Main Page     All Journeys    Travel Tips

 
EUROPE    PLAN
  

 

THE GRAND EUROPE TOUR: One Europe, one man, one Lupo: one great adventure! (and 50.000 km)
In beginning of 2018, I had visited 83 countries around the world. 69 with a comprising tour around most of the country, seeing everything that had my interest. However, Europe was still quite unknown territory for me. Only Denmark, Greece, Scotland and Wales have been fully explored, while Sweden, England and Germany still have some unexplored corners. Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Russia, Poland, Finland and Norway have only been visited a single day or three.
That left a lot of virgin Europe to be explored for me. Where the 69 countries I have travelled earlier have been quite comprising explored, this Europe Tour was a bit "Japanese"; only the highlights. And it was my personal highlights, as I am sure other fellow travellers will appreciate other sights. The main attraction was the drive, and whatever popped-up along the road.

The plan was to drive and sleep in my tiny 15 year old VW Lupo, (Photos of the special customised interior)  with worked so great on the England-Wales tour. Some countries are fit for camping, others have great hostels and hotels.
If I got the time and urge, I had thought of going through Turkey and do the Black Sea through Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and part of Russia. The nearby Syria, Iraq and Lebanon will have to wait. So will the north with Ireland, Greenland, Iceland and Faeroe Islands. Malta will be a tour by it self in November.  
HOW IT WENT?  and The best 335 photos.

I have made a rough plan with close to 800 sights, and found what I consider the highlights of the countries. There is a list on the map-pages on these pages:        
Germany
Luxembourg
Belgium
France
Andorra
Spain
Portugal
Monaco
Italy
Vatican
San Marino
Switzerland
Liechtenstein
Austria
Czech
Slovakia
Hungary
Slovenia
Croatia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Montenegro
Albania
Greece
Macedonia
Kosovo
Serbia
Bulgaria
Turkey
Black Sea detour:
Iran
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia seen it
Russia

Romania
Moldova
Transnistria
Ukraine
Poland
Belarus
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Finland
Norway
Sweden
 

And what is left?
Ireland: Off tour
Malta : November
Iceland: Off tour
Faeroe Islands: Off tour (and like Greenland; not an independent country (Danish colonies))
England Seen at least the beautiful southern 3/4.
Wales Seen it, and not an independent country.
Scotland Seen it, and not an independent country - yet...
Cypress Seen the Greek part, and the Turkish part is kind of Turkey, I guess?
Nederland Seen it
Denmark Seen it, although Jutland and Bornholm still have way more to offer.

HOW DID IT GO?
I set out on this epic tour 5/4 2018. Click on the country name above, to read all the details. It was the best summer EVER, and it all worked out so well for me. However, I did skip the Black Sea detour and Belarus, as their embassy in Poland was useless.
The tour lasted for 133 days, and I did drive a bit hard in the end, as the car had to go home for its biannual road-safety inspection. I have driven 46.560 kilometres in 40 countries, taken around 50.000 photos and spend a bit more than €9000, and additional €1000 in repair of the car back home. I did not get a single mosquito bite! But the car have some issues on the tour, which was rather expensive. It did get three new wheel bearings, a crankshaft, a new generator, two set front tires and quite some bodywork made after a tour down a Albanian mountain side.
Diesel was the main expense, although the car do 30 km/l: €2000. Road toll, parking and ferries: €1000. Camps and hotels: €2000. Food: €1000. Gadgets, souvenirs and not least car repairs; €3000. Admission: €300.
IT WAS A FANTASTIC TOUR; AND EVERY DAY AND EURO WORTH!