DebconfTravel2011/Roadtrip - the.earth's UK Tech wiki

1. Road trip

Sledge: I'm thinking of organising a road trip for travelling to Banja Luka in July for Debconf 11. If you're interested in joining me, please add yourself below. The details so far are:

See http://j.mp/hxMx3g for the route planner I'm using

All times approximate and in local time

1.1. Trip out: dash down through France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina !

Friday 2011-07-22

~04:00 Leave Cambridge and drive to Dover
06:00 Ferry from Dover to Calais, landing ~8:30
08:30 Drive across France, Belgium, Netherlands, enter Germany.
12:30 Stop somewhere around Cologne for lunch
13:30 Continue south and east, cross into Austria
20:00 Stop in Graz for the night, staying at Mercure Graz City; GBP 55.39 per room for the night, hotel booked

Saturday 2011-07-23

11:00 Leave Graz, head into Slovenia then Croatia
14:00 Stop somewhere around Zagreb for lunch
18:00 Head on to Bosnia, get to Banja Luka (depends on time spent for lunch etc.)

1.2. Debconf!

1.3. Trip back: reverse route

Sunday 2011-07-31

06:00 Leave Banja Luka early morning. Head back through Bosnia, Croatia, Austria, Germany
13:00 Stop somewhere near Regensburg for lunch
14:00 Head on through Germany
19:00 Stop in Luxembourg for the night, staying at Mercure Kikuoka Golf Club; GBP 52.47 per room for the night, hotel booked

Monday 2011-08-01

10:00 Leave Luxembourg, cross Belgium and France.
14:00 Catch Ferry from Calais to Dover
14:30 Head back from Dover
16:30 Arrive in Cambridge and sleep

Sledge: I'm expecting fuel costs of ~GBP 400 for the trip, plus tolls etc. for maybe ~GBP 100; ferries cost ~GBP 100 for a car including 4 passengers. And there are 2 overnight hotel stops: 1 out and 1 back. Assuming reasonable prices for sharing hotel rooms, I'm estimating a cost per person of *roughly* GBP 300 to GBP 350 per person for the travel. It'll probably be more expensive than the train or plane options, but it includes more sight-seeing across Europe plus the flexibility to do stuff while we're down there. I'm in for the road trip, and Jo says she is too.

Sledge: Update 2011-04-27: Ferries booked with Norfolkline for 3 cars.

Sledge: Update 2011-04-28: Hotel rooms booked: 4 double/twin rooms for 8 people in total

Insurance will be interesting: most UK insurers won't cover Bosnia, it seems. However, there are apparently insurance brokers at the border crossings from Croatia.

Note that in a couple of countries along the route, it is illegal to carry a radar detector. Additionally, it's indicated that you should carry the V5C. In Bosnia, you also need a tow rope.

Germany has special requirements in some cities for emission standards (http://www.tuev-sued.de/car_vehicles/services/emissions_stickers_from_tuev_sued); Austria has a requirement for a special sticker if using the motorways. In Belgium, they sometimes ban cruise control in congestion.

This gives the following table. Where things are Recommended, that's because they're required for country registered vehicles, but not for foreign ones, but it may make things easier if you carry them.

DRL = Daytime running lights (dipped headlights during the day)
IDP = International Driving Permit
Camera disabled = You can have GPS, but you must disable the speed camera POI. Or you're not allowed to take it.

Lots of the raw info came from http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/atoz.html.

Country	Warning Triangle	Reflective Jacket(0)	First aid kit	Fire extinguisher	Beam benders	Bulbs	GB Sticker	IDP	GPS	DRL	Green card
France	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	When parked	No	No
Belgium	Yes	Yes	Rec.	Rec.	Yes	No	Yes	No	Ok	No	No
Netherlands	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Ok	No	No
Germany	Rec.	No	Rec.	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Cameras disabled	No	No
Austria	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Ok	No	No
Slovenia	Yes	Yes	Rec.	Rec.	Yes	Rec.	Yes	Rec.	Ok	Yes	No
Croatia	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Rec.	Ok	No	Rec.
Bosnia-Herzegovina	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Rec.	Cameras disabled	Yes	Yes
Luxembourg	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Ok	No	No
Whole trip	Yes	Yes	Yes	Rec.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Rec. (1)	Ok	Sometimes	Yes
Country	Warning Triangle	Reflective Jacket(0)	First aid kit	Fire extinguisher	Beam benders	Bulbs	GB Sticker	IDP	GPS	DRL	Green card

Notes:
(0) Must be in the car, not the boot in some countries. One per vehicle is fine.
(1) compulsory if you don't have a photocard, and recommended if you do

DanielSilverstone estimated per-person for his car at approx 200+hotels/food so slightly cheaper than Sledge's due to slightly newer engine and slightly less leaden foot. Flights looked to be around 250/person excl. local travel at either end, or other incurred expenses. A more reasoned calculation by Daniel reached the all-in cost of roughly 300 GBP/person assuming 4-up in Daniel's car, but starting from Manchester and using Eurotunnel, thusly different fuel and channel-crossing costs.

1.4. Interested people

I'm wanting to book by the middle of April, so don't take too long.

Confirmed	Name	Nick	DD?	Location	Willing and able to drive?	Car available?
Car 1:
Y	ChrisButler	crispy	Yes	Sheffield	Yes	BMW 3-series saloon, space for 3-4 depending on luggage
Y	SteveMcIntyre	Sledge	Yes	Cambridge	Yes	ple
Y	JoWarner	Randombird	No	Cambridge	Yes	with Sledge
Y	JaviMerino	cibervicho	No	Cambridge	Yes	No
Car 2:
Y	AndySimpkins	Rattusrattus	No	Southampton	Yes	BMW 3-series estate, space for 4 people
Y	DavidLeggett	Serbitar	No	Southampton	No - Can't drive	With Rattus
Car 3:
Y	NeilMcGovern	Maulkin	Yes	Cambridge	Yes	Mazda MX-5 cabriolet - Full!
Y	NeilWilliams	codehelp	Yes	Cambridge	Yes	With Maulkin
	DanielSilverstone	Kinnison	Yes	Manchester	Yes	VW Passat Estate. Space for 3+driver, one of those may be reserved already.

Fill in the Confirmed column for yourself by Wednesday the 20th of April if you're happy for Steve/Neil to book hotel rooms, ferry passage etc. for you. If you say so, then you will be responsible for costs even if you then pull out later. No exceptions

It looks like we have 3 cars, 9 people definite at this point.