Roadtrip GO WHEN YOU FEEL READY

IS THERE ANY SECRET TO THE SUCCESS OF ROADTRIP IN EUROPE? EDITOR ANH NGOC¶S ANSWER IS NO. ACCORDING TO ANH NGOC, THE CARE AND PLANNING TAKEN WITH LOGISTICS ARE THE BASIC STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRIP.

IPICK A TIME TO TRAVEL

s there an ideal time to travel? Not at all, the ideal time depends on you, on how long and how far you can arrange to go.

In my years of living and traveling in Europe, I realized that we set out when we could and when we were most ready. Naturally, there will be times when the roads and and tourist destinations are less crowded (the low tourist season in Europe is before summer starts, or from September to November). But if we have time and can plan our trips, the best time depends on what we are going to do on the trip itself. In this sense, the low or high season is no longer important, but the theme of the trip is.

For example, I take vacations to the beaches and many other crowded destinations such as Corsica island or beaches in Nice (France), Sardegna and Sicilian islands (Italy), beaches in Ibiza and Mallorca (Spain) in the summer when it is beach weather. I can also visit beautiful little European cities during these trips. In the spring, around the end of April, I visit the flower festival at Keukenhof (Netherlands). I usually avoid traveling in July, because it is very hot. But in August or September, I fly to the Nordic countries. At the end of the year, I set out for trips to Christmas markets in Northern Italy, Austria or Germany. I often go on long trips across many countries at the end of the year usually thousands of km in a week or more. Plan carefully, and don’t forget to research the map before you leave.

DON’T FORGET THE MAPS

Alot of people told me that GPS is a superb invention that helps drivers drive better and take to where they need to go. I do not deny this. GPS helps the driver visualize the road segment, know the curvature of the road when driving in the dark, helping us estimate the time to arrive at our destination. GPS can give directions in many European countries and even helps us see speed limits and mobile speed cameras.

But it does not allow us to envision a broader and more comprehensive picture of the journey. Studying European maps (by Michelin Travel Guides and Maps) is a great way to not just plan your trip in detail (where to eat and sleep and what the alternative destinations are) but also guide us through a complete picture of the routes we will cross, the destinations we are going to and the alternative routes. This is especially significant when GPS is not available and, for example, a road under repair forces us to find other routes.

I have a good luck of having a very helpful companion on my trips - it’s my wife who is very good at reading maps. She always gives me the necessary information about the upcoming route, the places we have passed and the turn when needed. The ability to read maps is extremely necessary when GPS is not working, not updated, or when we need to find addresses in cities we have never been to, especially in Eastern Europe and the Balkans and in Southern Europe.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE SMALLEST DETAILS

There is one thing that every long-distance driver in Europe must pay close attention to: tolls vignettes for highways. Before making the trip, it is worthwhile to research which countries collect tolls (and how much they collect). There are countries such as Italy and France that collect tolls automatically and manually, and there are many countries such as Switzerland, Austria, Romania or Slovenia that collect tolls by selling vignettes at border stations and glueing them to the car’s window. This is mandatory, otherwise, you may be prompted by officials and, worse, penalized. The vignettes are sold by day, by week or by year, depending on the regulations of each country. Just look for information on the internet.

I also have to do another thing: study gasoline prices where we will go. Calculating an affordable petrol plan does not only save money, but also helps us to better control the cost of the trip. The same goes for highway fees. Estimating travel expenses cannot exclude a rough calculation of these expenses, not to mention which station to rest at along the way, or whether the rest station has outside tables or not. This is useful for creating a refreshing atmosphere for the trip, helping us relax and not get stressed by

sitting in the car for too long. I always maintain a speed of 100110 km/h on the road and stop after every 200-250 km.

The control of cars passing through Schengen countries is a thing of the past, but your vehicle may be stopped by the immigration police at any time to ask for documents, or even for a random search. Leave your passport in the car and keep calm when being stopped. In addition, prepare a certain amount of euro cents to pay in auto-pay car parks in cities. However, you should not park by the sidewalk (unless you feel extremely certain about the security level of the area such as where many police or cameras are), instead park in public parking lots. The vehicles which have foreign registration plates are very noticeable for petty thieves. Parking in an underground garage may be a bit more expensive, but it is necessary to avoid getting your windows broken or things robbed from the car. When leaving your vehicle, do not leave anything valuable inside - even in the trunk - and do not leave your things on the seats or under the footrest to avoid the curiosity and attention of strangers.

THERE IS NO PERFECT TRIP, ONLY MEMORABLE ONES

When you get lost in a large forest or go to a dead end that the GPS has not updated, or worse, cannot find a planned stop, do not think everything is ruined and let yourself feel down. No trip is perfect. And no trip is without unforeseen events.

But those are a part of road trips and a part of life. And so, don’t let those things ruin your trip. On my travels across Europe,

I’ve encountered everything on the road: running out of gas and searching forever for a gas station, breaking down, getting lost, etc. Sometimes I feel afraid, sometimes frustrated, but ultimately my feeling is one of satisfaction at experiencing all levels of emotions through the imperfection of the trip. The more we want the perfect trip, the higher the probability of failure. What matters is our behavior and the way we solve the problems. After many European trips, I realized that the trips became more memorable because they were not perfect. And don’t forget, improvisation is a special element of any trip. The most important result of each trip is fun and valuable experiences.