.
First stop was Liverpool. We arrived after dark and checked into the hotel. Everyone immediately noted the tribute to the English tradition and commitment to the principles of economy - even in the hotel, hot and cold water taps were separate. To wash your hands with water at a comfortable temperature, you need to plug the sink drain and collect water there.
Liverpool seemed to me a little tipsy: crowds of drunk people, dirty streets, noisy pubs. We walked along the famous Matthew street pubs, looked into The Cavern club, where the Beatles performed for the first time, ended up on the Albert Dock. Albert Dock is a collection of trendy bars and clubs in the former warehouses and docks of the city. In the evening, the lights are turned on here and the harbor is transformed.
Liverpool breathes the history of the Beatles: the Beatles museum, sculptures of each of the band members, a pub where a famous band liked to drink a pint of beer, a gift shop.
“Our entire trip was filled with savings and the care of older relatives: huge bags were taken out of supermarkets for the very “you never know” case, food was carefully transported from one city to another”
Typical Scotland and Christmas in Belarusian
Then we went together to Scottish Glasgow, looking along the Lake District Park road. Nature in "good old England" and "typical Scotland" (as my husband's dad likes to say) is magical even in winter.
We got to Glasgow late in the evening, on the eve of Christmas. There is not a soul on the streets, everything is closed, the Christmas tree on the main square is sparkling with lights, frost is biting on the cheeks. We promised ourselves to return here again - Glasgow is worthy of a more thorough examination.
Then we moved to the ancient city of Inverness, which met us with bridges spanning the River Ness and the Inverness Castle on a hill. Near the city is the village of Tom Aitinn, where the famous Scotch whiskey Tomatin is produced. And Inverness itself is a great starting point for further travel along the NC500.
Christmas in the UK is a family holiday. A few days before the holiday, you can buy special Christmas cakes with raisins - mince pies in shops, and establishments prepare a festive menu. But December 25 and the next day - Boxing day - are the official holidays. Even gas stations are not open these days.
We spent Christmas in an Airbnb house. On the table, instead of the traditional turkey, there was a potato, because the father of the husband does not recognize other food.
In general, our entire trip was filled with savings and care from older relatives: huge bags were taken out of supermarkets for the very “you never know” case, food was carefully transported from one city to another. And in the evenings we had real parties with supplies from shops, cognac captured “just in case” from Minsk, and an exchange of emotions from the day.
NC500 track
Driving along one of the most beautiful tracks - NC 500, we only had time to admire the nature of Scotland - the highlands of the Highlands. Royal forests were replaced by mountains, villages and sheep were buried in the fog on green fields, ancient castles appeared in the distance as if from a picture. On narrow hilly roads, the older generation's heart skipped a beat and their eyes automatically closed - it was so unusual for them to drive through such terrain. On the same day, we ended up in a real Scottish castle on a haunted hill - Dunrobin, where he filmed scenes from Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon. It was December 26, we did not get inside the castle and did not see a single tourist nearby. But the gate leading to the garden was open, and we were able to view the building from all sides. The castle belongs to the Scottish Sutherland family. Around the building there is a huge garden with fountains and rare plants, and from the hill overlooking the sea. In the summer, concerts and various events are held here. An extremely impressive place.
By the way, moving on the roads of Great Britain is very convenient. Every 30-40 kilometers there are special parking lots with large food courts and shops. Before the trip, I was worried that I, a vegetarian, would have nothing to eat in British establishments. But even in the most remote village, there were always options for vegans and vegetarians on the menu.
Whiskey tour, haggis and 400 year old pub
Next up was Edinburgh. The older generation went on a whiskey tour (from which they concluded that cognac is still cooler). The younger (that is, we) - walk around the city. At the Christmas market, we took a ride on a flying carousel, our hands almost touching the monument to the writer Walter Scott. Then we tried all the local dishes to the sounds of the Scottish bagpipes: haggis - lamb offal with oatmeal (there are also for vegetarians), nips and tattis - mashed turnips and potatoes, Scottish pies with filling, fudge - milk toffee. Then we walked along the Royal Mile (Royal mile) - an old confusing quarter that leads to the castle of Edinburgh. Then we climbed up the hill Calton Hill (Calton Hill), which offers a view of the whole city. And in the evening we looked into the 400-year-old pub "The Last Drop". According to legend, it used to be on the way to the city gallows, and each condemned was allowed to drink the last pint of beer here.
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Miracles of Progress and New Skills
Our trip ended in London. The city was overflowing with tourists, the shopping Oxford Street did not accommodate people, in the center everyone moved literally in single file. London shone like a magic box, buzzed and swelled with people. This was our third time in London, so we tried to spend more time in a quiet area where we rented an apartment than in a crowded center.
“It was great to watch adult relatives: they came out of their usual environment, were surprised at everything and cautiously accepted something new”
By the end of the trip, we finally persuaded our parents and other relatives to take advantage of the benefits of civilization. We installed maps on their phones, told them how to get directions, and introduced them to Uber. The adults were delighted! Now they themselves, without our help, moved around the city. They even exchanged old pounds for new ones using the magic Russian words "we are tourists".
Travel has given us a great experience of interacting with the older generation on the road. We learned to interact with each other, respect and accept. It was great to watch adult relatives: they came out of their usual environment, were surprised at everything and cautiously accepted something new. And we are happy that we were able to show our relatives how you can travel without the usual patterns and boundaries.
Life hacks for traveling in the UK by car:
1. Book a car in advance at rental companies with a lot of good reviews. This is a great way to save money and avoid problems when returning a car.
2. Buy insurance when renting a car. Even minor damage can result in a large amount.
3. Be mentally prepared for left-hand traffic. But don't worry too much - drivers in the UK are very polite and always give way.
4. In many cities in the UK - the trouble with parking, plus they are often paid. Therefore, always check the availability of parking near hotels and rented apartments.
5. It is better not to go to the center of London or other large cities by car - you will get tired of traffic jams and traffic. Double-decker city buses are a great alternative.
6. On the highway, you can always stop at special parking lots with many shops and cafes to rest for a while.
A photo: Daria Andrianova , cookiesncandies, Marina Weishaupt, static.thousandwonders.net, www.telegraph.co.uk, www.visitscotland.com, handluggageonly.co.uk
As it turned out, driving to England and then returning is a very real event. After a trip to St. Petersburg for an RHCP concert, the car was left in Ryazan (trip report:)
As a result, the route turned out like this: Ryazan - Moscow - Brest - Dresden - Bruges - Hoole - Leeds - London - Dover - Calais - Berlin - Bobrovniki - Ryazan - Nizhny Novgorod - Ufa - Chelyabinsk
Beware of traffic and a lot of bukaf
Introduction:
When I said that I would go or went to England by car, people immediately had a question: "What the hell? It's cheaper by plane!" This is true, but I just wanted a car trip, a little longer than a trip to St. Petersburg (my first longest trip). Moreover, it was quite a fortunate combination of circumstances. Our company, in fact, is the technical department of an English company. On one of our visits, sitting in a bathhouse with Big Boss, my friend and I talked about our plans to go to St. Petersburg by car, to which we were asked in return: "Is it weak to England?" The idea settled in my head. And what? Live in England wherever possible, MB will be paid part of the travel expenses, etc. etc..
As a result, the car was laid up in Ryazan after a trip to St. Petersburg in July and waited for us until September - back to Che, perhaps stopping by London on the way.
The agonizing months of waiting, correspondence and preparation of documents began, during which time I even managed to get married =)
Training
We approached the issue of preparation somewhat in a gouging way: we planned a couple of hotels, read a couple of articles, wrote out the phones we needed. that's all..
They took the following with them:
The documents:
- International passport
- Insurance for the car (green card came out about 1500 for 2 weeks)
- English visa
- Schengen visa (obtained through Spain)
- Photocopies of all documents
There were no special problems with the preparation of visas, except that passports with visas arrived 4 hours before the train departure, and until that moment we didn’t know for sure whether we had a visa or not.
Navigation:
- Navitel 5.x for Russia and Belarus, for Europe, as a fallback 3.x + openstreetmap.org maps
- Garmin, was taken from friends to use, I don’t know what cards were there ... but I drove more or less adequately, except for Poland (I didn’t know A2)
- Atlas of roads of Russia and Europe, though old, about 2000
- Map of Poland (bought at a gas station in Poland itself, because the navigator lied shamelessly)
- A couple of printouts from Google maps, how to get to the right addresses
After Peter left:
- Cigarette lighter builder
- Navigator
- Phone charger
- Set of tools
- Repair book
- Spare parts (alternator belt, fuses, 2 spas)
- Pump, spare wheel, warning triangle
Additionally took:
- Fuses for electronics from the cigarette lighter (because it was not a very happy experience to stay in Kazakhstan without a navigator due to a blown fuse)
- Medicines for all occasions
- Reflective vest
- Thermoses
- Inflatable bed
- Hookah
- Navigator with Garmin
- Old win mobile phone with navigation
- A set of bulbs for all headlights
Drive
For some reason, no one supported our idea of a trip, and as a result, we drove together in two steering wheels in a 2007 Chevrolet Lanos with a Conder, with a mileage at the time of leaving Ryazan a little less than 80k, we hit the road.
Upon arrival, it turned out that the battery died in 2 months (they forgot to remove the terminal), and the rear right wheel stuck - not the most rosy start of the journey. But these problems were successfully solved, and stickers symbolizing the journey appeared on the car.
It is worth clarifying that my friend and I split up a bit: he went a day earlier in order to prepare the car, and I stayed to wait for our passports. After my arrival in Ryazan by train and a short smoke break for a shower, we went to Dresden. Despite the Sunday, Moscow met us with "small" traffic jams. We reached Belarus easily, despite a modest downpour.
if the navigators break down, then we will fly along the Belomor pack (c) an old Soviet joke
respect to the gas station workers walked, poured boiling water for so when the rest did not want to
duck is watching!
I was surprised by the complete absence of a border: only one sign on a blue background and a navigator made us happy that we were already outside of Russia.
The roads in Belarus were a pleasant surprise. They wanted to go through Bobrovniki, but they did not find them in the navigators, and if they did, the navigators led through such jungle that they decided to go through Brest. were without an Internet, so they did not know where the line was. On the way, we refueled with cheap Belarusian gasoline (by the way, can anyone explain why it is cheaper than in Russia?)
we are somewhere here:
When we arrived in Brest, we were sad ... we planned to cross the border at night for another hour, but it turned out to be 3-4 hours, but then they told us that this is not the worst thing that happens
having stood for 1.5-2 hours, we stop at customs
smoke another hour
and go to the Polish part of the border
waiting again
and that's it! we are in the eurozone!
Poland met us with an interesting organization of a 2-lane road: there are two lanes, but there is also a wide roadside, where they are rebuilt to make it possible to overtake. And if someone flies in your forehead, then you also need to change lanes ... it's so customary here ..
we drove along this road to Warsaw, where a stupid woman from the navigator led us through the very center, with an almost empty tank and no gas stations along the way. In addition, we drove around country roads for about 150-200 km until we got onto a 4-lane toll road to Berlin (on the way back, we learned that these 4 lanes start almost from Warsaw itself). Somewhere in the Warsaw area, we got lost .. the natives do not understand Russian or English, they only showed with gestures where Berlin is located \u003d)
Where are we???
a little later there was a Polish toll road, go yourself and that's it .. not interesting. we are here:
from the German autobahns, a stupid woman led us into what a jungle ... they have very narrow roads there and a sign "do not drive into a tree"
Incidentally, this is still our first run. it remains to go about 200-300km to the hotel. met someone with 74 regions on a black Kruzak, blinked, but he flew further ..
and here we are in a hotel in Dresden (3 * came out about 40 euros without breakfast for two)
our haul was 31 hours and 2200 km, this hour we will test Tatra polka beer
(that still turned out to be disgusting) and walk around the city.
of course, don't forget to taste the local beer
nothing so it turned out, it won that one in a beer competition
Reference: along the way, we decided to try at least 2 beers a day and choose the best
we are already here, the second day is coming, we are going to Bruges:
Germany pleased with its autobahns, but not with the prices of gasoline and paid toilets at gas stations.
the maximum was about 170 on the navigator from the hill with a fair wind (the discrepancy with the speedometer was about 10 km / h), and they also walked around us as if standing. on average, the flow goes about 135-145, it was relatively real to stay in it, unless you go uphill. but still 86 horses under the hood affect ...
On the way, they tried to call in Cologne, but it didn’t work out, because. traffic jams and incomprehensible entry restrictions
does anyone know about them?
On the way there was Holland, the city of Herlen, where we successfully stopped (anticipating the question, no, they didn’t buy it - they only sell it to locals)
I was amazed that everywhere paid parking and traffic lights for cyclists
We decided to play some tricks and left our mark on the column:
let's move on, we're already here:
and do so
in Belgium there were holes on the roads .. and not in one place
There were a couple of fails in Bruges:
The first is that only automatic gas stations work at night and only accept a master card. and the locals do not want to refuel from their card and take cash, as a result they refueled with cheap Belarusian gasoline
the second fail - we arrive at the specified address, but there is no hotel ... it turned out that the city was mistaken. we needed Oostkamp Bruges (respect to someone with open wifi, because we did not have printouts with the coordinates of the hotel, only the address)
the haul is over (about 900 km and 9.5 hours), the 4 * hotel came out 70 euros for two, breakfast is not included, now you can have a beer
the left Leffe is the clear winner of this evening.
The next morning we had about 10 hours before the ferry. let's go for a walk
bought a terrible cheese ... it stank so much after 3 packages that it was thrown out before reaching Che
we are going to the city center, there are some signs about parking on the right ..
paving stones
and a tin with parking, in order to climb here we spent about 15 minutes (15 centimeters in front and behind)
we are here
next to the tower
don't be like everyone else, don't give a damn about the rules
we checked out the local beer Kwak, it's just incomparable, perhaps the best of the whole trip:
I had to find out how many ppm are allowed in Belgium in order to try it (about 4 hours left before leaving for the ferry)
bought on the road:
We drove to the port and did not know the exact address where to go, but everything turned out to be simple, there are signs to the terminals on the road - it’s hard to get lost
while we were standing in the port and waiting for loading, we decided to shake things up
auto-guess number 1:
any ideas?
we are here:
here is the loading:
another day of travel ended, about 20km on the way, the ferry Bruges - Hoole came out 139 pounds, sailing about 14-16 hours. The ferry was a pleasant surprise
the cabin has everything you need
and in the bar there is even a piano and not just eat - they play it
traditional beer battle
won the left Belle-Vue
greeted the dawn in the morning:
we have arrived in England! now there will be passport control:
go!
This is how passport control goes
very friendly uncle, was somewhat surprised, but wished good luck
first meters with left hand traffic, our destination is Leeds
driving along the highway is easy enough, only the pilots are now on the right
on other tracks it is somewhat uncomfortable psychologically, but then you get used to it
oh yes, you need to go to the ring to the left and move clockwise, not like ours, in short ..
having wandered a little, being late for 1.5 hours for work (there was an idea to write to the mailing list "we are late for work, because we missed the ferry and did not calculate the time"). found an office
settled in a corporate apartment in a quiet English residential area
Road Hoole - Leeds took about 2 hours and 120km
traditional beer battle
Cider Bulmers from the bottom photo won everyone
Respect to Sveta and Tolik for a delicious dinner, and to Zhenya for a cheerful company
We spent the next day in the office, maybe someone knows what kind of error it comes up with when installing win2008 r2? could it be a faulty memory?
in the evening, on Friday (and it was Friday), there was a small party
Guinness was incredible.
local english pub too
The next day we went to London
another auto-guessing number 2
red buses... mmm..
with parking in London is bad, even if the parking space is attached to the apartment
Walking around London: the inscription on the pedestrian crossing seems to hint:
prices are not good:
tin is going on on abbey road
everyone climbs to cross, the frames deteriorate, the drivers get nervous.
auto-guess number 3:
no one wants to go to the dark side? they say there are cookies :)
with parking here tin, evacuate everyone
After spending a couple of days in London, we went home. There were 5000 km
we left the city without incident and headed for Dover to take the ferry.
funny signs:
In the port
we are here:
and now in Calais
True, there was a fail here .. we planned to sail to Calais, but sailed to Duncreek, instead of Calais, because we bought the wrong ticket. But Europe is small, 30 km is not a detour
and it's true Calais
we thought it was a signaling buggy, but no ... they spat on everything, decided to go as is. We got to Warsaw perfectly - 4 lanes (the navigator stubbornly did not know about them), we reached Bialystok, and the priest began ... as you remember, the turn signals do not work, the check-engine lights up, night, fog, animals run on the side of the road, a narrow flattering the road, more than 3 km to the house, all this somehow demotivates ... for relaxation, we decided to write a video: point the camera, swear there and go on with a clear conscience. helped.
5 km before the border, a column of parked trucks began, foolishly, we stood behind them. Turns out there were two lines. we got up 700 meters from the entrance to the border, poked around for about 3 hours in the process of finding out why people were climbing along the side of the road, learned about the mythical third line: those who do not plan to return the tax after shopping in the EU ... as a result, they crossed the border in 20 minutes !!! Pole, something long fiddling with the documents, asking about the trip.
Tin, fog began on the territory of Belarus ... it was about 3 am, not a damn thing was visible, we slept for 3 hours at a gas station, and drove on. fog remained, but it was more or less light
at the gas station we saw frost, not very motivating again, but I was glad that the thermometers showed more than 0 and there was sun somewhere
It was already a resurrection. drove up to Moscow. at the entrance we saw Chevrolet officials, we decided to call in - they asked for 2k for diagnostics ... for relay 650. yes, the turn signals did not work. the relay was sticking... but we didn't know where the relay was. neither in the literature, which was with him, nor by touch was found.
As a result, we were diagnosed, showed where the relay was and showed what kind of errors (the check lit up due to errors on the external temperature sensor). knocked on the old relay, took about 800 rubles for everything
Respect to the employees of Gema Motoros for their understanding
We drove the remaining 240 km to Ryazan for about 6 hours ... why is there no "go around Moscow" button in the navigators?
In Ryazan, 5 km before the check-in, for the first time in the entire trip (and this is already more than 10 km), traffic police officers stopped us (I drove straight from the lane only to the left), but after looking at the stickers and listening to the story, they let us go home
Respect to Max for hookah, shower and meat =)
about 2k km and 41 hours on the way
Now the last drive home!
like nothing complicated, though the relay started to fail again. bought on the track new for 60r. set - does not work, changed - worked 50 km ... well, how can you do the details like that? finally cleaned the old relay - it still works.
The road to Naberezhnye Chelny was not interesting ... but then it rained, hail. for 20 km I met a fox, a squirrel and a hare ... They climb into the breach !!! we drive 60 km/h. Somewhere 100 km before Ufa there was an accident, it was impossible to pass - we took a detour through a neighboring road. a wheel was pierced, a wheel was in the trunk, the trunk was clogged up to the very lid .. they changed it, got wet. runs out of petrol. got lost, drove through Dyurduli on the M7, missed the turnoff onto the bypass, drove through the whole city ...
Expenses:
Gasoline 36.5k (of which 7800 - Che-Peter-Ryazan)
Ferries 10k
Toll roads 1.5k
Hotels (4 nights) 8k
Visas per person 10k
Beer about 50 euros, but not more than 100, including cafes.
Consumed along the way
12l drinking water
3 liters of boiling water
5l energy drinks
Conclusions? Beware of your desires, for they come true.
P.S. Chukchi is not a reader, Chukchi is a writer. if you find spelling, punctuation errors, then write in a personal
