Driving in Europe

mfceiling

Lads just home from a fortnight in italy and i thought i'd share a few tips on driving abroad to help anyone else doing it this year.

1 - Stay in the inside lane when on the motorway...it's not ireland....there will always be someone who will be driving faster than your top speed.

2 - Roundabouts...don't worry about these as most continental drivers don't understand them either.

3 - Indicators....optional

4 - Parking...you know the boards thread of obnoxious parking.....most of that is considered fine.

5 - Air Con...your missus won't understand when you get back into a baking car that the air con on full blast with the window down is a waste of time. Don't waste time explaining this to her.

6 - Park in underground car parks if you can...the sun can't bring the internal temp in the car to 300 degrees.

7 - Bring a few cds - continental radio stations are sh*t.

8 - Foreign women can be stunning....more so when they throw their leg over a scooter when wearing a mini skirt. It is vitally important your missus does not see you noticing this......mirrored sunglasses are a must.

9 - Motorway service stations do great coffee....for a euro....are you listening petrol stations in ireland.

10 - Drive on the right




Feel free to add your own lads...

ShamoBuc

mfceiling wrote: »

Lads just home from a fortnight in italy and i thought i'd share a few tips on driving abroad to help anyone else doing it this year.

1 - Stay in the inside lane when on the motorway...it's not ireland....there will always be someone who will be driving faster than your top speed.

2 - Roundabouts...don't worry about these as most continental drivers don't understand them either.

3 - Indicators....optional

4 - Parking...you know the boards thread of obnoxious parking.....most of that is considered fine.

5 - Air Con...your missus won't understand when you get back into a baking car that the air con on full blast with the window down is a waste of time. Don't waste time explaining this to her.

6 - Park in underground car parks if you can...the sun can't bring the internal temp in the car to 300 degrees.

7 - Bring a few cds - continental radio stations are sh*t.

8 - Foreign women can be stunning....more so when they throw their leg over a scooter when wearing a mini skirt. It is vitally important your missus does not see you noticing this......mirrored sunglasses are a must.

9 - Motorway service stations do great coffee....for a euro....are you listening petrol stations in ireland.

10 - Drive on the right




Feel free to add your own lads...

lol, currently driving in France..... alot of similar attributes!!!

TrailerBob

Ha ha, will be sure to remember no.8 next week driving to south of France!! or is that just in Italy???

ShamoBuc

TrailerBob wrote: »

Ha ha, will be sure to remember no.8 next week driving to south of France!! or is that just in Italy???

Most definately both!;)

paddydriver

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Most definately both!;)

Yeah, but the French have more hairy legs... the women that is:eek:

drunkmonkey

Especially in Italy, rent a small fast car, mini, fiat 500etc. You'll be glad of the small size when you meet one car overtaking another on a blind turn.
The Italian drivers are nuts, they done more to slow me down than any RSA campaign.

corktina

paddydriver wrote: »

Yeah, but the French have more hairy legs... the women that is:eek:

nothing wrong with hairy legs...im not sure if I pefer hairy legs or smooth ones...maybe something in between

ShamoBuc

corktina wrote: »

nothing wrong with hairy legs...im not sure if I pefer hairy legs or smooth ones...maybe something in between

obviously;)

Berty

You had to go to the Continent to realise you need to drive on the "inside" lane. We have that rule as well you know. :rolleyes:

corktina

ShamoBuc wrote: »

obviously;)

subtlety is lost on you...:rolleyes:

mfceiling

Beer Baron wrote: »

You had to go to the Continent to realise you need to drive on the "inside" lane. We have that rule as well you know. :rolleyes:

Read the post smart ar5e........i said "stay" in the inside lane......we might have the same rule here but have you driven on an irish motorway recently?

dr.fuzzenstein

In Germany anyway:
Don't disconnect your brakelights and jam on for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
The excuse "He should be paying attention and since he rear-ended me, it's automatically and 100% his fault" doesn't wash.
You will be given at least 50% of the blame and might even be done for dangerous driving.
Same goes for jamming on for small animals. if you brake for a small animal and cause a crash, you are partially at fault.
Also, driving at 40 km/h in a 100 km/h zone will get you pulled over and the excuse "Well, I have a God Given Right To Be On The Road" won't wash. Penalty for holding up traffic and maybe careless driving.
Driving on the motorway in the rain: You need to adapt your speed to the condition, even though a lower limit for wet weather might not be posted, you can be done for inappropriate speed.
Also, it may surprise people, but tailgating and flashing are very big no-no's and carry a fine and points.
If you decide to insult a policeman, consult the pricelist first. Each specific insult carries a fixed penalty. A quick outburst can become very expensive.;)

North by Northwest

Hello all,

Am taking the plunge to see what driving on the right is like and taking a trip from Croatia's Istrian Riviera to Salzburg, Austria via Slovenia in September. Never driven in continental Europe before so am really looking forward to it (if a little nervous too). Has anybody got any experiences or tips? My main query relates to toll roads and paying for same. From what I can see I wont be passing through any toll roads in Croatia (although there seem to be some further east of where I'll be). Slovenia and Austria seem to have this windscreen sticker called a vignette which are available online to buy. Anyway, my (stupid) question - does buying these vignettes cover the actual toll passages or are you just buying the vignette and then having to load it up with credit for to pass the tolls? Any feedback gratefully appreciated.

keithclancy

North by Northwest wrote: »

Hello all,

Am taking the plunge to see what driving on the right is like and taking a trip from Croatia's Istrian Riviera to Salzburg, Austria via Slovenia in September. Never driven in continental Europe before so am really looking forward to it (if a little nervous too). Has anybody got any experiences or tips? My main query relates to toll roads and paying for same. From what I can see I wont be passing through any toll roads in Croatia (although there seem to be some further east of where I'll be). Slovenia and Austria seem to have this windscreen sticker called a vignette which are available online to buy. Anyway, my (stupid) question - does buying these vignettes cover the actual toll passages or are you just buying the vignette and then having to load it up with credit for to pass the tolls? Any feedback gratefully appreciated.

You buy the sticker and you are good.

ncmc

In Italy, a lot of towns have a ZTL, basically an exclusion zone where cars are not allowed. Fines can be quite hefty if you drive in a ZTL and the clueless tourist defence doesn't wash!

CiniO

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

In Germany anyway:

That's very interested reading

Don't disconnect your brakelights and jam on for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
The excuse "He should be paying attention and since he rear-ended me, it's automatically and 100% his fault" doesn't wash.
You will be given at least 50% of the blame and might even be done for dangerous driving.
Same goes for jamming on for small animals. if you brake for a small animal and cause a crash, you are partially at fault.

Sounds great. Should be like that everywhere.

Also, driving at 40 km/h in a 100 km/h zone will get you pulled over and the excuse "Well, I have a God Given Right To Be On The Road" won't wash. Penalty for holding up traffic and maybe careless driving.

Very good.

Driving on the motorway in the rain: You need to adapt your speed to the condition, even though a lower limit for wet weather might not be posted, you can be done for inappropriate speed.

So if there is no speed limit, and you do 180km/h in the rain you can be done for speeding? Or is it some other offence (like dangerous driving)?
Does that apply also on lower speed limits.
F.e. posted 120km/h speed limit. You do 110km/h - can they pull you and tell you it was too fast and dangerous because road is wet or covered in snow or something?

Also, it may surprise people, but tailgating and flashing are very big no-no's and carry a fine and points.

Tailgating perfectly understandable for me.
What about quick gentle flash though?
Say you are on overtaking lane, and approach someone who forgot to move right and is hogging the overtaking lane even though driving lane is empty.
Are you not allowed to flash him gently to ask to move over?

If you decide to insult a policeman, consult the pricelist first. Each specific insult carries a fixed penalty. A quick outburst can become very expensive.;)

Could you link to any list of those offences? (even in German is fine as I could use google translator)

ianobrien

The speed limits for Finland are interesting. Everybody drives at the posted speed limit, or maybe creep to 5kph over. The minimum speed limit is 20kph under the posted speed limit (I know, friends of mine got a ticket for being 32kph under the posted speed limit. The fact that they were looking for a specific minor road didn't matter). All speed limits drop by 10kph in the rain. Finally, the speed limit of 60kph on unpaved roads is totally ignored!

Also, if you see a battered Volvo/Saab/Jap car coming up behind you on a gravel road driven by an 84 year old granny, pull over and leave her past. You are only holding her up and you won't be able to keep up. Don't embarrass yourself by trying to keep up!

tom_k

CiniO wrote: »

Could you link to any list of those offences? (even in German is fine as I could use google translator)

This old Pistonheads forum discussion describes various insults and gestures and the fines they can attract.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=769633&mid=0&i=0&nmt=Latest+German+list+of+fines+for+insults+whilst+driving&mid=0

It's backed up by this article (in German) which includes a reference to the "Stinkefinger" - the use of which could set you back €4000. A search will reveal many similar articles and criminal cases.

http://www.bussgeldkatalog-mpu.de/bussgeld/bussgeldkatalog/beleidigungen/index.php

It's worth noting that these fines apply generally and not just while motoring as insulting and threatening behaviour is taken very seriously in Germany. You can be fined for applying insults to private citizens the same as the police. Such offences are covered under Section 185 of the German criminal code.

This article gives a humourous presentation of gestures and words and the associated fines.

http://wahrer-wortwert.de/was-schimpfworte-kosten/

dr.fuzzenstein

CiniO wrote: »

So if there is no speed limit, and you do 180km/h in the rain you can be done for speeding? Or is it some other offence (like dangerous driving)?
Does that apply also on lower speed limits.
F.e. posted 120km/h speed limit. You do 110km/h - can they pull you and tell you it was too fast and dangerous because road is wet or covered in snow or something?

There will be signs with a speedlimit that say "Bei Nässe", according to a verdict the whole road will have to be covered with a film of water.
http://reinicke.adac-vertragsanwalt.de/verkehrsrecht/archiv/meldung/article/rechtstipp-geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung-bei-naesse.html

Tailgating perfectly understandable for me.
What about quick gentle flash though?
Say you are on overtaking lane, and approach someone who forgot to move right and is hogging the overtaking lane even though driving lane is empty.
Are you not allowed to flash him gently to ask to move over?

Yes, you are actually allowed. A quick flash or two is OK, but constant flashing, combined with tailgating, horn and finger could be seen as "Nötigung", intimidation.

http://www.t-online.de/auto/recht-verkehr/id_47212716/lichthupe-auf-der-autobahn-noetigung-oder-legitim-.html

Could you link to any list of those offences? (even in German is fine as I could use google translator)

I can tell you now that sticking out your tongue is €300, but here's the list:

http://www.bussgeldkatalog-mpu.de/bussgeld/bussgeldkatalog/beleidigungen/index.php


And at last some good news:
If you drive too slow in Germany and are holding up other cars, you can be fined the princely sum of €20!

Nach § 32 (2) StVO ist dies - ggf. i. V. m. §§ 24, 49 StVO - eine Verkehrsbehinderung und im BKat als TBA 103000 mit 20,00 € zu ahnden.

dr.fuzzenstein

Reminds me of the old German joke where someone calls a policeman asshole and gets fined 100 Deutschmark. He hands the judge 200 and says "and for that you're an asshole too!"