Taking the Yeti to the Continent

[900000]

The last time the Yeti was on a ship was when it took one of the Highways from Emden days after being built. This time he took a DFDS ferry from Dover to Dunkurque (£45 return!). Made it within 5 minutes of the ship leaving! Oops. We were the last car on and we had just sat down when the ship sailed. Phew. I won't mention the speeds the Yeti did between London and Dover on the early morning empty roads...

Day one saw us driving from Dunkerque to Frankfurt where we did the motor show the next day. (I'll do another thread on that at some point). Was supposed to go see the Atonium in Brussels but my TomTom decided that getting to within a mile from a set waypoint was enough and he sent us around Brussels instead! Grrr. Going back was not an option as there was at least 8 miles of stationary traffic going that way. Oh well. I also learnt the same lesson again that I've learnt in my Audi but have obviously forgotten: Don't mount your TomTom over the sun sensor ahead of the upper dash storage area! Like this:

It completely messes the AC and in the brightest sunshine it feels like a 3 decade old AC sans any gas. I moved it as per the image below and voila TONS of lovely cold air went where it was supposed to! (And please don't laugh at my TomTom 910 please. I know it is old and fat but it works!)

With the clear skies we had an amazing sunset behind us:

(I just love that sunroof!!!)

We camped two nights in Frankfurt at www.city-camp-frankfurt.de in the river Nidda. €32 for two nights (one tent, car and two people). Not bad. The S-Bahn is also only 10 minute walk away and 2 stops from the Messe where the motor show is held.

From Frankfurt we meandered along the Rhine towards The Netherlands and then to The Hague where we stayed with friends.

Ah the dent..... how it bugs me......... Grrr.

We did of course see lots of windmills!

And canals (this one in Delft):

This one in Rijnsburg:

I could of course also not resist heading to Monster to get this picture!

Being in Germany one does try and do an Autobahn but yikes does the Frankfurt/Bonn/Cologne area have tons of criss crossing motorways or what?! You are not on one for 5 miles before you have to get off again. Urgh. It was only at the very end heading to Belgium that a derestricted bit was found. The GPS recorder showed it was at a 1% uphil angle (I kid you not going UP towards the flatness that is called Belgium) with all the windfarm machines pointing away from us indicating a headwind. Pah. So the poor thing never did more than 115 indicated. Oh well. Another time.

But all good things come to an end alas... so on Friday the 30th we had to head back:

The guy behind us had some extreme ways of getting his headlights correct for the UK though!! (Though he explained he lived in France with a UK RHD car and had to change the whole light as he was now moving back to the UK).

But how easy was the Yeti. Go into the Maxidot and just tick the Travel mode box. Job done. The car also kindly flashes the "check your bulbs" icon at you every time you start the car to warn you that you have "flat" headlights. They were still bright enough and I was not flashed once by anyone feeling they were were too high. Brilliant.

It seems 4 out of every 5 fuel stations in this part of the Continnent is a Shell so we had no problem getting the Yeti his favourite tipple. Prices varied from €1,39 at the most to €1,31 being the cheapest somewhere in The Netherlands. Best average was a day of driving giving an average of 43mpg and the average over the 1244 miles was 41mpg. The trip to the ferry on day one gave an average of 28mpg by the way.

[Bobdog]

Nice trip and great pics. Betty's next continental outing is booked for March - down to Val D'Isere. I'll try to compete with your pics!

[domhnall]

Nice trip and great pics. Betty's next continental outing is booked for March - down to Val D'Isere. I'll try to compete with your pics!

nice write up, and jealous of the ferry prices. I took my T4 from Newcastle to Ijmuiden in the Summer and it cost £800 for two adults and a toddler :S

[900000]

nice write up, and jealous of the ferry prices. I took my T4 from Newcastle to Ijmuiden in the Summer and it cost £800 for two adults and a toddler :S

Thanks.

I was amazed at the price too. No matter how I changed it when pricing up, from Tue to Tue or Sat to Sat or even 5 or 9 days the price was £45! All in all it was thus no more costly to go to Frankfurt than to say go to Edinburgh from London. Also remember going the way we did we did not pay a single cent to a French peage as we spent less than 100 miles in total on French soil. And Germany and The Netherlands did not have any tolled roads where we went. We paid for one tunnel and one ferry going over the Zeeland province of The Netherlands.

[telecaster]

Nice story and very good pics, thanks for sharing!

[angrybeard]

A nice trip report and some excellent pic's, I am jealous of the sunroof for the first time.

I love driving abroad, its so much more relaxing than over here, and with a nice new reliable car I will get across again for a trip sometime soon, your adventures have inspired me even more. But not as far as Kiruna and Narvik, or Vienna and Venice for a while!

[Phil-E]

Looks like a nice trip.

I always enjoy driving on the continent.

Shame you didn't get a good run on the Autobahn.

Our recent trip to Germany we got 138 (gps) and did no less than 100 the whole time. With three adults and the boot full managed 44 there and 47 mpg coming back.

Nice MPG on the way to the ferry btw!

[Agerbundsen]

Nice write-up, Johann.

The Frankfurt autobahn system is indeed for advanced navigators.

[Yeti_Man]

Great post Johann, thanks for taking the time to post.

[rockhopper]

Welcome back Johann. Sounds like you had a great time.

[Peter a Proud Yorkshireman]

Great report and pics Johann, sound like an excellent trip.

Blooming cheap crossing!

Used to do regular work trips down to Frankfurt and beyond driving down in my Octy from Rotterdam.

Looking to do a 3 and a bit week trip next June with Wonderwoman in Eurocamp huts (done camping but need a loo handy these days and past stumbling round in dark) presuming she also retires.

Luxembourg,Jungfrau,Garda,Innsbruck and stop off on way back at a Gasthof in Idstein next to autobahn near Frankfurt where I used to stay.

Cheers :beer:

Peter

[900000]

Welcome back Johann. Sounds like you had a great time.

Thanks. We sure did. I've only ever been to Amsterdam before (as you do) and this was my first time touring the land of my forefathers. Wow. What a laid back lovely country. We saw more 70 year olds plus cycle than any other age else as well! All fit as a fiddle too... You have to constantly look out for these bikes as they have right of way to go straight on when you want to turn right but hey ho we did not hit anything or anyone. I can definitely see myself retiring there rather than in the hectic (Americanised) world that is the UK. The independence and fitness the bikes gives older people there looks really liberating. They also just lock the bike to itself and no need for two locks and always having to lock it to something strong like a fence or building. Incredible.

As to the Yeti: not an ache or pain in all the 33 hours sat in the car driving. This is one amazing touring car par excellance. Small enough to park anywhere easily (especially with Park Assist), big enough to take as much with you (or back) as you like, powerful enough for the Autobahns, high enough to see out... the list is endless.

As an aside I used a wonderful iPhone app to highlight modern architecture along the way to see: http://www.mimoa.eu/browse/ Most tourist guides and things-to-do lists only show you old castles and churches. This shows you modern things from museums, offices, kiosks, bars to private houses and more. The iPhone app obviously will also give you directions to them. Neat.

[rockhopper]

Thanks. We sure did. I've only ever been to Amsterdam before (as you do) and this was my first time touring the land of my forefathers. Wow. What a laid back lovely country. We saw more 70 year olds plus cycle than any other age else as well! All fit as a fiddle too... You have to constantly look out for these bikes as they have right of way to go straight on when you want to turn right but hey ho we did not hit anything or anyone. I can definitely see myself retiring there rather than in the hectic (Americanised) world that is the UK. The independence and fitness the bikes gives older people there looks really liberating. They also just lock the bike to itself and no need for two locks and always having to lock it to something strong like a fence or building. Incredible.

I cycled over there a few years ago with swmbo on a tandem, and the experience was brilliant. They really respect bicycles. In fact, it is only the UK that doesn't......which seems odd as we have some, but not all, of the most talented cyclists, in the UK - Team GB (horrible name) at the Olympics for the last few years and the current world champion, Mr Cavendish.

[CFB]

Looks like you had a good trip Johann.

Funny you mention about the tom-tom and the sensor in front of the dash box.

I discovered the same this week but it took a while to figure it out.

I now have my Zumo in exactly the same place and all is well with the world again.

It even works as hands free for my phone from there although selecting a number to dial is a pain.

For the amount I use it I can live with it though.

[servicepoint]

Great pictures Johann, looked a great trip.

On the subject of pictures, you posted some excellent ones a while back of your car beside other cars to give a size comparison, are these still online?

[900000]

Great pictures Johann, looked a great trip.

On the subject of pictures, you posted some excellent ones a while back of your car beside other cars to give a size comparison, are these still online?

It was a great trip and I wish I was still there!!!

I've made a special thread for you with even more pics. Click here. Hope it helps?

[servicepoint]

Driving trips like this have never really been my thing..... but seeing your pictures and your SM my head is turned. When I think of the cars I've had and spent a fortune on and for some reason or other no trips overseas. Well my SM can't come quick enough, I've even thought about a roof boxy thing!!!! ( never ever thought I'd see the day ).

Def no caravan though!

[rockhopper]

Def no caravan though!

They will change your mind.....

We borrowed my parents van for the first time and we actually enjoyed it! The Yeti towed well. Not sure I would buy one though....

[yellowyeller]

Mrs YY has been whining for a while about the lack of a sunroof in our SM and now she has seen your pictures Johann, things have gone from bad to worse.

Thanks a million.

[900000]

Driving trips like this have never really been my thing..... but seeing your pictures and your SM my head is turned. When I think of the cars I've had and spent a fortune on and for some reason or other no trips overseas. Well my SM can't come quick enough, I've even thought about a roof boxy thing!!!! ( never ever thought I'd see the day ).

Def no caravan though!

I was not the first to do a post like this. FocusZtec has done a few as well on his trips abroad. They are very liberating things. And doing them from the comfort of your own car makes them all the more memorable. You also bond with the car better. Just pick your dates carefully so you don't spend a fortune on the ferry and the costs will be no more than an amble to Wales or Scotland (from London).

Mrs YY has been whining for a while about the lack of a sunroof in our SM and now she has seen your pictures Johann, things have gone from bad to worse.

Thanks a million.

Oops... better NOT let Mrs YY click here then. Nope never EVER let her click HERE. :giggle: