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10 day, 2200 miles, 48hrs of driving, 7 Alpine passes, and one GP!!


gangzoom

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Just got back from our European road trip, thought I share some photos.

 

Day 1: Leicester to Bern: 700 + miles!! Motorways all the way, nothing exciting or too taxing.

 

Day 2: Bern to Meiringen: 50 miles. First real taste of what Switzerland has to offer, and it's pretty breathtaking.

 

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Day 3: Bern to Guttannen via Mount Titlis: 120 miles. 2 Major passes, Grimeselpass and Sulsten pass. Driving the passes was amazing, the Sulsten pass in particular was the most scenic.

 

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Tunnel

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Day 4: Guttannen to Stelvio 156 miles. 4 passes: Grimselpass, Furka pass, Via Alpasu, Oberalp pass, Ofen pass. The Furka and Grimsel were stunning, more for the scenery rather than anything else. For pure driving the the Oberalp and Ofen was more fun.

 

Grimsel pass

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Even my wife had to admit it was a pretty impressive bit of road.

 

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Unbelievably beautiful in parts, and we were lucky enough to stay in a hotel build in the middle of it all.

 

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The join between Furka and Grimsel

 

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Furka pass proper, yes that's a glacier in the background.

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Day 5: Stelvio, Umbrial pass, Ofen/Fluela pass, Oberalp pass, and than on to Spa

 

Stelvio is an engineering feat with 47 hair pins, but to be honest not the prettiest or nicest pass of the trip but at 2750m above sea level the highest.

 

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Interms of driving the Umbrail pass next to Stelvio was prettier and nicer to drive on.

 

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Trip than took us to Spa.

 

Eau Rouge is a sight you have to see in person to appreciate its magnificence.

 

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We came for F1, but the guys in GP2 were just mental, overtaking at Eau Rouge in the wet....why not!!

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But F1 cars are still the stars of the show

 

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On TV you really cannot appreciate just how close the racing has been this year!!

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Every corner at this track looks amazing

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So in total, over 2000 miles of driving, 6 different borders crossed, and an experience I can recommend to anyone who loves cars/driving.

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Great pictures and funny I recognise many of them from a month ago. Very happy memories.

 

Agreed stelvio was not all it lived up to be, got a little repetitive. Other roads were far far more enjoyable.

 

Looks like you had a great holiday.

 

I really should finish my thread with vids and routes

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Thanks for all the comments!!

 

It really was a unforgettable trip, and we really count our selves lucky to have been able to do it!! Though showing the wife photos off the forum from other people who have done a similar trip really helped to convince her :).

 

I did try to push my luck and get Monza GP + the 'Ring into the itinerary, but cannot really complain :teeth:

 

Have to say when I first saw a photo of the Grimsel Hospiz it wasn't very impressive, but when we arrived and I saw where it was located I couldn't believe they had managed to build a hotel there.

 

The drive up to the hotel

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The view from our room!!

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...and the road leading away from the hotel

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Apart from the roads, the rest of Switzerland was pretty amazing...

 

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But the Gelmer Funicular was something I've never experienced before, 106% gradiant, 1800meters ride, literally through the clouds!!

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...where at the top you find this!!!

 

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We've been to some amazing places in the world, NewZealand, Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, Grand Canynon, Niagra falls but Switzerland trumps all of them by a MASSIVE margin...and best of all it's so close to the UK compared to else where. It's now a definite regular holiday destination, I just cannot believe it's not better promoted in the tourism world.

Edited by gangzoom
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Probably better that they don't promote Switzerland too much as a holiday destination otherwise it may just get ruined with drunken idiots or a McD's on the Stelvio Pass. :huh::lol:

 

Come to think of it, I don't think we saw a single 'M' sign around the Alps region :yahoo:

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I'd have to agree re Switzerland, it is absolutely stunning. We went there while the mountains were still snow-capped (early June) and it was even more fun charging the Caterham through meltwater on cut slicks! If you're looking for a similar experience on a tighter budget then I can strongly recommend SW Slovenia / NW Croatia. The roads aren't quite as enthralling but this kind of road trip is usually undertaken with a passenger (no?) who might appreciate the lack of hairpins. Beautiful countryside...

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