My Friend Rajib's Description on our Europe Trip
Sonu, Meetu, Amit and I went on a tour of Europe in 2004 - driving Sonu/Meetu's Skoda Octavia. (in case you don't know Sonu Meetu, they are a couple, used to work in NU, and the four of us were very good friends - my 33 Howard Mews flat was the regular weekend 'party-house' - where Meetu even taught me how to make Rasgulla!).
If I remember correctly (and Sonu/Meetu/Amit can correct me - I have copied them in), the way we planned is: started with the number of off days we can afford. We researched on the route followed by the bus tour operators (like Raj travels, Star tours, SOTC etc) for similar number of days, and followed similar route and ensured we see the key places, booked hotels, (... all of those over a lot of search, research, ticketing over the net), got visas, prepared & set out. We all had Indian passports at that time so needed Schengen visa (Brit passport holders may not need it). Took Schengen from Belgian consulate (as it was easier than French). The route we followed were:
Norwich > Dover > {ferry} > Belgium > Netherlands (incl Keukonhoff: that was April: prime time of tulips) > Germany (Cologne, then at some stage followed Rhine banks, into Black forest) > Lichtenstein > Austria > Switzerland > France > Calais > {Eurostar} > Dover > Norwich.
(I actually might be mixing up the route - you know I have a 2-bit volatile memory - with the bus tour (by Star tours - another desi tour operator based in London) Sanjukta & I had in 2007 April : again in tulips season).
It was fun Sir - the Swiss mountains were at time little scary to drive (I was specially tense & stiff when Meetu was driving :) my full faith in women's driving prowess really helping me there :) ) - but it was worth it. German "auto-bahn" (the motor-ways that Hitler built in a way such that war planes could land anywhere in Germany using "auto-bahn" as the runway!) was much fun to drive. Switzerland-Austria-
We also lost the way once (at least), ended up driving many miles in full darkness on a narrow road in the wrong direction - for at least an hour or so - did not have a tom-tom/garmin and obviously we were great at reading paper maps!
I will never ever forget the fun though - thanks much to Sonu, Meetu, Amit!
Of course driving in continental Europe was fun (specially at the round-abouts) at least in the first half hour or so (I was the only non-driver but equally had that fun) driving in the "wrong" side of the road - from a Brit's/desi way of "right side is the wrong side" thinking...
You may like to set a video-camera on your dashboard with easy on/off and large capacity & battery, and at day-ends download to your laptop (if you are carrying - Sonu/Meetu did in our tour - on which we even watched Hindi movies during the tour!)
Also note all European countries are not in EU (hence not covered by Schengen, needs separate visa).
Of course take Euro currency notes before you start. Exchange on a tourist spot in a shop is not a good idea (you don't get good rates/don't get changes so end up paying higher).
If I remember correctly (and Sonu/Meetu/Amit can correct me - I have copied them in), the way we planned is: started with the number of off days we can afford. We researched on the route followed by the bus tour operators (like Raj travels, Star tours, SOTC etc) for similar number of days, and followed similar route and ensured we see the key places, booked hotels, (... all of those over a lot of search, research, ticketing over the net), got visas, prepared & set out. We all had Indian passports at that time so needed Schengen visa (Brit passport holders may not need it). Took Schengen from Belgian consulate (as it was easier than French). The route we followed were:
Norwich > Dover > {ferry} > Belgium > Netherlands (incl Keukonhoff: that was April: prime time of tulips) > Germany (Cologne, then at some stage followed Rhine banks, into Black forest) > Lichtenstein > Austria > Switzerland > France > Calais > {Eurostar} > Dover > Norwich.
(I actually might be mixing up the route - you know I have a 2-bit volatile memory - with the bus tour (by Star tours - another desi tour operator based in London) Sanjukta & I had in 2007 April : again in tulips season).
It was fun Sir - the Swiss mountains were at time little scary to drive (I was specially tense & stiff when Meetu was driving :) my full faith in women's driving prowess really helping me there :) ) - but it was worth it. German "auto-bahn" (the motor-ways that Hitler built in a way such that war planes could land anywhere in Germany using "auto-bahn" as the runway!) was much fun to drive. Switzerland-Austria-
We also lost the way once (at least), ended up driving many miles in full darkness on a narrow road in the wrong direction - for at least an hour or so - did not have a tom-tom/garmin and obviously we were great at reading paper maps!
I will never ever forget the fun though - thanks much to Sonu, Meetu, Amit!
Of course driving in continental Europe was fun (specially at the round-abouts) at least in the first half hour or so (I was the only non-driver but equally had that fun) driving in the "wrong" side of the road - from a Brit's/desi way of "right side is the wrong side" thinking...
You may like to set a video-camera on your dashboard with easy on/off and large capacity & battery, and at day-ends download to your laptop (if you are carrying - Sonu/Meetu did in our tour - on which we even watched Hindi movies during the tour!)
Also note all European countries are not in EU (hence not covered by Schengen, needs separate visa).
Of course take Euro currency notes before you start. Exchange on a tourist spot in a shop is not a good idea (you don't get good rates/don't get changes so end up paying higher).
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