mtravel

My 2020 Ducato (new) had been delivered with approximately ten liters. I remember my first refill, it was 9€, at that time something close to nine liters. 10+9 = 19 that more or less should be the quantity hosted by the tank. After 46,000km on roads from Norway to Greece (motorways, flat country, mountains) I can say that my Ducato (2.3 140CV) shows an average consumption of 2Lts/1,000km. Up to you to convert in miles. Max

Geez, on our way to Greece we just crossed the four countries (SLO, HR, SRB and NMK) without problems. But we left Italy where storms, windturning and hail devastated the north. I wouldn' turn the topic into politics but I remember someone from the States saying that global warming is an invention of fake scientists. Re-geez Max

Just an update. Today, driving from Serbia to North Macedonia at customs we found two windows. The first checked passports, the second firmly asked for "green card". The guy before us (nice Audi RS7 UK plated) gave a piece of white paper to the official. Green card or whatsoever, who knows ?

Don't you have the green card addendum (actually black&white to save ink) ? Covered countries are listed by their symbol (e.g. SLO stands for Slovenia, SRB for Serbia, BiH for Bosnia-Hezegovina, etc. If masked by a X the country has no coverage.

This is the simplified itinerary (almost all highway from Italy to Greece): Trieste Fernetti (Italy-Slovenia border) Ljubljana Bregana (Slovenia-Croatia border) Zagreb Batrovci (Croatia-Serbia border) Belgrade Miratovac-Tabanovce (Serbia-North Macedonia border) Skopje Evnozoi (North Macedonia-Greece border) I have a list of areas and campsites on the way to Greece. It makes no sense to publish them now, if they are of interest I will do it after having personally verified them. Strange that your insurance doesn't include North Macedonia. Mine does and I believe these are international agreements. Instead, it excludes Albania and the Kosovar region of Serbia, to tell the truth its borders are not very clear.

We will leave tomorrow morning for Greece. Outward journey via Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia with one or two-day stops in their respective capitals. Return with Anek Lines (camping on board) from Patras to Brindisi (with a stopover in Igoumenitsa which could be the port where we will board the ship. Fires worry me more than the heat. But even in southern Italy the situation is worrying. Returning to the heat, it has eased a bit in the last few days, let's hope it continues.

Ports of departure: Venice, Ancona, Brindisi and Bari. Arrival ports Igoumenitsa or Patras. I don't know when you will leave but keep in mind that in this period it will be difficult for you to find a place. Anek Line has the "camping on board" option which means you can sleep on the camper and have connection to the EHU. Like many Italians, for reservations I rely on the very reliable Spyros Dimitrakakis (Oreo Travel - Oreo Group) Tel: +30 2831 0 25169 Fax: +30 2831 100352 Mobile: +30 6932 549747 ( WhatsApp ) Mobile: +39 347 0612442 ( Italian WhatsApp ) Email: spyros@islandcrete.com Email 2: spyros60@otenet.gr Website: www.islandcrete.com Skype: spyros.dimitrakakis I think he speaks English but I'm not sure. Max

Register at https://forum.motorhomeparkinglocations.com/forum/ Very friendly and free forum, they helped me for our 2022 trip. They also have an excellent App with minimal cost (which can also be subscribed for just one month). I have a list of the stopovers used by us, the notes are in Italian but easily translatable with google. I can send it to you if you contact me by email. Max

On the two bridges, the length also counts, above and below six metres. From memory above six costs exactly twice as much. However, even on ferries it counts.

As far as I know you have discounts if you register with Oresund Go ( https://www.oresundsbron.com/en/private/oresundgo). I don't know that it also covers the other Danish bridge (Storaebelt).

1. Being elastic I would exclude a scale. 2. hp ? Having worked for them for almost twenty years, the logo alone brings back bad memories.

2010, campsite near Hexham. We enter, below us a meadow of a beautiful phosphorescent green. I see a paved driveway, I think I'll get there but I must have dreamed it. Anna yelled something but I didn't listen to her and plunged into it. Kind of rice field, no way to go back up even if the slope is not excessive. I move, I even take a few run-ups but in the end the torque to the wheels is too much and they skid. Brits look at me from the windows of caravans and mobile homes. One comes out with some kind of Sahara-type sledges, I think he wants to lend them to me, but no, he sticks them under the caravan. Anna is furious, I'm quite calm, at most I'll put the snow chains on. But first I will try to get out into reverse so that the weight stay on the front wheels. It works. Perfidious albions, the raspberry I blow at you is completely deserved. Anna will deny but I guarantee I enjoyed it.

Covoiturage parking are there since a while.

France is introducing dedicated lanes for carpooling, taxis and zero-emission vehicles. The signal is like the one below, as I understand the background can also be blue. The fine for non-compliance appears to be €135. Note: On motorways, a lane may have variable use, the displays will show it by turning on a symbol of the same shape.

Ducato 5,250 ? What is the kingdom where everything is allowed? More than worrying about the climbs I would do it for the descents.

I don't know your van but a lot depends on the weight. The Ducato 2.5 Diesel (w/o turbo) took me to the top of 90% of the Alpine passes. Even on the Stelvio (9,000+ feet), certainly at the top it struggled in second gear and skyrocketing water temperatures. But it got there. When in 2003 I switched to the 2.8Jtd it felt like I was flying. Be careful though, there are two versions: 127 and 146 HP. One of the two could have been subjected to some factory environmental recall, here it is said that it has transformed the horses into donkeys, it is no coincidence that they call it "donkey syndrome". Max

In a country where beer is measured in pints while fuel (and whisky) in liters ?

Italy has "i piu' bei borghi d'Italia". To give an idea, I have been a few times (let say six) in Umbria (the smallest region after Valle d'Aosta) and not been able to visit all of them yet. Incredible but true, the most part of them host a small museum with masterpieces of middle age and renaissance. Not to mention those from etruscan and roman times.

If not wrong I think the new Box Drive is based on MAN vans. That shouln't change average data.

Highways: Austria (up to 3.5 tons): sticker. 10 days around 10€. Available aty Customs. Over 3.5 requires a toll tag. Switzerland (up to 3.5 tons). Sticker. One year 40CHF. Over 3.5 requires to buy a dozen of days allowance in the country. Both available at customs. Italy, Croatia, France: toll gates, VISA and MC. Spain: free in the south. Toll gates somewhere. VISA and MC. Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania: electronic vignette available at Customs. Portugal: vehicle registration at few highways entries. Alternative a debit card (some amounts) available at post offices. Complicated, better to avoid highways. Some German and French towns require a pollution sticker. Germany plakette available at DEKRA points. France Crit'Air just online. Spain recognize German and French stickers. UK, Sweden and Norway have low emission or congestion charge/registration process but to explain everything will require a lot of time.

I would suggest that you focus just on one country. Otherwise you will spend the most of you time while driving. Cuisine ? Austria. Geez. French eat frogs and snails. Up to you. Try instead Italy (oops, I am Italian). In one month you can see Rome, Florence, Venice, Siena and other unforgettable towns plenty of arts museums, architecture, etc, etc. Where will you land and hire you van ?.

Depending on speed and driving style you may expect from 9 to 11km/ltr. Roads are (more or less) fairly good. Exceptions could be former soviet republics and the UK (smile). As for Europe, Africa is huge but Europe is wide enough. Gibraltar to Nordkapp sum around 5,600kms. Which countries do you plan to see and which are your interests (nature, arts, history, etc) ? Just capitals or even small towns of character ? How much time around do you plan ?

Come on guys. My Ducato 2.3 140CV (2020) after 43,000km I may say that it needs approx 2lts/1,000kms. At a ridicolous cost when compared to diesel one. No matter how much I refill, always done at a pump of a station in Italy, Spain, France and even Norway. Apparently no temp problem, used from -5°C to 39 (last week).

Sweden ? Try 48°C in Cordoba or 36 (midnight) in Delphi.

It seems that Thetford will announce the "miracle" and Trigano group will adopt just compressor ones in 2024 production. But this is the future, I feel good with my tri-fridge.