The car is packed and Europe awaits
 

Hello Forum Members...... This is a repost , go to page 22 for start of the trip........pictures or post #433

I am going to spend the next two months doing research for a possible trip to Europe with my 66 Roaster.

I will attempt to drive to as many countries as possible in a 8 week period. Late August to October 2012

My goal will be to see and meet as many owners of classic corvettes in Europe as possible. Same format as my 48 state trip, back roads, stops at members houses, visits to castles, car collections , beaches, beer, wine, cheese and other continental wonders.

I will seek out "rare corvettes " that have found a home in Europe.

Go to post # 433 for start of trip

Enjoy

I will document this trip with pictures, posts and video for a possible documentary TV pilot project .

My posts over the next few months will contain information on the following subject:

Car preparation
Insurance
Shipping/ Air Travel
Travel permits
Routes
Gas / Oil Needs
Legal Passport Travel Permits
Forum Member Locations Car Locations
Mechanical Support Abroad
Family and Financial Support

As you can see, there are many factors that must be addressed in order for this trip to take place.

So buckle up your seat belts and get ready for a ride that "Buzz and Todd " would be proud of.......

Jack

Important ...... European Owners........


If you would like me to visit you , your car club and your car (s)

All generation corvettes are welcome ....

Please PM me with your location in Europe...... I will only put the town or nearby city on the map. Not your addresses........

As the map fills with with dots (locations) I will be able to draw a real route.

The map below will be the projected route. It covers most of Europe and will be the map that I will add the locations .

This will be the map you will click on to see trip progress. It may take a few moments to load.......




I better get cracking on my languages..........

:lurk: This is going to make for some great photos!

Also Jack if you haven't already, check out The Long Way Round where actor Ewan McGregor and his buddy ride around the globe on BMW motorcycles. Obviously the thrust of the documentary was often on their experiences off-road, but it is still done in the same vein as what you mentioned doing. In their case they had cameras mounted on their helmets but also a cameraman who would get distance shots of them in more of a panoramic way. It's a great documentary and has a sequel; it might get you even more jazzed up about recording your own trip.

Now I grant you, this guy is doing this on a movie-star budget, but still worth it to gather ideas.

Wow Jack you are ambitious! That sounds like a great adventure. I'll be looking forward to your European pictures and posts.
Dave

Hey Jack

If the blue line on your map is your route through Europe, you are missing the two most "classic American car friendly" countries of them all, Norway and Sweden. I think you should try to include them instead of going down to southern Europe. Not to many classic American cars down there.

Sounds like a great trip Jack. Good luck. I thought your US trip was amazing, this one should be amazing also.

Steve

Just a general route
 

Hi, I just drew a random route, as the dots begin to appear, the route will start to follow the dots, and yes I will go to the land of the Vikings . I did promise I would get a picture of a pretty Scandinavian. (thanks to LS 64) :cool:

Looking at my map.....suggest to me a route that would work so that I could still make my general clockwise route, ending back in the lowlands for shipment back to US . I assume I must head north first to take advantage of weather........heading south to the sun as the fall approaches and mountain passes start to close.

The " Saint" had plotted a course for me at about 1,500 K from Rotterdam to Oslo. Boy.... this is going to be some trip.....lots of logistics to deal with.....should be fun........and I am sure that I will be in good hands from the minute I drive the car out of the container to the moment I put it back.

And that may be the problem.....how do I escape from the all watching eye......posts.....pictures......meeting great people.....seeing wonderful cars........

I just don't know how I am going to do it..........but I am going to have a hell of time trying..........

keep your belts buckled,

jack

Jack, Judy wants to know why Sweden is not on he route yet? It's going to be a great adventure. :thumbs: Dennis

Sounds great, Jack, should be quite an adventure, keep us posted.

Jack, you have got to come to Finland!!!! Especially late August when we have out classic corvette run - just for C1 & C2's. I'm one of the organizers around here and know pretty much everybody around here. I can also give you few pointers on where to go and what to see, not just in Finland but around Europe too. You will have a blast!!!! :cheers::cheers::cheers:

Our club usually does a 1-2 week road trip every summer to somewhere in Europe. We have done, France, Luxemburg, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden etc and this upcoming summer we are going to go England for the Goodwood Festival of Speed and then to Holland for the Corvette Fame Euro Meet. It should be another good one.

Hopefully you'll find your way to our neck of the woods. I live close to Helsinki, just let me know and we'll get the ball rolling.

Look at my map
 

[QUOTE=groovyjay;1579882701]Jack, you have got to come to Finland!!!! Especially late August when we have out classic corvette run - just for C1 & C2's. I'm one of the organizers around here and know pretty much everybody around here. I can also give you few pointers on where to go and what to see. You will have a blast!!!! :cheers::cheers::cheers:[/QUOTE


Hi,

If you look at my map.....how do I get to Finland from Swede? or maybe you can help...

If I go from Denmark to ? Sweden/Norway ....then Finland and then south ?

Can you give me an estimate of Kilometers to drive to above.

Jack

It's very easy to get from Denmark to Sweden, you can go over via the longest bridge in Europe, The Oresund Bridge:

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Øresund_Bridge

The side rails are too high on it to actually enjoy the view, but it still gets you over very fast. (Driving a corvette also helps ;)) From Malmo, Sweden it's pretty much a straight drive to Stockholm, but you don't want to do that. There are tons of nice places to see and visit in Sweden. But once you get to Stockholm you can take a ferry over to Turku or Helsinki, Turku is the old Capital of Finland, Very beautiful city and the drive from there to Helsinki is just over and hour. Or if you like to see the Finns go head to head against the Swedes in a 24h drinking contest, take the longer ferry from stockholm to helsinki :leaving:

You can book your ferry tickets in advance here: http://www.vikingline.fi/index.asp?lang=en

If you are up for it, you can get of the ferry in Marienhamn, which is the biggest island in Finland (still very small) and you can drive from there through several small island using bridges and ferrys, it is very well worth it if you like looking at nice scenery.

Our annual Corvette meet is held between the 10th and 12th of August, so that might be bit too early for you? But the Classic Corvette run is two weeks later. There's also many cruises and other events going on during the summer.

http://c63.1g.fi/kuvat/Cars+and+Even...jpg?hash=26358

Picture from our classic corvette run

http://c63.1g.fi/kuvat/Cars+and+Even...jpg?hash=30408

Event called Corvettes by the dock is usually held in Helsinki during August, don't know the exact date yet.

http://tabio.1g.fi/kuvat/Autot/Tapah...jpg?hash=19167

Our annual summer meets are always good fun. :rock:

Congratulations Jack. That sounds like a GREAT trip. However, since you are doing it in a Corvette, you MUST drive the Nurbergring Nordschlife circuit, and also Spa in Belgium (WITH pictures). It doesn't make any difference that your car is not a race car. It's a Corvette, so it is required:thumbs:

:iagree: I've done both and they are spectacular to say the least. :cheers::cheers::cheers:

Maybe a dumb question Jack, but why omit the UK? I drove all around the country of Scotland, and it was an amazing venture. Is it just about the wrong side of the road thing? You get used to it pretty quick.:thumbs:

It's looks like a nice itinerary this far and you'll have a blast on your road trip in Europe , heading north from Rotterdam is a good idea weather-wise for Scandinavia b/c the weather is usually nice to mid/late October , atleast in the southern parts.

I've been riding all over Europe a few times on my Harley and If you want opinions for scenic routes along the way , I'll gladly help you out.

If you decide to go to Scandinavia from Germany , take the Oresund long bridge from Copenhagen/Denmark to Malmoe/ Sweden as "groovyjay" says, and wheter you're heading for Norway or Finland from Malmoe , I'll try to be your " wingman" for the scenic routes either way in my car.
And of course, If time permits and If you want , I can offer supper and couple of cold beers , a garage and a room for the night at my house. :cheers:

Enjoy the planning , It's a very fun part of the trip.

Peter.

You could contact the "Top Gear" guys. Who knows, you might pick up a sponsor.

You it is the center of your circle, MUNICH. It was perhaps my favorite place I traveled last year when I did 7 countries in a month. If you are doing castles, Neuschwanstein is a must, which is maybe an hour drive from Munich.

I assume you are going in somewhere near Amsterdam? It was a great town to although not car friendly. Keep in mind the "coffeehouses" aren't really there to sell coffee, and stay away from the blue neon lights. They look like women, but they have a secret. Watch out for the bicycles, they have the right of way, and the canals are not separated by a fence in a lot of places.

I thought you were ambitious to tackle the CONUS but to do Europe is even better. Good luck and I can't wait to see the trip....

David

Agree, look at going up as high as Trondheim via Bergen and then across the Mountains into Sweden. (been there done that, wonderful area) Stunning places and views. Get yourself an International Drivers License.

Your imput is great
 

Thanks to all for the encouragement and based on some of the suggestions, I am making my route a bit smaller.

When I did the US trip, I would cover great distances between stops. It appears that there will much more to see in a compacted area and taking more time and less driving to meet members .

I have limited my trip to Northern Europe ,n this first trip. I changed the map to reflect the new areas to cover.

I will have more time with people , places, photos, race courses and of course, the cars. I think we all are going to be surprised by the number and quality of vintage corvettes in Europe.

PM me your location and contact information so I may start a data base and dot locator on the map.

Jack