possible first time long distance + wrong side of the road. Tips? Mad?

[Mrklaw]

One of my wife’s favourite pianists is playing in a music festival in Verbier, in the south of Switzerland. I’m curious whether I‘m crazy to think about combining it with a road trip in the M3LR. I’ve never done a massive trip (cornwall or the lake district from Windsor is the furthest) and I’d likely be the only driver. So we’d need to break it up a bit.

Google reckons 12 hours which surprises me as it looks so far away, but that makes me think it’d be doable if I split it across multiple days with hotels in between and made a mini break of it.

Any thoughts/tips (apart from fly)? assume the supercharger network would be plan A for charging, but what about basics like toll roads, how long/miles is recommended in a reasonable day being conservative etc

 

[UkNorthampton]

I've heard Eurotunnel/ferries are VERY expensive at the moment - check first.

Swiss road tax - you used to be able to buy at the border. Needs confirmation. Not sure about French toll roads, too long ago since I travelled, probably all digital or cheaper now, check for EV discounts. RAC/AA should have info.

Post-Brexit changes (some might not have been implemented yet, I forget which), won't apply if you are ALL EU/EEC citizens:-
Check you have enough show money in your account (bank statement, varies by country, some accept seeing credit cards). New UK sticker on car (not GB), green card (insurance, order ahead), any international driving permits (check which one needed for each country). Some border guards might insist on seeing hotel/ferry reservations. Passport start date (ignore expiry) must be return date + 3 months minus 10 years ie 10 May 2022 RETURN > 10 August 2022 validity > 10 August 2012 or later start date. No food from UK (some exceptions, but why risk?). Make sure you get EXIT stamps in passport (no mechanism to get this fixed later - maybe new passport might work)

abetterrouteplanner

Reading to Verbier - ABRP

12.5 hours including 1:21 hours charging
Cost 70 Euros. Plus hundreds for tunnel/ferry

- ABRP I just did Calais>Verbier>Calais to cut down stops. 16.5 hrs driving, 2 hours charging - that's a RETURN trip (more choice of chargers/stops for planning/hotels)

 

[Roy B]

Also, of course, check COVID rules for every country you will pass through (are there any test requirements or forms to fill in, etc?)

 

[pgkevet]

In days of yore we just got in a car and got on with it. I’ve driven 800 miles in a day but that was 35 years ago so your age etc is a huge factor, More importantly if planning on splitting the trip up is why? Are you going to take the opportunity to do some sightseeing en route, staying for several days and having a look around while there or just blasting down another boring motorway with the destination as your only objective. Does cost come into it because channel crossings aren't cheap unless going at ungodly hours and does your OH insist on decent hotels rather than pot-luck finding a cheap room? Factor costs you may not have considered such as 5-10% tyre wear and AA/RAC if you don't have it already. You do have an alpine section and snow hazard so tyres again. The route via Rheims and lake Geneva both beg for a look around if time and money are available. Are the dates suitable to make it more of a trip, perhaps camping in early summer and go further afield afterwards (Nice, Genoa, Florence?) because a straight flight to destination is likely a lot cheaper. Oh, and no-one so far has mentioned checking required safety equipment - hi-viz, lights or flares etc that we didn't bother about in the days when I did such trips and any needed toll requirements.

 

[Sparkeur]

Just go. I drive from Bordeaux to UK and Bordeaux to southern Spain on a regular basis without any problem. Trust in the cars navigation.

 

[DeejUK]

We did Kent to Ålesund in Norway a few years ago, and will do it again this summer. It's about 3,000 miles there-and-back, and we took it at an easy pace and did it in less than three days (two overnight stops). To be fair, the missus did most of the driving as she's used to that side of the road. I've also done Kent to Den Haag in Holland, which was done inside of a day. Neither were particularly troublesome... In retrospect we've discussed driving for longer days on the Norway trip, as we were a bit sick of travelling by the time we got there.

Google reckons 12 hours which surprises me as it looks so far away

Don't forget it'll be a fair bit longer because of charging.

Things I'd suggest, in addition to the great recommendations from others:

Autopilot makes it less mentally fatiguing. I don't recall mental tiredness being a problem at any point. A numb backside is definitely a concern, but at least with Autopilot on you can shift positions more easily.

Supercharger network is great, and for the most part I could rely on the Telsa route planner. Only problem was that on the autobahn it assumed I'd be driving at silly-miles-per-hour, and thought I'd chew through the battery real quick.

Don't over-rely on caffeine. The post-caffeine (mental) crash is a real thing.

 

[delta0]

You get used to driving on the wrong side but just be cautious at junctions and roundabouts that you go the right way and enter on the correct side of the road. Also France does have a few pedestrian crossings immediately before and after roundabouts in places so watch out for those. For motorways I tend to think towards the central reservation is for going faster and overtaking. Going towards the hard shoulder for going slower/not overtaking. Don’t speed in France they are good at catching people, I watch what the local cars are doing and don’t go any faster than them. Also the motorway tolls may not be accessible to the RHD of the car depending on which lane you go in. Usually it is obvious however having a passenger on the other side that is able to take the card and put it in the machine is useful.

 

[WannabeOwner]

One of my wife’s favourite pianists is playing in a music festival in Verbier, in the south of Switzerland. I’m curious whether I‘m crazy to think about combining it with a road trip in the M3LR

We drive to Alps skiing each year - used to do that in Fossil, more recently have done that a couple of times in EV. That trip, from our home to resort, is about 12 hours door-to-door, so similar to yours:

Google reckons 12 hours which surprises me as it looks so far away

Depending on what time in the day you leave we find that the hour time change (lost on the way out, gained on way back) means we normally overnight on way out and do it within one day on way back. Having a restaurant meal, of an evening, means we want to stop in good time and that restricts distance on the way out. Coming back to leave at 7AM-ish and are home by 7PM-ish

When we did it with Fossil we were younger ... we used to just stop to swap driver every 3 hours and press on ... we arrived knackered (but just assumed that was to be expected), Now we are older and have an enforced stop of 20 minutes every 1h30m - 2h30m (car can go just about 2h30m between charges at 130 KPH Autoroute speed, but Superchargers are not exactly spaced for that!) we arrive far more refreshed.

We time an overnight stop (with destination charging available) to arrive at 10% and leave at 100%, and the same with lunch (at a Supercharger) on the way back - a 1-hour stop will get the car to 95%+

A stop at the Chunnel to top up, whilst waiting for the train (if you travel back Flexi then the Lounge has a couple of Supercharger stalls - they are "air side" so easier to judge departure time to catch the train than the ones in Folkestone (and non-Flexi in Calais) which are before Passports etc.

So ... 1 hour stop for lunch (or overnight), and a half-hour at Chunnel, both times when we would be stationary anyway, Needed an additional 3 x20 minute stops, so basically adds an hour charging to a 12 hour journey.

Some details of my trip to ski resort (and earlier in that thread questions / answers prior to departure):

Alps Trip Report

what about basics like toll roads

You can get an RFID windscreen sticker that lets you drive through tolls, but for the once a year we do it we just stop and shove a credit card in - helps if you have a passenger on the left side - otherwise you will have to get out and walk round - that might make the toll sticker more worthwhile.

Thread I found useful on Emergencies in France and there are similar sites with info on requirements for e.g. Switzerland, and there are websites that will sell you a windscreen toll sticker that works for most/all? EU countries (and charge you a fee only in months where you use it)

You might want to get a Schuko adapter for the Tesla Granny Charger (or a Schuko-13AMP adapter). I travel with an extension lead too in case there is a mains socket somewhere nearby the parked car.

You could download the APP (or get an RFID card) for fast chargers in France etc. belt-and-braces.

Trust in the cars navigation.

You could, and it would get you there, but we don't. I plan the trip with ABetterRoutePlanner. Some things I use it for:

Alternative routes - there is a West-ish and East-ish route on the return from Lyon. Restaurant choice etc. influenced which we chose. I don't think I would have found the Calais Flexi-lounge charger without that ...

Where we might stop for a meal - whilst in France I would prefer a restaurant rather than a motorway cafe.

Good restaurant at Macon Supercharger (20 stalls and absolutely nothing else there!)
I've not stopped there, but on my list is the Supercharger at Logis Auberge des Moissons, 51510 Matougues
The restaurant at Aire de Châteauvillain - Orges (North bound) is OK

I also make a spreadsheet of how much ABRP says to charge at each stop, and arrival at next. Also the SOC at various (skipped) Superchargers on the way - if it starts raining and we are close to that level we add a stop there. I'm in a foreign country, I'd prefer not to have the hassle of any snags, so my Prep is more than it would be for similar long distance trip in UK

 

[WannabeOwner]

Copied from another thread - battery percentage from Alps to Home

This is the return journey. Stop for an hour at 12 noon for lunch, and then at 17:00-ish at the Tunnel (waiting for our train anyway). That leaves the other 3 stops which were about 20 minutes each and 1h30m apart. The car would do 2h30m between stops (i.e. motorway range from, say, 80% to 10% at 130 KPH) but the Superchargers are not conveniently placed to allow that in practice.

Slope of the final leg shows that progress in UK traffic (and 70MPH) considerable slower / less "fuel" than France.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Epernay is a nice stop if you like champagne. We’re a few hours from the tunnel in the UK and it was about half way to Bern time wise. Switzerland is a very do-able drive from there in a day through some lovely places.

Superchargers are all very accessible and the comments above all seem good to me.

Have your own European roadside recovery with uk repatriation. It’s relatively cheap but Teslas cover will leave you with a problem if the worst happened.

 

[Sparkeur]

You could, and it would get you there, but we don't. I plan the trip with ABetterRoutePlanner.

I keep hearing that. I've tried planning with both a couple of times. With Tesla now adding waypoints for planning, I don't see much difference. In summer, going to Spain, I go over the Pyrenees (which is shorter) and winter I go via Bayonne. Whichever route I take on either planner, it's always within a few miles and 15 minutes. However, whether I go to the UK or Spain, they are both pretty much straight routes so maybe not very complicated.

 

[Mrklaw]

In days of yore we just got in a car and got on with it. I’ve driven 800 miles in a day but that was 35 years ago so your age etc is a huge factor, More importantly if planning on splitting the trip up is why? Are you going to take the opportunity to do some sightseeing en route, staying for several days and having a look around while there or just blasting down another boring motorway with the destination as your only objective. Does cost come into it because channel crossings aren't cheap unless going at ungodly hours and does your OH insist on decent hotels rather than pot-luck finding a cheap room? Factor costs you may not have considered such as 5-10% tyre wear and AA/RAC if you don't have it already. You do have an alpine section and snow hazard so tyres again. The route via Rheims and lake Geneva both beg for a look around if time and money are available. Are the dates suitable to make it more of a trip, perhaps camping in early summer and go further afield afterwards (Nice, Genoa, Florence?) because a straight flight to destination is likely a lot cheaper. Oh, and no-one so far has mentioned checking required safety equipment - hi-viz, lights or flares etc that we didn't bother about in the days when I did such trips and any needed toll requirements.

mainly breaking up because I'll be the only driver and if I take regular breaks it might take at least one overnight stop? Just spitballing really. And the wife absolutely would require at least an 'ok' hotel which means prescreening not turning up on the off chance

 

[Casss]

In my experience you want to add 15-20 mins per 100mi. to Google's travel time estimate to get anything close to accurate over that distance (on top of charging and breaks of course).

We've done Southampton to Carcassonne in a single 'stint' a few times, albeit not in the Tesla, same with Folkestone to Switzerland, so Folkestone to Verb should be pretty relaxed with charger stops and an overnight.

 

[Sparkeur]

You get used to driving on the wrong side but just be cautious at junctions and roundabouts that you go the right way and enter on the correct side of the road.

I live in France and that's very good advice. However, when on main roads, motorways, driving around town etc, concentration is high. The gotcha for people who normally drive on a different side of the road is when turning out of parking lots, fuel stations, hotels, shopping centres etc., .....straight into the wrong lane ...
Mind you, I've done the same when in the UK

 

[GRiLLA]

Mad? To drive half way across the continent to see a piano player, yes.

 

[Mrklaw]

Mad? To drive half way across the continent to see a piano player, yes.

she bloody loves him though

we could wait until November when he's over here at the southbank, but I thought it might be a nice location too, make a bit of a trip of it.

 

[chemirocha]

I live in France and that's very good advice. However, when on main roads, motorways, driving around town etc, concentration is high. The gotcha for people who normally drive on a different side of the road is when turning out of parking lots, fuel stations, hotels, shopping centres etc., .....straight into the wrong lane ...
Mind you, I've done the same when in the UK

Yep, been there, done that. It's when you're relaxed, 2nd or 3rd day in, and you (not the car) are on autopilot ;-) Quiet country roads can catch you out as well, with no traffic to remind you.

 

[GRiLLA]

she bloody loves him though

we could wait until November when he's over here at the southbank, but I thought it might be a nice location too, make a bit of a trip of it.

It also sounds like an adventure, so full power to you. But that doesn't make it sane.

From what I can see getting to the EuroTunnel from the UK is going to be the hardest part of the journey, be sure to check out what is the current guidance about avoiding the huge tailbacks caused by brexit ferry disruption at Dover.

 

[DeejUK]

avoiding the huge tailbacks caused by brexit ferry disruption at Dover.

I live near the Farage Garage, so I experience this regularly. Check to see whether the M20 is closed to regular traffic, in which case you'll need to go on the A20 and can expect a much slower journey. Sometimes the M20 is closed to cars, sometimes it's not, and this isn't reflected in Tesla satnav, so best check online before you leave.

 

[Buzzliteyear]

I'd be mad enough to do it, get some shopping done at the same time