There are many different ways to travel from England across Europe; by plane, by train and by boat. However, one of the least explored options, for good reason, is to travel to Europe by car. I am currently staying in Vibo Valentia on the south coast of Italy. To get here by plane would have taken me 4 hours. By train it’d have probably taken me a day and a half. However, I chose to drive all the way from South East England to South West Italy.
Why on earth would I do this?
For practical reasons: When moving to Europe, by train or plane, you can only take a couple of suitcases with you. Whereas my Ford Focus served as a small removal van, allowing me to take loads of my treasured possessions with me.
Why else?
For the adventure, of course! When I left my hometown of Bracknell, I travelled through England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. I heard French, German, Flemish and Italian and got to use 3 different currencies as well! (pounds, euros and Swiss francs). Geographically, it is fascinating to see Europe unfold before you. On just one day you can drive 100 miles an hour on the Autobahn across the beautiful farm lands of Germany through the spectacular Alps, with their majestic snow-capped mountains.
On top of this, a Euro road trip allows you to visit places and sample things that you usually wouldn’t. For example because I wasn’t confined by a flight I had to catch, I could stay in places for as long as I wanted. When stopping in Bruges in the early afternoon, I was only planning to stay for 2 hours but instead I booked into a hotel and stayed till the next morning. I just fell in love with Bruges! In Luxembourg, I had a hot chocolate which consisted of a cup of steamed milk and a wooden spoon buried in a block of flavoured chocolate. The idea was to stir the chocolate spoon in the milk. I could have had wasabi flavoured chocolate however, I opted for a rather more conservative honey comb! In Switzerland, I took a boat ride on Lake Lucerne; one of the most beautiful lakes I had ever seen.
Was it worth it?
Definitely! Find a loved one who’s willing to do it with you and it will, genuinely, be one of the most exciting and exhilarating things you ever do!
Have you ever been on a long road trip?
