Driving to Spain for charity on June 27th - need advice

DJKAV

GOING TO DO A CHARITY RALLY IN JUNE WITH MY MATES ?
PER CAR HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR COST AND MILAGE ...
AM I WAY OFF I`M GIVING US 5 DAYS ..
ANY HELP ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED ..
THANKS .:)

Rattle bandits Charity Rally 2011 . Date :27`TH JUNE !! DATE SET .Set off point : Limerick City driving to Dublin Port : Distance / 109.039 Miles :

Cheap Ferry Crossing Fares to Britain Dublin to Hollyhead .

‘It’s Everything You go For’ fare

From €79 Car + 1 One way including taxes

Save up to 30%
This from €79 fare is valid for a car and driver one way, including all taxes.

Subject to availability.

Additional adults €28, Additional Kids €16 .

Fare is available for travel up to 29 June 2011 on midweek (Tues & Wed) cruise ferry night departures on Dublin and Rosslare services and must be booked a minimum of 21 days in advance of travel date. Amendment fee €20 each way plus any increase in fare.

This fare cannot be used in conjunction with any other special offer or promotions.

Telephone booking supplement €15. New bookings only. Subject to availability.

Additional Adult
€28

Club Class
From €18 per passenger Relax and enjoy extra comfort in our Club Class lounges from just €18 per passenger. With priority boarding, complimentary drinks & snacks, as well as newspapers in a reserved lounge – it’s a luxury you can afford.

Holly head to Folkestone 289.4 miles .

Folkestone to Calais by car in just 35 minutes Price €60

http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcPassengers/

Calais to paris 145.21 miles

http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/reservation#roomrate hotel rate 50 per person .

Paris to lyon 245.22 miles
Lyon to Port bou 244.71 miles
Port bou to Barcelona 87.87 miles
Barcelona to Valencia . 187.62 miles
Totals milage 1306 miles !!! now that’s a rally !! ..


Ferry from Dublin 100 for 2 x car

Eurotunnel 60 2 x car

1306 mILES for petrol / 2 650 miles each 150 euros .

150 for hotels :

AM I WAY OFF MY MILAGE AND COSTS ? .... PLEASE HELP ANYBODY THAT DID A RALLY LIKE THIS FOR CHARITY !!

THANKS ..

ALSO WHAT COVER DO I NEED FOR DRIVING IN EUROPE?
AND AT THE END OF THIS WE ARE GOING TO SCRAP THE CARS ?
WOULD THIS COST MUCH TO DO IN SPAIN ..

THANKS

Losty Dublin

DJKAV wrote: »

GOING TO DO A CHARITY RALLY IN JUNE WITH MY MATES ?

PER CAR HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR COST AND MILAGE ...

AM I WAY OFF I`M GIVING US 5 DAYS ..


ANY HELP ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED ..


THANKS .:)

Rattle bandits Charity Rally 2011 . Date :27`TH JUNE !! DATE SET .Set off point : Limerick City driving to Dublin Port : Distance / 109.039 Miles :

Cheap Ferry Crossing Fares to Britain Dublin to Hollyhead .

‘It’s Everything You go For’ fare

From €79 Car + 1 One way including taxes

Save up to 30%

This from €79 fare is valid for a car and driver one way, including all taxes.

Subject to availability.

Additional adults €28, Additional Kids €16 .

Fare is available for travel up to 29 June 2011 on midweek (Tues & Wed) cruise ferry night departures on Dublin and Rosslare services and must be booked a minimum of 21 days in advance of travel date. Amendment fee €20 each way plus any increase in fare.

This fare cannot be used in conjunction with any other special offer or promotions.

Telephone booking supplement €15. New bookings only. Subject to availability.

Additional Adult

€28

Club Class

From €18 per passenger Relax and enjoy extra comfort in our Club Class lounges from just €18 per passenger. With priority boarding, complimentary drinks & snacks, as well as newspapers in a reserved lounge – it’s a luxury you can afford.

Holly head to Folkestone 289.4 miles .



Folkestone to Calais by car in just 35 minutes Price €60

http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcPassengers/



Calais to paris 145.21 miles



http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/reservation#roomrate hotel rate 50 per person .

Paris to lyon 245.22 miles



Lyon to Port bou 244.71 miles



Port bou to Barcelona 87.87 miles



Barcelona to Valencia . 187.62 miles



Totals milage 1306 miles !!! now that’s a rally !! ..



Ferry from Dublin 100 for 2 x car

Eurotunnel 60 2 x car

1306 mILES for petrol / 2 650 miles each 150 euros .

150 for hotels :


AM I WAY OFF MY MILAGE AND COSTS ? .... PLEASE HELP ANYBODY THAT DID A RALLY LIKE THIS FOR CHARITY !!

THANKS ..


ALSO WHAT COVER DO I NEED FOR DRIVING IN EUROPE?
AND AT THE END OF THIS WE ARE GOING TO SCRAP THE CARS ?
WOULD THIS COST MUCH TO DO IN SPAIN ..


THANKS

I don't know what charity you are fundraising for but a drive like this is going to cost you a ****load of money for fuel, food, hotels, tolls, ferries, Chunnel, drinking water etc; it's the height of summer and you will be looking at 30+ Celsius.

Fuel on the continent is a lot dearer than it is in Ireland so you will need to allow closer to €2 per litre for the overall trip as prices will push up in the summer and you will generally be stuck to buying at motorway service stations, infamous for high prices. Roads in France are tolled to buggery so keep this in mind en route as it will mount up. You will also need back up drivers in case anybody falls ill or can't carry on so you won't be paying for just one driver per car. Rest periods will also be essential so time must be added for these stops.

In the UK, the M 50 is dire with traffic congestion so allow time for delays here as well as getting on and off your transport hubs. For booking on you chunnel or ferry, you need your car reg and type ahead of the day so sort this out sooner rather than later. Bear in mind as well that France takes motoring offences far more seriously than in Ireland; ensure that you are aware of any local laws and speed limits that you reasonably will encounter. Oh yeah, make sure that your cars have fresh tyres and are mechanically sound for what is a 3,000 mile round trip.

And don't forget to think about your trip back home; it will run up the same costings on the return home as well as getting there. I won't guess a costing but I'd say you won't have a lot left out of €2,000 per car, all told. Less hassle to run a table quiz or a marathon IMO even if they are not as exciting sounding.

DJKAV

Roads in France are tolled to buggery - didn`t think about this !!

You will also need back up drivers in case anybody falls ill or can't carry on so you won't be paying for just one driver per car.
only 2 per car so i didn`t think of this either !!

Rest periods will also be essential so time must be added for these stops.
we have plenty time alloted to each place and hotels booked already it was cheaper !! .

I have 6 months to plan this and hopefully i will have every area covered what i need to find out is time frames from point to point most of the driving should be easier by night so the motorways will be less congestion and really all i`m worried about is a breakdown this is a once in a lifetime oppertunity to have a go at this so i`m going to give it everything i`d say three cars in total working on a few local garages to help make and give the cars a good going over .

thanks for the reply

much appreciated ?


does anybody know how long it will take to drive from hollyhead to the eurotunnell
?


and from calais to port bou ? ..

Run_to_da_hills

Spanish cops can be nasty and also watch out for speeding fine scams.

robd

DJKAV wrote: »

does anybody know how long it will take to drive from hollyhead to the eurotunnell
?

I budgeted 7 hours last time I did it (Holyhead-Dover). Folkstone is 10-15 mins closer. However I arrived in at 5.30 am in April and drove the scenic but shorter route through Snowdonia. Actually took me about a little under 6.30. You can also put it into Google Maps, which will give you directions and time between any 2 points. It shows up 6:05 (Holyhead to Folkstone ) at the moment.

Don't know about Port Bou, never heard of it and can't find it on Google Maps.

Calais to Paris to Lyon to Barcelona is 12:58 on Google Maps.

Make sure to add a contingency to Google Maps or Sat Nav times of about 15%,

ToxicPaddy

I did one of these in Aug 2009.. great craic but as mentioned are expensive.. we did one to a town inside the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway.. cost a small fortune but some of that was due to the fact we chose to drive back and some of our bookings for hotels were last minute..

5000 miles in 10 days, the first few days were motorways and cruising at 80+mph, the rest was smaller A and B class roads up mountains and down through valleys, shorter distances covered but longer days and more concentration required so very tiring.

Basics are as follows:

• Get a diesel car, at the end of the day cruising at motorway speeds you will drink petrol so with diesel it will save you a small fortune.
• If you know cars and the mechanics of a car, great, if not get the car looked at by a professional and get anything major done, getting stuck on the side of the road due to cutting corners will ruin your rally and probably have you coming home early..
• Insure multiple drivers, expect to be driving 8+ hours some days in summer heat, so you get tired.
• GPS, get a good one, you'll need it.
• iPod/Stereo and decent music, get good ones, you'll need them.
• Safety Equipment required for every car, hi vis vest for every person in the car, warning triangle and spare bulb kit (Legal requirements in Europe)
• Keep and eye on aferry.co.uk, great savings on ferry crossings on there and you can compare multiple rates
• The viamichelin.com website is one of the best for accurate driving routes, times, tolls etc and you can customise it to give a better idea of fuel usage etc.
• Try to set a budget and stick to it and have a credit card with decent limit as a contingency.

Roads in France are tolled to buggery
True, but with these rallys, they tend to stick to smaller non tolled roads, itc cheaper, takes a little longer but more fun and you really get to see the countryside. However do have cash to hand and take into account tolls on motorways you do use.

does anybody know how long it will take to drive from hollyhead to the eurotunnell? and from calais to port bou ?

There is standard A roads from the first 50 or so miles from Holyhead and then motorway for the next 95%.. provided you dont get stuck in traffic jams and depending on what days you're going, give yourself 8 hours or so, gives yourself plenty of time, no rushing and you can get used to covering long distances in the car.

Also use the viamichelin.com website to calculate distances for other routes

Folkestone to Calais by car in just 35 minutes Price €60
Another option is to get a ferry from Dover to Calais for £70, can be much cheaper if you get the right deal and only takes about 90 mins, remember you're trying to do this as cheaply as possible so cover all options..

driving should be easier by night so the motorways will be less congestion and really all i`m worried about is a breakdown

Most of the other ralliers will drive during the day, so expect to be doing this, you'll get to meet people along the way and travel in convoy with them, so expect traffic jams, expect delays, expect breakdowns.. its all part of the fun..

Costs:

Ferry from Dublin 100 for 2 x car
Sounds a bit cheap for mid summer, better check again.

Eurotunnel 60 2 x car:
Check ferry prices too

1306 Miles for petrol / 2650 miles each 150 euros:
Depending on the car, gear for around 35-40mpg if you get a smaller engine, 50mpg with diesel. I think €150 is being hopeful.. its that distance cruising on a motorway, but like I said earlier, about 70% of this trip wont be on motorways..

€150 for hotels:
Depends on nights and bookings, also look at hostels, though these these tend to be in the centre of towns so parking could be expensive or a problem

ALSO WHAT COVER DO I NEED FOR DRIVING IN EUROPE?
Dont mention the word rally anywhere to any insurance company, as they will think one thing, speed and these are never about that. Its about accumulating points on tasks you do over the period of the trip.

AND AT THE END OF THIS WE ARE GOING TO SCRAP THE CARS ?
WOULD THIS COST MUCH TO DO IN SPAIN ..
Probably around €100 or so, the company running these rallys normally can help with this, they negotiate a standard rate with a specific scrap yard in the area where you finish.

PM me if you have any other questions..

Tox

DJKAV

http://www.villaspain.co.uk/driving.php

I found this site which gives easy routes and toll prices ? i`m amazed on how high the prices are ! amazing ....

also this is the route which we are going to do ...

http://maps.google.ie/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=ie&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=207887027120621066248.00049a139230ea6384204&z=5

can`t wait thanks for your idead and checklists i`ll keep ye posted !!
much appreciated ! .

Carawaystick

mappy.fr say its ~70 euros in tolls and have a price of 1.43 for petrol. diesel in france was cheaper than here before the budget, so probably cheaper again now.
Fuel in Spain is cheaper


FBD will cover you in the EU without restriction on any motor policy
Other companies will have various rules/costs

you need to have a high viz vest in the passenger compartment of the car for the Driver in France and for all adult passengers in spain on Motorways.

You should put some tape or a sticker to remind you to drive on the right.

THe route you outline in google maps doesn't go by Lyon. it does go over the Milau viaduct on the A75 which goes over the Massif Central Mountains and is a very spectacular route.

If you don't have a gps, I wouldn't bother, a Michelin Map of France and north eastern Spain will show the way as you're going on motorways. I'd write the route out on a sheet with the main destination on the route and the road numbers -
the A16 to Paris, the route about Paris is a bit confusing and then its the A10 to Orleans(Signed: Bordeaux/Tours), A71 to Clermont Ferrand, A75 to the Med coast and the A9 to Spain and then the AP7 to Valencia



If you have a maestro/laser card you will be able to pay for fuel in automated stations in supermarkets which is usually ~10 cents per litre cheaper.

Victor

DJKAV, less of the mad fonts and colours please. TYPING IN CAPITALS is the internet equivalent of SHOUTING.

---

You might have a look at this thread and factor in that you are driving bangers - they will need to pass the NCT though. http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055767094&highlight=spain

Carawaystick wrote: »

FBD will cover you in the EU without restriction on any motor policy
Other companies will have various rules/costs

What is their position on a rally though? With junk mobiles?

Carawaystick

Victor wrote: »

What is their position on a rally though? With junk mobiles?

If you are covered in Ireland, they cover you in the EEA and turkey for the duration of the policy.

If the cars not road legal in Ireland, well,...

DJKAV

Victor wrote: »

DJKAV, less of the mad fonts and colours please. TYPING IN CAPITALS is the internet equivalent of SHOUTING.

---

did i know this ? i`m fairness as you can see from my posts i`m excited about this i didn`t mean to offend anybody ... and if i want to use colours i will .

DJKAV

Thanks lads for the help and from some, encouragement. ideas and pointers ..

DJKAV

http://www.aaireland.ie/AA/Motoring-advice/Petrol-Prices.aspx

could somebody please tell me what would be the total solid time to drive a car without a long stop ? .. 15 hrs would that be too much .. breaks every 2 hrs but short breaks ? ..

Losty Dublin

DJKAV wrote: »

Victor wrote: »

DJKAV, less of the mad fonts and colours please. TYPING IN CAPITALS is the internet equivalent of SHOUTING.

---

did i know this ? i`m fairness as you can see from my posts i`m excited about this i didn`t mean to offend anybody ... and if i want to use colours i will .

Internet protocol is that capital letters is akin to shouting which is rude on the real world. The colour text serves no purpose unless you need to highlight something, which you didn't. Also, you should look at the forum guidelines for pointers and house rules. Lastly, Vic doesn't like back seat mods as he is a grumpy man

Back on topic, can you tell us exactly how you intend to pay your costs here? Already it's looking close to €2,000 a man all considered and for what cause? Charities tend to be very choosy about large scale projects like this, especially when they have little control over what is quite a risky venture.

DJKAV

Losty Dublin goodmorning -

Charity we are going to do it for is milford hospice in limerick we have sent a letter to the fundraising chairperson explaining what we are doing and would this be ok with them .

here is what i`ve got back from them .

hi .
acknowledge receipt of your e.mail and have forwarded it to the
Chairman of the Milford Hospice Friends Committee for approval.

I will contact you once he comes back to me.

We do appreciate you wishing to choose Milford Hospice, it sound like a
fun fundraising event.

Wishing you every luck with it.

Kind regards.

Melissa

Melissa Purcell
Fundraising Assistant
Milford Care Centre
Castletroy
Limerick
Telephone Direct: +353 61 485859
Fax: +353 61 331181
E.mail: m.purcell@milfordcarecentre.ie
Web: www.milfordcarecentre.ie


cost so far we have estimated ! .

400 per car for petrol
54 pounds stay per 2 in holiday inn at eurotunnel hotel holiday inn
60 eurotunnell fare per car
tools/firstaid/breakdown charges . 150 .
100 for tolls .. but we are looking on a scenic route .
accom in port bou 30 per head .

food/drink 50 euros .

??? so far ..

Pineapple stu

If you have additional passengers in the car the send them on the ferry as foot passengers as it will be cheaper, they can them drive off the boat with you in the car. Dont bother with the club class, its not really worth it if there are plenty of seats elswhere.

DJKAV

Pineapple stu wrote: »

If you have additional passengers in the car the send them on the ferry as foot passengers as it will be cheaper, they can them drive off the boat with you in the car. Dont bother with the club class, its not really worth it if there are plenty of seats elswhere.

Excellent idea my man .. !

DJKAV

http://www.eurotunnel1.com/direct/booking/fare.asp

eurotunnell ? didn`t ask how many in car ? is this per car ?

anybody know .?

Thanks .

Kav

Losty Dublin

DJKAV wrote: »

Charity we are going to do it for is milford hospice in limerick we have sent a letter to the fundraising chairperson explaining what we are doing and would this be ok with them .

here is what i`ve got back from them .

hi . I acknowledge receipt of your e.mail and have forwarded it to the
Chairman of the Milford Hospice Friends Committee for approval.

I will contact you once he comes back to me.

We do appreciate you wishing to choose Milford Hospice, it sound like a
fun fundraising event.

Wishing you every luck with it.

Kind regards.

Melissa

Melissa Purcell
Fundraising Assistant
Milford Care Centre
Castletroy
Limerick

So in other words, it's not approved as of yet by them. But at least they know about it.

DJKAV wrote: »

cost so far we have estimated ! .

400 per car for petrol
54 pounds stay per 2 in holiday inn at eurotunnel hotel holiday inn
60 eurotunnell fare per car
tools/firstaid/breakdown charges . 150 .
100 for tolls .. but we are looking on a scenic route .
accom in port bou 30 per head .

food/drink 50 euros .

??? so far ..

But not including sourcing (And possibly buying) said cars, mechanic fees for any work needed (minimum €100 for a basic service), new tyres which will probably be needed (€200+ for 4 tyres), phone charges (Roaming, man, roaming) and NCT test fees if required.

I personally thing you may be underestimating the fuel bill and certainly the food/accommodation/breakdown fees; you also need a reserve in case of emergencies or problems en route (Like having money or debit cards stolen.

DJKAV

So in other words, it's not approved as of yet by them. But at least they know about it.

Its not as of yet but i`m going to do this rally and as my thread said i need advice and everything which i`ve gotten so far is very helpfull and making me aware that this trip will not be easy . but i`m still determined to do it and with the help and honest advice i`m getting it`s making it easier ...

somebody has got to have a dream to make things happen if we didn`t we all would be wondering what if ..? .

i`m going to do this and it`s going to be a success !

P.

BenShermin

Pineapple stu wrote: »

If you have additional passengers in the car the send them on the ferry as foot passengers as it will be cheaper, they can them drive off the boat with you in the car.

That is simply not true at all.

The foot passenger fare is €31 single on Irish Ferries.

An extra car passenger costs €28 single on Irish Ferries.


Also OP you might want to check out these special "landbridge" fares, they include both the Dublin to Holyhead ferry and Eurotunnel:

http://www.irishferries.com/fares-offers-france-from-ireland.asp?tab=fares-landbridge

Best of luck OP.

slimjimmc

Also make sure all participants get themselves a European Health Insurance Card just in case anyone hurts their toe while tyre kicking the other guy's car.

You'll need to pay for public medical expenses but with the EHIC these are refundable when you get home. You might have private health insurance cover already but it's no harm to have a backup.

DJKAV

"Con, the Chairperson of Milford Hospice has given the green light to
this project. It certainly sounds like an interesting challenge.

We really do appreciate you and your friends doing this to raise funds
for Milford Hospice."

We got the go ahead from the charity now it`s down to getting the cars sponsored and kitted out ! asked halfords for some help but they declined . any suggestions on how to go about asking companys businesses for a donation to get us there ! . would it be worth my while to ask ferries/eurotunnel for passes ?

car kits
tyres
vouchers/prizes which we could raffle ?.

The Swordsman

Details on Autoroute tolls here (if you choose to use them):

http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/homepage.html

Bring plenty of change as it will shorten the time you take to go through toll booths.

In France, avoid buying fuel in the motorway service stations. Look for signs for Carrefour or other supermarkets as they usually have petrol stations attached and can be 10 or 20 cent a litre cheaper than than what you pay on the motorways.

This may or may not still apply. I did the Ireland - Britain - France drive back in 2006. At the time, fuel in the UK was much more expensive than both Ireland and France so we just filled up before we got on the boat in Dun Laoighre and drove from Holyhead to Dover on the same tank. Did the same on the way back, so we drove across Britain twice without buying any diesel there.

Most importantly, the one thing you should not skimp on is your accomodation on overnight sailings. I would strongly advise that you get a cabin. The last thing you need getting off a boat is to face into a long drive tired.

DJKAV

finally decided on the route .

DJKAV

finally decided on the route .

DJKAV

Finally decided on the route .