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Ill get some pics of the panda on the boat etc should be a good week
Off Topic Panda 100hp to Nice, France
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Off Topic Panda 100hp to Nice, France
OP
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Leaving tomorrow morning departing portsmouth @ 12.00 arriving into fishborne ill keep an eye out for your eleganza aswell mate
Took Mrs. Beard's 156 to Nice last year. We've been to la Belle France quite a lot and it's one of the easiest countries to drive in. The only thing I couldn't get my head round is how the Autoroutes change their number in what appears to be a random manner.
I don't know how old you are or what experience you have of driving abroad, so my advice to you, if you want it, is to take it easy and break the journey down into easy sections.
We usually stop the first night in Reims. Last year I allowed someone with us to give us their opinion which was to stop in Dijon instead. That made a first day of some 700 miles in one bite. I'm getting older now so found that a bit too much.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to where to stay but we usually choose Campanille as they are generally of a high standard but prices do vary because most of them are privately owned and simply function under the Campanille corporate banner. The hotel at Reims sud Murigny is about 75€ room only, but most have room for 4 adults. One other advantage of that chain is that most are near supermarkets which means cheaper petrol.
Driving a long way on the Autoroutes can be very tedious so we always try to make the journey part of the holiday. One year on our way to a week's break in Italy we stopped one night in Reims and two near Annecy in the alps then did the same on the way back. We'd planned to fly which for 3 of us would have been about £750 plus £250 to hire a car for a week. Even taking into account the hotels, tolls and fuel, it stil cost less for 2 weeks by car than it would have done to fly and stay only for one week.
Nice is well worth the trip but is hideously expensive in terms of food and drink in restaurants and bars. One compensation is that almost all (with the exception of airport services) bus routes cost only 1€ each way. We travelled from where we stayed into Nice centre for 1€ and from there west to Cannes for another 1€. On another day we spent 1 to get to Nice and another 1 to go from there to Monaco where you can play the "spot the Grand Prix circuit game."
If you're not staying in a hotel when you get to your destination then I'd recommend sites such as Chez Nous or Owners Abroad to rent self catering accomodation, many of which are owned by Brits so you will be sending cheques or postal orders for Sterling to addresses in the UK which simplifies things a hell of a lot.
If driving through towns there are usually local direction signs at junctions and roundabouts with major destinations signed as "Tout Directions" or "Autre Directions". "Centre Ville" is pretty self explanatory. In 1989 and desperate for accomodation in Rouen during Le Mans weekend I made the mistake of trying to check into the Hotel de Ville at about 10pm one night. For those with even a basic command of French, you will realise I was trying to get a room in the Town Hall.
One thing you must remember however, is that after a stop and a break from driving, for example for lunch, rejoining the road is the time you're likely to turn on to the wrong side of the road.
Go, enjoy yourself and then tell everyone else all about it. Bonne Voyage et Bonne Chance mon ami.
I don't know how old you are or what experience you have of driving abroad, so my advice to you, if you want it, is to take it easy and break the journey down into easy sections.
We usually stop the first night in Reims. Last year I allowed someone with us to give us their opinion which was to stop in Dijon instead. That made a first day of some 700 miles in one bite. I'm getting older now so found that a bit too much.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to where to stay but we usually choose Campanille as they are generally of a high standard but prices do vary because most of them are privately owned and simply function under the Campanille corporate banner. The hotel at Reims sud Murigny is about 75€ room only, but most have room for 4 adults. One other advantage of that chain is that most are near supermarkets which means cheaper petrol.
Driving a long way on the Autoroutes can be very tedious so we always try to make the journey part of the holiday. One year on our way to a week's break in Italy we stopped one night in Reims and two near Annecy in the alps then did the same on the way back. We'd planned to fly which for 3 of us would have been about £750 plus £250 to hire a car for a week. Even taking into account the hotels, tolls and fuel, it stil cost less for 2 weeks by car than it would have done to fly and stay only for one week.
Nice is well worth the trip but is hideously expensive in terms of food and drink in restaurants and bars. One compensation is that almost all (with the exception of airport services) bus routes cost only 1€ each way. We travelled from where we stayed into Nice centre for 1€ and from there west to Cannes for another 1€. On another day we spent 1 to get to Nice and another 1 to go from there to Monaco where you can play the "spot the Grand Prix circuit game."
If you're not staying in a hotel when you get to your destination then I'd recommend sites such as Chez Nous or Owners Abroad to rent self catering accomodation, many of which are owned by Brits so you will be sending cheques or postal orders for Sterling to addresses in the UK which simplifies things a hell of a lot.
If driving through towns there are usually local direction signs at junctions and roundabouts with major destinations signed as "Tout Directions" or "Autre Directions". "Centre Ville" is pretty self explanatory. In 1989 and desperate for accomodation in Rouen during Le Mans weekend I made the mistake of trying to check into the Hotel de Ville at about 10pm one night. For those with even a basic command of French, you will realise I was trying to get a room in the Town Hall.
One thing you must remember however, is that after a stop and a break from driving, for example for lunch, rejoining the road is the time you're likely to turn on to the wrong side of the road.
Go, enjoy yourself and then tell everyone else all about it. Bonne Voyage et Bonne Chance mon ami.
babbo_umbro
Established member
Just back from six weeks away in Mrs b-u's 1.2 - last of the Euro 4s, with air con - replaced the MJ written off on the ice on the edge of Dartmoor just before Christmas.
From Devon to Umbria via the tunnel, quite a bit of running around in Italy, then back to Pudding Island via Berlin.
Nothing like as much fun as the 100HP, of course, but the little car went very well.
4082 miles on the clock when we set off on August 16th, 8713 when we got back to Okehampton today. Averaged just under 50 mpg. Went on our usual route through Lille, Luxembourg, Basel, Milano, Bolgona, Firenze, Spoleto. Coming back we took the A14 to the Brenner Pass, turning of the A1, Autostrada del Sole, just north of Modena - 924 miles to Berlin from Spoleto. It was very hot in central Italy from mid-August right through to third week of September, to the detriment of the forthcoming grape and olive harvests. Showed again what a boon, and safety feature, air con is, though the climate control on the 100HP is more convenient.
Getting a fairly early tunnel time - 8.50 - gets you on the road in France in time to have only one overnight stop on the way to central Italy, in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Then it's a comfortable second leg, arriving at Spoleto at about 5 in the afternoon. Toll on the A1 from Milano to Orte - about sixty miles north of Rome - is about 32 euros; petrol in Italy is about 1.60 euro/1.40-plus a litre, slightly less in France.
The 80 miles or so up through north east Italy/south Tirol is a long steady climb beside the Adige river, which was in spate. The whole climb was into a really stiff, cold northern wind, about 40 mph I imagine. The 1.2 didn't struggle but it was working hard and consumption was as heavy as 45 mpg on this stretch. As we approached the Brenner - the border pass between Italy and Austria - Mrs b-u thought that the snow on the mountains and higher hills looked fresh - I said "No way - not in September." When we actually got to the pass and the northern-facing side of the Dolomites there was a good 8-10 inches of fresh snow. Fortunately the road had been kept clear with snow ploughs and we were able to make our overnight stop lower down just outside Innsbruck, where there was about three inches of snow. The waitress told us that it only snows that early 2 or 3 times a century.
Parking in Berlin was an absolute nightmare. The streets are nearly all very wide with two or even three lanes in two directions; but many of the houses are four or five stories high and contain numerous flats so there is a high density of cars and nowhere for them to sit. Good public transport, including on the extensive river and canal system (which came as a surprise to me). While the city was interesting enough I don't like cities anything like as big and had a pretty miserable time for most of the week. Potsdam - just outside Berlin and where the famous conference took place at the end of World War II - was much more to my taste. (The autobahn to Potsdam from Berlin takes in part of the old Avus racing circuit and there are still the old grandstands alongside the road.) Quite a few 500s in a fashion-conscious city with youngish population but very few Pandas. Saw no 100HPs in the whole 4700-odd miles.
600 miles from Berlin to our Overnight stop near Lille on toll-free motorways the whole way.
The 1.2 is at its best at 3500 rpm/85 mph but with a fair load on the only option to cope with traffic situations is to slow down, where the 100HP - which is better at 4500 rpm/95 mph - also gives the option of accelerating. We didn't have quite the usual load as we brought no wine back but still had a reasonable weight on board. Two of us with luggage plus 13 litres of exquisite olive oil and my flutes and set of woodworking/flute making tools for a workshop/demonstration and performance in Rome gave the 1.2 a fair test. I checked the oil before we set off from Devon and was slightly concerned that consumption might be high as the oil was near the bottom mark on the dipstick. Added a full litre and kept an eye on it and consumption proved to be negligible over the entire trip - so I assume the engine has now bedded in - it certainly feels a little livelier when unloaded compared with before the journey.
From Devon to Umbria via the tunnel, quite a bit of running around in Italy, then back to Pudding Island via Berlin.
Nothing like as much fun as the 100HP, of course, but the little car went very well.
4082 miles on the clock when we set off on August 16th, 8713 when we got back to Okehampton today. Averaged just under 50 mpg. Went on our usual route through Lille, Luxembourg, Basel, Milano, Bolgona, Firenze, Spoleto. Coming back we took the A14 to the Brenner Pass, turning of the A1, Autostrada del Sole, just north of Modena - 924 miles to Berlin from Spoleto. It was very hot in central Italy from mid-August right through to third week of September, to the detriment of the forthcoming grape and olive harvests. Showed again what a boon, and safety feature, air con is, though the climate control on the 100HP is more convenient.
Getting a fairly early tunnel time - 8.50 - gets you on the road in France in time to have only one overnight stop on the way to central Italy, in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Then it's a comfortable second leg, arriving at Spoleto at about 5 in the afternoon. Toll on the A1 from Milano to Orte - about sixty miles north of Rome - is about 32 euros; petrol in Italy is about 1.60 euro/1.40-plus a litre, slightly less in France.
The 80 miles or so up through north east Italy/south Tirol is a long steady climb beside the Adige river, which was in spate. The whole climb was into a really stiff, cold northern wind, about 40 mph I imagine. The 1.2 didn't struggle but it was working hard and consumption was as heavy as 45 mpg on this stretch. As we approached the Brenner - the border pass between Italy and Austria - Mrs b-u thought that the snow on the mountains and higher hills looked fresh - I said "No way - not in September." When we actually got to the pass and the northern-facing side of the Dolomites there was a good 8-10 inches of fresh snow. Fortunately the road had been kept clear with snow ploughs and we were able to make our overnight stop lower down just outside Innsbruck, where there was about three inches of snow. The waitress told us that it only snows that early 2 or 3 times a century.
Parking in Berlin was an absolute nightmare. The streets are nearly all very wide with two or even three lanes in two directions; but many of the houses are four or five stories high and contain numerous flats so there is a high density of cars and nowhere for them to sit. Good public transport, including on the extensive river and canal system (which came as a surprise to me). While the city was interesting enough I don't like cities anything like as big and had a pretty miserable time for most of the week. Potsdam - just outside Berlin and where the famous conference took place at the end of World War II - was much more to my taste. (The autobahn to Potsdam from Berlin takes in part of the old Avus racing circuit and there are still the old grandstands alongside the road.) Quite a few 500s in a fashion-conscious city with youngish population but very few Pandas. Saw no 100HPs in the whole 4700-odd miles.
600 miles from Berlin to our Overnight stop near Lille on toll-free motorways the whole way.
The 1.2 is at its best at 3500 rpm/85 mph but with a fair load on the only option to cope with traffic situations is to slow down, where the 100HP - which is better at 4500 rpm/95 mph - also gives the option of accelerating. We didn't have quite the usual load as we brought no wine back but still had a reasonable weight on board. Two of us with luggage plus 13 litres of exquisite olive oil and my flutes and set of woodworking/flute making tools for a workshop/demonstration and performance in Rome gave the 1.2 a fair test. I checked the oil before we set off from Devon and was slightly concerned that consumption might be high as the oil was near the bottom mark on the dipstick. Added a full litre and kept an eye on it and consumption proved to be negligible over the entire trip - so I assume the engine has now bedded in - it certainly feels a little livelier when unloaded compared with before the journey.
Ok gents and ladies, its my first time so a little bit nervous-please be gentle.
I did the RING in May this year in my 2008 100hp, left from Newcastle c/w bike on trailer, met up with my cousin at Huntingdon (Add another bike) then off to Harwich to the Hook. Straight down to the campsite just outside the Ring then spent 2 days alternating between car and bike. Great fun was had, never went over 60 mph (slightly overloaded on unbraked trailer) + camping gear and food etc and of course all spares as deemed invaluable, averaged 42 ish mpg couldn't believe it.
Enjoyed the trip so much we are doing the same again next may.
In the meantime we have ( the wife and I) just got back from a 1500mile drive from Newcastle to Holland to Koblenz to Fussen ( the base of the Romantic Road) then back up the romantic road to Warzburg then Aachen then finally Holland. Our longest stretch was 300 miles, we too saw an indicated 122 mph on the autobahn, most amusing for me but the good lady wasn't too happy- Soops tended to dance about a bit as we approached terminal velocity and felt more than a little nervous on changes of direction( mainly to pull in for Audi s and B emms. I suffered a slightly aching back and thats it.
Soops was brillient and I would have no hesitation in doing a trip like that again.
I did the RING in May this year in my 2008 100hp, left from Newcastle c/w bike on trailer, met up with my cousin at Huntingdon (Add another bike) then off to Harwich to the Hook. Straight down to the campsite just outside the Ring then spent 2 days alternating between car and bike. Great fun was had, never went over 60 mph (slightly overloaded on unbraked trailer) + camping gear and food etc and of course all spares as deemed invaluable, averaged 42 ish mpg couldn't believe it.
Enjoyed the trip so much we are doing the same again next may.
In the meantime we have ( the wife and I) just got back from a 1500mile drive from Newcastle to Holland to Koblenz to Fussen ( the base of the Romantic Road) then back up the romantic road to Warzburg then Aachen then finally Holland. Our longest stretch was 300 miles, we too saw an indicated 122 mph on the autobahn, most amusing for me but the good lady wasn't too happy- Soops tended to dance about a bit as we approached terminal velocity and felt more than a little nervous on changes of direction( mainly to pull in for Audi s and B emms. I suffered a slightly aching back and thats it.
Soops was brillient and I would have no hesitation in doing a trip like that again.
OP
OP
Hi Peeps iv neglected this thread ill fill it with lovely Panda Pics tomoz after work i promise
OP
OP
Ahh the Milly 
(Military Road)
Awesome drive
I didn't see a black 100hp, but looks like you enjoyed yourself. (You kinda get to recognize cars down here..)
(Military Road)Awesome drive
I didn't see a black 100hp, but looks like you enjoyed yourself. (You kinda get to recognize cars down here..)
OP
OP
Yh Milly Road is awesome,
also the road down to the promenade in Ventnor is awesome 25% Incline
also the road down to the promenade in Ventnor is awesome 25% Incline
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OP
OP
Love to do a hill climb up that one in ventnor closed roads would make it awesome
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I think they used to do hill climbs in the old days
