 Poster: A snowHead
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I have to do this in the next few days, used to do it a lot, but not for a while. I used to go MUC, Karlsruhe, Pirmaasens, Lux, Belgium (the "middle route") etc, but was wondering if anyone has done it very recently and can please report how bad the roadworks are these days? I will probably be on the A8 on Sunday. I have plenty of time, just dont want to sit in a jam. Now I think of it, and as I have the time, is there any clever way to cut across west and avoid the uncomfortable motorway in Belgium? Thanks for any input.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Pili, last did exactly that route in August, have used it for many years as it usually works out well and the petrol is cheap(er) in Luxembourg. The only roadworks I am aware of is the everlasting one at Pforzheim between Stuttgart & Karlsruhe. If you really object to Belgium then you could go via Metz from Saarbrücken but then you pay the peage and avoid the delights of Luxembourg, Belgian motorways are OK been a fair bit of repair work in recent years.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I do metz and pay peage. Saves maybe half an hour but it's a much more relaxing journey
A8 is still shite
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Drive at night.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I know it costs more, but I have for a while now much prefered going through Switzerland to Basel then up through France using the peage. So much less stressful.
Those German autobahns in a 1.6l are hectic. Luxembourg petrol is about the same as austrian these days. That Belgian ring road feels like the M25. Not many lampposts on the German autobahns.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think most of the long sections of roadworks between the major conurbations on the A8 are finished now? Especially that 35km long one with a tease of a few km of open autobahn before another road work section.
Ulm I think is finished. The bit around Pforzheim is probably chaos, but then it always was with no roadworks. Vaguely recall something by Stuttgart Airport (the S21 new station/rail line?).
I don't recall any real issues between Ulm and A5 last time I went via Austria. From A5 I'm going N to Frankfurt, so no clue what it's like going west from there.
I guess the next phase in A8 carnage will be the replacement for the bits around Drackenstein? Don't know what the timescale for that is.
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Had no problems on the “middle route” a month or so ago. From Luxembourg we headed north on the A4 towards Namur then westwards on the E42 via Charleroi, Mons and Lille.
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@Pili, keep us up to date with how it goes. We're making the same journey in separate vehicles a week apart in a month's time.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Pili, Did it early September and A8 fine, set off early and beat the crowds, also not too many LKW's on the road mostly parked up on Sunday. We go north from Karlsruhe up the Rhine rather than west into Lux etc, prefer that route, avoiding Belgium and its southern route (potholes) and Brussels (wacky races).
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 19-10-23 14:42; edited 1 time in total
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thanks everyone. Current plan is a slowish start up through the lakes past the Achensee to avoid MUC and join the A8 a bit west. I will try the vaguely standard middle route from there, LUx etc, and if crossing from Calais yes cutting off before the Brussels ring road (Charleroi route) is much better. Def only do the ring road in the dead of night. To add a change I am crossing this time back from Dieppe so will cut across before. I agree about the Swiss route, and came down that way last month to visit someone on the way. I did get stuck in some road works near Basel, a good hour, which was a bore, but otherwise it was fine. Petrol prices from recollection, highest to lowest, were, France (esp autoroute of course), Switz, Germany, Austria, UK. Strangely, I reckon supermarket prices are also close to this order, save Germany is cheapest.... Will report back, assuming I make it, next week.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Pili, use the Autohof's in Germany not the motorway services, much cheaper, also cheap fuel in Ulm not far off A8 if you need it. Also don't forget to lower the pressures in your tyres for the ploughed field through Belgium that masquerades as a motorway past Charleroi.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Definitely shop around for fuel prices. I've seen everything from expensive to extortion. Plus in Germany at least, they rack up the prices for (long) weekends.
eg my local one seems to be about 1.94/l (for Super+), was 2.06 for a few days for the weekend/week of 3rd Oct (cos it's a holiday), and instantly went back down to 1.94.
On the Autobahn on my last trip it varied between 2.35 and 2.54/l when I checked the prices! Drive into any town and it'll be normal prices.
But if going from Austria, then brimming the tank there should get you past Germany, regardless of which route you take anyway. But could be useful info for anyone going the other way.
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@andy, In mid August/ September we paid 1.65-1.68/l at the Autohof's and motorway services were 2.35/ 2.45+ for diesel. Even more in Holland. France cheapest in the towns we found, Austria 1.52/l in town (Dornbirn).
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You know it makes sense.
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@andy, what's the diesel price like?
Currently paying about 1.68/L if we fill up in Innsbruck, 10-15c/L more to fill up in the Zillertal.
This thread has made think, as I'm heading to the inlaws who are between Worksop and Sheffield, maybe I should look in to a ferry crossing to the east coast somewhere, rather than the usual LeShuttle crossing.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@swskier, P&O Rotterdam to Hull - the fuel you save and hotel on route pays for your overnight on the ferry. Great service we always use it now for Alps trips. We went Eurotunnel for a long weekend ti Champagne early October 2 hour delay outgoing, 1.5 hour on return, awful queues at U.K. border control in France, communication terrible regards delays….and a nightmare on return Dartford M25, M11, A1….it’ll be a while before I use it again.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Markymark29, just had a look £200+ more expensive one way, and hotel costs would be nothing as its a van with a bed in the back. Think that makes that decision, Le Shuttle it is.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@swskier, Add in the £60-70 extra-over fuel and the hassle factor around M25 and faff at customs and it's getting near.....personally i'd rather pay an extra £120+ (and do) to avoid all that messing about, and have a decent clean cabin/ meal and a beer etc, plus driving to Rotterdam is far easier than the last 150 miles through Belgium and France ime. Plus cheap duty free gin on the ferry  have a good trip.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Update - got back safely, but the A8 is same as it ever was. Sunday late morning. After a nice colourful drive through the lakes, I joined the autobahn near Augsburg. There was not much traffic. Soon after there were 2 lots of contra-flow, each about 2 miles long. Then 2 Staus, 1 at the Hang, one at Stuttgart airport. The works near Pforzheim are ongoing, and the services are grim. It was all just slightly annoying on a fairly quiet late October Sunday, but I would not fancy it at a busier time. I then decided to go though France, crossing the Rhine at Baden Baden, then off motorway through Alsace and continued off motorway eventually to Dieppe. I was in no rush and the various RN type roads are very good on the whole.
Petrol prices in non-rip off places for Ron 95 were euros c1.75 in Austria, 1.85-95 in France and Germany. Diesel v similar at the moment.
Do not think "let's stop at Luneville and see what it is like" - it is horrible. If you arrive a few hours early at Dieppe park up at the front, I got a nice hot takeaway meal from a traiteur just up the high street opposite Monoprix and ate it in the car, before a decent quiet nap. I thought it might be a dogging site, but if it was nobody bothered me.
Quite a good drive for me to be fair , but not much to be learned perhaps for those in more of a hurry. Next time I am going to look for a non-autobahn route from near Strasbourg to Jenbach. That will probably be windy single carriageway with RVs. If I were my younger, stronger, richer self with school holiday restrictions, I would still be driving A8, Rhine at Baden Baden, motorway and doofer to Calais, in an S6 estate (or similar), no non-essential stops, at the dead of night. To save maybe £75 on tolls and petrol, I would go the middle route. Then to save £££ I would buy an older "or similar" car. Then I would get a Skoda (or similar), and then I would sacrifice the children and drive slowly wherever.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Pili, told you the A8 is still shite 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Pili, there’s your error, late morning. Need to be at Ulm 8am latest and keep moving, off early as mentioned above.
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