Drive to germany

2Shae

Climate Expert wrote: »

For the savings I wouldn't say its worth it. What i did was get the 11am swift ferry and then headed straight to Dover. Got near there about 7pm and stayed in a nice little town. Got my ferry in the morning at 10 and was in Germany in 3 hours. Fairly relaxing with not too much driving in one day. I much prefer driving myself than sitting around anway.

how come you got the ferry instead of the eurotrain?

peasant

Mod announcment

Thread cleaned up, several ueseless bickering and trollish posts deleted.

now discuss this mannerly

Pete4779

peasant wrote: »

To drive a German registered car you need the Fahrzeugschein (which is a smaller copy of the Fahrzeugbrief) at all times.

As this is nothing like the VLC (contains a lot more info) I wouldn't bother bringing the original (and risk losing it) ...a copy will do.

I think his car is Irish registered though. The reason I mentioned the FZB is because I was asked for it as a proof of ownership/title when I was stopped by the police, in Germany. If you don't have it, they will simply check the VIN on the car to see if it is reported stolen and check your driving license and passport against Frontex, again, as far as my experience taught me after 25 mins on the side of an autobahn, having been travelling under the 130kph limit, no breathlyser, etc., it was a check for stolen vehicles.

Easiest solution: carry the VLC. It is proof of ownership and has that translated into a few different langauges on the front.

Bringing a copy of the VLC is only so that you've got "something to show" just in case, as German police are accustomed to getting handed all sorts of paperwork in case of a routine inspection. Your VLC has no real legal standing in Germany...why bring the original?

It's not "something to show" - it's the proof that you own the car. Likewise, if you get a V5 after buying a car from the UK, it's not just "something to show".

peasant

Pete4779 wrote: »

Easiest solution: carry the VLC. It is proof of ownership and has that translated into a few different langauges on the front.

It's not "something to show" - it's the proof that you own the car. Likewise, if you get a V5 after buying a car from the UK, it's not just "something to show".

You are, of course, correct. However ...in 15 years of daily driving on German roads I have never encountered a stolen vehicle check. You were very unfortunate there. In any other scenario a copy will do just fine ...especially as the OP isn't the owner of the vehicle anyway (if I remember correctly). That's why I mentioned the written authorisation from the owner earlier.

2Shae

So is there anything else i should know about driving in the mainland? i hope to have a german friend come along with me for the trip. So i should be ok when it comes to cops etc. i have a little french, but not much.
Its going to be a long mostly sober 2 weeks lol.

craichoe

2Shae wrote: »

So is there anything else i should know about driving in the mainland? i hope to have a german friend come along with me for the trip. So i should be ok when it comes to cops etc. i have a little french, but not much.
Its going to be a long mostly sober 2 weeks lol.

Every cop i've spoken to in Northern France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Northern germany all speak english.

2Shae

ok, little bit of a change of topic.
What should i go see while im on mainland europe?
fun and cool things please

peasant

2Shae wrote: »

ok, little bit of a change of topic.
What should i go see while im on mainland europe?
fun and cool things please

'tis a big place that, mainland Europe, even Germany for that matter.
Can you narrow down the area a little?

2Shae

well along my route to and from germany it would be nice to have something to do to strech my legs and have a bit of fun. i intend to go ravensburg to meet my friend. No plans after that.

peasant

Well ...if you're coming from Calais going towards southern Germany, you'll be driving right past the Nuerburgring for starters (and Hockenheim, but that's not open to the public)

craichoe

Actually .. just thought of this (I'm driving to Dusseldorf tomorrow) If your in Bavaria, Winter Tyres are a requirement. If you get stopped and you have alloys the German police look for a document stating you have winter tyres to fit the alloys (Dutch colleague of mine was stopped last month, she had winter tyres but on alloy rims)

If you just have steel rims you never get asked apparently.

Nordrhein Westphalia is different, its not a requirement, but if you have an accident your automatically in the wrong.

2Shae

peasant wrote: »

Well ...if you're coming from Calais going towards southern Germany, you'll be driving right past the Nuerburgring for starters (and Hockenheim, but that's not open to the public)

Can you rent a car at the nuerburgring? cos i wont be insured to drive on that!, plus i wouldn't like to deal with insurance company about a crash like that.

craichoe wrote: »

Actually .. just thought of this (I'm driving to Dusseldorf tomorrow) If your in Bavaria, Winter Tyres are a requirement. If you get stopped and you have alloys the German police look for a document stating you have winter tyres to fit the alloys (Dutch colleague of mine was stopped last month, she had winter tyres but on alloy rims)

If you just have steel rims you never get asked apparently.

Nordrhein Westphalia is different, its not a requirement, but if you have an accident your automatically in the wrong.

Im going in june/july :-)

peasant

2Shae wrote: »

Can you rent a car at the nuerburgring?

Do a search, there have been several threads on this


EDIT:

somewhat cheaper, but pretty cool too.

Technik museum Sinsheim/Speyer, also along your route
http://www.technik-museum.de/museum_sinsheim_english.html

or the Mercedes Benz museum
http://www.museum-mercedes-benz.com/?lang=en

mick.fr

Davidth88 wrote: »

DON'T speed in France it's an on-the spot fine and they will march you to an ATM .

Rofl where did you see that, in a cartoon?
lol

Alun

mick.fr wrote: »

Rofl where did you see that, in a cartoon?
lol

They certainly do it in Belgium ... I know that for an absolute 100% fact, but only for foreign reg cars.

craichoe

mick.fr wrote: »

Rofl where did you see that, in a cartoon?
lol

Same in Holland, the phrase:
Went like this:

"Are you registered here"
me: no
"Ok, you go to Geldautomaat to get cash or we take your car until you pay"

Alun

craichoe wrote: »

"Ok, you go to Geldautomaat to get cash or we take your car until you pay"

In Belgium I was actually escorted off the motorway by the cops (in unmarked BMW) to the (very conveniently placed!) bank and ATM and took the money out and handed it straight to them (this was in the pre-Euro days and I didn't have any Belgian francs on me). They seemed to have a convenient little loop between two motorway exits with a bank in between, and just went round in circles all day nabbing furriners. Wouldn't have entirely surprised me if some of that cash didn't end up somewhere other than the Belgian state coffers either.

What pissed me off the most is that they picked me (in Dutch registered car) out of a group of at least 10 Belgian cars all doing exactly the same speed

craichoe

Alun wrote: »

In Belgium I was actually escorted off the motorway by the cops (in unmarked BMW) to the (very conveniently placed!) bank and ATM and took the money out and handed it straight to them (this was in the pre-Euro days and I didn't have any Belgian francs on me). They seemed to have a convenient little loop between two motorway exits with a bank in between, and just went round in circles all day nabbing furriners. Wouldn't have entirely surprised me if some of that cash didn't end up somewhere other than the Belgian state coffers either.

What pissed me off the most is that they picked me (in Dutch registered car) out of a group of at least 10 Belgian cars all doing exactly the same speed

their not too keen on the Dutch
I've seen Dutch cars being picked off at checkpoints over Belgian ones.

I had the same experience with the dutch cops, when i asked for a receipt they got a bit pissy, I was getting my back up because it didnt say how much the fine was on the ticket. So she wrote €80 Betaald on the back and signed it.