Driving to Greece

[Mr Cassandra]

Hello

I am driving down beginning of April, in a Nissan Xtrail. The plan is to go via Austria ,Croatia ,Serbia ,Kosovo, Macedonia? Or Bulgaria,Greece, total driving time from Calais to Athens about 30 hours.

Does anyone have any information on this trip and likely weather conditions ?

 

[One A.]

Do you know David Hartley?

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Do you know David Hartley?

No?

 

[One A.]

No?

OK.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

OK.

So helpful

 

[One A.]

He's a bloke that has driven that route, and others for the best part of 15 / 20 odd years every other month, on and off. He's an unsociable sod. But if you had come across him, and got on with him, he would have been your go to man. Soz.

 

[AndrewB]

I now always go via Switzerland, Italy, Ancona ferry to Patras. Approx 16 hours to Ancona from Calais, then overnight to Patras. Early April can be iffy, in particular passing through the Vosges in France where I have hit heavy snowfalls in the past. Switzerland is no hassle, they know how to manage their roads.

However there has been something of a heatwave in SE Europe thsi March, so snow should not be a problem at present.

 

[macd]

...and consider packing a green card and IDP, just in case.

 

[grumpygit]

Hello

I am driving down beginning of April, in a Nissan Xtrail. The plan is to go via Austria ,Croatia ,Serbia ,Kosovo, Macedonia? Or Bulgaria,Greece, total driving time from Calais to Athens about 30 hours.

Does anyone have any information on this trip and likely weather conditions ?

One question, dozens of different replies. Driving the long way round is not a trip for the fainthearted. Some of the roads can be very undesirable and even treacherous if such as pot holes for one are full of water or snow and can't be seen. Stick to daylight hours for driving and keep away from Albania, the weather should ok but it's still only April.
For a more leisurely route, Dunkirk, Luxembourg, Switzerland or Austria, and ferry from Venice to Patras

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I have done the Ancona ferry about 10 times and was looking for a bit of adventure.

 

[macd]

I have done the Ancona ferry about 10 times and was looking for a bit of adventure.

A fine idea (if you allow much more than the nominal driving time you mentioned).
You might also get more adventure than you bargained for if you ignore post #8, but I hope not.

 

[grumpygit]

I have done the Ancona ferry about 10 times and was looking for a bit of adventure.

It sounds like your up for the adventure. If you have no reservations about the distance and the stopovers, go for it.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Going via Ancona it will be I night hotel and 24hours on ferry then 4 hours to Porto rafti ,Driving all the way two nights hotel and three days driving according to Viamitchlin.?

I think Owen Cox did this journey last year ?

 

[ASW11]

It may be worth checking out "magbaztravels.com" which is a very informative site belonging to a Brit couple and contributed to by many. There are lots of tips and thoughts there

 

[Cariadco]

For years now, we've used the same route. Ok so we pay tolls but it's fast and easy, maybe even boring:
-Chunnel to Calais
-Calais, Reims, Dijon, Lyon Airport, Chamberey, Frejus Tunnel, Turin, Parma, Bologna, Ancona.
Roughly 1600kms, 200 euros in Tolls, including 42e for the Frejus tunnel.
We spend a night in the Layon Ibis and the Hotelto in Turin (both dog friendly).

 

[heart of oak]

A british couple have just done this journey ...and logged their travels on youtube........In an x trail too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw2Z5jg3yUY

 

[macd]

Each to his own, Cariadco, but that's a very expensive route. Going via eastern France, Basel, St Gotthard tunnel is at least €100 cheaper, shorter and quicker. (That includes the annual Swiss motorway tax, which is anyway cheaper than a single one-way run through the major French Alpine tunnels.) With a slight wiggle you can also get to fill up in Luxembourg: cheapest road fuel in western Europe. St Gotthard tunnel is best avoided at peak periods, though.

It's worth noting that although the main Italian motorways are amongst the most expensive anywhere (they're owned by Benetton, after all), the secondary motorways/dual carriageways are extensive and free. They won't always coincide with a desired route, but if they do, they're worth considering.

 

[Caladh]

If you go via the Balkans ensure your car insurance will cover the trip.

 

[grumpygit]

For years now, we've used the same route. Ok so we pay tolls but it's fast and easy, maybe even boring:
-Chunnel to Calais
-Calais, Reims, Dijon, Lyon Airport, Chamberey, Frejus Tunnel, Turin, Parma, Bologna, Ancona.
Roughly 1600kms, 200 euros in Tolls, including 42e for the Frejus tunnel.
We spend a night in the Layon Ibis and the Hotelto in Turin (both dog friendly).

I too think this is an expensive route. We do Dover to Dunkirk which we prefer. The DFDS ferries and food are so much better than P&O. Then on to Luxembourg via Lille which cuts out all the traffic snarling around Brussels ring roads. Overnight here and fill up with cheap fuel, circa €1 a litre.
From here you can do Austria or Switzerland route, not a lot in the cost for a yearly trip but if your doing 2 trips or more the Swiss route is far the cheapest. If you need more fuel to get to the ferry I suggest you just drop off the highway and into a town, say Lugano. This doesn't take many minutes and saves a lot compared to the highway and Italian fuel prices. Soon from here you will enter Italy and will start to clock up road tolls.
Going from Venice rather than Ancona is a personal preference and how much of a rush you are in. The ferry ticket price is the same for either port so nothing extra there but the Ancona trip is about 150km longer plus the tolls.
I'm still not to sure about going south but I do prefer Venice for the return trip. Ancona you disembark around 1700 which means you are driving into the night where as Venice you disembark around 0400 so your drive is after a normal ish sleep and into daylight hours, it just seems easier, less tiring and you can put in a big days driving.
All horses for courses though.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I agree,Brussels is the only place on the trip that I have been held up with traffic.