Road trip around Western Europe
From exiting the Eurotunnel, this adventure experienced a variety of what Western Europe has to offer, with the first day alone venturing through France, Belgium, The Netherlands; before ending in Germany just below Cologne. the highlight of the day being the Krone Agricultural factory tour.
Day 2 saw the traversal down to and through the illustrious Black Forrest, the first destination being Baden-Baden best known for its luxurious spa retreats. Followed by some brilliant driving roads. The stand out road of the day being the L401 in the direction of Mitteltal, with each twist and turn, it offers a revealing panoramic views of the valley below and peaks above. Next stop post enjoying lunch in the town of Mitteltal was that of an Adventure Golf course just North of Freudenstadt, in essence, it was a brilliant break dividing up the day nicely from plenty of miles covered before. Finally finishing in Stuttgart that evening.
Day 3 comprised of venturing around the Porsche Museum for which is a must visit if you find yourself around this part of Germany as it houses a stunning collection of Porsche vehicles, including classic models, race cars, and concept cars, spanning over 100 years of automotive innovation. The museum offers an immersive experience, providing insights into Porsche's engineering prowess and its contribution to automotive culture.
The rest of the day was largely spent on the Autobahn, enjoying stretches of unrestricted speed limits that added a thrill to the journey. We pushed the cars to their limits, breaking the monotony of covering miles as we made our way towards Austria. Our destination was Zell am See, where we paused to admire the stunning lake before concluding the day's drive in Goldegg, a charming little town just a stone's throw away from the lake.
Day 4, an unfortunate amount of this day was tarnished by poor weather. The high volume of rain paired with low clouds hindered the beauty of the surrounding landscape whilst on the way to the Red Bull Ring. While the weather partially cleared up, allowing us to snap a few pictures at the circuit, we found there wasn't much else to occupy our time there, with there being no race event being held there on that day, much to our disappointment. However, undeterred, we pressed on, our primary goal for the day set on visiting Hochosterwitz Castle. The castle is truly a sight to behold, one of those places you must see in person to understand the true scale and grandeur of the castle.
After departing from the castle, our next port of call was the Slovenian border venturing through the tolled Karawanks tunnel. Though it was virtually empty with no traffic impediment whatsoever, do be vigilant if you plan on using this tunnel as congestion can be horrendous, especially in peak holiday season.
By day's end, we reached the charming town of Bled, renowned as a tourist haven, particularly for its picturesque lakeside setting. Despite its popularity, the visit was truly worthwhile, if only for the breathtaking view overlooking the serene lake.
Day 5. Arguably the best day of the trip. This day was all about navigating through the most exhilarating roads that Slovenia and Italy's Dolomites had to offer.
Starting the day with driving the route 206 in Slovenia; providing a suitable winding road ideal as a warmup for what we were to endure for vast remainder of the day. The only downside of this route being the cobbled hairpin corners as they were bone rattlingly uncomfortable. The reward was well worth the potential spine replacement as the view it provided was breathtaking. Little did we know this view was mere in comparison to our next stop being the toll road up Mangart Saddle as what we endured at the top was surreal in the grace of a clear day.
The Drive through Italy was just as spectacular being nearly a 9-hour day of winding mountain roads cutting through the heart of the Dolomites, offering both a challenge for man and machine with the stresses this ribbon of asphalt provided; however, exhibiting an unreal panoramic landscape in return. The best road of the day, which is in unanimous agreement from all of us on this road trip, is the SP638 located just on the outskirts of Cortina d’Ampezzo. With its perfectly flowing road allowing the car to stretch its legs paired with the landscape at the top, there's nothing that comes close to this, even with the mountain passes we’d already endured and the ones we had yet to endure in the latter part of the trip. This is by far the best road Italy potentially Europe has to offer. To top the day off, we resided in unbeknown to us when booking the accommodation, a small German speaking village in admittedly the middle of nowhere in the heart of Italy. Nevertheless, it was a welcome Suprise.
Day 6, another characteristically early start, with good intention to get to the base of the Stelvio pass coming from the East at a time where it shouldn't be congested. Though we did get stuck behind a van on the climb up limiting the joy of our desired unhindered fun from base to peak of the mountain pass. In retrospect, being stuck behind that van was a blessing in disguise for mechanical sympathy as the sheer number of straightaways to hairpin turns climbing to the peak would've tested even the most reliable car to its limits.
As for the other side coming down from the peak post obligatory photo, the road became far more enticing with genuine flow to it; even capturing the attention of roadside photographers, whose vans prominently display their website addresses, offering the chance to purchase later some fantastic action shots taken along the way.
Lake Como, more exactly, Bellano was the next destination of the day. Fortunately, it wasn't too far from The Stelvio Pass, giving us the afternoon before leading into our first of 2 rest days for some much needed down time from what could be considered as an intense 6 days of travelling so far.
Day 7, the rest day comprised of very few activities, the standout feature of the day was the best kept secret of Orrido di Bellano, a natural gorge with a boardwalk fixed to the sheer walls overlooking the waterfalls and the river below, providing breathtaking views from dizzying heights, completing the loop typically takes around 20 minutes. The rest of the day was dedicated to much-needed rest and recuperation, gearing up for the extensive driving planned for the following day.
Day 8, the day that comprised of 3 mountain passes back-to-back. Once again, the weather was against us. Nevertheless, spirits weren't dampened as we skirted the edge of Lake Como attempting to escape from its poor road networks harboring congestion at every village passed through. Embarking towards our first mountain pass of the day, the St. Gotthard Pass, we encountered some weather hindrances obscuring the landscape, while like Slovenia, certain sections of the incline were cobbled, though not as ruthless. Despite this, the pass showcased impressive flow and rhythm, smoothly leading us to our second mountain pass of the day, the Furka Pass. Widely recognized for its appearance in James Bond Goldfinger, particularly around the iconic Belvedere Hotel, it's often subject to heightened expectations. Yet, thankfully, this pass lives up to its acclaim. Carved meticulously into the natural landscape, the road gracefully winds its way, embracing each curve and contour with delicate finesse.
The third and final pass of this day being the Grimselpass. Sympathy for the vehicles had began to set in by the time we started ascending once again. Driving past a fragmented Toyota MK V Supra on our incline arose a stark reminder and grounding of how treacherous these roads were; especially in such wet and slippery conditions. That said, in our naive youth, the enjoyment of the pass paired with the thrill of getting into the upper echelons of the vehicles rev range soon removed any negative thoughts, providing glee in replacement perhaps playing with fine margins of traction at the same time.
Our next place of visit whilst venturing further into Switzerland was none other than Lauterbrunnen. Named as the valley of waterfalls, supposedly harboring 72 waterfalls, though admittedly very impressive, especially the Staubbach Fall, being the highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland. Truthfully, if you want to visit an area filled with cascading waterfalls. The Lake District is better suited, especially after heavy consistent rain; as everywhere your eyes take you, a waterfall is present.
Our ultimate destination for the day was Gstaad, a picturesque Swiss town radiating timeless elegance and alpine allure. It served as a perfect sanctuary after yet another demanding day of driving, offering respite for a weary mind that had endured hours of intense concentration to keep all four wheels firmly on the tarmac.
Day 9, our second and last rest day of the trip. Our prerogative aim of the day was to visit Glacier3000. All that can be said is what a unique experience this is, yes, the uplift price was eye watering, but well worth the cost having plenty to do and see up there, whether that was riding the alpine coaster ideal for any thrill seeker, or simply walking down onto the glacier wearing casual clothing of jeans and basic shoes, nothing I'd ever dreamed of when thinking about walking along a glacier. And how could I forget about the skybridge, just above the cable car terminal/shop, providing an ethereal panoramic view of the Swiss Alps, the perfect place to gather some authentic scenic pictures.
On Day 10, the last leg of our journey commenced with an early start, aiming to circumvent the rush hour traffic in Geneva. Additionally, we seized the opportunity to visit the Sauvabelin Tower, offering a unique vantage point showcasing panoramic views of both the lake and the city of Geneva.
Post hours of mile crunching later. St Quentin was our next major stop in which provided a plethora of activities; namely, much to do with the Battle of the Somme and Arras, especially with the tour of the Carriere Wellington Memorial, an underground museum exhibiting how an ancient quarry was used as a series of tunnels to provide strategic advantage. Twas quite the sobering experience when witnessing a snippet of the true conditions of what the First World War had to offer.
After delving into the historic semblance of the area, it was finally the last leg to revert to our starting location. The Eurotunnel. Perhaps the last day of our journey beheld far too many miles, starving our view of French culture only really witnessing a handful of landmarks involving the First World War. However, in our minds it was the perfect and due end to what can be conceived as a jam-packed road trip. Going from visiting some truly emphatic locations to driving some of the best stretches of tarmac cutting through dream-like landscapes. Definitely something which will live long in the memories of each person who endured this truly bespoke one-off trip.