Post by andy64 on Sept 27, 2008 15:37:32 GMT 2
Most people get to Corfu by taking a quick flight from their local airport.
But this year I wanted to do something a bit more challenging...............drive
The seed had been set a few years ago, when one of our friends in Roda came over in his car. We got talking about it, and I learned that you can get a ferry from Venice. I'd previously thought you could only get them from Brindisi which is a lot further to drive
Having bought the perfect car for such a journey (Mazda MX5), two years previous, I took the plunge, and booked the Venice ferry last January. Now there was no going back
My Venice/Corfu ferry was now booked for a Wednesday crossing, and allowing for three days drive, I booked the Channel ferry for the Sunday before that.
Before leaving, I had the car serviced and bought all the stuff you legally need for travelling in Europe (spare bulbs, first aid kit etc etc)
With the car packed to the brim, I set off on Sunday morning, about 5:30 (from South Shields - beside Newcastle) and arrived in Dover about 11:00, where I was promptly put on an earlier ferry for no extra charge
I get into Dunkerque, and in my panic, realise I hadn't planned a route on the Sat Nav. Thinking quickly, I set it for Lille.................big mistake, I had originally planned to head towards Lyon (they both begin with the letter L, easy mistake)
Having realised my mistake after about an hour, I reprogrammed TomTom, and it took me off through some long country roads which started to drain my petrol at an alarming rate, giving me palpatations as there isn't much open in France on Sundays
I find a campsite, and bed down for the night.
Getting up early the next day, I'm off to Switzerland, full steam ahead to Montreux, around Lake Leman (i think) and set up camp again in Aigle
View from my tent door
Tuesday morning, , I'm off on the final leg to Venice, where I'll board the ferry to Corfu. So after a couple of hours through the Alps, i'm on the Italian motorways, and arrive in Venice(Fusina) about 3:00PM
The ferry leaves on Wednesday, and arrives in Corfu 24 hours later , a long and boring 24 hours
Once my feet/wheels are back on terra firma, I head north to Roda,
Phew.
After two weeks lazing around in the sun, I've got it all to do again.
This time driving through Stelvio National Park in Northern Italy.
Three hours in a hold up on the motorway, in the afternoon in Italy, is not a good thing in a topless car, and I'm ashamed to say it, but I had to put the roof up.
The next day I've got more Alps to drive through, before I hit the Swiss border, and have to wait until 8:00 when it opens
Having got the "bit between my teeth", I make it to Dunkerque and then Dover in one (750 mile) run, stopping only for Red Bull and petrol.
I manage to get a room in a travel hotel for the night, before heading home the next day, and after hearing TomTom tell me "You have arrived at your destination", I go to bed
The End
Costs - I used 75 gallons of the expensive stuff over 2615 miles, averaging about 35 MPG, but I wasn't hanging around. France and Italy were slightly more expensive than the UK for petrol, but Switzerland and Corfu were cheaper. Having said that, I was only getting petrol on the motorways
Ferry costs for a car and one person were
- Channel ferry cost £117 from Dover to Dunkerque including 28 days holiday insurance and breakdown cover
Venice/Corfu ferry cost £185, that was with no cabin
Would I do it again? Yes, without a doubt, but next time I'll take a passenger, it can be quite lonely after setting up camp with no-one to talk to when you're in a foreign country, but next year I think Ill let the plane take the strain
A big thankyou to Steve, who recommended Fusina Camping, and other bits of advice, there'll be a cold one waiting for you next July
But this year I wanted to do something a bit more challenging...............drive
The seed had been set a few years ago, when one of our friends in Roda came over in his car. We got talking about it, and I learned that you can get a ferry from Venice. I'd previously thought you could only get them from Brindisi which is a lot further to drive
Having bought the perfect car for such a journey (Mazda MX5), two years previous, I took the plunge, and booked the Venice ferry last January. Now there was no going back
My Venice/Corfu ferry was now booked for a Wednesday crossing, and allowing for three days drive, I booked the Channel ferry for the Sunday before that.
Before leaving, I had the car serviced and bought all the stuff you legally need for travelling in Europe (spare bulbs, first aid kit etc etc)
With the car packed to the brim, I set off on Sunday morning, about 5:30 (from South Shields - beside Newcastle) and arrived in Dover about 11:00, where I was promptly put on an earlier ferry for no extra charge
I get into Dunkerque, and in my panic, realise I hadn't planned a route on the Sat Nav. Thinking quickly, I set it for Lille.................big mistake, I had originally planned to head towards Lyon (they both begin with the letter L, easy mistake)
Having realised my mistake after about an hour, I reprogrammed TomTom, and it took me off through some long country roads which started to drain my petrol at an alarming rate, giving me palpatations as there isn't much open in France on Sundays
I find a campsite, and bed down for the night.
Getting up early the next day, I'm off to Switzerland, full steam ahead to Montreux, around Lake Leman (i think) and set up camp again in Aigle
View from my tent door
Tuesday morning, , I'm off on the final leg to Venice, where I'll board the ferry to Corfu. So after a couple of hours through the Alps, i'm on the Italian motorways, and arrive in Venice(Fusina) about 3:00PM
The ferry leaves on Wednesday, and arrives in Corfu 24 hours later , a long and boring 24 hours
Once my feet/wheels are back on terra firma, I head north to Roda,
Phew.
After two weeks lazing around in the sun, I've got it all to do again.
This time driving through Stelvio National Park in Northern Italy.
Three hours in a hold up on the motorway, in the afternoon in Italy, is not a good thing in a topless car, and I'm ashamed to say it, but I had to put the roof up.
The next day I've got more Alps to drive through, before I hit the Swiss border, and have to wait until 8:00 when it opens
Having got the "bit between my teeth", I make it to Dunkerque and then Dover in one (750 mile) run, stopping only for Red Bull and petrol.
I manage to get a room in a travel hotel for the night, before heading home the next day, and after hearing TomTom tell me "You have arrived at your destination", I go to bed
The End
Costs - I used 75 gallons of the expensive stuff over 2615 miles, averaging about 35 MPG, but I wasn't hanging around. France and Italy were slightly more expensive than the UK for petrol, but Switzerland and Corfu were cheaper. Having said that, I was only getting petrol on the motorways
Ferry costs for a car and one person were
- Channel ferry cost £117 from Dover to Dunkerque including 28 days holiday insurance and breakdown cover
Venice/Corfu ferry cost £185, that was with no cabin
Would I do it again? Yes, without a doubt, but next time I'll take a passenger, it can be quite lonely after setting up camp with no-one to talk to when you're in a foreign country, but next year I think Ill let the plane take the strain
A big thankyou to Steve, who recommended Fusina Camping, and other bits of advice, there'll be a cold one waiting for you next July