Author Archives: driveeuropenews

Road tolls and vignettes – how much, where to buy and where to put them

This article has been updated here.

There are broadly three kinds of ‘road user charging’ in Europe – traditional road tolls paid at a booth after the journey; a vignette allowing cars to use some or all of the road network; and electronic tags that pay tolls automatically when passing through a barrier or control point.

To make it a bit confusing, some countries use a combination of all these methods. We look at each in turn, but first list the countries that do not charge for using the roads.

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Click the blue links below for the official road charging website for each country, in English.

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COUNTRIES NOT CHARGING TO USE ROADS

Germany: lovely long motorways, and they are free!

Germany: lovely long motorways, and free too.

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These countries do not charge to use the roads in general but there might be charges to use certain bridges or tunnels.

In alphabetical order: Belgium, Denmark, UK, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania*,Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Sweden.

*Lithuania – large campervans may need to buy the commercial vehicle vignette. Click for more.

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TRADITIONAL ROAD TOLLS

Italy: Even Ferrari owners have to scrabble around for change.

Italy: Even Ferrari owners have to scrabble around for change.

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Road tolls: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Greece*, Italy, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Spain.

These countries charge by the kilometre to use the motorway network but, because the roads are operated by different companies (in western Europe anyway), there is no set national charge. See below for averages.

There’s no advance preparation for road tolls, just turn up at the booth and pay. Make sure you are in the right lane – there are autopay, cash, card, and commercial vehicles lanes at most Peage these days. Also, keep lots of coins, or your credit/debitcard, handy.

Note: in France, UK drivers have the option to buy an electronic tag to use the fast automatic payment lanes, see below. In Greece, there’s no motorway authority website in English. See here.

Costs: France is the most expensive, on average about 7c per km. In Italy expect to pay around 6.5c per km, in Spain about 5c per km. Norway comes in at about 4c per km.

www.ViaMichelin.co.uk includes toll charges in its route planner, as does www.mappy.com.

Meanwhile, the almost universal lack of receipts means keeping track of tolls on a long trip is difficult. That’s why we generally pay by card.

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AUTOPAY ELECTRONIC TAGS

Autopay tags attach behind the rearview mirror.

Autopay tags usually attach behind the rearview mirror.

Automatic payment tags are compulsory in Portugal and optional in Norway and France.

Those driving in Portugal should click this official information page or, better still, this page from English language newspaper The Portugal News about driving with a foreign registered vehicle. Briefly, drivers need to rent a tag by registering credit/debit card details at a vending machine (seriously). Money is automatically deducted and the tag returned at the end of the trip.

Over 20,000 British drivers have registered for the French Liber-T tag since the scheme was launched last year. Read our roundup of the pros and cons here.

Foreign drivers have a range of methods to pay road tolls in Norway – prepay, postpay, autotag, cash or card. Read the official run down for the one that suits you best.

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VIGNETTES

There are two types of vignette, paper or sticker. They apply to the whole road network or just the ‘national network’ of motorways and some dual carriageways.

Vignettes are widely available – from most petrol stations, even in neighbouring countries near the border, or from booths on border crossings themselves. Needless to say, fines for not buying vignettes can be hefty.

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Vignette Stickers

Vignette stickers crowding the windscreen is the bane of every Euro driver's life. On the other hand it is quite cool that all the neighbours can see where you've been on holiday.

Vignette stickers crowding the windscreen are the bane of every transcontinental driver’s life. It’s quite cool though that all the neighbours can see where you’ve been on holiday and unavoidable because they are deliberately hard to get off (and impossible to re-stick).

Vignette Stickers

Most countries that use vignettes sell a range, depending on how long you will be using the roads. One day transit vignettes used to be widely available but not any more. One week/ten days is the modern minimum, then a month or year. The exception is Switzerland which only sells an annual vignette for 40CHF (€33.33).

Apart from Bulgaria, do not buy a sticker vignette if you are not going to use the motorways.

In addition to a vignette, Austria also uses traditional road tolls on some motorways and tunnels.

Sticker vignettes are not transferable, either physically or legally. Instructions for where to stick them are on the reverse, in English (normally down the opposite side of the windscreen to the driver). You might need to write in your registration (else they are invalid). Keep the counterfoil. Vignette – vinyet – is a widely recognised word, as is toll.

In alphabetical order: Austria (scroll down), Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland (for ordering only, no English info. includes Liechtenstein. See for more).

Costs: one week normally comes out at around £10 for a car. Slovenia is €15 (but worth it).

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Paper Vignettes

Hungary paper vignette: a week's driving on Hungarian motorways costs 2,750HUF, or about £8.50. It takes a few minutes to get and you must keep it for one year after expiry - Hungarian authorities can track you down in the UK.

Hungary paper vignette: a week’s driving on Hungarian motorways costs 2,750HUF, or about £8.50. It takes a few minutes to get and you must keep it for one year after expiry – Hungarian authorities can track you down in the UK.

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Paper Vignettes – Hungary and Romania.

Paper vignettes have to be ‘applied for’ which makes them a hassle even though it’s done as-you-wait. You need your car registration, and maybe some ID too. They also need to kept in a safe place and presented on demand by law enforcement.

The Hungarian vignette should be kept for one year after it expires. It’s in your interest to do so because the authorities can track you down back in the UK. The Romanian vignette is needed to drive on all national main roads.

Costs: Hungary’s minimum vignette is one week. It costs 2,725HUF (£8.50) for a car. For a campervan it’s 13,385HUF (£40) per week. The Romanian ‘Rovingette’ is €3 per week.

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Finally. The future of road tolling in the European Union…

Greece: little and often.

Greece: €2.40 can take you 100 miles.

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The European Commission hates vignettes, considering them to be a blunt instrument. It much prefers tolls which can be used to modify driver behaviour (by pricing people out of the market at peak times) to tackle congestion (and pollution).

This is all rather awkward as Belgium’s on-again-off-again road user charging plan will be vignette based and if Germany decides to introduce road user charging its preferred method will be vignettes too.

We all wait with baited breath to hear what the Commission decides after its consultation last year. A pan-EU plan was due to be launched in June but there’s still no word. It’s not difficult to predict however: a variable charge, single account, electronic unit based system of tolls across Europe with a portion of revenues for the Commission, and another portion ring-fenced for investment in the road network. Let’s see.

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Daily Brief 2 July 2013

Latest update 21:00

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Eurotunnel – 30 mins waiting time on French terminal, from earlier incident now resolved.

Eurotunnel Freight – two hour delay from UK, earlier incident now resolved.

DFDS Dover-Calais – ‘the following Dover to Calais service is operating with a 90 minute delay due to operational reasons. Exit Port Calais: 18:00. Exit Port Dover: 19:15. All other Dover to Calais services are operating to time and schedule.’ Dover-Dunkirk is not affected.

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News: Switzerland motorbike parking charges – Roadside ads ban Ukraine –

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Random Romania: Craiova, May 2013. On the border with Hungary. Where the Romanian Revolution started in December 1989. More soon.

Random Romania: Craiova, May 2013. On the border with Hungary. Where the Romanian Revolution started in December 1989. More soon.

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TRAVEL/WEATHER:

Meteoalarm weather alerts – Amber alert for high temperatures northern Montenegro. Amber alert for storms central Austria and south east Germany

Weather in brief – cloudy in the north and west, hot and sunny elsewhere.

Crossing the Channel – DFDS sailings Harwich-Esbjerg resume on 5 July (see notes below). Condor Ferries’ Rapide operating at reduced power on Thursday 4 July with some rescheduled departure and arrival times, see here.

No other operators reporting any current delays.

From @Port_of_Dover today: ‘Here in Dover sea conditions in the Channel are slight with West Sou Westerly light breeze, force 2 and the visibility is moderate.’

Latest @CF_travel_news forecast: ‘The current forecast indicates slight to moderate sea conditions during the week.’

See our Traffic/Travel/Weather page for the latest.

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NEWSLOG/PHOTOS:

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Switzerland – Basel is leading the way by introducing parking charges for motorbikes says thelocal.ch. The northern border city will charge 0.5CHF (35p) per hour from the autumn with other cities expected to follow suit eventually.

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Ukraine – roadside advertising looks set to be restricted after the cabinet approved a new bill last Wednesday. The report from Interfax news agency does not say why, though ads will be removed from footpaths, cycle lanes, bridges, overpasses – and potentially from all highways too – and known accident hotspots.

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NOTES:

Bulgaria – continuing anti-govt demonstrations, day nineteen today. The British Embassy says, ‘There is a small risk of violence. Avoid large gatherings in public spaces and follow local media and the advice of the local authorities.’ For the latest FCO travel advice click here. For Bulgarian news in English see www.Novinite.com or @novinite_com on Twitter. We do not wish to be alarmist but a nationalist leader was photographed on Friday with what looked like a holstered gun (since denied) on his way into parliament; also quoted talking about ‘civil war’. The national ombudsman called for ‘level-headedness’ at the weekend.

DFDS Harwich-Esbjerg – sailings resume on Friday 5 July from Esbjerg at 18:45 and the day after from Harwich at 17:45. The DFDS service is the only regular car/passenger sailing between UK-Scandinavia. Limited space is sometimes available on DFDS Tor Line boats between Immingham/Tilbury-Gothenburg.

Turkey – despite some no-go areas on the Syrian border, general Foreign Office travel advice has been downgraded after the riots of recent weeks. Click for more.

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Daily Brief 1 July 2013

Latest update 19:10

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News: Rescheduled Condor Rapide Thurs 4 July – Old cars back on Belgian roads – June snow/campervan mishap Norway – Hungarian truck tolls are go – Border controls with Slovenia and Hungary gone as Croatia joins the EU – Luxembourg DUI epidemic – Romania/Bulgaria bridge tolls start today – EBRD new roads Montenegro + Moldova

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Croatia. Welcome to the EU. The population is decidedly ambivalent. Yes they will get EU money but domestic business will have to compete against western European firms on a level playing field. For country in recession for five years that will be difficult. On a happier note, all border controls with Slovenia and Hungary have been removed making getting there easier (though to be honest driving laws have been aligned for some years now).

Croatia. Welcome to the EU, as of 00:00 1 July 2013. Despite a huge party in Zagreb last night generally the population is decidedly ambivalent. Yes they will get EU money but domestic business now has to compete against western European firms on a level playing field. For country in recession for five years that will be difficult. On a happier note, all border controls with Slovenia and Hungary have been removed so getting there is easier (though driving rules have actually been aligned for some years now).

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TRAVEL/WEATHER:

Meteoalarm weather alerts – Amber alert for storms north east Spain. NEW – Amber alert for storms north west Germany.

Weather in brief – fine in the north west. Showers in the very north, heavy from Poland eastward. Sunny and scattered showers Central getting heavier eastward. Dry across the south, hot in Spain and Portugal.

Crossing the Channel – technical hitch with P&O Dover-Calais sees some disruption, see above. DFDS sailings Harwich-Esbjerg resume on 5 July (see notes below). Condor Ferries’ Rapide operating at reduced power on Thursday 4 July with some rescheduled departure and arrival times, see here.

No other operators reporting any current delays.

From @Port_of_Dover this afternoon: ‘Here in Dover sea conditions in the Channel are moderate with West Sou Westerly breeze, force 5 and the visibility is good.’

Latest @CF_travel_news forecast: ‘The current forecast indicates slight to moderate sea conditions during the week.’

See our Traffic/Travel/Weather page for the latest.

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NEWSLOG/PHOTOS:

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An old timer number plate, Belgium

An old timer number plate, Belgium. Pic Ministry of Transport.

Belgium – cars over 25 years old, so-called Old Timers because of the O in the numberplate, are to be allowed back onto the roads says Flanders News after the Transport minister lifted some restrictions. Previously they were limited to driving to and from designated events during daylight hours. Some commercial uses and commuting are still banned however. Read the official announcement (French only).

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Moldova: The Porsche Performance Drive recently drove from Chisinau north west to the Ukraine border.

Moldova: The Porsche Performance Drive recently drove from Chisinau north west to the Ukraine border.

Moldova/Montenegro – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced new loans for road upgrades in Moldova and Montenegro today. Some €150m will be spent over three years on four key roads and one bypass in Moldova – click for details – improving the connection between the capital Chisinau and the Romanian border west, and the country’s only port access of 480m on the Danube at Giurgiulesti. The loan is being matched by a similar amount from the European Investment Bank.

Meanwhile in Montenegro, EBRD will supply €25m over the next few years, specifically on the Berane-Kolasin road in the north of the country, the same road, some miles further along, from the horrific crash last weekend when a Romanian coach fell into a gorge killing eighteen. Click for more details.

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Belarus – a boss at Austrian Kapsch TrafficCom has admitted that the company was caught out by ‘an array of diverse legal administrative procedures, some of which we had no idea of when launching the project,’ hence the national electronic road tolls project being delayed by a month (as we reported last week). Doesn’t sound too serious. The system goes live on 1 August and will include all foreign registered vehicles. The Belarus govt has made a point of saying it doesn’t blame Kapsch for the hold-up. See www.beltoll.by for more.

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Norway – a British couple on holiday in a camper van came a cropper after a freak snowstorm on Saturday says thelocal.no. They were on holiday in the Hardangervidda National Park in south central Norway on the highest point of route 7, the road between Oslo and Bergen. Snow was reported over 800m. The vehicle skidded off the road shortly after they departed but there were no injuries. Click for a picture.

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Hungary – HU-GO is go! Electronic tolls for trucks starts today: www.hu-go.hu

Some said it would never happen in time, but HU-GO, the electronic toll system for trucks over 3.5t is now in place and working as of 00:00 today. The system applies to 6,513km of roads – motorways, highways and main roads. Drivers can either register for an on-board unit which comes with admin advantages, especially for fleets, or occasional users can buy a prepay ticket for a designated route. Tolls are calculated on the number of axles, Euro emissions, dimensions, weight and distance travelled. To go to the English language website click the link above.

Some said it would never happen in time but HU-GO, the electronic toll system for trucks over 3.5t is now in place and working as of 00:00 today (though it seems there was a glitch overnight, and then again this morning). The system applies to 6,513km of roads – motorways, highways and main roads. Frequent drivers can register for an on-board unit which comes with admin advantages, especially for fleets. Occasional users can buy a prepay ticket for a designated route at anywhere displaying the orange HU-GO logo. Tolls are calculated on the number of axles, Euro emissions, dimensions, weight and distance travelled. To go to the English language website click the link above.

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Luxembourg – a concerted action by police on Friday night, between 00:00-04:00, saw 817 cars stopped and an incredible 65 drivers found to be DUI.

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Bulgaria/Romania – tolls on the Vidin-Calafat Danube 2 bridge – now renamed New Europe Bridge – come into effect as of today. Cars and light vans, etc, pay €6 each way. Trucks and buses from 3.5-7.5t pay €12, between 7.5-12t pay €18, over 12t with three axles pay €25 and with four axles pay €37.

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British Grand Prix: snatching victory from the jaws of what looked like abject defeat after repeated tyre failures. Not good after the 2012 fiasco. But all is now well. Photo from @RealRonHoward, director of the much anticipated film Rush about the 1976 Grand Prix season. Good to see he's keeping up with his F1 friends even though the film's in the can and due out on 20 September.

British Grand Prix: snatching victory from the jaws of what looked like abject defeat after repeated tyre failures. Not good after the 2012 fiasco. But after some thrilling final laps all is now well. Photo from @RealRonHoward, director of the much anticipated film Rush about the 1976 Grand Prix season. Good to see he’s keeping up with his F1 friends even though the film’s in the can and due out on 20 September.

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NOTES:

Bulgaria – continuing anti-govt demonstrations, day eighteen today. The British Embassy says, ‘There is a small risk of violence. Avoid large gatherings in public spaces and follow local media and the advice of the local authorities.’ For the latest FCO travel advice click here. For Bulgarian news in English see www.Novinite.com or @novinite_com on Twitter. We do not wish to be alarmist but a nationalist leader was photographed on Friday with what looked like a holstered gun (since denied) on his way into parliament; also quoted talking about ‘civil war’. The national ombudsman called for ‘level-headedness’ at the weekend.

DFDS Harwich-Esbjerg – sailings resume on Friday 5 July from Esbjerg at 18:45 and the day after from Harwich at 17:45. The DFDS service is the only regular car/passenger sailing between UK-Scandinavia. Limited space is sometimes available on DFDS Tor Line boats between Immingham/Tilbury-Gothenburg.

Turkey – despite some no-go areas on the Syrian border, general Foreign Office travel advice has been downgraded after the riots of recent weeks. Click for more.

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Sunday Digest

The week’s important stories and best pictures rounded up – from the Italian motorway petrol station strike, speeding post mortem from Le Mans, the crazy Autobahn shooter captured, the best mountain roads from the Tour de France and the implications of the new R.o.Ireland Transport Bill.

Plus, who’s on tour?

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Italy fuel strike – a strike co-ordinated by three industry associations will see motorway petrol stations close for three days in mid-July over high prices apparently charged by oil companies. The stoppage will start at 22:00 on Tuesday 16 July and last until 06:00 Friday 19 July says ANSA news agency. According to the AA Fuel Price survey for June, unleaded 95 costs €1.75/l and diesel €1.63/l. Both are at the top end of fuel prices charged in Europe but neither are the highest, as claimed by one spokesman.

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Windy500 in deepest Albania

A Windy500 team tackles unmade mountain roads in Albania and herds of wild tortoises.

A Windy500 team tackles unmade mountain roads in Albania, and herds of wild tortoises.

Windy500 – driving 5,500 miles through 23 countries in 23 days in vehicles worth a maximum £500 is asking for trouble. If anything though it’s the hi-technology causing problems on the Windy500 European adventure. A satnav-inspired detour through deepest Albania on day thirteen saw one group faced with an impassable rutted dirt track and wild tortoises, seriously, on the carriageway. To make it even more exciting, the sixteen teams only find out where they are going when organiser Steve Blackmore reveals the plans each morning. One place they did know about was the Transfagarasan Highway in Romania, Jeremy Clarkson’s favourite, where they wild camped, at 6,500ft, beer and wine chilled by snow collected from the roadside (in June) watching an electrical storm further down the valley. Last night was spent camping within feet of the Adriatic in Croatia. One piece of modern technology working well is the internet. Daily updates are posted at www.Windy500.co.uk and are well worth a read. Each team has pledged to raise at least £100 for Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in Dorset. You can sponsor them via the Windy website or donate direct at www.juliashouse.org

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Le Mans speeding post mortem

French traffic police looking suitably stern after banning this young man from driving and fining him €750.

French traffic police looking suitably stern after banning this young man from driving and fining him €750 on the way to Le Mans this year. This is not the Audi A8 caught ‘in excess’ of 250kph. Photo via Twitter.

France – a UK-registered (company owned) Audi R8 was caught doing in excess of 250kmh (155mph) on the A28 between Rouen and Alencon on Friday, presumably on the way to Le Mans. The exact speed is unknown since the police radar gun couldn’t read beyond 250kmh. The car was impounded, the man’s license confiscated and he was fined €1,500. Another seven British motorists were caught doing over 190kmh according to reports. We’re not sure how this crop compares to previous years. Read our run down on Driving in France 2013.

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The best Tour de France mountain roads – ahead of the famous bike race kicking off this weekend – literally by the sounds of it – the Guardian employed Tour de France historian Giles Belbin to pick his five favourite mountain stages. We employed Google Maps to locate them, all in the South of France. From west to east: near Lourdes, Col d’Aubisque and Col du Tourmalet; near Avignon, Le Mont Ventoux; and, both east of Grenoble, L’Alpe D’Huez and Col du Galibier. Click for an overview map or for the original article.

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Help for Heroes European Rally

The Help for Heroes Rally crews enjoy a well earned lap of the Nurburgring.

The Help for Heroes Rally crews at the Nurburgring.

Band of Brothers – loosely tracing the route of the Allied invasion of Europe after the D-Day Landings in 1944, the 42 crews on this year’s Help for Heroes 4×4 European Rally drove two thousand miles through seven countries, drawing the event to a successful conclusion this morning. Now in its fourth year, the H4H Euro rally has so far raised nearly £600,000 to help injured servicemen and women and their families. This year’s tour included many historical sites from WW1 and WW2, culminating in Hitler’s infamous Eagle’s Nest in Bavaria. But the teams also enjoyed a surprise off-roading session in a quarry near Munich and at least one lap of the Nurburgring. Interestingly, the rally used live satellite tracking from Skytag to keep track of crews. A detailed route map will be on-line soon. To support the event, text the word RALLY to 70900 to donate £5 or follow this link.

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Germany: Autobahn shooter nabbed – after five years, federal police (BKA – Bundeskriminalamt) finally caught up with the man responsible for 700 random shootings on German motorways last weekend. A 57 year old professional driver from Nord Rhein Westphalia, western Germany, has admitted his involvement according to a press conference on Tuesday. The incidents started in July 2008 mainly targeting car transporters. Several serious injuries, but no fatalities, resulted. A change to more powerful ammunition last year saw the investigation move up a gear though the use of a special network of cameras has sparked privacy concerns. German police are denied access to the national network of traffic cameras.

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Ukraine - nextyear,

Ukraine. Next year’s Porsche Performance Drive will have to search a bit harder for challenging roads after Ukraine president Yanukovych announced this week that ‘restoration and construction of regional roads is one of the main tasks of government in 2014.’ Part of the ring-road around capital Kiev will also be resurfaced.

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Eurotunnel – it was never likely that the Chunnel operator would take the European Commission’s intervention on access charges and governance lying down. In a newsletter to investors, Eurotunnel chief Jean-Paul Gounon called the Commission’s criticisms ‘dogmatic’ and showing ‘a serious lack of understanding’. He has also referred the timing of the announcement to the Stock Market authorities after €500m was wiped off the value of the company in the following two days.

In related news, DFDS’ Harwich-Esbjerg service will resume this Friday, 5 July, following a spectacular crash with the berth in Harwich last weekend.

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Yes you Cannes: Seventy glamorous, fashionable, rich - and, obviously, adventurous - women drove a collection of 35 very red, exotic sports cars 1,700 miles from Barcelona to Rome this week. Sponsored by Bentley, Maserati, Roberto Cavalli and Valentino among others. More on this soon.

Yes you Cannes: Seventy glamorous, fashionable, rich – and, obviously, adventurous – women drove a collection of 35 very red, exotic sports cars 1,700 miles from Barcelona to Rome this week. Sponsored by Bentley, Maserati, Roberto Cavalli and Valentino among others. More on this soon.

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Ireland – as is becoming the European norm, from the end of 2014 all drivers in the Republic will be required to carry a breakdown/emergency pack including a first aid kit, high-viz vest, torch and reflective triangle. The govt published a new Road Traffic Bill on Thursday. Penalties for traffic offences will be beefed up and a new regime for roadside drink/drugs testing introduced as road accident stats show a marked increase recently after several years of falls. Also, cyclists will become liable for on-the-spot fines.

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Rolls-Royce Alpine Rally re-run

The Rolls-Royce Rally on the Loibl Pass, Slovenia to Italy.

As you might expect, the best photos of the week came from the Rolls-Royce Alpine Rally re-run. Anybody tempted to dismiss a trip that included two receptions with Royalty, one beside Lake Garda, should bear in mind entrants drove their 100 year old Ghosts on the unmade, 28.5% roads of the Loibl Pass between Slovenia and Italy. The event, a re-run of the original 1913 Alpine Rally which first established Rolls’ ‘best car in the world’ credentials, finishes today in Vienna. Catch up with the latest via the link above.

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Amusing – the best traffic tales always come from Russia and this week is no exception. A man from Frolovo in the south west Vologda region was caught after stealing a bridge he had been intending to sell for scrap metal. Police followed drag marks to his house.

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And finally…

It's always worth keeping track of @LeighTurnerFCO as he explores his patch of Turkey, South Caucasus and Central Asia. This week he's been on holiday in south west Turkey, including catching the ferry across the Gulf of Gokova to spend a last few days on the Datca Peninsula. A recommended follow on Twitter.

It’s always worth keeping track of @LeighTurnerFCO as he explores his patch of Turkey, South Caucasus and Central Asia. For the last two weeks he’s been on holiday in south west Turkey, including catching the ferry across the Gulf of Gokova to spend a last few days on the Datca Peninsula. A recommended follow on Twitter.

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Sunday Digest is only a selection of the stories on DriveEurope each week. See our Daily Brief blog each day for more, as well as up-to-date info on traffic, travel and weather.

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Daily Brief 29 June 2013

Latest update 20:00

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Condor Ferries: Condor Rapide on reduced power. Delays of 20-45 mins today and tomorrow.

Brittany Ferries: ‘Due to road works, traffic into and out of Portsmouth is heavier than usual. Please allow extra time for your journey.’

P&O: ‘We regret that the 22.30 Calais-Dover on the 1st July has been cancelled. Please call us on 0845 839 0845 to change to a different sailing.’

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Newslines: ‘Ace’ truck driver nabbed Poland – ferry news roundup – protest on E79 near Greece border – man survives Baltic ferry fall

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In the absence of any news pictures so far today we're forced to use a Photo of our own. This is lovely Linz in Austria, on the left bank of the Danube, next to Niebelungenbrucke in the city centre. Unmissable because it changes colour. It could be evidence there's too much money here but there's a restaurant on the third floor overlooking the old town across the river.

In the absence of any news pictures so far today we’re forced to use a photo of our own. This is the Lentos Art Museum/Ars Electronica Centre ‘FuturLab’ in Linz, opened 2003, on the left bank of the Danube, next to Niebelungenbrucke in the city centre. Unmissable because it changes colour. It could be evidence there’s too much money around in Austria’s extremely well-heeled third city. On the other hand there’s a spectacular view of the old town across the river from the restaurant on the third floor. Really, Linz is a fantastic mix of everything old and new.

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TRAVEL/WEATHER:

Meteoalarm weather alerts – Amber warning for storms Greece mainland (and now south east FYR Macedonia) and for high winds and seas southern tip of Spain/Gibraltar.

Weather in brief – rain in north west (apart from UK). Heavy rain around Adriatic. Hot in the East, Spain and Portugal.

Crossing the Channel – Repairs to Condor Ferries’ Rapide taking longer than expected. Delays Jersey-St Malo-Guernsey-St Malo today, Jersey-(Guernsey)-St Malo tomorrow. Click for more. DFDS sailings Harwich-Esbjerg resume on 5 July (see notes below).

No other operators reporting any current delays.

From @Port_of_Dover this morning:

Latest @CF_travel_news forecast: ‘The current forecast indicates slight sea conditions for the week[end].’

See our Traffic/Travel/Weather page for the latest.

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NOTES:

P&O Calais-Dover – ‘We regret that the 22.30 Calais-Dover on the 1st July has been cancelled. Please call us on 0845 839 0845 to change to a different sailing.’

Brussels – a large demonstration will take place in Brussels on Saturday 29 June 2013. This will lead to traffic congestion in the centre of the city from 2-4 pm, especially around the Central Station.

Bulgaria – continuing anti-govt demonstrations, day sixteen today. The British Embassy says, ‘There is a small risk of violence. Avoid large gatherings in public spaces and follow local media and the advice of the local authorities.’ For the latest FCO travel advice click here. For Bulgarian news in English see www.Novinite.com or @novinite_com on Twitter. We do not wish to be alarmist but a nationalist leader was photographed on Friday with what looked like a holstered gun (since denied) on his way into parliament; also quoted talking about ‘civil war’. The national ombudsman has today called for ‘level-headedness’.

DFDS Harwich-Esbjerg – sailings resume on Friday 5 July from Esbjerg at 18:45 and the day after from Harwich at 17:45. The DFDS service is the only regular car/passenger sailing between UK-Scandinavia. Limited space is sometimes available on DFDS Tor Line boats between Immingham/Tilbury-Gothenburg.

Luxembourg – the A4 south west of the capital will be closed all weekend while the ‘Sandweiler’ roundabout on the A1 east of the city (junction with N1a, and N2) will close overnight on Friday and Saturday. Diversions in place. Click for detail.

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NEWSLOG/PHOTOS:

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E79 south of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

E79 south of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

Bulgaria – a similar protest was threatened in the week (see Daily Brief Tuesday) but an entirely different group this time briefly blocked the main E79 road to the Greece border this afternoon. A group of farmers from the Blagoevgrad region dumped produce, and symbolically blocked the roadway for 10 minutes this afternoon in a protest over agricultural prices. As the main thoroughfare through south west Bulgaria, E79 is vulnerable to such protests and they have happened several times this year, as I other places in the country, though all have been over within a few hours.

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Poland – a Lithuanian truck driver who overtook approaching the brow of a hill, crossing a solid white line in the process, claimed as an experienced, professional ‘ace’ he was allowed to do so – though he admitted to New Poland Express that, ‘It’s not for those who passed their driving test today.’ He was fined 2,500PLN (£500) and banned for six months after the incident was caught on camera. Road safety is increasingly high on the agenda in Poland. The Economist said this week it had ‘some of the most dangerous roads in Europe’ a view endorsed by EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas.

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Ferry news roundup – DFDS are offering ‘night owl’ specials on its Dover-Calais/Dunkirk routes. Book before 31 July for travel before 15 September and sailings between 01:00-06:00 inclusive can be had for as little as £19 each way for car+4. Click for more… The Guardian is working up righteous fury over mobile phone roaming charges on-board ferries using Stena Line as an example. Apparently passengers are not aware that making or receiving calls in such circumstances will be expensive… the former Condor Ferries’ Vitesse captain and first mate facing manslaughter charges after a collision with a fishing boat in March 2011 will appear in court again on 11 September says the BBC. Condor itself is not being prosecuted… a family seemingly on a two day break in Dunkirk were found, in the early hours of Thursday morning, to have hidden three stowaways in their caravan. All concerned are now in the custody of French Border Police… The chief exec of Thanet Council found herself facing tough questions on Wednesday over the debt accrued since 2009 by the sadly now defunct TransEuropa Ferries… A 36 year old Estonian man has survived seven hours in the Baltic Sea overnight after falling off the Helsinki-Stockholm ferry on Friday evening… And finally, a cat missing from its home in Le Havre was found on-board a P&O ferry to Dover. P&O only sails to Calais in France. Le Havre is 170 miles from Calais. Meanwhile DFDS and Brittany Ferries do sail to Le Havre. The details of the Daily Mail story do check out but it still seems very odd, over and above the fact that a cat managed to board a ferry.

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Daily Brief 28 June 2013

Latest update 20:00

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Newslines: Italian motorway petrol station strike – Danger on the Loibl Pass – new Spanish traffic app – Bijaca border open – Trakia and Struma Highways to open imminently – new border pilot Belarus/Lithuania.

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Cash & Rocket On Tour

Yes you Cannes: Seventy glamorous, fashionable, rich - and, obviously, adventurous - women drove a collection of 35 very red, exotic sports cars 1,700 miles from Barcelona to Rome this week. Sponsored by Bentley, Maserati, Roberto Cavalli and Valentino among others. More on this soon.

Yes you Cannes: Seventy glamorous, fashionable, rich – and, obviously, adventurous – women drove a collection of 35 very red, exotic sports cars 1,700 miles from Barcelona to Rome this week. Sponsored by Bentley, Maserati, Roberto Cavalli and Valentino among others. More on this soon.

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TRAVEL/WEATHER:

Meteoalarm weather alerts – Amber warning for storms northern central east coastal Italy and in the eastern Baltic region.

Weather in brief – a band of cloud and rain across west and central Europe but fine across the north and south though with risk of heavy showers in Greece.

Crossing the Channel – DFDS sailings Harwich-Esbjerg resume on 5 July (see notes below).

Condor Ferries’ Rapide is operating on reduced power for the rest of the day Guernsey-St Malo-Jersey-St Malo, delays of 20-30mins. Problem expected to be fixed for tomorrow. Click for more.

No other operators reporting any current delays.

From @Port_of_Dover this morning: ‘Here in Dover sea conditions in the Channel are slight with South Westerly breeze, force 3-4 and the visibility is good.’

Latest @CF_travel_news forecast: ‘The current forecast indicates slight sea conditions for the week[end].’

See our Traffic/Travel/Weather page for the latest.

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NOTES:

Eurotunnel – “Resurfacing works will be taking place in the boarding lanes of the UK Terminal from 17 – 28 June. During this period, there will be no catering or toilet facilities available in this area. Please visit the Victor Hugo Terminal building after you have checked in to make full use of the facilities available there.”

Brussels – a European Summit for Heads of State on Thursday and Friday (27 and 28 June) will mean the area around the EU buildings in the east of the city will be completely closed to all traffic and pedestrians. Residents are even being barred from putting out their rubbish. Click for more.

Also, a large demonstration will take place in Brussels on Saturday 29 June 2013. This will lead to traffic congestion in the centre of the city from 2-4 pm, especially around the Central Station.

Bulgaria – continuing political demonstrations. The British Embassy says, ‘There is a small risk of violence. Avoid large gatherings in public spaces and follow local media and the advice of the local authorities.’ For the latest FCO travel advice click here. For Bulgarian news in English see www.Novinite.com or @novinite_com on Twitter.

DFDS Harwich-Esbjerg – sailings resume on Friday 5 July from Esbjerg at 18:45 and the day after from Harwich at 17:45. The DFDS service is the only regular car/passenger sailing between UK-Scandinavia. Limited space is sometimes available on DFDS Tor Line boats between Immingham/Tilbury-Gothenburg.

Luxembourg – the A4 south west of the capital will be closed all weekend while the ‘Sandweiler’ roundabout on the A1 east of the city (junction with N1a, and N2) will close overnight on Friday and Saturday. Diversions in place. Click for detail.

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NEWSLOG/PHOTOS:

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Italy – motorway petrol stations will strike in July over the high prices apparently charged by the oil companies. The stoppage will start at 22:00 on Tuesday 16 July and last until 06:00 Friday 19 July says ANSA news agency. According to the AA Fuel Price survey for June, unleaded 95 costs €1.75/l and diesel €1.63/l, both at the top end (but not the highest) in Europe.

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Danger on the Loibl Pass. Click for more great pictures.

Fearsome, and a real insight into what the competitors on the 1913 Alpine Trial faced, and in the same cars. The Loibl Pass on the Austria-Slovenia border rises 2,300ft in three miles. That's 28.5% overall but it's much steeper than that in places. We don't blame anybody who sat this one out: that's why they call them Passes.

Fearsome, and a real insight into what the competitors on the 1913 Alpine Trial faced, and in the same cars. The Loibl Pass on the Austria-Slovenia border rises 2,300ft in three miles. That’s 28.5% overall but it’s much steeper than that in places. We don’t blame anybody who sat this one out: that’s why they call them Passes.

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Spain – the DGT traffic authority has launched a free smartphone app as millions of motorists take to the road for the official start of the holiday season. Heavy traffic is expected at either end of this weekend particularly. The app is in Spanish only but the simple language and clear graphics means it’s useable even for English-only speakers (like us). It includes a route planner and can send traffic alerts and the locations of road works and speed cameras (of which there will many more this weekend).

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Russia – the Mayor of Moscow has threatened to give out the personal contact details of the chief of traffic police unless he sorts out the city’s system for dealing with violations.

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Bosnia/Croatia - the Bijaca International Border Crossing in southern Bosnia is officially open! It's one of two export posts, the other being at Gradiska in the north, as Croatia joins the EU on Monday.

Bosnia/Croatia – the Bijaca International Border Crossing in southern Bosnia is officially open! It’s one of two export posts, the other being at Gradiska in the north, as Croatia joins the EU on Monday.

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Belarus/Lithuania – only half Belarus’ border points are up to scratch says the Deputy Prime Minister as he announced a programme to install ‘exemplary’ border crossings today. The big issue is queues of heavy truck traffic. New parking areas will be built, with catering facilities, motels and automated priority systems, alongside expanded access lanes. A pilot scheme will be introduced at either Benyakoni or Kamenny Log, both just south of Vilnius. There is also some discussion about visaless entry to Belarus for the 2014 Ice Hockey Championships to be held in Minsk in May.

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Greece – the haulage industry, one of the first sectors to be liberalised under the country’s bailout conditions, has seen revenue halve as costs have risen and prices fallen over the last four years says ekatherimini.com. Two thirds of the 32,000 strong fleet is mothballed or based over the border in Bulgaria.

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Great News for Bulgaria

The Struma link highway to the Sofia Ring Road.

The Struma link highway to the Sofia Ring Road.

Bulgaria – the Trakia Highway will open on 12 July it has been announced. After twenty years of planning, the complete motorway linking the capital Sofia to the Black Sea at Burgas will be open to the public for the first time. The journey along its 395km will take three hours. Eighty percent of Trakia has been open for some time but a vital link at the east end has been tantalisingly delayed until now. It’s a rare cause for celebration in a country beset by political crisis and continued protests this year.

At the same time, the next section of the Struma Highway – ultimately to connect Sofia to the Greek border – will open at about the same time. The vital link in Struma however, across the Kresna Gorge, is still at the planning stage.

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Porsche Performance Drive: Moldova, Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia

Nine teams from eight eastern European countries take part in a succession of driving tests, on and off road – and track – along a 1,000 mile route through Moldova, Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia. It was rather more than just a jolly for well-heeled owners.

The route: Chisinau-Bukovel-Katowice-Bratislava. 9-14 June 2013.

The rules: Competitors are timed between checkpoints. The penalties for being early are double those for being late. The lowest fuel consumption is the benchmark; cars above this are awarded penalty points.

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Day One, Chisinau – naturally, competitors were met directly off the plane, by a fleet of Porsche Cayenne Diesel S.

Day One, Chisinau, Moldova. Competitors are met directly off the plane, naturally, by a fleet of Porsche Cayenne Diesel S.

Moldova – hilly and landlocked (close to the Black Sea), sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania (and the Prut and Dniester rivers) - very fashionable with travel bloggers - Moldova is the poorest country in Europe (though, clearly, it’s not all bad). Language: Romanian. The new govt is pro-EU though will struggle with the breakaway Transdniestr region on the east side of the river.

Moldova. Hilly and landlocked but close to the Black Sea. Sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania (and the Prut and Dniester rivers, mostly). Very fashionable with travel bloggers, but Moldova is the poorest country in Europe (though, clearly, it’s not all bad). Language: Romanian.

First stop, Cricova Winery – ‘Wine City’ 15km north of Chisinau with 75 miles of underground roadways. Famous for sparking red wine. Hosted Vladimir Putin’s 50th birthday. Followed by a roof top reception overlooking the city.

First stop, Cricova Winery – ‘Wine City’ 15km north of Chisinau with 120km of underground roadways. Famous for sparking red. Hosted Vladimir Putin’s 50th birthday. Wine is one of Moldova’s most important industries, they’ve been making it for 1,500 years.  A drive through the cellars is followed by a roof top reception overlooking the city.

Chisinau – the Moldovan capital, in the centre of the country, home to 670,000 people, on the banks of River Bic, a tributary of the Dniester.

Day Two. Chisinau, the Moldovan capital, in the centre of the country, home to 670,000 people, on the banks of River Bic, a tributary of the Dniester. Cars assemble on the city’s main square – Piata Marii Adunari Nationale – though the official timing starts at the Official Porsche Centre Moldova on the north west edge of Chisinau.

The first leg is 300km to the Ukraine border with three hours allocated.

The first leg is 300km to the Ukraine border with three hours allocated.

The Ukraine border

The Ukraine border. After lunch it’s another 200km to the day’s rest stop, Bukovel. The 3h45m allowance sounds very generous.

But there are rural Ukraine roads to deal with...

But there are rural Ukraine roads to contend with…

Ukraine

…and busy towns and villages. This is all set to change from next year of course as Ukraine embarks on a massive roads renovation programme.

Bukovel – a ski and spa resort in west Ukraine (the largest country in Europe) at a height of 3,000ft. Ambitious to host the Winter Olympics. Not surprisingly, Team Ukraine come out on top, followed by Hungary and Moldova.

Bukovel – a ski and spa resort in west Ukraine (the largest country in Europe) at a height of 3,000ft. Ambitious to host the Winter Olympics. Not surprisingly, Team Ukraine win this stage, followed by Hungary and Moldova.

Day Three. Off-roading...

Day Three. Off-roading…

...wading...

…wading…

...climbing...

…climbing…

...descending. The Cayenne might be an archetypal luxury SUV but clearly it's not daunted by the rough stuff.

…and descending. The Cayenne might be the archetypal luxury SUV but it’s clearly not daunted by the rough stuff.

The Carpathians. A 900 mile arc of mountains, the second longest in Europe, through seven countries, and the south western corner of Ukraine.

The Carpathians. A 900 mile arc of mountains, the second longest in Europe, through seven countries, and the south western corner of Ukraine.

Day Four. A 675km road trip from Bukovel to Katowice, Poland.

Day Four. A 675km road trip from Bukovel to Katowice, Poland.

There's no motorway until the Polish border.

There’s no motorway until the Polish border.

Katowice is the biggest city in southern Poland, Silesia, between the Carpathian and Sudeten mountains. A mix of traditional, Art Nouveau, Modernist and Communist architecture with an economy built on coal and steel. On arrival another test awaits: changing the off-road tyres. The winning Polish team manages the job in 7m39 though the Hungarians are now in the overall lead.

Katowice. The largest city in southern Poland, Silesia, between the Carpathian and Sudeten mountains. A mix of traditional, Art Nouveau, Modernist and Communist architecture with an economy built on coal and steel. On arrival another test awaits: changing the off-road tyres. The winning Polish team manages the job in 7m39 though the Hungarians are now in the overall lead.

Day Five. The 383km from Katowice to Bratislava is a gentle hop. Or it would be.

Day Five. The 383km from Katowice to Bratislava is a gentle hop through rolling, green countryside. Or it would be.

Bratislava. The capital of Slovakia, on the banks of the Danube and left bank of the Morava, 50 miles from Vienna, overlooked by the huge, square, white Bratislava Castle and the UFO revolving restaurant high on the Novy most bridge. Fantastic. Before the competitors can relax in the hotel however...

Bratislava. The capital of Slovakia, on the banks of the Danube and left bank of the Morava, 50 miles from Vienna, overlooked by the huge, square, white Bratislava Castle and the UFO revolving restaurant high on the Novy most bridge. Fantastic. Before the competitors can relax and take in all in however…

...it's off to the Slovakia Ring for some hot laps in the passenger seat of brand new 991 GTS Cup cars.

…it’s off to the Slovakia Ring for some hot laps in the passenger seat of brand new 991 GT3 Cup cars.

Day Six. First thing the next morning it's back to the Slovakia Ring and time for some driver training.

Day Six. First thing the next morning it’s back to the Slovakia Ring for some driver training.

Slovakia Ring. One of the longest race tracks in Europe at 3.6 miles. Opened in 2009, fourteen turns and a 900m main straight. 40km east of Bratislava. Hosted a round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship in April 2013.

Slovakia Ring. One of the longest race tracks in Europe at 3.6 miles. Opened in 2009, with fourteen turns and a 900m main straight. 40km east of Bratislava. Hosted a round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship in April 2013.

Including the new 911.

It has a range of other facilities too.

Then it's time for the results. In first place the Hungarians, followed by the Moldovans with the Ukranians in third.

Then it’s time for the results. In first place the Hungarians, followed by the Moldovans with the Ukranians in third. Still, it looks like they all had a great time. The end.

Where next? Last year's Porsche Performance drive was from Istanbul to Budapest, including the unsurpassable Transfagarasan in Romania (above). As for next year we've no idea. There are no clues on the website, performance-drive.porsche.com. Best try your local Porsche dealer.

Where next? Last year’s Porsche Performance Drive was from Istanbul to Budapest, including the unsurpassable Transfagarasan in Romania (above). As for next year we’ve no idea. There are no clues on the website, www.performance-drive.porsche.com. We dread to think how much it must cost. Best try your luck at your local Porsche dealer.

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Daily Brief 27 June 2013

Latest update 19:00

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Continuing Red Alert for flooding Czech Republic – DFDS Dover-Calais 30min delays

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Newslines: Belarus road tolls go live – new Ireland safety kit from 2014 – Mobile roaming charges cut by 36% from 1 July

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It turns out the Porsche Performance Drive from Chisinau in Moldova to Bratislava in Slovakia was less a jolly for well-heeled customers than an at-least-half blown competition. Nine teams from eight eastern European countries took part in a succession of driving tests, on and off road, along the 1,000 mile route which also included Ukraine and Poland. Full report soon.

It turns out the Porsche Performance Drive from Chisinau in Moldova to Bratislava in Slovakia was less a jolly for well-heeled customers than an at-least-half blown competition. Nine teams from eight eastern European countries took part in a succession of driving tests, on and off road and track, along the 1,000 mile route (which also included Ukraine and Poland). Full report soon.

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TRAVEL/WEATHER:

Meteoalarm weather alerts – continuing Red Alert for flooding in central/west Czech Republic. Situation seems to be improving over the course of this week. Amber alert for rain south east Finland and storms north east Italy.

Weather in brief – showers, some heavy, in central and northern Europe. Fair and warm in the south.

Crossing the Channel – DFDS Dover-Calais currently running 30 minutes behind schedule. Click for more. Dover-Dunkirk not affected. DFDS sailings Harwich-Esbjerg resume on 5 July (see notes below). DFDS Newcastle-Amsterdam (Ijmuiden) sailing Thursday 27 June arrival delayed by one hour on 28 June.

No other operators currently reporting any delays.

From @Port_of_Dover this morning: ‘Here in Dover sea conditions in the Channel are slight with South Westerly breeze, force 4 and the visibility is good.’

Latest @CF_travel_news forecast: ‘Current forecast indicates slight sea conditions for the week.’

See our Traffic/Travel/Weather page for the latest.

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NOTES:

Portugal – a General Strike has been called for Thursday (27 June). The amount of disruption will not be known until the walkout starts at 00:00 but most public services are likely to be disrupted. See Reuters for the latest.

Eurotunnel – “Resurfacing works will be taking place in the boarding lanes of the UK Terminal from 17 – 28 June. During this period, there will be no catering or toilet facilities available in this area. Please visit the Victor Hugo Terminal building after you have checked in to make full use of the facilities available there.”

Brussels – a European Summit for Heads of State on Thursday and Friday (27 and 28 June) will mean the area around the EU buildings in the east of the city will be completely closed to all traffic and pedestrians. Residents are even being barred from putting out their rubbish. Click for more.

Bulgaria – continuing political demonstrations. The British Embassy says, ‘There is a small risk of violence. Avoid large gatherings in public spaces and follow local media and the advice of the local authorities.’ For the latest FCO travel advice click here. For Bulgarian news in English see www.Novinite.com or @novinite_com on Twitter.

DFDS Harwich-Esbjerg – sailings resume on Friday 5 July from Esbjerg at 18:45 and the day after from Harwich at 17:45. The DFDS service is the only regular car/passenger sailing between UK-Scandinavia. Limited space is sometimes available on DFDS Tor Line boats between Immingham/Tilbury-Gothenburg.

Luxembourg – the A4 south west of the capital will be closed all weekend while the ‘Sandweiler’ roundabout on the A1 east of the city (junction with N1a, and N2) will close overnight on Friday and Saturday. Diversions in place. Click for detail.

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NEWSLOG/PHOTOS:

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For whom the BelTolls: roads in red covered by Belarus' new radio road toll system.

For whom the BelTolls: roads in red covered by Belarus’ new radio road toll system.

Belarus – BelToll, a new radio road toll system goes live on 1 August though the system will be up and running from 1 July for a month of testing. Austrian firm Kapsch TrafficCom AG has been contracted to deliver the service which will cover 815km of Belarus’ motorways, including the whole length of the M1 from the Polish border at Brest via capital Minsk to the Russian border at Redki. Vehicles under 3.5t registered within the Customs Union (Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan) will be exempt, and motorbikes, but all others will have to pay. Users should pre-register for an on-board unit. The website – www.beltoll.by – is in English. A toll calculator will be online soon. Click for official announcement.

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Ireland – a new Road Traffic Bill will see all drivers required to carry a breakdown/emergency pack including a first aid kit, high-viz vest, torch and reflective triangle by the end of 2014. Police officers will also be able to take blood samples from unconscious drivers suspected of drink/drug driving (as in Finland). Cyclists will also be liable for on-the-spot fines, among a host of other measures (tip via www.ideas4adis.co.uk driver trainer suppliers, @Ideas4ADIS).

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Condor Ferries – released a short video of photos compiled from the reconstruction works on Weymouth berth as the firms gears up to restarting services on 17 July. Substantial.

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EU – ‘From 1 July the EU cuts maximum prices for data roaming by another 36% (from €0.70 to €0.45/MB, plus VAT),’ tweeted the European Commissioner for Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes this afternoon.

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Daily Brief 26 June 2013

Latest update 19:25

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Red alert rain and flood warnings for Czech Republic now much reduced in area – DFDS Harwich-Esbjerg resumes 5 July.

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Newslines: Five of the best Tour de France mountain roads – New road Finland-Russia – new roads for Ukraine – paying Portuguese road tolls – Rolls-Royce Alpine Rally on the Croatian Riviera – EV Land Speed Record.

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‘Wow. That was something. We just got it done as the light was fading.,’ said Lord Drayson (@LordDrayson) after setting the World Land Speed Record for a ‘lightweight electric car’ (under 1000kg) at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire yesterday. His Lola B12 69/EV hit 204.185mph, beating the previous record of 175mph set in 1974. Also present at the event as Google chairman Eric Schmidt. According to F1 journalist @JoeSaward the outright record for an electric vehicle is 307.666mph set in 2009 by the Buckeye Bullet of which an updated version is under development at the moment. Drayson is at Elvington again today to attempt the record for EV acceleration.

‘Wow. That was something. We just got it done as the light was fading.,’ said Lord Drayson (@LordDrayson) after setting the World Land Speed Record for a ‘lightweight electric car’ (under 1000kg) at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire yesterday. His Lola B12 69/EV hit 204.185mph, beating the previous record of 175mph set in 1974. Also present at the event as Google chairman Eric Schmidt. According to F1 journalist @JoeSaward the outright record for an electric vehicle is 307.666mph set in 2009 by the Buckeye Bullet of which an updated version is under development at the moment. Drayson is at Elvington again today to attempt the record for EV acceleration.

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TRAVEL/WEATHER:

Meteoalarm weather alerts – Red alert rain and flood warnings for Czech Republic now lessening. Amber alerts for: storms central Italy; rain Austria; rain in east Germany and high winds and rain north west Poland.

Weather in brief – fine across southern Europe but rain to the north. UK, Belgium, Holland and France dry and sunny. Heavy rain over Alps, Austria and northern Italy.

Crossing the Channel – DFDS sailings Harwich-Esbjerg resume on 5 July with sailing from Esbjerg (see notes below). DFDS Newcastle-Amsterdam (Ijmuiden) sailing Thursday 27 June arrival delayed by one hour.

No other operators currently reporting any delays.

From @Port_of_Dover this afternoon: ‘Here in Dover sea conditions in the Channel are slight with South Westerly light airs, and the visibility is good.’

Latest @CF_travel_news forecast: ‘Current forecast indicates slight sea conditions for the week.’

See our Traffic/Travel/Weather page for the latest.

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NOTES:

Portugal – a General Strike has been called for Thursday (27 June). The amount of disruption will not be known until the walkout starts at 00:00 but most public services are likely to be disrupted.

Eurotunnel – “Resurfacing works will be taking place in the boarding lanes of the UK Terminal from 17 – 28 June. During this period, there will be no catering or toilet facilities available in this area. Please visit the Victor Hugo Terminal building after you have checked in to make full use of the facilities available there.”

Brussels – a European Summit for Heads of State on Thursday and Friday (27 and 28 June) will mean the area around the EU buildings in the east of the city will be completely closed to all traffic and pedestrians. Residents are even being barred from putting out their rubbish. Click for more.

Bulgaria – continuing political demonstrations. The British Embassy says, ‘There is a small risk of violence. Avoid large gatherings in public spaces and follow local media and the advice of the local authorities.’ For the latest FCO travel advice click here. For Bulgarian news in English see www.Novinite.com or @novinite_com on Twitter.

DFDS Harwich-Esbjerg – sailings resume on Friday 5 July from Esbjerg at 18:45 and the day after from Harwich at 17:45. The DFDS service is the only regular car/passenger sailing between UK-Scandinavia. Limited space is sometimes available on DFDS Tor Line boats between Immingham/Tilbury-Gothenburg.

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NEWSLOG/PHOTOS:

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Rolls-Royce Alpine Rally 2013: Croatia. Click for the official blog.

A mechanic takes the opportunity to fettle a car on a rest day in Opatija, Croatia.

A mechanic takes the opportunity to fettle a car on a rest day in Opatija, Croatia.

In the last couple of days, the Roll-Royce Alpine Rally has taken in Italy and Slovenia after leaving Klagenfurt in Austria. Participants crossed into Croatia on its Statehood day to be greeted by the British Ambassador in Opatija on the Adriatic coast, and a rest day. Our preview of this event is riddled with mistakes… but it’s even better than we, er, imagined. The tour is entering its final few days now, cross country back to Vienna.

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France – The Guardian has done the donkey work on the five best mountain stages of the upcoming Tour de France, all in the South of France. Of course there’s nothing to stop cars using the roads after the race finishes on Sunday 21 July… Click the links for the map. From west to east: near Lourdes, Col d’Aubisque from Argeles-Gazost, and Col du Tourmalet from Ste-Marie-de-Campan; near Avignon, Le Mont Ventoux from Bedoin; and, both east of Grenoble, L’Alpe D’Huez on the D1091 from Le Bourg d’Oisans, and Col du Galibier from Valloire. Click for an overview map or for the original article.

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Ukraine – ‘Restoration and construction of regional roads is one of the main tasks of the government in 2014,’ President Yanukovych told a meeting of regional heads today. At the same time, Interfax reports that the orbital road in capital Kiev is to be resurfaced. Read this from In Your Pocket about driving in Kiev.

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Finland/Russia – a new four lane, €4.6bn, 426km highway between east Finland and the Karelia region of north west Russia has been proposed by a private investor Northwest Corridor Development. An agreement was signed with the regional authority at the St Petersburg Economic Forum last Thursday (see press release and local press report). The project, set to last up to ten years, could start 2013-14, and includes a new border crossing at Syuvyaro-Parikkala. There are currently eight crossing points between Finland and Russia, three in the Republic of Karelia, the region between the White and Baltic Seas, sharing a 723km border with Finland. The road will stretch from Parikkala, over the top of Lake Ladoga, to the Karelian capital, Petrozavodsk, on the M18 St Petersburg-Murmansk road.

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Kazakhstan/Russia – a number of new border crossing points with Russia have been approved by the Kazak parliament. Get the full list here.

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Portugal – a handy article from The Portugal News on how to pay the (barrierless) electronic motorway tolls.

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Daily Brief 25 June 2013

Latest update 20:00

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Still red alert for rain and flooding Czech Republic – 3hr delays Eurotunnel freight to France

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Newslines: FCO on the Bodrum-Datca ferry – Electric car world speed record bid – Denmark air quality action – Speeding to Le Mans – new Kosovo-Macedonia border +++

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The new range Rover Sport is in the process of being introduced to the international press corps. They of course cannot say where they are, but there are sheep and lakes/rivers involved, so it's got to be Scotland?

The new Range Rover Sport is in the process of being introduced to the international press at Land Rover favourite Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. Photo via drive.co.uk, @drive_co_uk

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TRAVEL/WEATHER:

Meteoalarm weather alerts – red alert for rain and flooding in most of Czech Republic with consequent amber warnings for rain in eastern and southern Germany, Austria and southern Poland (and the Polish Baltic coast).

Weather in brief – warm/hot and sunny in the south west and south east, rainy in the north. Windy around the Mediterranean.

Crossing the Channel – all DFDS sailings Harwich-Esbjerg have been cancelled until the end of the week (see notes below). DFDS Newcastle-Amsterdam sailings today and Thursday (25 + 27 June) arrival delayed by one hour.

Eurotunnel – passenger shuttle service back on schedule; 3hr delay for freight from UK. No other operators currently reporting any delays.

From @Port_of_Dover this morning: ‘Here in Dover sea conditions in the Channel are slight with a South Westerly breeze, force 4, and the visibility is good.’

Latest @CF_travel_news forecast: ‘Current forecast indicates slight sea conditions for the week.’

See our Traffic/Travel/Weather page for the latest.

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NOTES:

Eurotunnel – “Resurfacing works will be taking place in the boarding lanes of the UK Terminal from 17 – 28 June. During this period, there will be no catering or toilet facilities available in this area. Please visit the Victor Hugo Terminal building after you have checked in to make full use of the facilities available there.”

Brussels – a European Summit for Heads of State on Thursday and Friday (27 and 28 June) will mean the area around the EU buildings in the east of the city will be completely closed to all traffic and pedestrians. Residents are even being barred from putting out their rubbish. Click for more.

Bulgaria – after eleven straight days of protest against the recently elected government the British Embassy says, ‘There is a small risk of violence. Avoid large gatherings in public spaces and follow local media and the advice of the local authorities.’ For the latest FCO travel advice click here. For Bulgarian news in English see www.Novinite.com or @novinite_com on Twitter.

DFDS Harwich-Esbjerg – DFDS’ Sirena Seaways will be out of service until at least next Saturday (29 June). All departures until Friday have been cancelled. The DFDS service is the only regular sailing between UK-Scandinavia. Limited space is sometimes available on DFDS Tor Line boats between Immingham/Tilbury-Gothenburg.

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NEWS/PHOTOS:

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Bodrum-Datca Ferry, Part 1

On board the Bodrum-Datca ferry, Turkey

On board the Bodrum-Datca ferry, Turkey

He’s off again, pleasure this time not business. The British Consul-General in Istanbul Leigh Turner (@LeighTurnerFCO) is exploring the Aegean Coast in south west Turkey. Having spent some time in Bodrum – home town of Greek historian Herodotus and the theatre of Halicarnassus – now crossing the Gulf of Gokova to the Datca Peninsula on the ferry ‘Sunny Express’. The 22 mile journey takes approximately two hours and costs from 90TL (£30) for a car one way, plus 15TL (£5) for each passenger (click for more). Catch up with Leigh Turner’s previous adventures on DriveEurope: Across the Sea of Marmara With Our Man in Istanbul and Foreign Office Goes Top Gear in Tajikistan.

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UK – Drayson Racing – @DraysonRacing – will attempt to set the world land speed record for an all electric car at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire this afternoon. The current record stands at 175mph set in 1974. Lord Drayson himself will be behind the wheel. Click for more.

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French traffic police looking suitably stern after banning this young man from driving and fining him €750.

French traffic police looking suitably stern after banning this young man from driving in France and fining him €750.

France – a UK-registered (company owned) Audi R8 was caught doing in excess of 250kmh on the A28 between Rouen and Alencon on Friday, presumably on the way to Le Mans. The exact speed is unknown since the police radar gun could not read beyond 250kmh. The car was impounded, the man’s licence confiscated and he was fined €1,500. Another seven British motorists were caught doing over 190kmh according to reports. Read our run down on French speeding fines.

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Kosovo/Macedonia – the two countries signed an agreement to open a new border crossing for direct access from the third city Kumanovo through the south east of Kosovo (and from Bulgaria bypassing Serbia). This new Belanovce-Stancic crossing should open at the end of this year or early next. There are two existing crossings: from capital Skopje at Blace, and from fifth city Tetovo at Jazince.

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Denmark – it wasn’t on the European Commission’s hit list for breaching pollution limits so it’s a surprise to hear that Copenhagen is considering drastic action to improve air quality. In fact, scientists say if something is not done the capital will cross pollution thresholds in 2015.. One idea is to subsidise new domestic log burners (like in Germany, a big contributor to pollution). Since the city rejected a congestion charge for cars last year that’s off the agenda so consideration is being given to a Low Emission Zone instead.

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Bodrum-Datca ferry, Part 2

On the Gulf of Gokova, arriving at the Datca Peninsula, Turkey.

On the Gulf of Gokova, arriving at the Datca Peninsula, Turkey.

The narrow Datca Peninsula is 60 miles long, lined both sides with bays and coves. Mountains rise to over 1,000m. On the west tip was the ancient city of Knidos, on Cape Krio, connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus. In the fourth century Knidos moved to the central part of the peninsula where Datca town is today. The area is sparsely populated, spread between nine villages with tourism restricted to the discrete variety (see what Conde Nast Traveller says here). A rough road runs 45 miles to Marmaris from it’s 495 miles cross country to Istanbul.

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Germany – motoring organisation ADAC has registered as an ‘interested party’ with the Nurburgring administrators KPMG to buy both the old and new circuits, says Wirstschaftswoche magazine (via thelocal.de). They have been for sale since last May. Thirty others bidders are said to be interested. ADAC has 18m members.

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UK – the owners of the M6 Toll Road have offered the UK govt a trade-off: release us from our £100m obligation to build a link road to the M54 and we’ll let traffic use the M6 toll when it closes (for weather or accidents, not congestion) according to the BBC.

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Eurotunnel – news that the European Commission would tell the Chunnel operator to cut its charges certainly emerged in the press and social media before any official announcement last week; Eurotunnel chief exec Jean-Paul Gounon says that might constitute a breach of stock market rules. In a newsletter to investors, Gounon also called Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas’ eventual statement ‘dogmatic’ and showing ‘a serious lack of understanding’. €500m was wiped off the value of the company in the subsequent two days, closing at €5.13 on Friday according to AFP. At 13:30 CET today (25 June) the price had recovered slightly to €5.20.

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Condor Ferries – the former captain and former first mate of Condor Vitesse face criminal charges tomorrow over a fatal collision with a fishing boat in March 2011. The pair, both French citizens, will be tried at a court in Coutances, north west France. Condor itself is not being prosecuted.

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DFDS – the Danish ferry operator has withdrawn from the bidding for Scandlines after its offer was rejected said the company in a statement. Part owned by UK venture capital firm 3i, Scandlines runs ferries between Sweden, southern Denmark and Germany. The latter route will compete with the new Fehmarn Belt tunnel in 2021. Analysts cast doubt on the deal. DFDS says it, ‘continues to pursue a strategy of expanding the shipping and logistics network through value creating acquisitions.’

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