continental driving
Brimstone
in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc.
Can anyone point me at useful sources of info regarding driving requirements
and cheap places to stay?
Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well.
NM
As you probably know I have spent a large chunk of my life driving to
every country in Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, I could
give you a lot of useful information however as you are known to troll
and the details of your proposed trip are vague I am reluctant to
spout volumes of advice.
Some bits of general advice, becoming more obvious the further you get
from Dover,
1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages as
you can.
2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a bribe
or to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big bill, don't
rely on credit/debit card service being available in spite of the
adverts to the contrary.
3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes, find out the
preferred brand in the country concerned and make sure you have a
supply.
4. Take care to have the correct documents in France, a very expensive
frogmarch (no pun intended) to the ATM could await you if you don't.
Why not post more detail of your intended trip. I may be driving to
Zambia in the latter part of the year with my friend who has had a
stroke, to visit his family before it's too late for him, if you fancy
crossing the Sahara with a guy in a wheelchair get in touch.
Clive George
"NM" <nik.m...@mac.com> wrote in message
news:0a8e9f1f-dc26-462c...@o28g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
> On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a bit
>> later
>> in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc.
> 1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages as
> you can.
>
> 2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a bribe
> or to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big bill, don't
> rely on credit/debit card service being available in spite of the
> adverts to the contrary.
>
> 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes, find out the
> preferred brand in the country concerned and make sure you have a
> supply.
All a bit overkill for western Europe, even for much of eastern.
France 24H petrol often relies on cards, and doesn't accept UK cards, so
fuel at night can be tricky - though autoroute stations will be fine if
expensive.
Look up the various rules for continental driving on motoring organisations
websites.
Don't MLOC.
Otherwise even Italy is easy enough.
Brimstone
"NM" <nik.m...@mac.com> wrote in message
news:0a8e9f1f-dc26-462c...@o28g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
> On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a bit
>> later
>> in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc.
>>
>> Can anyone point me at useful sources of info regarding driving
>> requirements
>> and cheap places to stay?
>>
>> Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well.
>
> As you probably know I have spent a large chunk of my life driving to
> every country in Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, I could
> give you a lot of useful information however as you are known to troll
> and the details of your proposed trip are vague I am reluctant to
> spout volumes of advice.
This is no troll. The details are vague because I don't yet have any firm
plans. It's not unknown for me to go out, pick a direction and drive several
miles before deciding where I'm going. The last time I did that I'd gone 90
miles before stopping and making a decision.
> Some bits of general advice, becoming more obvious the further you get
> from Dover,
>
> 1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages as
> you can.
>
> 2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a bribe
> or to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big bill, don't
> rely on credit/debit card service being available in spite of the
> adverts to the contrary.
>
> 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes, find out the
> preferred brand in the country concerned and make sure you have a
> supply.
>
> 4. Take care to have the correct documents in France, a very expensive
> frogmarch (no pun intended) to the ATM could await you if you don't.
Thanks for those.
> Why not post more detail of your intended trip. I may be driving to
> Zambia in the latter part of the year with my friend who has had a
> stroke, to visit his family before it's too late for him, if you fancy
> crossing the Sahara with a guy in a wheelchair get in touch.
Now that sounds like fun. What type of vehicle are you likely to be using?
Rank I Mong
> Rank I Mong wrote:
>> On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:16:08 -0800, NM dribbled:
>> Which part of "Western Europe" don't you understand?
>>
>> RIM
> >
> >
> So you class "Western Europe" as a detailed report of his trip then?
I don't class anything you say as sensible at all.
> I suggest that you don't know the meaning of "detailed". It was a fair
> question.
No, it wasn't.
Brimstone did say "Western Europe", then "France, Spain, Germany,
Belgium" for a start. I'd love to see NM try and bribe a German copper
with cigarettes or small change. His advice was tosh. It might have
worked 40 years ago...
Here is as good a place to start as any
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/index.html
RIM
Bod
> "Bod" <bodr...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:7qj5pc...@mid.individual.net...
>> So you class "Western Europe" as a detailed report of his trip then?
>> It was a fair question.
>
> mention several countries: France, Spain, Germany, Belgium. Legal
> driving requirements will be the same for the whole of each country. He
> asked where to stay - general advice such as "stay in small hotels
> rather than faceless 'chain' hotels" or "B&B in Spain is very good value
> for money" is probably what he was looking for. Maybe he wants to know
> of country-specific rules of the road, such as the one in the
> Netherlands (I know he didn't mention that) where traffic *on* a
> roundabaout has to give way to traffic *joining* a roundabout (opposite
> of UK and America) or the absurd "priority from the right" rule in
> France whereby traffic on a major road may have to give way to traffic
> emerging from a farm track, rather than a blanket "traffic on the major
> road always has priority over traffic on a minor road". Traffic lights
> in many European countries follow the American convention and do not
> have a red-and-amber phase: they go straight from red to green with no
> advance warning. Does France still require cars to have amber
> headlights, either by law or by common practice (ie drivers will harrass
> you if you don't have them, even though there isn't a legal requirement)?
>
>
At least you've offered some helpful advice.
It's just that if someone is asking for more detail and trying to
help, I can't understand a poster just replying with an unhelpful "what
part of Western Europe don't you understand".
Bod
Rank I Mong
> So why didn't you post that helpful site in the first place, rather
> than mocking the request for more detail?
Why don't you take your own advice?
RIM
Rank I Mong
I don't understand why you post a seemingly never ending stream of
drivel. Maybe you can tell us all why you bother posting? I note with
interest you've added nothing useful to this thread, whereas I have..
RIM
Bod
If I could, I would.
Bod
Bod
than mocking the request for more detail?
Bod
Bod
Bod
Rank I Mong
> On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Which part of "Western Europe" don't you understand?
RIM
Bod
It was a fair question.
Bod
Mortimer
> I suggest that you don't know the meaning of "detailed".
> It was a fair question.
He probably hasn't worked out his detailed itinerary yet ;-) He did mention
Adrian
like they were saying:
> France 24H petrol often relies on cards, and doesn't accept UK cards
It usually does these days.
Brimstone
"Bod" <bodr...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:7qj5pc...@mid.individual.net...
How can it be a "report" when I haven't done it yet?
Bod
Bod
NM
As he hadn't detailed any specific journey then I posted general
advice, I did qualify it by saying it becomes more valid the further
you get from Dover, Brimstone, being a sensible chap, will not assume
that I was advocating bribing German Border Guards (if you can find
one these days).
As driving in Western Eurpoe, regardless of actual country, is very
similar one country from another I thought it unnecessary to post such
information.
You seem to have found this offensive, tough shit clever cunt.
Halmyre
Keep your wits about you.
Most foreigners drive six inches off your rear end as a matter of
course. Don't worry about it, just let them past as soon as you can.
Keep out of the centre of big cities. If you're staying in the centre
of a big city, get a decent A-Z.
Italian self-service pumps are the devil's invention. Find a filling
station with attendants.
Don't run low on fuel in the vicinity of Milan Bergamo airport on a
Sunday without having a wad of euros in your wallet.
Italian slip-roads have a very tight radius.
Portuguese drivers are no worse than Italian drivers (this is not
necessarily a compliment).
Swiss drivers are no slower than any other drivers.
Luxembourg traffic wardens will issue parking tickets on Sunday
evenings.
Don't drive through Alpine tunnels if you're claustrophobic.
Don't drive over Alpine passes if you're agoraphobic. Or acrophobic.
Belgian and Swiss motorway services are of a higher standard than UK
services.
Italian motorway services are of very variable quality.
Driving down the Mulsanne straight in Le Mans is enormously
satisfying.
--
Halmyre
NM
> Driving down the Mulsanne straight in Le Mans is enormously
> satisfying.
>
> --
> Halmyre
Yeah! Brilliant, especially at 44 tonnes.
================
"Brimstone" <brim...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:rMGdnfrRg6FUC9nW...@bt.com...
A WHEELCHAIR you fucking twat.
I would suggest the OP might need bigger tyres on it though.
NM
> "Brimstone" <brimst...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:rMGdnfrRg6FUC9nW...@bt.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > "NM" <nik.mor...@mac.com> wrote in message
I was actually thinking of a low value diesel commercial van with easy
wheelchair access, something like a Renault Master or similar. Cheap
enough to be dumped if all goes tits up, but sorted mechanically and
tyres so if it's tits up time it's not the fault of the van.
tim....
"NM" <nik.m...@mac.com> wrote in message
news:0a8e9f1f-dc26-462c...@o28g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
> On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a bit
>> later
>> in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc.
>>
>> Can anyone point me at useful sources of info regarding driving
>> requirements
>> and cheap places to stay?
>>
>> Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well.
>
> As you probably know I have spent a large chunk of my life driving to
> every country in Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, I could
> give you a lot of useful information however as you are known to troll
> and the details of your proposed trip are vague I am reluctant to
> spout volumes of advice.
>
> Some bits of general advice, becoming more obvious the further you get
> from Dover,
>
> 1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages as
> you can.
>
> 2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a bribe
> or to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big bill, don't
> rely on credit/debit card service being available in spite of the
> adverts to the contrary.
>
> 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes,
In Europe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tim
Adrian
they were saying:
>> Some bits of general advice, becoming more obvious the further you get
>> from Dover,
>>
>> 1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages as
>> you can.
Yep, that should get you through Dover unscathed.
>> 2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a bribe
>> or to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big bill, don't
>> rely on credit/debit card service being available in spite of the
>> adverts to the contrary.
>>
>> 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes,
> In Europe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you never been to Essex?
tim....
If you're going to German town centres you'll need to get one of these for
your car:
Paradoxically, during the trial period (which may or may not have ended)
cars with a red (bad) sticker are still allowed in the zones, but cars with
no sticker at all (including foreign registered ones) are liable to be
fined!
tim
Mortimer
news:7qjubi...@mid.individual.net...
The idea of the stickers seems a good idea. The idea of making drivers pay
for them is a bad idea - yet another tax on doing something.
Rank I Mong
You've taken 3 paragraphs to say "I posted a load of shit"
RIM
Brimstone
"NM" <nik.m...@mac.com> wrote in message
news:f5848c8f-f417-449d...@p8g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
I might just include that in my itinerary ;-)
http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans/ressources/pdf/plan_orientation.pdf
Brimstone
"tim...." <tims_n...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:7qjubi...@mid.individual.net...
>
That's handy, thanks.
Bod
hi-vis jacket for anyone getting out of a car on a motorway, also a
breakdown warning triangle is also expected to be in the car and must be
used in any breakdown(even a motorway).
Bod
NM
Why did you?
NM
> Brimstone wrote:
>
> > "tim...." <tims_new_h...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:7qjubi...@mid.individual.net...
>
> >> "Brimstone" <brimst...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >>news:z-Sdnd-jSq1ytNrW...@bt.com...
> >>> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a
> >>> bit later in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc.
>
> >>> Can anyone point me at useful sources of info regarding driving
> >>> requirements and cheap places to stay?
>
> >>> Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well.
>
> >> If you're going to German town centres you'll need to get one of these
> >> for your car:
>
>
> >> Paradoxically, during the trial period (which may or may not have
> >> ended) cars with a red (bad) sticker are still allowed in the zones,
> >> but cars with no sticker at all (including foreign registered ones)
> >> are liable to be fined!
>
> > That's handy, thanks.
>
> You probably know this already, but in France it's the law to carry a
> hi-vis jacket for anyone getting out of a car on a motorway, also a
> breakdown warning triangle is also expected to be in the car and must be
> used in any breakdown(even a motorway).
>
> Bod
In addition to that they will fine you on the spot if you keep said
jacket in the boot, it needs to be 'at hand' for immediate use.
Elder
> > You seem to have found this offensive, tough shit clever cunt.
>
> You've taken 3 paragraphs to say "I posted a load of shit"
>
I'll condense it for you.
You posted a load of shit.
--
Carl Robson
Get cashback on your purchases
Topcashback http://www.TopCashBack.co.uk/skraggy_uk/ref/index.htm
Greasypalm http://www.greasypalm.co.uk/r/?l=1006553
Elder
> I note with
> interest you've added nothing useful to this thread, whereas I have..
>
Elder
says...
> > 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes,
>
> In Europe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
world. But it won't pay for the medical bills afterwards.
Bod
our hi-vis jackets on the back seat.
Bod
GeoffC
> or the absurd "priority from the right"
> rule in France whereby traffic on a major road may have to give way
> to traffic emerging from a farm track, rather than a blanket "traffic
> on the major road always has priority over traffic on a minor road".
ITYF that is the standard rule in virtually every European country except
for the UK.
--
Geoff
Clive George
news:7qjfnj...@mid.individual.net...
Didn't two years ago :-( Have they caught up? (I'm not talking about
autoroute ones here).
Clive George
news:7qj6f...@mid.individual.net...
> He probably hasn't worked out his detailed itinerary yet ;-) He did
> mention several countries: France, Spain, Germany, Belgium. Legal driving
> requirements will be the same for the whole of each country. He asked
> where to stay - general advice such as "stay in small hotels rather than
> faceless 'chain' hotels" or "B&B in Spain is very good value for money" is
> probably what he was looking for. Maybe he wants to know of
> country-specific rules of the road, such as the one in the Netherlands (I
> know he didn't mention that) where traffic *on* a roundabaout has to give
> way to traffic *joining* a roundabout (opposite of UK and America) or the
> absurd "priority from the right" rule in France whereby traffic on a major
> road may have to give way to traffic emerging from a farm track, rather
> than a blanket "traffic on the major road always has priority over traffic
> on a minor road". Traffic lights in many European countries follow the
> American convention and do not have a red-and-amber phase: they go
> straight from red to green with no advance warning. Does France still
> require cars to have amber headlights, either by law or by common practice
> (ie drivers will harrass you if you don't have them, even though there
> isn't a legal requirement)?
ISTR having a discussion with you about going abroad, when you said you'd
not done so for many years.
Priorite a droite in France is pretty darned rare these days IMO. I tend to
avoid autoroutes, and seek out the smaller roads on my bike as well, and the
priority has been pretty much normal everywhere.
They're all on white headlamps these days, and have been for ages.
GeoffC
<SNIP>
> Priorite a droite in France is pretty darned rare these days IMO.
Just because you don't see it does not necessarily mean it is not there.
> I tend to avoid autoroutes, and seek out the smaller roads on my bike
> as well,
Well there is a surprise :-)
> and the priority has been pretty much normal everywhere.
Which of course prompts the question what is normal?
--
Geoff
GeoffC
> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a
> bit later in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc.
>
>
I'd like to draw attention to something not yet mentioned AFAIK. Trams.
You'll find them in many European cities.
They almost always have right of way.
They can't swerve to avoid you.
Being relatively quiet they can creep up on you.
They are hard and heavy if you hit one.
--
Geoff
Mortimer
news:80dfe$4b45d8e9$5351e322$28...@cache6.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
Where a tram track crosses a road in European cities, are there usually
traffic lights to stop the cars? I think the Croydon Tramlink does for the
on-street section, but I'm not sure about other cities like Manchester and
Sheffield.
Adrian
saying:
> Where a tram track crosses a road in European cities, are there usually
> traffic lights to stop the cars? I think the Croydon Tramlink does for
> the on-street section, but I'm not sure about other cities like
> Manchester and Sheffield.
Sheffield, yes.
GeoffC
> "GeoffC" <m...@home.invalid.com> wrote in message
> news:80dfe$4b45d8e9$5351e322$28...@cache6.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
>> Brimstone wrote:
>>> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a
>>> bit later in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc.
>>>
>>>
>>> Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well.
>>
>> I'd like to draw attention to something not yet mentioned AFAIK.
>> Trams. You'll find them in many European cities.
>> They almost always have right of way.
>> They can't swerve to avoid you.
>> Being relatively quiet they can creep up on you.
>> They are hard and heavy if you hit one.
>
> Where a tram track crosses a road in European cities, are there
> usually traffic lights to stop the cars?
Not always and the trams are usually in the middle of the road, so whenever
they turn right they cut across the other traffic. I know for certain in
Holland that trams always have right of way when turning, I suspect it is
the same in most countries.
There are plenty of left turns where you have to cross the tramlines
without traffic lights.
Oh yeah and they can't brake that well either.
--
Geoff
Clive George
> Clive George wrote:
> <SNIP>
>
>> Priorite a droite in France is pretty darned rare these days IMO.
>
> Just because you don't see it does not necessarily mean it is not there.
When I first drove in France in 1990, we were told about PAD. We hear
stories from people who've never been there like Mortimer that there are
roads where the tractor can legally pull out in front of you as you're
barelling along the main road and you have to give way. Since then I've done
a reasonable amount of driving and riding in that country, and pretty much
all away from autoroutes, and my experience has been that PAD just isn't
something you have to worry about. Kmow it's there for the very occasional
unmarked unobvious junction in a town, but that's sane - if you're on a
major road you're not going to have to give way in a bizarre fashion.
>> I tend to avoid autoroutes, and seek out the smaller roads on my bike
>> as well,
>
> Well there is a surprise :-)
:-) But I do drive there as well.
>> and the priority has been pretty much normal everywhere.
>
> Which of course prompts the question what is normal?
In the context of the group "uk.rec.driving", I'd suggest similar to the
experience of UK roads.
GeoffC
> "Adrian" <tooma...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:7qjfnj...@mid.individual.net...
>> "Clive George" <cl...@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> gurgled happily, sounding
>> much like they were saying:
>>
>>> France 24H petrol often relies on cards, and doesn't accept UK cards
>>
>> It usually does these days.
>
> Didn't two years ago :-( Have they caught up?
No, the UK caught up when it started using Maestro.
--
Geoff
Bod
card.
Bod
Mortimer
news:7qm7hk...@mid.individual.net...
> I used a car park on France about 6 weeks ago and it accepted my Visa
> card.
Years ago (maybe early 80s) we were on a family holiday in Austria. We went
for an expensive meal at a restaurant which displayed the Access sign
(remember Access, "your flexible friend"). When Dad presented his Access
card, they refused to accept it: they said that they accepted some
German/Austrian/Swiss card which had exactly the same symbol. Since he had
no other way of paying they reluctantly accepted the card. I'm not sure how
the transaction would have gone through, but that was their problem. I did
notice that they immediately removed the sticker displaying this symbol from
the entrance door of the restaurant!
I'm not sure how Germany manages without cheques and with few places
accepting plastic. For regular payments you can set up standing orders or
direct debits, and for one-off payments where you have internet access, you
can use electronic banking to do the transfer. But that's no use for paying
for a meal or for goods in a shop. *Surely* people don't still carry around
wads of cash. Seems strange for such an advanced country to be so
behind-the-times as regards credit/debit cards. Mind you, it's always
surprised me that they still use the archaic "four-and-twenty blackbirds"
way of counting (ie they put the units before the tens).
GeoffC
> "GeoffC" <m...@home.invalid.com> wrote in message
> news:8ebf8$4b45d3bc$5351e322$25...@cache4.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
>> Clive George wrote:
>> <SNIP>
>>
>>> Priorite a droite in France is pretty darned rare these days IMO.
>>
>> Just because you don't see it does not necessarily mean it is not
>> there.
>
> When I first drove in France in 1990, we were told about PAD. We hear
> stories from people who've never been there like Mortimer that there
> are roads where the tractor can legally pull out in front of you as
> you're barelling along the main road and you have to give way.
Its never been like that, not legally anyway.
> Since then I've done a reasonable amount of driving and riding in that
> country, and pretty much all away from autoroutes, and my experience
> has been that PAD just isn't something you have to worry about.
Quite worrying really.
> Kmow it's there for the very occasional unmarked unobvious junction in a
> town,
There you go again, just because they escaped your attention does not mean
they are not there. It applies literally to every junction not otherwise
signposted. I can assure they occur significantly more often than
occasionally.
> but that's sane - if you're on a major road you're not going to
> have to give way in a bizarre fashion.
No, not if they are signed with the square yellow priority sign
>
>
>>> and the priority has been pretty much normal everywhere.
>>
>> Which of course prompts the question what is normal?
>
> In the context of the group "uk.rec.driving", I'd suggest similar to
> the experience of UK roads.
OK using that convention then it is safe to assume that right of way rules
in continental Europe are 100% abnormal.
--
Geoff
GeoffC
> "Bod" <bodr...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:7qm7hk...@mid.individual.net...
>> I used a car park on France about 6 weeks ago and it accepted my
>> Visa card.
>
> Years ago (maybe early 80s) we were on a family holiday in Austria.
> We went for an expensive meal at a restaurant which displayed the
> Access sign (remember Access, "your flexible friend"). When Dad
> presented his Access card, they refused to accept it: they said that
> they accepted some German/Austrian/Swiss card which had exactly the
> same symbol.
Visa and MasterCard are VERY widely accepted in Europe. There are many more
accepted only in the country of issue.
>
> I'm not sure how Germany manages without cheques and with few places
> accepting plastic.
Are you serious?? You can pay almost everywhere with a debit card using
Maestro/PIN. That's why they don't need cheques.
> For regular payments you can set up standing
> orders or direct debits, and for one-off payments where you have
> internet access, you can use electronic banking to do the transfer.
Exactly, systems which enabled them to phase out the use of cheques years
ago.
The only place I see cheques being used in Europe these days is by old
grannies in French rural Supermarkets.
--
Geoff
Mortimer
>>> Which of course prompts the question what is normal?
>>
>> In the context of the group "uk.rec.driving", I'd suggest similar to
>> the experience of UK roads.
>
> OK using that convention then it is safe to assume that right of way rules
> in continental Europe are 100% abnormal.
It's always intrigued me how rules like PAD and give way to traffic
*joining* a roundabout ever saw the light of day. What funny substance do
you have to smoke to come with ideas like that and think that they are
sensible, intuitive and can keep the traffic moving?
I can see a *little* bit of sense in the New Zealand rule oncoming traffic
must give way to traffic that is turning right across their path, because it
minimises the time that someone is waiting in the middle of the road to
turn, blocking traffic behind them.
Maybe I'm biassed: maybe if you grow up in France, the Netherlands or New
Zealand and are used to it even as a child before you start driving
yourself, it seems more logical.
Halmyre
> Mortimer wrote:
> > "Bod" <bodro...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:7qm7hk...@mid.individual.net...
> >> I used a car park on France about 6 weeks ago and it accepted my
> >> Visa card.
>
> > Years ago (maybe early 80s) we were on a family holiday in Austria.
> > We went for an expensive meal at a restaurant which displayed the
> > Access sign (remember Access, "your flexible friend"). When Dad
> > presented his Access card, they refused to accept it: they said that
> > they accepted some German/Austrian/Swiss card which had exactly the
> > same symbol.
>
> Visa and MasterCard are VERY widely accepted in Europe. There are many more
> accepted only in the country of issue.
>
>
>
> > I'm not sure how Germany manages without cheques and with few places
> > accepting plastic.
>
> Are you serious?? You can pay almost everywhere with a debit card using
> Maestro/PIN. That's why they don't need cheques.
>
I remember buying fuel in the Swiss alps a few years ago and the old
woman in charge being very put out when I offered a credit card. She
huffed loudly and threw up her hands. Not sure what the problem was -
maybe high card charges?
--
Halmyre
Adrian
like they were saying:
> I remember buying fuel in the Swiss alps a few years ago and the old
> woman in charge being very put out when I offered a credit card. She
> huffed loudly and threw up her hands. Not sure what the problem was -
> maybe high card charges?
About 15yrs ago, I had to leave the then-girlfriend as deposit for a
tankful of petrol at a VW dealer on the edge of a reasonable-sized German
town while I went to find a cash machine, because they didn't take
plastic at all.
Bod
Did you leave her there and is that why she's not your girlfriend
anymore? :-)
Bod
Mortimer
Was she worth more to you than the cost of a tankful of fuel? ;-)
Adrian
saying:
>> About 15yrs ago, I had to leave the then-girlfriend as deposit for a
>> tankful of petrol at a VW dealer on the edge of a reasonable-sized
>> German town while I went to find a cash machine, because they didn't
>> take plastic at all.
> Was she worth more to you than the cost of a tankful of fuel? ;-)
In retrospect...
Brimstone
"GeoffC" <m...@home.invalid.com> wrote in message
news:80dfe$4b45d8e9$5351e322$28...@cache6.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
Indeed, as a former underground train driver I'm aware of the limitations of
trams and trains when it comes to steering. :-)
I've also driven in both Wolverhampton and Manchester and, so far, have
managed to avoid an overly close encounter.
tim....
"GeoffC" <m...@home.invalid.com> wrote in message
news:80dfe$4b45d8e9$5351e322$28...@cache6.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
and if they're running in the centre of the road, you are often not allowed
to undertake them when they are stopped.
tim
Mike
>It's always intrigued me how rules like PAD and give way to traffic
>*joining* a roundabout ever saw the light of day. What funny substance do
>you have to smoke to come with ideas like that and think that they are
>sensible, intuitive and can keep the traffic moving?
Saw it in 'action' on a roundabout in Portugal maybe 20 years ago,
total chaos. The only thing that kept the traffic moving were people
that refused to join the mess on the roundabout.
--
NM
That rule must be a hangover from the days of horse and cart.
Nick Finnigan
In non-cities with traditional trams like Blackpool and Fleetwood, the
trams generally give way to road traffic, sometimes with lights.
tim....
"Mike" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:8qbck5htduu9dk0ev...@4ax.com...
I was driving in Tunis a few weeks ago.
I honestly couldn't work out (from other drivers) what the give way rule was
on roundabouts. Initially I played safe and gave way everywhere, but
eventually I just guessed
Fortunately, there aren't very many
tim
BrianW
> On Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:35:42 -0800, NM dribbled:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 6 Jan, 10:19, Rank I Mong <h...@upyours.com> wrote:
> >> On Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:08:49 +0000, Bod dribbled:
>
> >> > Rank I Mong wrote:
> >> >> On Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:16:08 -0800, NM dribbled:
>
> >> >>> On 5 Jan, 19:43, "Brimstone" <brimst...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> >>>> I'm thinking about taking myself off on a tour of western Europe a
> >> >>>> bit later in the year, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium etc.
>
> >> >>>> requirements and cheap places to stay?
>
> >> >>>> Any pointers to potential pitfalls would be useful as well.
> >> >>> to every country in Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, I
> >> >>> could give you a lot of useful information however as you are known
> >> >>> to troll and the details of your proposed trip are vague I am
> >> >>> reluctant to spout volumes of advice.
>
> >> >>> Some bits of general advice, becoming more obvious the further you
> >> >>> get from Dover,
>
> >> >>> 1, Learn the phrase "I don't have any money" in as many languages
> >> >>> as you can.
>
> >> >>> 2. Carry small denomination notes, if you have to pay out for a
> >> >>> bribe or to get out of trouble you won't get change from a big
> >> >>> bill, don't rely on credit/debit card service being available in
> >> >>> spite of the adverts to the contrary.
>
> >> >>> 3. Some places the secondary currency is cigarettes, find out the
> >> >>> preferred brand in the country concerned and make sure you have a
> >> >>> supply.
>
> >> >>> 4. Take care to have the correct documents in France, a very
> >> >>> expensive frogmarch (no pun intended) to the ATM could await you if
> >> >>> you don't.
>
> >> >>> Why not post more detail of your intended trip.
>
> >> >> Which part of "Western Europe" don't you understand?
>
> >> >> RIM
>
> >> > � �So you class "Western Europe" as a detailed report of his trip
> >> > � �then?
>
> >> I don't class anything you say as sensible at all.
>
> >> > I suggest that you don't know the meaning of "detailed". It was a
> >> > fair question.
>
> >> No, it wasn't.
>
> >> Brimstone did say "Western Europe", then "France, Spain, Germany,
> >> Belgium" for a start. I'd love to see NM try and bribe a German copper
> >> with cigarettes or small change. His advice was tosh. It might have
> >> worked 40 years ago...
>
> >> Here is as good a place to start as any
>
> >>http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/index.html
>
> >> RIM
>
> > As he hadn't detailed any specific journey then I posted general advice,
> > I did qualify it by saying it becomes more valid the further you get
> > from Dover, Brimstone, being a sensible chap, will not assume that I was
> > advocating bribing German Border Guards (if you can find one these
> > days).
>
> > �As driving in Western Eurpoe, regardless of actual country, is very
> > similar one country from another I thought it unnecessary to post such
> > information.
>
> > �You seem to have found this offensive, tough shit clever cunt.
>
> You've taken 3 paragraphs to say "I posted a load of shit"
Hey, I've just noticed that "Rank I Mong" is an anagram of "Nik
Morgan". Now how about that?
Brimstone
"BrianW" <brianwh...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:8a4799ff-f760-42eb...@u7g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
> Hey, I've just noticed that "Rank I Mong" is an anagram of "Nik
> Morgan". Now how about that?
What took you so long?
NM
> "BrianW" <brianwhiteh...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
He's slow.
Brimstone
"NM" <nik.m...@mac.com> wrote in message
news:6f5897a3-483d-4af1...@f5g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
You're being excessively kind. BEHAVE!!