A Good Weekend To Nip Across The Channel – Flash Floods Bulgaria

Posted on June 20, 2014

TODAY: it could be a good weekend to head to France, the Low Countries or even Switzerland.

NEWS: Deadly flash floods in Bugaria have put many regions under state of emergency. More inconvenience is planned at filling stations across Italy. Identical cars, parked side by side in Germany, had identical keys too, and Kyiv Post rounds up the requirements for driving in Ukraine.

TRAFFIC: yesterday’s Corpus Christi holiday in many parts of Germany meant much quieter roads than usual early on though traffic has built up a bit since then. The really unknown quantity is Paris. Having struggled with chronic traffic all week so far due to the rail strike, it was exceptionally busy this morning. What that means for this evening’s rush hour is the big question. For the weekend’s traffic see below.

GIBRALTAR FRONTIER WATCH: quiet all day then a delay of 1h45 mid-evening.

A GOOD WEEKEND TO NIP ACROSS THE CHANNEL

France, Low Countries and Switzerland quiet. Not so Germany and Austria.

Preparing for the Austrian Grand Prix, though not quite well enough it seems.

The Continent’s roads will hardly be empty but there is certainly more good news than bad this weekend. Neither France nor Switzerland for instance are expecting raised traffic levels.

However, long term road works at the top of the Gotthard Pass will see long queues if and when delays build at the Gotthard Tunnel. The works will be suspended at the weekend during July and August but until then TCS does not recommend the Pass as an alternative. Check out the Lukmanier-Oberalp bypass between Biasca and Andermatt instead.

Germany will inevitably be busier because it’s the end of the Pentecost fortnight for the two large states in the south, Baden Wurrttemburg and Bavaria. This means heavy traffic heading north from western Austria and northern Italy on Saturday, mainly the usual suspects A22/A13 Brenner motorway and B179 Fernpass to the A8 at Fussen.

It was also Corpus Christi public holiday on Thursday, celebrated in the west and south. Many will make it a long weekend and return home on Sunday says ADAC.

As well as German tourists clogging the roads on their way home in the west Austria also hosts the F1 Grand Prix though that is in the south east, at Spielberg near Graz, from Friday to Sunday.

With up to 90,000 spectators expected on Saturday and Sunday the surrounding roads – A9, S36, B317 and B38 – will be murderous from early on. Interestingly however, according to OAMTC, two thirds of those attending will arrive from the east.

Long queues were already reported on Thursday, the day before the circuit was due to open to the general public, concentrated around the circuit itself. So far today, Friday, ahead of the first practice sessions, there have been no major delays on major routes.

As ever, much depends on the weather. So far it looks to be heating up again over the next couple of days in the northwest, central and southern areas. With the chronic traffic problems dogging Paris all week set to ease naturally at the weekend – even if the now long-running train strike does not – it could be the ideal opportunity to nip over to France or the Low Countries (or even Switzerland) ahead of the summer rush.

Varna: many parts of central, north east and south east Bulgaria are under state of emergency after flash flooding yesterday. At least ten people have been killed. No meteoalrms have been issued for Bulgaria today though coastal areas of neighbouring Romania are code amber alert for heavy rain. See novinite.com for the latest.

Varna, north east Bulgaria: many parts of central, north east and south east Bulgaria are under state of emergency after flash flooding yesterday. At least ten people have been killed. No meteoalarms have been issued for Bulgaria today though coastal areas of neighbouring Romania are code amber alert for heavy rain. See novinite.com for the latest. Photo @AdelinaMarini

roundup: ITALY FUEL STRIKE. From tomorrow, Saturday 21 June until next week, Saturday 28 June, filling stations across the country may refuse to accept credit/debit/fuel cards – i.e. cash payments only – as part of the on-going fuel strike. GERMANY. A woman rushed to the police station after finding a dachshund inside her locked car. Also there was another woman reporting the loss of her dachshund which she had left inside her car. It turns out the two cars, identical, parked next to each other, had interchangeable keys. The model is not mentioned in any reports. The incident has been put down to ‘an extremely rare coincidence’. UKRAINE. Kyiv Post sums up what you need to know about driving and taking your car into Ukraine, foremost of which seems to be having an International Driving Permit (IDP), just £5.50 from the Post Office, valid for one year.

France Gets A Grip On Road Safety Crisis – Captain Slow in Maranello

Posted on June 19, 2014

TODAY: a large rise in the number of fatal road accidents in France recently is not – quite – as bad as it seems.

GIBRALTAR FRONTIER WATCH: delays peaked at one hour morning and evening.

FRANCE GETS A GRIP ON ROAD SAFETY CRISIS

Fatal accidents increase less than feared in April and May.

Photo @TheBenOliver

It is too late, but the French media has finally cottoned on to the country’s road safety ‘crisis’.

Blanket coverage yesterday was devoted to the news that fatal accidents had increased by 15% in May compared to the same month last year. This comes on top of a(n unreported) rise of 28% in March and 8% in April.

As we have said many times, the introduction of unmarked speed camera cars in March 2013 led to a sudden, sharp drop in the number of serious accidents, peaking in a cut of 29.5% in May 2013. The effect of the camera cars quickly wore off however – as Securite Routiere acknowledged earlier this month – meaning large rises were inevitable this year.

That the increases for the last two months have not been as large as the cuts in the corresponding months in 2013 suggests – counter intuitively – that in real terms the number of fatal accidents in France is actually falling.

The good news is that the horrendous rises seen in the past few months are unlikely to be repeated for the rest of the year. Fatal road accidents fell by only 10% in June 2013 and 3.3% in August 2013.

Meanwhile, the longer term road safety strategy is unfolding. Increased traffic police presence was painfully apparent for many after last week’s Le Mans 24 Hours race. An experiment with an 80kmh speed limit on some main roads is about to go ahead. A raft of road safety campaigns are being rolled out, more unmarked camera cars are being deployed while police are chasing down every little infraction: a Facebook group is being prosecuted for listing speed camera locations and pedestrians in at least one city are being fined enmasse for jaywalking.

July and August are traditionally two of the worst months for accidents. While 2013 was still a record year for road safety in France overall, the only category of accidents that grew were those on highways. Either keep a close eye on your speed, or go to Germany instead.

Captain Slow? Rubber laid down by @MrJamesMay at a Ferrari filming session in Maranello on Tuesday. Photo Jason Harris, @FNEPR.

Need To Know Summer 2014 – Italy Fuel Strike

Posted on June 18, 2014

TODAY: Fuel strike Italy: pumps all over the country potentially closed today, until 22:00 tonight or in some cases 07:00 tomorrow morning. Participation difficult to assess, the advice is to take every opportunity to fill up. Legal to carry up to 10 litres of fuel in a jerry can. In a further complication, for a week from Saturday, 21 June, filling stations will reportedly be cash only.

Also, a roundup of the major changes in Continental road rules this year. Police make arrests after a spate of A22 Brenner truck robberies last year, the ‘Gordian Knot’ of the Slovak motorway network unravels, Finland plots the E75 Lapland Route, driverless trucks take to Holland’s roads soon, foreign truckers face spot fines in the UK, Riga’s Commie bridge gets a makeover, Moscow to spend $83bn tackling congestion and Greece’s free nationwide wifi takes shape.

GIBRALTAR FRONTIER WATCH: after just a 20min delay at lunchtime, drivers waited 1h45 to cross the Spanish frontier in the evening.

DRIVING IN EUROPE: NEED TO KNOW SUMMER 2014

A round up of the big changes – so far – this year in France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and the Low Countries.

Changing speed limits – up and down – in Paris, other parts of France, and Spain are among the major changes on the roads of Europe this year.

Crossing the Channel

There has been a rush on new ferry routes between the UK and Spain this year. In addition to Brittany Ferries long-standing cruiseferry service Portsmouth/Plymouth – Santander/Bilbao the company recently launched a no-frills ‘economie’ weekend-only route Portsmouth-Santander.

Economie proved so popular it’s sold out until October but there’s still space on LDLines’ new rival Poole-Gijon/Santander service. Fares from £119 one-way 2+car.

Meanwhile, despite its on-going battle with the Competition authorities over its deal with Eurotunnel, Dover-Calais operator MyFerryLink will be in business until at least the end of this year.

France

The never ending confusion over whether drivers have to carry disposable breathalysers in the car has been cleared up, sort of. You have to carry them but you won’t be fined for not having them.

Last March, prime minister Manuel Valls – back when he was interior minister, responsible for road safety – said, ‘Alcohol is responsible for 31% of road deaths but nobody can believe that you can roll back the figure by fining drivers €11 for non-possession of a breathalyzer. For me, there is no mandatory breathalyzer, much less punishment.’

Meanwhile, France is struggling with a rising number of serious road accidents. Expect more police on the roads, specifically unmarked cars with radar cameras hidden behind the number plates which also now work on main roads. There is also an experiment due to start with 80kmh speed limits on some single lane main roads. The limit on the Paris Peripherique was cut to 80kmh in January.

On a happier note, fuel is cheaper than last year, currently average €1.518/l unleaded 95 and €1.289 for diesel.

Germany

From 1 July all car drivers must carry a high-viz vest in the car on pain of a €15 fine (it doesn’t apply to motorhomers or bikers).

Also from 1 July, most cities in western Germany tighten the rules on their low emission ‘Unwelt Zones’. Most of the cities in Nord Rhein Westphalia, central west Germany, including Cologne, Dusseldorf, Essen, Dortmund, etc, etc, will now only allow ‘green badged’ vehicles in the centre, i.e. the least polluting (most new(ish) cars will qualify for the green badge). See here on how to apply for a German Environmental Badge.

The Germans are also planning a vignette for foreign drivers but it isn’t due to start until 2015.

Switzerland

The big, big news is that day time running lights (or side lights) are now compulsory for all vehicles at all times!

Otherwise it’s business as usual in Europe’s favourite transit country. Despite all the kerfuffle last year, including a nationwide referendum, the motorway vignette still costs 40CHF (see here for where to buy, and where to stick it, etc).

Spain

A wholesale rejig of motoring rules on 9 May saw speed limits increased to 130kmh on some motorways but reduced to 90kmh on some main roads and as low as 20kmh in some urban areas. The rules on carrying children are much stricter now too. Penalties and fines also increased though we’re still not convinced drivers will have to hand over €500 for being 1kmh over the limit…

Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office is warning over a recent spate of ‘distraction robberies’ on highways.

Italy

Those that haven’t driven in Italy before – or for a while – might be shocked to find out how much the fuel and road tolls now cost.

At the time of writing, unleaded95 sells for €1.794 and diesel for €1.676. Both are the third most expensive in Europe behind Norway and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the road toll for the 563km from Milan to Rome is now €40.10. Per kilometre that’s now less than a whisker behind Paris to Lyon (466km, €33.30), both just over 7c/km. Tolls vary in Italy because the roads have different operators though 7c/km is a ballpark general estimate of what you can expect to pay, apart from in the south which is much cheaper, 4-5c/km.

Finally, the day time seasonal restrictions on the SS163 Amalfi coast road for caravans and campervans have been extended to all year round. Between Positano and Vietri sul Mare such vehicles cannot drive the 40km stretch between 06:30-24:00. Cars are not restricted.

The Low Countries

It’s all getting rather expensive in the Netherlands too. The traffic fines are apparently now the highest in Europe – €230 for using a mobile phone behind the wheel, €370 for parking in a disabled spot – while unleaded currently costs €1.845/l (and diesel €1.499).

Fuel is much cheaper in neighbouring Belgium – €1.653 and €1.441 – and cheaper still in Luxembourg (ahead of a rise in VAT later this year), currently €1.360 and €1.204.

On 31 March, Belgium adopted the ‘late merge’ rule, aka The Zipper Method. At lane closures, drivers should only merge with the free lane at the point of the lane closure. There’s a €55 fine for drivers either merging early, or refusing space to cars from the closed lane.

Finally, as you are no doubt aware, the AA and RAC produce excellent, if a little dry, factsheets on driving rules around Europe, produced by the respective national motoring clubs. A good supplement/alternative, and much more readable, are the driving guides provided by TISPOL, the European police federation, written by (English-speaking) local police (see centre, right).

Meanwhile, the European Commission is building its own Driving Abroad smartphone app. In the meantime, see the web-based version here. The UK Foreign Office has a similar website here.

Have we missed anything?! Let us know in the comments below.

Wing Commander Andy Green in Vienna to discuss the upcoming land speed record attempt in @Bloodhound_SSC. Looks like someone airbrushed the teacup out of his hand. More later.

Wing Commander Andy Green at the British Embassy in Vienna to discuss the upcoming land speed record attempt in @Bloodhound_SSC. Looks like someone airbrushed the teacup out of his hand.

roundup: ITALY. Police have arrested six people in connection with thefts from foreign trucks on the A22 Brenner motorway, all from the Bari region in the south. The four thefts all took place between January-March last year near the Austrian border. The trailer tarp was cut and goods transferred to another vehicle. FINLAND. A complete map of attractions along the E75 Lapland Route has been published by the tourist board, including driving tips. A complete website is coming soon. The 500km routes stretches north from Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle to Utsjoki on the Norwegian border. Finland also has some of the loosest wild camping rules in the world. NETHERLANDS. Self-driving trucks will be on Dutch roads within five years under a government sponsored scheme unveiled today. Trials, probably on the ‘advanced’ A270 motorway between Eindhoven and Helmond, will start ‘as soon as possible’. UK. The spot-fine system is to be extended to include foreign truck drivers breaking drivers’ hour’s rules. A consultation is open until Monday 11 August. LATVIA. The Communist-era A8/E22 Island Bridge – Salu Tilts – across the Daugava into southern Riga is to be finally overhauled. Built in 1976 it has not been repaired since. @DriveEurope drove across it in May – great view of the TV tower and the Riga seafront – but hilariously bumpy. Work to finish in 17 months. RUSSIA. Moscow is to spend a staggering $83bn by 2020 to solve its chronic congestion problems. The money goes on 130km of new subways, 240km of railways plus 400km of re-built roads. Paid parking, introduced last year within the central Garden Ring, will also be significantly expanded. GREECE’s nationwide free wi-fi network is now getting underway though it has been trimmed back to 4,000 hotspots, from 5,000, due to costs. To be completed by the end of the year.

SLOVAKIA. The “Gordian Knot” of the entire D1 motorway has begun to unravel with the first works on the Zilina southern bypass starting today says TranMin Jan Pociatek. The 13.5km stretch includes the 7.46km Visnove Tunnel which will be the longest in the country. Along with a simultaneous 4.25km extension of the D3 to the west and north of Zilina, building should finish by 2019 at a combined cost of €665m. Currently, 75% of D1 between Bratislava and Kosice is in use with another 20% now under construction. The remaining stretches should be resolved in the next few months says Pociatek.

Five Hot Roads Around The Red Bull Ring

Posted on June 17, 2014

Some exciting driving is guaranteed at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. Five big name mountain passes are within easy reach of the circuit, plus a host of lesser known roads.

Red Bull Ring: the view back to turn one from turn two with the Lavanttal Alps in the background. Photo via @RachelBrookesTV

Red Bull Ring: the view from turn two to the Lavanttal Alps. Photo @RachelBrookesTV

The Red Bull Ring at Spielberg is one mountain range into the Alps from the eastern edge, sixty miles from Graz in south east Austria.

It’s not, then, at the dense epicentre of Alpine mountain passes but at least five big name roads are in easy reach. One of them is among the best driver’s roads in the Alps (and certainly one of the steepest). There are also a few lesser known but – importantly – quieter byways.

But first, some geography. The mountains around Spielberg are the Central Eastern Alps. The racetrack lies in the east-west Mur Valley, named after the river, specifically the eastern end of the Upper Mur Valley.

Across the north are the Nieder Tauern mountains (the Low Tauerns). To the south are the Lavanttal Alps and the Gurktal Alps. This is important because the good roads are the ones running between the mountain groups (and because the views are even better when you know what you’re looking at).

For instance, B114 Triebener Tauern – less than ten miles from the circuit gates, see map below – splits the Seckau Tauerns (highest peak 7,900ft) and Rottenmann & Wolz Tauerns (8,100ft+).

A few years ago drivers strained up 21% slopes but they were cut back to ‘just’ 16% in 2008. It’s still a fast and flowing road, for thirty miles between Judenberg and Trieben, topping out at a relatively low 1264m (4,180ft) with few hairpins but a perfect surface.

Thirty miles west of the circuit at Murau is L704 Erzherzog Strasse – aka Solk Pass – which splits the Rottenmann & Wolz and the Schladming Tauerns. The latter has six peaks over 2,500m (8,200ft) the loftiest of which is Hochgolling 2862m (9,389ft) the highest in the Low Tauerns.

Solk Pass is a proper mountain pass, narrow, few barriers, gravel sections, lots of tight bends and great views at the top (1790m, 5,870ft).

The big attraction around here is B95 Turracherhohe (Turracher Heights) at Tamsweg, another twenty miles west from Murau.

In the old days this road hit 34% though it has since been trimmed back to a still steep 23%.

Porsche tested 356 prototypes on Turracherhohe, just thirty miles from its first factory in Gmund. Audi demonstrated the capabilities of its original Quattro four wheel drive system here too.

Aside from the history it’s a great driver’s road. Experienced touring driver @ParaboliqueUK says, ‘Turracherhohe is mindblowing and very, very fast. The uphill section is wonderful and the downhill mile upon mile of fast sweeping S bends.’

Whilst the 23% slope is not as scary as it might sound, the ADAC advice for Turracherhohe is, however, ‘Great caution and mountain experience necessary’.

Connected to Turracherhohe is Nockalmstrasse, a twin-peaked toll road (€17 for a car) which tops out at 2024m and 2042m through fifty two named corners over twenty two miles.

It races through the ‘Nocky Mountains’ – the western part of the Gurktal Alps – so named because of the unique, grassy, domed summits (‘nocks’).

To be honest Nockalm is more a family-friendly mountain theme park with lots of nature exhibitions dotted around but go out of hours and you will find lots of properly profiled, flowing corners. Bikers love it.

Having paid your money you may as well drive Nockalm in the other direction too because just south is the B99 featuring two other famous roads, the Katschberg Pass and the Radstadter Tauren Pass.

They run one after the other for fifty five miles north-south from Radstadt to Spittal, alongside the A10 Salzburg-Villach ‘Tauernautobahn’ (between the Radstadt and Schladming Tauerns and the Hohe Tauerns (High Tauerns) and Gurktal Alps).

In the 1910s, just after it had been chipped out of the rock and ran up to 27.5%, Katschberg was one of the roads on which Rolls Royce proved it made the ‘Best Cars in the World’.

It’s down to 17% now, and reaches only 1641m but with transit traffic away on the motorway you are likely to get a good run. Radstadtler is similar but with much better views, especially on the descent heading north through a narrow gorge.

Apart from cows on Solk Pass, horses on Nockalm and cyclists and bikers everywhere, the only problem is likely to be traffic. The thousands of eager drivers in shiny, sporty machinery gathering at the Red Bull Ring are going to want to prove themselves on the big roads.

If so, check out B78 Obdacher Sattel (955m), B77 Gaberl Pass (1547m), B70 Pack Sattel (1169m) and L343 Hirscheggstrasse, all just south of the circuit around the Lavanttal Alps. None trouble the guidebooks but that’s half the attraction.

For all the major mountain roads in the Alps see our PassFinder.

Turracherhohe: the 23% section is actually baked by trees on one side and a high barrier on the other so isn't as scary as it might sound. The real attraction is the road itself.

Turracherhohe: the 23% section is actually banked by trees on one side and a high barrier on the other so isn’t as scary as it might sound. The real attraction is the road itself.

Audi used the steepest part of Turracherhohe to demonstrate the capabilities of the original Quattro prototype to the VW board in 198x.

Audi used the steepest part of Turracherhohe to demonstrate the capabilities of the original Quattro prototype to the Volkswagen board in 1981.

Nockalmstrasse: family-friendly it might be but the roads are still

Nockalmstrasse: family-friendly it might be but it’s still a proper road.

Apart from a lack of barriers, some cows and horses, the things to watch out for are cyclists, bikers and traffic.

Apart from some cows and horses, the things to watch out for are cyclists, bikers and traffic.

Solk Pass: 1790m (5872ft) might not be that high in the scheme of things but make no mistake Solk Pass is a proper mountain road. Pleasingly rough in places, and certainly steep enough, it’s our favourite.

B95 heads back along the Mur valley to the Red Bull Ring. Turn left for the B99 Radstadtler Tauern Pass.

B95 heads back along the Mur Valley to the Red Bull Ring, 90km from the bottom of the B99 Radstadtler Tauern Pass.

Cracking views from the top of the Radstadtler Tauern Pass.

Cracking views from ski resort Obertauern at the top of the Radstadtler Tauern Pass.

Georgian Military Road Re-Opens – Spain Carjackings

Posted on June 16, 2014

NEWS: the storied Georgian Military Road re-opens after a huge landslide last month, plus a spate of distractions robberies on British drivers in Spain.

NOTE: Public Holiday, Spain and Portugal.

TRAFFIC: back to work Monday. Not too bad so far though the bigger delays seemed to have switched to the southbound A7 at the Elbtunnel in Hamburg though latterly they have cleared and it’s back to ‘normal’.

GIBRALTAR FRONTIER WATCH: n/a.

SPAIN CARJACKINGS: most of the 612 emergency travel documents issued to Britons in Spain this year have been as the result of distraction robberies on highways says the Daily Mail today. Particularly targeted are the AP7 from the French border to Valencia, and the roads between Santander port in the north, Madrid and resorts in the south. Assailants flag down drivers, sometimes forcefully and sometimes pretending to be police officers, engage drivers in a discussion about an alleged fault or damage to either vehicle while valuables are stolen by an unseen accomplice. The Foreign Office says even unmarked police cars will have a flashing electronic sign in the rear window and normally blue lights. Read their latest advice here or see the video below:

GEORGIAN MILITARY ROAD RE-OPENS

Epic trans-Caucasian mountain road back in action.

The historic Georgian Military Road has reopened after a huge landslide last month.

A ‘mountainside collapse’ on Saturday 17 May, originating at the Devdoraki glacier on the northeastern slope of Mount Kazbek, saw mud and debris flow down to the Dariali Gorge, along which flows the Tergi River and, beside, the Georgian Military Road. Access to the Kazbegi-Larsi border crossing between Georgia and Russia has been blocked since.

One man, a truck driver from Ukrane, was killed and three others seriously injured. Blame initially fell on building work at the Dariali Hydroeelctric Plant though officials say tunnels from the project actually helped prevent an even worse disaster.

Though the road (red, above) is now passable, and open to all types of vehicle, the surface is temporary and access is limited.

The Kazbegi-Larsi border station Georgia-Russia in the Dariali Gorge at the top of the E117 Georgian Military Road.

Strictly speaking it is no longer correct to call it the Georgian Military Road (or Highway). These days it goes by the more prosaic title of S-3, or European Route E117 which runs from Mineralnye Vody in south west Russia via Tbilisi and Armenian capital Yerevan to Meghri on the Iran border, 1050km in all.

The stretch formerly known as the Georgian Military Road was first paved in 1799, shortly before the Kingdom of Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire. It runs 208km north-south between Tbilisi, Georgia, and Valdikavkaz, North Ossetia, reaching a high point of 2379m (7,815ft) at the Jvari Pass.

By the Stalin era it was marketed as a tourist route to rival the best roads in the West (and known as the ‘Russian Simplon’). It’s one of three famous roads across the Caucasus Mountains, the others being the Ossetian Military Road between Kutaisi and Alagir (green, above) – via the 2911m (9,950ft) Mamison Pass – and the ‘Transkam’ Transcaucasian Highway (yellow, above) connecting North and South Ossetia via the Roki Tunnel.

Partial repro of ‘Georgian Military Highway’ by Aleksandr Zhitomirsky, 1939.

Windy500 Mystery Tour – Aston Le Mans

Posted on June 15, 2014

NEWS: the epic Windy500 magical mystery tour enters day three, Norway. But where next? The Aston Martin V8 Vantage impresses at Le Mans.

TRAFFIC: no major jams expected today, especially since the weather ain’t so hot. But there will inevitably be dense traffic around Le Mans in north west France after the race finishes at 15:00 – NOT, see below – while, after a quiet morning, delays have been consistently around half an hour to the long running road works at the Elbtunnel on the A7 in Hamburg.

GIBRALTAR FRONTIER WATCH: estimated five hour delay early afternoon with 36 cars crossing in 30 minutes but quickly speeded up to no delay an hour later.

WINDY500 MYSTERY CHARITY TOUR

Currently in Norway, but where next?

Last year’s Windy500 was a true epic: 5,500 miles through 23 countries in 23 days (marked in red above, or read a roundup here).

This year’s event is shorter, at 16 days, but the essential ingredient remains: the teams have no idea where they are going.

Windy500 organiser Steve Blackmore is no stranger to heroic journeys. In 2008 he led a team which drove a double decker bus from Weymouth to Addis Ababa, via Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Sudan.

Each Windy500 team must either use a vehicle costing less than £500 – and raise at least £200 for the Julia’s House Children’s Hospice in Weymouth – or spend up to £1,500 and raise a minimum £500.

In total, they donated over £17,000 in 2013, a target they aim to ‘smash to smithereens’ this year.

Each leg is revealed only on a daily basis. The only thing anyone apart from Steve knows about this year’s route is that it will include ten of the greatest driving roads in Europe and the odd festival.

Day one saw them drive from Weymouth to Munster in Germany. Day two is, apparently, the second longest drive of the trip, 413 miles to Hobro in northern Jutland, Denmark (marked in green above).

Clearly this year’s Windy500 is heading for Scandinavia. Where exactly is anyone’s guess. If they were aiming for Sweden next you would have expected them to take the Oresund Bridge… Perhaps they will catch the ferry to Gothenburg from Frederikshavn? More likely, we think, they are off to Hirtshals for the boat to Oslo. Only Steve knows. This page will be updated as and when we find out.

Day Three: catching the boat to Norway then driving 135 miles to Valle.

Day Four: Valle to Pulpit Rock, the Trollsteigen down to Lyseboten, ferry along the fjord then up to Jorpeland.

@DriveEurope is delighted to support Julia’s House again this year with a donation. Click here to make your own contribution.

Today's picture caption was supposed to be about the sexy extended track and longer wheelbase of the Porsche 911 RSR.

Today’s picture caption was supposed to be about the sexy extended bodywork of the Porsche 911 RSR Le Mans racer. But after its superb victory we now only have eyes for the Aston Martin Vantage GTE. In contention in both Pro and Am GTE classes for most of the race, neck and neck with Ferrari, easily besting the 911 RSR, power steering issues put paid to the Pro challengers by late morning Sunday. However, despite a last minute engine drama, the #95 Am car – driven by Danish trio David Heinemeier Hansson, Nicki Thiim and Kristian Poulsen – beat the next placed Porsche and Ferrari by one and two laps respectively. What a car. We can’t help noticing that official approved used examples of the Vantage V8 Roadster are available from as little as £42,995…

Spain: Big Fines for Small Speeding Offences – Qashqai Winner

Posted on June 14, 2014

NEWS: a lawyer says drivers can be fined €500 if caught 1kmh over the speed limit in Spain. Plus, the new generation Nissan Qashqai is even more successful than the original.

TRAFFIC: northern Germany was supposed to quiet and south Germany busy as drivers changeover mid-Pentecost fortnight. However, the opposite seems to be true with earlier classic holiday delays at the A31 Emstunnel at Leer near the North Sea coast and no queues at the B179 Fernpass over the Austrian border. Meanwhile, after a quiet few weeks, delays have been very long at the A7 Elbtunnel works in Hamburg for the past few days while drivers avoiding the Gotthard Tunnel via the passes were queuing into Andermatt this morning… The predictions were right about one thing: it was all over just after lunch.

GIBRALTAR FRONTIER WATCH: very quiet all day, maximum delay 10mins.

SPAIN: BIG FINES FOR SMALL SPEEDING OFFENCES

Lawyer says 1kmh over can bag €500 fine.

Drivers in Spain face a fine of €500 for breaking speed limits by just 1kmh says ‘Mr Loophole™’.

Lawyer Nick Freeman – who shot to fame after defeating many high profile traffic prosecutions, hence the nickname – made the sensational claim to Practical Motorhome this week.

He said, ‘In this country [UK] police use the ACPO guidelines which allow a ‘ten per cent plus two’ degree of tolerance. Unfortunately this generosity does not extend to the Spanish police.’

From 9 May this year a new raft of traffic laws entered force in Spain. Speed limits were increased to 130kmh on some stretches of motorway but reduced to 90kmh on main roads and as low as 20kmh in some urban areas. At the same time, penalties for speeding, drink driving and other offences were increased.

The Practical Motorhome article also mentions the recent ruling on information sharing between EU countries on traffic offences, now set to include the UK, Ireland and Denmark, although this will not apply for at least another twelve months.

We have contacted Nick Freeman for clarification but have yet to hear back.

Thanks for the tip @MontyMotorhome.

Despite being rather different to its hugely successful predecessor – more SUV than pure crossover – the new generation Nissan Qashqai is outselling the original, even though it is still in the ‘ramp up’ phase after its launch late last year. The news was confirmed to @DriveEurope by Andy Palmer (@NissanAndy) Chief Planning Officer at Nissan Motor Company last week. The good news keeps coming: the 1.6 dCi (130PS) Acenta Premium was the overall winner at this week’s 2014 Tow Car Awards.

A Good Weekend To Get Away? – Porsche Pit Stop L’Oceane

Posted on June 13, 2014

TODAY: Will it be a good weekend to get away? Maybe. Avoid north west France, Dover-Calais Sunday night, south Germany, west Austria – and time your runs on some Swiss mountain passes – and it could be. Just keep your fingers crossed for the weather. Plus, a roundup of current average fuel prices.

Also, the A3 in Luxembourg closes for the weekend. The Pope doesn’t like the Popemobile. British courts apparently do have jurisdiction over crimes committed far out at sea, the Finnish govt stands firm, so far, against popular demands for draconian drink driving laws – and the intriguing case of the (American) driver apparently let off by French police.

GIBRALTAR FRONTIER WATCH: delays just less than 30mins this morning, quiet since.

A GOOD WEEKEND TO GET AWAY?

It’s always a good weekend to get away!

Despite the Le Mans 24 Hours in north west France – sure to attract local congestion, especially after the race finishes at 15:00 Sunday, and at the Channel Ports in the evening – Bison Fute is not expecting raised traffic levels at all in France over the weekend (though, with this week’s seemingly endless train strike, drivers are being warned about a rush from Paris early afternoon Friday).

Northern Germany should be quiet too says ADAC. The south however, as Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg changeover in the middle of the Pentecost fortnight, will be busy – not horrendous – from Friday afternoon and all day Saturday (probably peaking early afternoon).

The bulk of that traffic will be moving through western Austria. OAMTC says to expect a busy weekend on the north-south transit routes (but not massive jams). This inevitably means the B179 Fernpass Fussen>Reutte, both ways, while alternate lane road works at the Karawanken Tunnel on the A11 to the Slovenian border will mean substantial delays.

Switzerland is not expected to be particularly busy says TCS. However, the Tour de Switzerland which starts in Bellinzona on Saturday will see the Gotthard, Furka, Grimsel and Brunig Passes all closed successively (and in that order) for a few hours on Sunday. Meanwhile, the roads works on Gotthard pass have been suspended for the weekend. All other passes in Switzerland are now open (see here for a map).

Much, as ever, depends on the weather. It’s not hugely promising so far – the widespread sunshine and high temperatures this week look set to break though the accompanying widespread storm warnings look to be blowing themselves out.

If you do decide to go for it – why not, eastern France will be quiet, and in the low twenties – buy your ferry/train fare before you get to the port!

AVERAGE FUEL PRICES ROUNDUP from FuelPricesEurope

In ascending order:

Unleaded95: Austria (€1.370), Switzerland (€1.384), France (€1.518), Germany (€1.635), Belgium (€1.653), Holland (€1.825).

Diesel: France (€1.279), Austria (€1.290), Belgium (€1.421), Germany (€1.426), Switzerland (€1.466), Holland (€1.489).

Always Open: the Porsche Pit Stop on the A11 westbound, Paris to Le Mans at Chartres-Gasville.

Always Open (for this weekend anyway): the Porsche Pit Stop on the A11 ‘L’Oceane’ autoroute westbound, Paris to Le Mans at Chartres-Gasville. Photo via @VINCIAutoroutes

roundup: LUXEMBOURG. The A3 southbound towards Metz will be closed between Croix de Gasperich and Livange from 20:00 tonight until 22:00 Sunday for resurfacing. Diversions in place. Northbound remains open. VATICAN CITY. The glassed-in, bulletproof Papal Mercedes G-Class is a ‘sardine can’ says Il Papa. Despite the security risk, the 77 year old Pontiff will forego the Popemobile in future for an open top car. CHANNEL. British courts do have jurisdiction over crimes committed at sea by British nationals says a judge. He rejected an application to have the case of attempted arson on the DFDS Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry on 28 December thrown out because the alleged offence was committed 28 miles off the UK coast. The trail starts 7 July. FINLAND. A popular call to have drink driving offences beefed up has been rejected by the Ministry of Justice. A petition signed by thousands of citizens demanded that first time offenders have their cars confiscated and be admitted for rehabilitation treatment. According to reports many MPs also back the move. It’s not clear how much longer the minister will be able to hold out. FRANCE. ‘Got stopped by the police but after they checked my license they let me go,’ tweeted the American, XCAR motoring writer – and racing driver – @DrewStearne, on his way down to Le Mans in a Corvette Stingray. He subsequently tweeted, ‘I was really careful, I only went insanely quick when I thought I could get away with it. Turns out I did,’ but that isn’t going to quell insistent voices that French police specifically target British speeders.

New Motorway Milan-Brescia Next Month – Car ‘n’ Girl

Posted on June 12, 2014

TODAY: A new Autostrada opens between Milan and Brescia next month as the fate of another major motorway project in the area hangs in the balance. A fuel strike in Italy lasts from Saturday to Wednesday. Martha Stewart demonstrates her excellent taste in Monaco. A German driver has his car stolen on the A2 + a reminder of a new rule in Germany from 1 July.

GIBRALTAR FRONTIER WATCH: a good day – delays at a maximum 45mins in the evening.

NEW MOTORWAY MILAN-BRESCIA

Cuts journey times Turin-Venice/Trieste too.

A new motorway across northern Italy opens next month.

The A35 will run direct between Milan and Brescia, bypassing the A4 which also runs between Milan and Brescia but via Bergamo. The 62.1km autostrada saves a third of the existing motorway distance between the two cities.

Despite the route the new road is dubbed BreBeMi after the building consortium. It will see its first vehicles on Tuesday 22 July, five years to the day since construction started.

There is no word yet on toll costs. Reports in the Italian press say rates are expected to be higher than average.

At its western end, A35 connects to the under-construction Milan TEEM, the Tangentiale Est Esterna di Milano or East Outer Ring Road. TEEM is due to open next summer though the two TEEM/A35 junctions will also open on 22 July for access to central Milan.

By cutting congestion on the notoriously busy A4 – which carries up to 140,000 vehicles per day, 40,000 of them HGVs – A35 will speed up journeys right across northern Italy, from Turin in the west to Venice and Trieste in the east.

Meanwhile the fate of another major motorway project in the region is still uncertain. Newly elected Prime Minister Matteo Renzi recently called for ‘Sblocca Italia’ – unlock Italy – removing bureaucratic hurdles from large infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy. This would include the A36 Autostrada Pedemontana Lombarda. It has been under construction since 2010 but work stopped earlier this year due to financing problems.

APL – or the North Milan Bypass – will stretch from the A8 in the north west of Milan, near Malpensa airport, to hit the A4 in the north east. It will also connect to the A51 inner east ring road, with a spur down to BrebeMi. It was expected to open in 2020.

ITALY FUEL STRIKE: one tends not to get too excited by fuel strikes in Italy – this is the third so far this year – but this one sounds more serious. From first thing Saturday (14 June), all self-service pre-pay pumps will be out of action ahead of a general fuel strike next Wednesday (18 June). The government is due to hold talks with the petrol station owners association early next week.

American 'Taste Queen' Martha Stewart shows she hasn't lost her touch as she poses beside an Aintree green Range Rover outside the Hotel de Paris in Monaco. Land Rover provided the VIP transport during last week's Entrepreneur of the Year Awards of which Stewart was a judge.

Ageing American ‘Taste Queen’ Martha Stewart shows she hasn’t lost her touch as she poses beside an Aintree Green Range Rover outside the Hotel de Paris in Monaco. Land Rover provided the VIP transport during last week’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards of which Stewart was a judge.

GERMANY. A driver on the A2 near Magdeburg yesterday had his car stolen by fake police. The man, driving a black customised Audi S3, was blue-lighted for apparently speeding at the Lostau exit. The police – dressed in civilian clothing, aged 35-40, both with stubble beards – then stole his car. Reminder: from 1 July all drivers in Germany, except motorhomers and bikers, need to carry a hi-viz vest in the car to wear during breakdowns/emergencies. Potential fine of €15.

‘Foreigner Vignette’ in Court – Gumball Hit Barcelona

Posted on June 11, 2014

NEWS: Austria threatens legal action over Germany’s ‘foreigner vignette’. Gumball is a huge hit in Barcelona. Poland takes to taking away driving licences. The Bulgaria-Georgia ferry re-opens in August. Speeding fines are remarkably cheap in Austria, plus new border bookings in Belarus.

Potential delays today due to go-slow taxi protests in major cities around France – columns seen at Orly Airport south Paris and on A86 ring, A6, A4 and A1, and in and around Lyon and Marseilles – and in Germany – Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne – and Italy – Milan, Rome. No general major disruption yet though the Frejus Tunnel, France-Italy, closed due to taxi protests – now re-opened – with drivers advised to divert to Mont Blanc. It also turns out that the hours long blockage of the A9 at Perpignan was due to picketing taxi drivers. Low level go-slows are being reported all over France.

GIBRALTAR QUEUE WATCH: after a relatively quiet few weeks delays were estimated at a recent-record five hours at lunchtime today before subsiding.

GERMAN ‘FOREIGNER VIGNETTE’ IN COURT

Austria to take the fight to the European Court of Justice

Austria lifted an exemption for its own vignette on a short stretch of the A12 Inntalautobahn last year in a move the irked many German drivers.

Austria is threatening to take Germany to the European Court of Justice over its plans for a foreigner vignette.

As German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt prepares to publish his final proposal early next month his Austrian counterpart Doris Bures told the media, ‘If the German toll plans contradict the European principle of equality, there will be ultimately an appeal to the ECJ. From an Austrian perspective, it is important that there is no discrimination against motorists from Austria and other EU countries.’

Such a move has been rumoured for a while but this is the first time the threat has been made public. At the least, legal action might delay the introduction of the vignette, currently slated for 1 January 2016.

Austria shares a 784km border with Germany, ironically with Bavaria where the ‘foreigner vignette’ idea originated. Bavarian drivers blockaded the A12 Inntalautobahn late last year after it was announced the exemption from the Austrian vignette for the short stretch across the border near Kufstein had been abolished. Austria charges all drivers, domestic and foreign, up to €82.70 per year to use its motorways.

In a TV interview on Saturday, Alexander Dobrindt dropped more hints about his plans. He said €100 per year sounded like an ‘interesting number’ and that low emitting cars – so called Okoklassen – would receive a discount.

It is not clear yet if foreign Okoklassen cars will also qualify for the lower price.

Since the first rally in 1999 Gumball3000 has grown into an enormous enterprise - valued at $200m says Forbes - on the back of films, merchandise and live entertainment. Nowhere was the success of the event more apparent than when the rally hit Spain last night. Thousands of fans gathered at the W Hotel at the Plaça de la Rosa dels Vents on the Barcelona waterfront. The teams drive 290 miles down the coast to the Port of Denia today for the boat to their final destination, lbiza. Photo Oskar Bakke via @Betsafe

Since the first event in 1999 Gumball3000 has grown into an enormous enterprise – valued at $200m says Forbes – on the back of TV, films and merchandise. Nowhere was this success more apparent than when the rally hit Spain last night. Thousands of fans gathered at the W Hotel at the Plaça de la Rosa dels Vents on the Barcelona waterfront. The teams drive 290 miles down the coast to the Port of Denia today for the boat to their final destination, lbiza. Photo Oskar Bakke via @Betsafe

roundup: POLAND. Confiscating driving licences is increasingly the punishment of choice for severe traffic offences says TISPOL. More than 900 have been taken away so far this year compared to 727 in the whole of 2012 and 768 in 2013. Likely in cases of 50kmh+ over the limit. The absolute maximum fine is €250. The BULGARIA-GEORGIA ferry will be restored in August, running from Burgas, for passengers and freight. The ship has been acquired and is due to arrive next week. Owned and operated by Clever Synergies Investment Fund. More soon. Meanwhile, 69% of all registered vehicles in Bulgaria are over 16 years old; 70% of all heavy accidents involve vehicles older than 10 years say new figures. AUSTRIA. ‘Just got cheapest ever fast driving award. €25 in Austria on condition it was paid on the spot and in cash. Hope it buys something nice,’ says motoring writer Andrew Frankel (@Andrew_Frankel). BELARUS. e-reservations for border controls will be introduced at the Kozlovichi (Kazlovicy) checkpoint with Poland this year and Kamenny Log with Lithuania next year says Belta News Agency. More details on the Belarus State Customs Committee website.

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