Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Who here has taken their car overseas, and/or to foreign lands?

Seeing a recent post in the Fiat 500 resto thread reminds me of a half-baked idea I have to take the old Volvo to northern France one year, for a driving holiday. Being LHD helps! Time to look out a suitable roof rack perhaps..

R
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[Salopian]

Why not Rick? I've been to the Dordogne twice once by 1928 Sunbeam 20.9hp (1990) secondly in 4.2 series 11/2 E type drophead (1993) in both cases driving back non stop except for the ferry. Took the Sunbeam to Lille in 1992 driving solo.
Previously had been to Spain Switzerland France and Belgium between 1975 and 1987 in the TD.
All these were unaccompanied trips some of them I drove solo and apart from the odd puncture no problems - all camping by the way..
Just realised its 20 years on and must be time for a repeat - tent in loft so perhaps the 12/50 later on.
All the trips were great fun and after all your Volvo is really a tough old bird so give it a check over and go.
Never fancied the expensive group outings - much more enjoyable solo.
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Jonathan Butler
Alvis SD 12/50 1928 MG TD 1950

[Rick]

[Ashley]

I've organised a few trips for groups of friends and done a few solos, but I'm not keep on camping, so I buy a book of Logis de France on the Ferry and I search the towns I might visit on the Logis website. These are country hotels run by families, they are small, friendly and their food is menu de terroir or local, but they're vetted by the French authorities and guaranteed of a good standard. As long as you stay away from larger cities and popular tourist spots, they're cheap and you don't need to book, so you can just drift around as you please.

Anywhere off the beaten track is lovely in France, it's very expensive these days, but great for a holiday.

LD Lines is a lot cheaper than Britanny Ferries, but only does Portsmouth Le Havre.

[Riley Blue]

I went, with a group of Riley owners, to the Le Mans Classic in my RME and drove it round the circuit too. We'll be going again next year but then I'll be in my '63 One-Point-Five, again with a group of Rileys.

I've always wanted to do the Cape-to-Cape - the very northernmost point in Norway to Gibraltar in a classic and hope I'll manage to do it one day.

[Brian M]

I am off on Monday for my annual continental trip to the European Classic Caravan Rally this year in Germany. In the past ten years I have only missed two and the Amazon and Safari have been to France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden. All driven solo, and I have loved every mile (or should that be kilometre).

Rick, I have a contact in the French Volvo owners club and they email me every year to see if I can make their annual Volvo meeting, but so far it has either clashed with a UK meeting or been too far away. But I hope to make it one year - would you be interested?
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Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
Classic Safari Forum: www.classicsafaris.co.uk

[Rick]

[ukdave2002]

We have had loads of holidays in France and always taken the car, mainly moderns but have been in the Stag.

Kids and touring don't go together ! but you could book a few french camp sites , move around and either camp or book a mobile home, there is lots of info on the web, kids love them and the facilities are fantastic; many have really good restaurant's and loads to keep kids entertained. Our kids used to gauge the quality of a site by the size of the pool slides!

Make the ferry crossing part of the holiday and use Brittany Ferries, they are by far the best.

I've had to use garages in France several times for my self and other we are traveling with..outside of Paris they are generally really friendly and open to "cash" payment.

le faire!

Dave

[D4B]

I am driving my 1961 Peugeot van to France again at the end of the month to attend a vintage classic car show, meeting up with a couple of other owners of this model en route

http://www.locomotion-en-fete.com/

[peter scott]

Only overseas trip in the SS was to Ireland.

Peter.

http://www.jaguardriverforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=214


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[lowdrag]

There seems to be so much angst about driving abroad as if it is different to going to Scotland or Ireland. It just happens that you are on the other side of the road and they speak a different lingo. I am proud to say that my car has seen over 20 countries in the 120,000 miles I've driven her, sometimes solo, sometimes in groups big and large and she has let me down definitively twice, both times a dynamo bush letting go and destroying the commutator; but a problem easily solved with a credit car, a phone call and overnight delivery. Yes, we've needed things like bulbs, in-circuit brake switches, carburettor gaskets, someone always forgets to put the oil cap back on leading to a very messy engine bay, and the most fallible thing today on a Jaguar - the oil pressure sender, but these are easily stored in with the spare wheel.

So go for it Rick; you'll have a ball, you'll enjoy a different culture, the waves from appreciative people, and take some photos to remember the trip by!

[mr911er]

Took a 1962 TR4 across the Alps and Stelvio Pass down to Italy and Croatia a couple of years ago. Well worth the effort

[Ashley]

Here's my Bentley next to a Windows Computer centre I think in Brittany:

[Phil - Nottingham]

We go over to Southern Ireland most years in our P5B's (and once in the Mini Traveller) - this year we will probably go in the P4 for a change.

Eire is so much nicer that England to drive around especially in a classic and the natives are very friendly. Driving in cities like Dublin and Cork is a pleasure compared to even minor cities in the UK
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[richardlw]

Back in 84 I put the family in our little Ford station wagon and left Brazil for a tour through Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Putting it on a ship to cross over from Montevideo to BA.

Just had to have all the documents stamped ahead of time by the different consulates and Automobile club. And here had to be prepared for the "tips" they asked for.

Now I drive from Bolivia to Argentina every year or so.
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