European travel itinerary. Routes from Milan. European toll roads

Today, more and more of our compatriots decide to travel to Europe by car on their own. At first glance, it seems that it is quite simple: take a vacation, load the trunk - and go ahead, towards adventure. In fact, such a journey requires serious preparation. So, you need not only to take care of the documents you have that may be required abroad, but also to check the serviceability of your car, and also carefully develop a route. So, today we propose to understand in more detail how to go to independent travel across Europe in your own car. To do this, we will consider the main points that should be given special attention when planning a trip.

We are developing a route: by car in Europe

First of all, you need to think about a rough travel plan, and then carefully develop all its details. Of course, in this matter, everyone is free to be guided by their preferences, as well as financial capabilities. However, we will give basic recommendations. First of all, you should not include too long journeys in your route: driving around Europe by car, although pleasant, is very tiring. As a result, wanting to cover as many cities and countries as possible during your vacation, you will be very tired, as a result of which you will have to spend more time relaxing than walking and sightseeing. Also, when planning your travel time, be sure to factor in stops for snacks, etc.

Navigation

When planning a trip by car in Europe, it is advisable to use the Google Maps service or a navigator, with which you can plot a route in accordance with certain entered parameters (for example, excluding toll roads). If your car is not equipped with a standard GPS, we recommend purchasing one, especially since the price of these devices is publicly available today. And when you find yourself in a completely unfamiliar country, where people speak a language you don’t understand, this little device can become a real lifesaver for you. After all, it will not only show you the way, warn you about the permissible speed limit, but also inform you about the nearest gas stations, ATMs and cafes. It’s best not to count on paper maps, although you can throw a couple in the glove compartment just in case.

Hotel reservations

When traveling to Europe by car, you should take care in advance of reserving rooms in the hotels where you will stay on your trip. To select and book suitable hotels, it is very convenient to use popular websites. Pay attention to whether the hotel you like requires prepayment. After all, when submitting documents to the embassy, ​​they will most likely require you to confirm 100% prepayment of hotel rooms for the entire period of your trip. Also try to find out if the hotels where you plan to stay have their own parking. Don't be upset even if it is paid. Upon arrival, it is advisable to park your car near the hotel and go sightseeing on foot. public transport or taxi. It makes sense to drive your own car to the city center only if you are absolutely sure that you can find parking for it. The fact is that the situation with parking in all more or less large and popular tourist European cities things are pretty bad. Moreover, this pleasure is far from cheap. If you cannot find parking and leave your car in the wrong place, then be sure that you will be subject to a considerable fine, and perhaps even the iron horse will be taken to the impound lot.

To Europe by car: documents

Once you have developed a travel plan, booked hotels and received the appropriate visas for all travel participants, it is worth remembering other necessary documents. So, when going to Europe by car, be sure to take with you a passport with a valid visa, medical insurance (it is inexpensive, but in case of an emergency it will save you a tidy sum, because medical services in European countries are by no means cheap), international car insurance ( Green Card), documents for the vehicle (registration certificate and, if necessary, a certified power of attorney), driver’s license.

In addition, it is advisable to have with you printed confirmations of hotel reservations, copies of the pages of your passport with visas stamped, and an international driver's license. Next, we suggest taking a closer look at car insurance and an international driver’s license, since these issues often raise many questions among people planning to travel to Europe by car.

International vehicle insurance

Most people know this insurance by its English name - Green Card. " Green map"is a kind of analogue of the usual MTPL, which operates on the territory of all European countries (with rare exceptions). This policy insures the driver's civil liability. Thus, the payment under it is received by the party injured in the traffic accident in accordance with the legislation of the state where the accident occurred.

As for the cost of the Green Card, it is the same in all insurance companies and is regulated by the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. The cost of the policy is influenced by three factors: its validity period (minimum - 15 days, maximum - 12 months), type vehicle and area of ​​use. On average, a Green Card for 15 days will cost you one and a half thousand rubles.

International driver's license

Many travelers believe that they need an international license to travel to Europe. This term refers to an international driver's license (or IDP), which is a translation of a national driver's license and confirms your right to drive a vehicle of a particular category. On the territory of Russia, only the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate has the right to issue an IDP. Please note that an International Driving Permit is only valid when paired with a national licence.

To be fair, it should be noted that traveling by car to Europe in most cases does not require the driver to have an IDP. It is enough to have a national driver's license with you. However, in states that have only signed the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, adopted in 1949, you may still be required to have an international license today. In Europe, such countries are Albania, Ireland, Andorra, Iceland, Malta, Cyprus, Turkey and the Netherlands. Of course, the requirement to have an IDP is in most cases purely formal, and local police rarely punish foreign drivers for not having this document. However, in order not to worry once again and to protect yourself from possible problems, it is better to spend a little time and especially since this procedure takes only 20 minutes (in Moscow) and will cost an average of one thousand rubles.

Getting your car ready for a long journey

I would like to say that if a trip by car to Europe is on the agenda, then the issue of preparing your iron horse should be one of the priorities. Be sure to remember what you wanted to repair in your car and put everything off until later. Also look at when the next maintenance is scheduled to be carried out. And if there is very little time left before it, then it is better to do it in advance. Be that as it may, diagnostics will not be superfluous, because not all car problems can be identified during an external examination.

Once you have made sure that your iron horse is fully technically serviceable, and that your trip to Europe by car will not end at one of the service stations, you can slowly begin to equip it with everything you need. Thus, to enter the territory of the European Union, your car must have a European-style first aid kit, a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher, and also. Moreover, these items are not only necessary in emergency situations. Their presence can also be checked by police at the border.

We have sorted out the necessary items. Now let's talk about optional, but highly desirable things that you need to have with you when going on a long trip by car. So, it won’t hurt to put a compressor in the trunk to inflate the tires. Also check the condition of your spare tire or spare tire. If you are planning a trip in the autumn winter time, then keep in mind that the use of studded tires is prohibited in Europe.

Don't overlook the tow rope either. Of course, if something happens, you can use a tow truck, but most often it is much easier to tow a stalled car, especially if you are traveling with several cars. It is advisable to take all the vital fluids for your car for topping up. After all, if something happens, this can help you get to the nearest service center, and maybe even to Russia, which will seriously save on repair costs. Also, bring along a set of basic tools: pliers, wrenches, and screwdrivers. Scotch tape and electrical tape will also come in handy. All these items will not take up much space in the trunk, but in some situations they can be literally irreplaceable.

Border crossing

So, any trip to Europe begins with crossing the border. Since the price of gasoline abroad is quite high, we recommend filling up a full tank in the CIS. At the border with the European Union, they may write down the number of liters in your tank, but there is no need to worry about this, and no one will take money from you in the form of a fee for this.

When communicating with border guards and customs officers, behave correctly and politely. Fulfill all requests coming from them. So, they may ask you to open the trunk, hood, or show the contents of your bags. Surely the border guard will ask about the purpose of your trip. You shouldn’t invent any tall tales, answer as it is.

If your car has tinted front windows, be aware that this may cause problems at the border. The fact is that in Europe such tinting is prohibited. It may even get to the point where you are asked to remove the film, which can be quite difficult, especially in winter. However, even if you safely enter the territory of the European Union with tinted windows, you should not delude yourself and think that all the problems are behind you. After all, you can easily be stopped by the first policeman who comes across. And in this case, you will not only be forced to get rid of the tint, but also pay a fairly hefty fine.

On European roads

So, you have successfully overcome all the formalities, and your iron horse is briskly winding its first kilometers along the roads of the European Union. But you shouldn’t relax here either. First of all, it is recommended to pay for highway tolls immediately. In Hungary and Austria, you need to purchase a sticker that should be attached to the windshield. It will mean that you have paid for your autobahn toll. The cost of a sticker may vary depending on the country, but on average it will cost about 15 euros.

Now, in order for a trip by car to Europe to bring you extremely positive emotions, all you have to do is carefully follow all the rules traffic. Before entering each country you enter, you will see an information board indicating speed limits for the city, country roads and highways. It is very important to remember these numbers and not exceed them. After all, even driving a few kilometers per hour can result in a minimum fine of 30 euros. For more serious violations, the fine can be several hundred or even thousands of euros! Moreover, it is unlikely that it will be possible to avoid punishment, since all roads have modern video recording equipment. If a policeman stops you, don’t even try to bribe him. Not only will he not take the money, but he may also hold you accountable for attempting to bribe an official.

However, when traveling by car in Europe and concentrating on complying with the speed limit at European roads, we should not forget about other traffic regulations. So, pay very close attention to signs, traffic lights and markings. By the way, in most cases the latter is applied very competently and is capable of not only not confusing, but, on the contrary, helping the driver to correctly cross a junction or intersection. Of course, as a rule, the first kilometers on European roads are accompanied by slight stress for our drivers. However, gradually you will get a taste for it and will be very surprised by the driving style of our compatriots after returning home.

Cost of traveling by car

It is naive to believe that tourist trips Traveling to Europe by private car is much cheaper than traveling by plane. Therefore, consumables are an important point in planning your vacation. We suggest you briefly find out how much it might cost to travel to Europe on your own “iron horse” and what expense items your budget should include.

1. Registration costs necessary documents on the driver and the car. This item implies the purchase of a “Green Card” and, if necessary, registration of an IDP. It will cost approximately 2500 rubles.
2. Costs for medical insurance and Schengen visa. On average, processing these documents will cost 4 thousand rubles per person.
3. Expenses for preparing the car for the road. It all depends on the brand of your car and its technical condition. We will also include the purchase of a navigator in this paragraph. So, a good device with loaded maps of Europe will cost approximately 8 thousand rubles.
4. You can only calculate gasoline costs if you have a final travel plan in hand. On average, if you travel along the route Moscow - Warsaw - Berlin - Brussels - Paris, you will have to spend about 18 thousand rubles. Don't forget to budget for gasoline for the return trip.
5. Costs for toll roads and parking. Here everything will depend solely on the country where you are heading, as well as on whether you plan to leave your car in the hotel parking lot and walk around the city on foot, or whether you want to ride your “iron horse” everywhere.
6. Expenses for accommodation, food and entertainment. Everything here is purely individual. After all, some people don’t mind staying in cheap hotels far from the center, while others definitely need 4- and 5-star hotels in the very heart of the city. The same applies to food and entertainment.

It will be easier for you to organize your trip to Europe by looking through my blog and getting acquainted with the routes that I have mastered myself and described with all the details for you. My annual trips to European countries allowed us to accumulate a lot of useful information. All of it is at your service, dear travelers, and I welcome you to my blog.

Did the thought flash through your mind, looking at the photo, that I was wrong with the direction, and instead of Europe we will talk about Thailand? Not at all. The symbols of this eastern country ended up in the Valley of the Elephants. Probably, to make the elephants more comfortable, they were surrounded by familiar attributes))

Traveling around Europe is the direction that interests me the most. For several years now, I have been able to travel to European countries for two or three weeks and get acquainted with their sights, both architectural and natural.

What useful information can you find on my blog? I do not strive to embrace the immensity and write only about what I have mastered myself. If you structure it according to purpose, you can highlight:

1. Description of attractions
2. Recommendations on how to get there
3. One day routes
4. Walking routes around the city

Attention! If you have never traveled abroad on your own, I have compiled a guide for you on how to travel to Spain. Study this, where almost every step is provided, and you can organize your trip without anyone’s help.

Traveling Europe on your own

Czech

Most often I visit the Czech Republic, and, quite possibly, I know more about this country than some of the indigenous residents. Having walked the length and breadth of Prague, I travel from the capital to other regions. And since I travel without resorting to the help of agencies, I can tell you how to independently get from Prague to the most attractive Czech castles and most interesting cities, as well as natural attractions. I think not many people will tell you how to go to Adrspashskie on your own. And this is an absolutely fantastic place.

I give you the opportunity not only to see the rock city in photographs, but also to travel from Prague by train. Full information Here:

The most convenient way to travel to another excellent natural area, the famous Czech Paradise, is by bus. I prepared a brief overview of the Czech Paradise, where I placed a map of attractions, noted and described the most interesting objects.

If you want to organize a trip to medieval Europe, then in this case you cannot ignore Cesky Krumlov and the city of Kutná Hora. Two instructional articles will ensure your independent trip to these colorful Czech corners:

How to get there quickly and easily

The blog also presents other cities with a distinctive historical center: České Budejovice and Liberec, Hradec Králové and Kuks...

The castles are also not to be missed. By looking at the relevant posts, you will find out how easy it is to visit the castle on your own and visit other castles.

Spain

Of course, I made step by step instructions, by train. And so that you don’t ignore Tarragona, I devoted several articles to this attractive city. In particular, you can see the Mediterranean balcony, and the Roman aqueduct.

Dedicated two full days and wonderful Valencia, which allowed us to compile for you the main attractions of the city.

Germany

I visited the German lands for a short time - one or two days as part of a group. The purpose of one trip was to get acquainted with and visit Bavarian castles and. The second trip is an excursion to Dresden. These were travels from Prague. But even on these trips, I spent part of my time walking on my own (while my fellow travelers were busy shopping or visiting a cafe/restaurant).

What a wonderful forest path I walked along from Hohenschwangau Castle to Lake Alpsee! .

In Dresden, the main attractions are compactly located, but there is sorely not enough time to see everything, because you want not only to explore the city, but also to visit at least some museums. It is unlikely that you will refuse to visit:

And to create a travel itinerary for Dresden, you will need descriptions of attractions. Once you know the details, you can decide what to visit right away and what to postpone to the next excursion.

Other countries

One day sightseeing bus took us from Prague to Vienna early in the morning. Is it necessary to clarify that historical Center We studied the capital of Austria on our own? Therefore, I can give you virtual company on excursions to and while climbing the tower in Stockholm.

A Finnish town may actually become a discovery for you, and you will include it in your route around Finland.

I have now briefly described what practical advice this blog contains. Pay attention to the Travel Tips section, because in this section each article tells you from A to Z how to make a trip to a certain city or castle, what to see first of all big city, or where to go for one day while staying in Prague.

Most information on the Czech Republic. In particular, routes around the city and descriptions so that you can organize independent holiday in Prague. Why so much attention to the Czech Republic? You know that there is budget countries, where you can travel quite economically. Czech - the best option such a vacation.

I would be sincerely glad if your trip to Europe with the help of my blog is enriched with interesting, spectacular, but at the same time quite accessible routes. Take a high-quality camera with you and feel free to go for new experiences. Friends, I wish you successful and delightful trips to European countries.

Your euro guide Tatyana

Report on traveling by car in Europe in 2017. Trip Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, France and Spain (Catalonia).

Preface

Every year in September I go on vacation for a month. Previously, I didn’t have a car, and I had to travel with someone for company. This year I purchased a Volvo V70 (2005), and I was faced with an interesting task - to take a friend from Russia to sunny Andalusia (Andalucia, Spain). Another friend was on vacation; he wanted to go somewhere to the sea, since summer had passed by in our area. So I decided to take a chance and test the car in action.

Preparing for a road trip in Europe

To build a route and generally navigate, we used several services:

1. website - for receiving general information, distance and fuel calculations.
2. Via Michelin and its Android app are the best option for traveling around Europe.
3. Google Maps.
4. Waze.

As a result, Waze was used more often - it was always turned on on the navigator’s smartphone to track speed radars and police that were encountered along the way. Also used Google maps— to search for passing gas stations, parking lots, eateries and reviews for them.

Via Michelin helped with cost planning. On the website we entered the car data (model, engine type, fuel, mileage) and selected one of the proposed routes from Tallinn to Malaga. According to the service's calculations, we were expected to spend 47 hours behind the wheel and a route of more than 4,000 km (). Expected costs for toll roads and diesel fuel amounted to 527 euros (about 36,000 rubles). The option of “taking the free road” was not considered, because I wanted to reach the end point as quickly as possible, which would ultimately save time (it’s a vacation after all) and money on accommodations and food.

Since we didn’t have time to thoroughly prepare for the trip (spontaneity is our credo), we created a general chat in one of the instant messengers, to which we sent a detailed list of what needed to be done and taken on the trip. There were the necessary maps, a canister of water and much more.

As a result, I threw it into the canal helpful information(necessary telephone numbers, addresses) and even advice from comrades. Since the Internet connection is not always stable on the road, this channel has become a significant support on the road. It is convenient when all interested parties have simultaneous access to information.

Tallinn - Suwalki

First day.

On the morning of the first day we had free time before lunch, as one of the fellow travelers was finishing his last working day before his vacation. The sun was shining, it was warm and we went for a walk around the old city.

Of course, we couldn't help but climb observation deck Kohtuotsa, from which it opens great view on Old city and the spire of St. Olaf's Church is visible. It was once the tallest building in the world, but now it is only in the center of Tallinn.

Streets of the old city

We managed to walk around the old town when our friend joined us and we hit the road.

We usually fill up at an Olerex or Statoil gas station, which this year became known as Circle K. On the way, we filled up a full tank at Olerex, which cost about 80 euros (about 5,500 rubles). average price for diesel in Estonia is 1.16 euro/l.

Before Riga, we drove to the bay in the Salacgriva area to warm up and breathe in the sea air - there is a long road ahead to the warm Mediterranean waves.

Roads in Latvia are not very different from Estonian ones, but in some places, for example, in front of Riga, many drivers drove almost on the side of the road.

Roads and roadsides in Latvia

Our first overnight stay awaited us in Poland near the border, in a small hotel that we booked by phone. Hotel Jasionowy Gai was recommended to us by friends.

We planned to spend the night there and leave without waiting for breakfast, so in Lithuania we stopped at the Rimi supermarket for food. We had a 12V camping refrigerator in the car, but Rimi has a very good ready-to-eat food section.

At night we reached the town of Suwalki. At the hotel we were met by the owner Andrzej and his three adorable dogs. The room for 35 euros was very cozy: separate entrance from the courtyard, heater, kitchen, 4 beds, shower. In the shower room, individual shower sets were prepared for guests.

We woke up in the morning to find that the kitchen would have been suitable for a longer stay. There was a kettle, refrigerator, stove, cutlery, pots, frying pan, cups, tea and coffee sets, salt, sugar and even a toaster. This place left a pleasant impression.

Rested and satisfied, we set off on our further journey.

In the city we stopped at the post office and bought a local SIM card for mobile internet(no documents required). We chose a starter package from one of the local operators for 5 zlotys (about 80 rubles) - 5 GB of mobile Internet.

Results of the day in money:

• Fuel: 80 euros (5500 rubles) for 70 liters.

Suwalki - Berlin - Kassel

Second day.

Polish roads

Previously, about 5 years ago, the road from Lithuania to Warsaw was terrible. Repair work has been going on here for several years now, and there is hope for the best. Today this section is a road with one lane on each side without shoulders.

Starting from Warsaw, the roads are spacious and well-paved, you can drive safely, but even on good roads Accidents happen.

After Warsaw, through Lodz and Poznan, we headed to Berlin - according to past experience, there were excellent roads in this direction.

Here I would press the gas, but the trouble is, something happened to the car - a vibration appeared, which intensified at certain speeds. It was scary to drive fast, and it was even worse to drive slowly, as there was a strong roar and the whole car was almost shaking. Thoughts arose to stop by for a wheel alignment, but as luck would have it, we didn’t meet any car repair shops along the way.

It was already getting dark, we didn’t have time to find a working service, but we believed in the best, since “we only checked everything with our mechanics yesterday.” Well, we called the mechanics and described the problem. They said everything should be fine. Well, no matter what, let’s go to Berlin!

We googled accommodation options in Berlin (thanks to the Polish SIM card) and found a place in the city center called Easy Lodges or Scube Park Columbia. It was almost the only place for 54 euros, available for booking that night, and in the city center.

Before the border with Germany, we wanted to refuel, but we were very surprised by the price tag for diesel - the cost of fuel was almost 1.30 euros/l. We googled diesel prices in Europe and realized that the last Polish gas station before the border was simply brazenly taking advantage of its position, since the average bill for a liter of diesel in Poland is 1 euro. We had to have enough fuel to get to Berlin, so we passed the last Polish gas station.

By the way, about the cents. In Poland, we were often quoted prices in crowns or zlotys. One of us had a Russian Sberbank card, he paid with it, but chose payment in dollars, because it was a MasterCard card. Later we learned that it would be more profitable to choose payment in crowns.

When we got to Easy Lodges, we were in for an unpleasant surprise. We found ourselves in an open area that looked like a park with wooden boxes in the shape of cubes, all of which had blank walls except for a glass facade with a door. Through the glass we could see the decoration of some of the rooms. Basically these are 2 or 3 beds in two tiers, a table, a curtain and a floor lamp. That's all. Since we arrived in the dark, the photographs could not convey all the local color - the area was not illuminated. But photos of these lodges can be found on the Internet; we later saw them when we left our dissatisfied review. Toilet, shower? This was all located somewhere at the entrance to the territory, not far from the reception, where there were no employees, but there was a note with wishes for a pleasant stay and a list of the names of those who were expected during the “late check-in” period. Our last name was also there, but opposite was the number of the loggia.

Late check-in from Easy Lodges

We found our last name and went to look for the number. It should be noted that without a flashlight we would not have been able to find it. When we found it, we were even more upset - there were no keys, the room was locked, it seemed they had forgotten about us. Out of curiosity, we looked into the rooms from the list - everyone had keys on the bed or table. No one else answered the phone, and the reception area was crowded with newly arrived, puzzled tourists. What to do? A few minutes to think and decide: let’s move on and look for accommodation for the night.

Hotels in Berlin were ready to open their doors for at least 115 euros per night, not counting the cost of parking. We were offered parking in the parking lot of one of the hotels for 25 euros per night. After circling around the city a little more, we stopped at a gas station, filled the tank and drove forward along our route to Spain.

Results of the day in money:

• Fuel: $77 (4110 rubles) for 56 liters.
• Toll roads (Polish): 47.90 zlotys (762 rubles).

Berlin - Lyon - Lloret de Mar

Third day.

Germany, somewhere beyond Kassel

After filling up in Berlin, Germany, we made a couple more stops at gas stations in the Kassel (Hessen) and Baden-Württemberg areas. It rained all the way, the car rumbled, this discouraged us from stopping somewhere else. But even in cloudy weather, the forests and mountains beckoned us, which means we will definitely return to walk through the Wilhelmshöhe park and the forests of the Schwarzwald.

In general, impressions of the road in Germany are positive. The night road was tiring: work was being done on the highway, the entire right lane was occupied by endless rows of trucks driving at a speed of no more than 80 km/h. It rained all night, so we drove almost to the touch at the speed of trucks.

Around 11 am we stopped for a snack and to warm up. We ended up at a Tank&Rast gas station in the Freiburg area.

German gas stations differ from others in that they usually pay 70 cents for going to the toilet. It doesn’t matter whether you filled up with fuel or not. Everyone is required to pay, except children and disabled people.

70 cent toilets

There are turnstiles at the entrance to the toilet. You can pay in cash or by card. Free entry is provided for children and disabled people. Those who pay for the passage are given a 50-cent discount voucher, which can be used right there at the gas station.

By the way, one bratwurst (fried sausage) with potatoes costs 6.99 euros (at the current exchange rate, a little less than 500 rubles). Diesel fuel cost: 1,229 euro/l.

Magnets for 10 euros

Free toilets can be found at special rest areas, which are quite common along the road. You can stop there and take a nap.

Road to France

Crossing borders between countries in the European Union happens unnoticed: you drive along the highway at 120 km/h (or faster), and only signs allow you to understand that you are no longer in Germany, but in France. We drove almost non-stop through Burgundy and the Rhone, closer to the south. The landscape changed noticeably, dense forests gave way to fields and castles, endless rains gave way to the sun.

French fields

After the rain

Highway A9

Closer to the south

France near Nimes

In the Aire d'ambrussum area we stopped to refuel and eat. BP gas stations turned out to be the most "gluttonous", the cost of diesel fuel was 1,389 euros/l.

Chocolates 1.35 euros each

By 2 am we reached Lloret de Mar. We got there because the car urgently required a service visit.

We had already been to Lorret de Mar, so we booked the Royal In hotel, familiar from our first visits to Spain, in advance. His employees are very friendly and speak Russian. The hotel is located in the city center, next to the beach. Adequate price of 50 euros per night in a clean and comfortable room, consisting of two isolated rooms - what else is needed for happiness? Previously, however, we could make a pre-booking by phone, but this year we were urged to make a reservation via the Internet.

So, we parked in the city parking lot near the Hollywood disco and went to the hotel.

Results of the day in money:

• Fuel: 177 euros (12,000 rubles) for 140 liters.
• Toll roads (563 km in France): 62 euros (4,215 rubles).

Fourth day.

In the morning, at the reception, the first thing we did was find out the address and contacts of the car service. It was within walking distance from the parking lot at the intersection of Vila de Blanes and Avenida del Rieral. The local mechanic made it clear that we would have to wait at least a week. We bowed down - no one expected such a turn of events.

Not knowing what to do, we went to the local supermarket chain - Mercadona - to buy local freshly squeezed orange juice. In every Mercadona there is a juice preparation machine in the fruit department. You take a plastic bottle from the machine, place it on a stand with a lever next to it, hold it down, and the machine squeezes out the juice. There is something fascinating in this process.

Having recharged ourselves with vitamin C, we went to the Garnier coffee shop, where we grabbed coffee and a sandwich and began to think about a plan to save us and Volvo. Suddenly we remembered that there was another car service station next to the parking lot. We headed towards him.

So, Saturday, half an hour before siesta, we are at the Euromaster service.

Euromaster service

They quickly inspected the car and reassured us that replacing the CV joint would take an hour. The only difficulty is to find by the end of the day the same CV joint that suits us.

The autopsy showed

Oil spilled from the burst boot

We agreed to meet with the craftsmen after a siesta.

After the siesta, the situation did not change - no one works during siesta, so there was catastrophically little time left until the end of the working day. We had to find this CV joint, otherwise we risked being stuck in Lloret until Monday or Tuesday. We stayed with the service and actively began to take part in the search: we asked the guys from the workshop to show us a picture of the part and give us the VIN number exact description what needs to be found.

Luckily for us, the service center found a Russian-speaking mechanic who helped us with an explanation. We started calling all our friends who were associated with car services and lived in Catalonia. Finally, good news came, the CV joint was found, it will be brought to the workshop in the morning, so that before lunch we will be able to leave Lloret. So you understand, Sunday is sacred for the Spaniards! Very rarely does anyone work on Sunday; as a rule, locals go somewhere outdoors or simply relax with their family at home. So we were incredibly lucky.

But I had no luck with the hotel. We didn't have time to book Royal In, so we had to look for an alternative. Using Booking.com, based on reviews and a budget of 50-60 euros per night, we found the AR Niu Dor aparthotel. We were met at the reception by two girls: one Spanish, the other Russian (we came across Russian speakers in every establishment in Loreta). They asked for a deposit of 120 euros and 2 euros per person for a set of linen and towels. They gave us a paper to sign, in which we were obliged not to break furniture, not to leave cigarette butts (although we asked for a non-smoking room), not to shout after 11 pm, to take out the trash after ourselves, and so on.

In response to such hospitality, we asked to check our room, for which we were asked to leave a deposit and sign a paper. The hotel employee, smiling awkwardly, showed us a more than modest room, the furniture in which was a little rickety. She didn’t know how the sofa folded out.

Studying the sofa

In general, we are not picky, and we just wanted to spend the night, but the atmosphere of the hotel was depressing. Be that as it may, until the next morning we were left to our own devices. Therefore, we left our shelter and went to admire the views of Lloret.

They play ball in the streets

Center of Lloret

Plants paint the city walls

Streets of Lloret

Balconies of Catalonia

The sea felt like 20 degrees, no more. We got hungry and visited a pizzeria.

Here they cook Italian pizza in the oven

We returned from our walk at 10 pm to get some sleep. But the hotel turned out to be a refuge for young people who were in a hurry to get the maximum impressions from alcohol. Music was playing under our windows in the neighboring rooms above and below all night. By 8 am this noise was replaced by the hum of mopeds and cars under the windows. We had to leave the room by 10 am.

This place did not live up to the ratings on Booking. In parting with our comments and feedback, we received a response from a Spanish employee: “This is not a hotel, but an apartment.” Well, let's not dwell on it, let's move on.

Hola, Andalusia!

Fifth day.

We went to Mercadona for juice and sat in a cafe next to the service station while waiting for the car. Already at 11:30, we thanked the local mechanics for the repairs and continued our journey south - the last 800 km separated us from our goal, and the machine pleased us with the absence of vibration and grinding.

Before Valencia, we stopped at the beach near Mercadona and, as per tradition, took fresh orange juice, which was noticeably sweeter than in Lloret. We had a snack on the shore, swam in the sea, the water was very pleasant, 24 degrees, the beaches were clean and there were not many people.

Refreshed, we raced along the Spanish motorway to the finish line. The roads in Spain are excellent (I mean highways), you have to pay for the lack of traffic lights, several lanes and an average speed of 180-220 km/h.

Road to the South

Before Malaga there was the last toll section of the road, but we were caught up in the promotion, and after midnight it was free - a wonderful bonus for a late arrival.

Results of the day in money:

• Fuel: 120 euros (8,150 rubles) per 100 liters.
• Toll roads: 41 euros (2800 rubles).

Conclusion

The road to the south, not counting a long stop in Lloret, would have taken us 4 days. For an autumn outing, such a marathon is justified - in the south the weather is more pleasant, and we will definitely visit central Europe in the spring, and it will be a more planned trip.

This time the trip, including car repairs, cost us about 1000 euros. After talking with local mechanics, we learned that Volvo or Honda are not very popular in Spain, so parts for them are difficult to find, and they can cost a pretty penny (we had to pay 415 euros to replace the CV joint).

If we forget about losses, then we definitely did not regret coming to the Costa del Sol. In September, the sun is pleasantly warm without burning, the water is pleasant, there are few people. You can spend time "sealing" on the beach or exploring the surrounding area. If you go on such a long road trip, plan it for more long term, at least for a month.

View of the port of Malaga from the Alcazaba fortress

Mountains

Fuengirola Castle from the beach and barbecue boats

On weekends, locals come to the beach and cook grilled sausages, fish, meat, drink beer, sangria, have fun, chat, listen to music, some sing and dance - in general, relax.

Local beaches are free and equipped with showers and toilets. For money only trestle beds and umbrellas - around 6-7 euros for the whole day.

Mijas

Marbella, Salvador Dali alley

Seville

Tariff

AND

Streets of Spain

Time to say good-bye...

See you again!

Plot a car route online between cities of different countries

In the previous article I talked about. What to do if you need get directions in another country or generally between two different states, for example, between Russia and Kazakhstan or plan a route around Europe? This article is a review of three Internet services that will help you get directions to car map peace, between cities of any states connected by a web highways.

How to get directions in Europe and other destinations

1. The first one that came under the radar of my review was the online service http://www.avtoturistu.ru - the most amazing service for building auto routes - it builds automobile routes even to islands, right across the seas.

This is apparently a service for cars, some new type, because, among other things, it does not pay any attention to road map, and builds a route in a straight line, between cities. It doesn’t matter at all that between them there may be mountains, impenetrable forests or any other obstacles, because this is a map for the cars of the future, they will drive everywhere.

This is what a map of the road route looks like between St. Petersburg And Madrid on the map www.avtoturistu.ru:

And this is what the car route looks like between St. Petersburg And Munich:

More like a tour of Europe with a drunk driver. 🙂

Later it turned out that this service uses a map of the routes of a cargo transportation company and passes it off as a map car routes. A big minus for the Avtoturistu.ru website.

2. The second in this test drive of online routes will be Nokia Maps, very beautiful and convenient service. Upon attempt build a route meju St. Petersburg And Madrid, at first honestly admitted that he could not build a route. However, on the third attempt, the route appeared on the map.

This is what the route between these cities looks like: Nokia Maps:

Unlike the previous service, the graphic route on the map is equipped with a legend with a detailed explanation of where, where and when to turn while following a given route. The curve shown in the map above is shown with default settings. During its construction, various objects were taken into account, such as tunnels, ferries, toll roads, etc.

If you are afraid of water, or want to avoid toll roads, then you need to indicate this when creating a route by unchecking the necessary items.

This is what the same route will look like, but without ferry crossings:

Nokia Maps also shows
How many
by time
will take the route,
distance
between given points. IN
Nokia Maps
you can add an additional intermediate point and change the automatically created route. Once you have drawn the route you need, you can print it or save a link to it.
Nokia Maps
also accessible from phones and smartphones
Nokia
.

3. And finally, one more service - http://www.autotransinfo.ru. Just like on Nokia Maps it is possible to make your own adjustments to the route - add and remove ferries, winter roads, make a choice between the shortest and fastest routes. The traffic scale is very conveniently displayed, divided by regions and states, showing delays in transit and customs. The color on the scale indicates the allowed movement speed.

P.S.: For a long trip by car, you need to carefully prepare - collect all the necessary things and documents, prepare the car for the trip. You will learn how to prepare and what to take with you on a long journey from the video: