Ok, I know this is mainly about taking goods (truck / van etc) through Europe, but I’m a trucker in the UK and I’m planning a trip with my car / caravan over to Bulgaria in a few weeks time, and would appreciate as much help / advice as I can get off those who’ve done the trip before…
My route is currently planned as UK, France (briefly), Belgium, Germany (stopping at Effelsburg to see big daft telescope and maybe Dresden), Austria, Hungary, Serbia and into Bulgaria…
I’ve been advised not to use Romania, told insurance won’t cover me and also it’s likely my caravan (and possibly my car, clothes etc) would be taken from me…
Any ideas of costs would also be great.
Returning I won’t have caravan on the back (if it even makes it there) and will be wanting to come back via south of france to see Milau bridge, so either over the top of Italy, or into Greece, ferry into Italy, then up.
There are 28 camping and caravan sites listed on there, but be warned. Romania is rife with petty theft, corruption and horribly nasty folks who will steal anything you leave lying around. I have driven through it a dozen or so times and never lost anything but sweat, but it means keeping your wits about you, there are people who will insure you but it may be expensive.
The caravan club do a guide for Romania, so you need to find someone who is a member. Anywhere in Eastern Europe you will have to be as vigilant as you would in any big city in the UK. The advice used to be not to drive at night, I am not sure whether that has changed since the late 90’s
Don’t have nightmares, but have you considered Serbia, it is a bit more user friendly.
Go on Wayne be a devil Wheelnut is righht about most things in the 90s but i have never stopped over and preffer driving through at night (less traffic exept trucks) but if you do stop for a break . choose a well lit Mc Donnalds there are a few over there now or a 24 hr garage as most now have a security gaurd on duty at night . Dont sleep anywere in the van while in romania exept a good recomended site as some bandits out there are using the gas to disable tourist while they sleep before robbing the van .
The road to Bulgaria has mostly been resurfaced now i think dont forget when you get vinnette you will have to get car and trailer one i think ( but not 100%shure) .
Also if your are leaving the van over there check if its best to register it out there poss in your company name along with the house or you may find a problem at the border when you try to leave the country without the van . Dont forget to take the wheels off it before you return to uk and use a bloody good hitch lock ( or remove the hitch )as well as chaining it to a post or it may not be there when you go back . ive seen roma people living in wrecked cars out there so a caravan would be like a castle .
Both Romania and Serbia have good and bad points so realy its the toss of a coin the only good thing is Romania are now in Europe should you get in any trouble .
Best of luck mate as if its your first time by road it will be the adventure of a life time and keep your camera handy .
just one more thought the insurance scam thing was rife out there between Hungary and Bulgaria the one where the stop sudenly in front of you for no reason you hit them from behind and they always have a witness normaly suited up in another car following behind . ive had this tried on me lucky for me i managed to stop in time and they shot off … But this alo happens in UK now eh lol …in fact some places out there are safer than the UK .
enjoy every mile all 2000 of them as i do
Roy
I have heard of some tricks that robbers may try,one was to flag you down,to point out that something was on fire,they stop and walk to the back of the vehicle,while the accomplice is helping himself to the vehicle contents,then speed off.
Simon:
[quote="waynedl"Thanks again and any specifics would be great, tolls, vignette buying places, any paperwork that needs carrying etc…
Wayne
Euro Drivers Info Point is truck orientated, but there should be plenty of useful info there.
[/quote]
I did have a browse through there Simon, but, as you said, a bit truck specific, was more interested in if people had done it in car / caravan, but I did read the van bits.
My tomtom truck will certainly help, it loves Europe and tends to stick to TIR routes unless I deviate off them - which I think I will
if you are going to drive down to bulg don’t go through romania its a nightmare in a car, you will need to sort out a green card with your insurance company to go through serbia(they don’t reconise english insurance) but it will be worth it, there wont be any stress, and good roads which is more than can be said for romania, we went down through romania but paid and extra £100 just to get a green card on the day to come back through serbia. min i could get on the day but valide for 1 month. if you never been to bulgaria its worth the visit great country. hope this helps
forgot to say when you travel back from bulg be careful what you try and bring back ■■■ and drink wise through serbia its not and e.u country so very limited on what you can carry. dont forget all the stuff for the car, got to carry fire extingisher and first aid kit in bulg plod can fine you if not. need local tax as well but its cheap not to sure if you have to pay extra for caravan!!
To Waynedl,i would recomend a visit to Hitlers castle,he did not like it,as he had vertigo,nearby,he had a house,where a secret plot by the brits to kill him,as he walked his dogs near a forest,there was a blind spot for a sniper,and the guards had no cover on him. In Austria,there is a salt mine to visit,take a train down to the deep pits.Also there is a glacier that is worth a visit too,Salsburg,a bit touristy with the sound of music tours,and nearby the base of the red bull energy drink empire in the alps. Waidring in the Tyroll valley,picturesque walks by rivers,and a good hotel for meals cooked with cream and veal. If you do make Millau,visit the town,it has spas.The viaduct is amazing to cross,that area is known for old volcanoes.
Can you make the ■■■■ camps of Natzweiller and Auswitch,the birds do not sing there,they can sense the blood and death in the soil and do not fly there,finger nails can be seen in the walls,of jews trying to escape,they were told to have a shower,then gassed,the lungs filled with blood to drown a slow death.
Its a bloody long way round, Salzburg to Auschwitz
I have read that the reason there are no birds in the death camps is the amount of lime that was spread over the mass graves and it killed any vegetation that grubs and insects eat, it is an interesting idea.
Wow Toby you are well traveled but what about castle valahla Regensbourg on the Danube Germany but the 350 steps up to it are a bit of a put off eh .
Wayne as far as cost i cant remember the exact prices of vignette ect only that Austria was the most expencive but Hungary /Romania/ and as you know Bulgaria was peanuts realy . but i did slip up when i brought our Kia back to uk on BG plates as i should have taxed it over there first as the UK accept there tax for 12 month . and it would have cost me 67 lev about £28 them days as it was it spent 6 month locked in my garage here .but going via Dunqirk / Begium ect saves a lot on tolls . there is a great sevices at Badcambourg just before Frankfurt with a motel that cost us 60 euro for a double room .
Like peteandbrenda say be a bit carful with the cigs and bottles at any of the borders Romania or Serbia as they dont like you bringing more than 200 ■■■■ each out even now .
I had a frightener comming through ruse as my nieghbour Ivan had given me some chei he called it .(Bulgarian tea) and we got stopped for a car search at the Romanian Border it was wrapped in Newspaper (as they do) looking more like pot than tea and after opening our dirty washing bag and being attaced by my dirty grundies and socks the nice young very pritty lady customs officer proceded to open the tea wrapped in newspaper ( tea i said chie tea tea ) as the wind blew the lot all over her very smart uniform
well as her male colleagues fell about laughing she just gave me a dirty look and said in a loud voice ok GO GO .
peteandbrenda:
if you are going to drive down to bulg don’t go through romania its a nightmare in a car, you will need to sort out a green card with your insurance company to go through serbia(they don’t reconise english insurance) but it will be worth it, there wont be any stress, and good roads which is more than can be said for romania, we went down through romania but paid and extra £100 just to get a green card on the day to come back through serbia. min i could get on the day but valide for 1 month. if you never been to bulgaria its worth the visit great country. hope this helps
Been a few times, just this will be my 1st time driving over there and 1st time taking a caravan.
Drove over there loads of times and LOTS of miles, but always in Bulgarian cars (1 vaux astra, 1 Lada Niva (a few times) and 1 Kia)
peteandbrenda:
forgot to say when you travel back from bulg be careful what you try and bring back ■■■ and drink wise through serbia its not and e.u country so very limited on what you can carry. dont forget all the stuff for the car, got to carry fire extingisher and first aid kit in bulg plod can fine you if not. need local tax as well but its cheap not to sure if you have to pay extra for caravan!!
Don’t smoke anyway, so not a prob, like my Zagorka though and missus likes Rakiya.
Already got all the usual for the car, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, hi vis vests, bulbs + fuses, ultra seal in caravan tyres and anti-snake bar…
Trying to do as much preperation as possible, but because it’s so new, it just feels like I’m not even slightly prepared.
YAMBOL57:
Wow Toby you are well traveled but what about castle valahla Regensbourg on the Danube Germany but the 350 steps up to it are a bit of a put off eh . .
That sounds nice, and I did the Belfry tower in Bruges in December, that’s 366 steps, felt like a lot more though I can tell you
Hello again Wayne
do you have an agent over there who looks after your House as they will know more re the probs with leaving a caravan over there im almost shore that they can turn you round at the border if you try and leave without it mate . i read some where that if your car breaks down ect you have to remove it from the country one way or the other and i do know that you can keep a uk car over there for 12 month most people spend a day in Greece or Turky to get there passport /papers stamped ect then they are ok for another 12 month …
Although i sold my old merc van out there about 3 yrs ago and came home in a BG reg kia then regestered it in the buyers name once back in uk but he was a brit … so he did all the inport paperwork eventualy .
Its a tricky one mate thats for shure there is a place just about 2 k outside yambol on the road to Elhovo
that sells a few uk reg cars and caravans . …if it works for you let me know as ive thought about setting up a camp/caravan park on my land over there …a couple of mobile vans set in concrete though eh lol
as its a good hunting area…
YAMBOL57:
Hello again Wayne
do you have an agent over there who looks after your House as they will know more re the probs with leaving a caravan over there im almost shore that they can turn you round at the border if you try and leave without it mate . i read some where that if your car breaks down ect you have to remove it from the country one way or the other and i do know that you can keep a uk car over there for 12 month most people spend a day in Greece or Turky to get there passport /papers stamped ect then they are ok for another 12 month …
Although i sold my old merc van out there about 3 yrs ago and came home in a BG reg kia then regestered it in the buyers name once back in uk but he was a brit … so he did all the inport paperwork eventualy .
Its a tricky one mate thats for shure there is a place just about 2 k outside yambol on the road to Elhovo
that sells a few uk reg cars and caravans . …if it works for you let me know as ive thought about setting up a camp/caravan park on my land over there …a couple of mobile vans set in concrete though eh lol
as its a good hunting area…
Yeah, we’re concreting ours down and taking axle and tow frame off too
Go on Wayne be a devil Wheelnut is righht about most things in the 90s but i have never stopped over and preffer driving through at night (less traffic exept trucks) but if you do stop for a break . choose a well lit Mc Donnalds there are a few over there now or a 24 hr garage as most now have a security gaurd on duty at night . Dont sleep anywere in the van while in romania exept a good recomended site as some bandits out there are using the gas to disable tourist while they sleep before robbing the van .
and said in a loud voice ok GO GO .