driving to germany - jamoor1
My sister has moved to germany as part of her uni course and is living in berlin for 1 year,
I am considering driving to visit her - is it a good idea?

Anyone know how long it will take to get to Berlin?
I am 18 yrs old and i passed in feb - is that a bad idea for me?

Do insurance companies slap alot onto the premium for euro cover?
I hope to take my 1 yr old mondeo ghia x.
its got a warranty etc so breakdowns shouldnt be too much of a problem.
driving to germany - Altea Ego
The wife and flew to berlin for £49 each return. From the airport is a ?2 ride on the s-bahn to the centre of berlin.


You cant drive there for that money. Ryan air.
driving to germany - Manatee
Air Berlin - allocated seats. From Stansted.
driving to germany - jamoor1
there are 3 of us,
want around that much,
i was thinking i could go for the experience.
driving to germany - tack
Try www.viamichelin.com

It will take you from door to door. It will give you a route map based on your prefs (i.e motorway, main roads, avoiding tolls etc) Gives mileage, interesting sites on route as well as hotels etc.

Well worth looking at. I use it quite a lot

You could fly of course, but there is much more fun to be had in driving abroad and seeing new sites. It is good practise for driving on the right. I've tried it over here a few times and it is blooming dangerous!
driving to germany - tyro
I'd be cautious about it. I drove to the continent a couple of years after passing my test, but one does learn quite a bit in the first year of driving. (I was also a few years older than you.)

Time take to get to Berlin - see www.viamichelin.com

Insurance companies vary in what they add for euro cover - some include it automatically.
driving to germany - PhilW
Go for it! I drove to Spain with some mates when I was 18 (long time ago!!) fantastic experience and seemed like a real adventure (well, moreso than getting on a plane!!)
BUT, don't race there, take your time, treat the journey as part of the holiday and have a few stopovers so you are not driving tired, take time to see some other places on the way so that it is a relaxed journey not a race! B&Bs and cheap hotels abound - much cheaper than UK - use some!! And you could then sample a few of the millions of beers they have in Belgium, Holland, Germany!!
Phil
driving to germany - PhilDews
Just check your breakdown cover includes europe - Mine didn't on an 04 reg Mondeo that I used to have
driving to germany - nutty_nissan
About 9 hours driving from Calais to Berlin (assuming you keep to speed limits).

On the spur of the moment last summer, I drove across to the Continent, and it was a fabulous experience to be able do a Euro roadtrip. Worth stopping at some small towns to get a truly authentic experience from each region.

Yeah, pace yourself and treat it as an adventure.
driving to germany - Archie35
I do this or similar drives fairly often (several times a year). You can go via Calais, which is the cheapest crossing (hunt around on the internet for discount ferry crossings, or sometimes Eurotunnel has an offer on) but longest drive, or you could take a ferry to Hook of Holland (I've not used that one, but friends have) or Cuxhaven. The latter 2 will cut your drive significantly, but the ferries take longer and cost more. I find the drive rather tedious - northern German scenery is fairly flat and unexciting, nothing like the south. However if you do as someone else suggested, and take lots of detours etc there are some great places to visit.

As in the UK, filling up on Motorway service stations is EXPENSIVE. Do a detour to fill up; over that distance it'll save you a lot of money.

Take a good map! If you drive from Calais, you'll end up in Germany on the A2 for a long time - during rush hours it can get very crowded, with horrible traffic jams around the Ruhr area and at the numerous road works currently underway. Often one can detour around them if your map has enough detail. If you speak very basic German (can count from 1 to 20, know that "Stau" means traffic jam, and can recognise town names!) it is well worth tuning in to a radio station with traffic reports - they are much more accurate than in the UK, in my experience. Buy a street map of Berlin at a service station before you arrive - if you don't know your way around, it is a nightmare to find your destination.

Though no one has ever checked my car, by law you are meant to carry spare bulbs, first aid kit, and a few other bits and pieces - I think the AA or RAC website lists them all. A small fuel-can is also useful to get you off that motorway to some cheaper fuel.

You don't mention at what time of the year you'll do this - if it is in the winter, be aware that it is now (or about to be) illegal in Germany to drive on roads on which fallen snow is still resting (ie before the snow plough has cleared it) unless you have chains or winter tyres. Berlin can get its fair share of snow in the winter months, though it is never alpine!

There is probably a lot more to say, but I would agree with those people who have suggested taking it slowly and exploring on the way. If all you want to do is go straight there and back, then fly - even with 3 of you, it'll probably still be cheaper when you add up the cost of ferries, fuel, wear and tear etc.


\"Archie\"
driving to germany - barchettaman
Jamoor, it´s a long old way to Berlin. I would recommend booking early with a budget airline, and flying it. Plus once in Berlin the public transport/bike hire option would be the way to go. Have fun whatever.
driving to germany - local yokel
www.skyscanner.net will give you the prices/routes options very readily displayed.