Calais to Poland on one tank of diesel - possible?

polan

Hey guys, I've thought of a brilliant adventure for myself which is Calais to Poland on a single tank of fuel!

Question is - would it be possible to do it!

Distance from Auchan filling station in Calais to Swiecko (Polish-German border) is exactly 1000 kms.

A 99 Passat 1.9 TDI has a 62 litre diesel tank.

With an average of 5.5l/100kms in theory it would be possible, but what do you reckon?

Always wanted to do a road trip adventure

Kristopherus

Send a pm to Snaps. He is a Boardie. He lived in Mayo and is now in his native Poland. He may very well know.

polan

polan wrote: »

............

Distance from Auchan filling station in Calais to Swiecko (Polish-German border) is exactly 1000 kms.

A 99 Passat 1.9 TDI has a 62 litre diesel tank.

With an average of 5.5l/100kms in theory it would be possible, but what do you reckon?........

Depends on traffic etc obviously, with your figures of 5.5l/100kms you'll have 7l spare.

I've never had a 1.9TDi Passat but I reckon you're not being anyway conservative with the consumption.

600 mile spin is a 600 mile spin, wouldn't be getting any satisfaction from how much fuel I used on it personally.

Different folks and all that.

Eric Cartman

e65 730d, 88 litre tank , average tank trip at 8l/100km is 1100km , mostly motorway you may even have fuel left over.

CiniO

polan wrote: »

Hey guys, I've thought of a brilliant adventure for myself which is Calais to Poland on a single tank of fuel!

Question is - would it be possible to do it!

Distance from Auchan filling station in Calais to Swiecko (Polish-German border) is exactly 1000 kms.

A 99 Passat 1.9 TDI has a 62 litre diesel tank.

With an average of 5.5l/100kms in theory it would be possible, but what do you reckon?

Always wanted to do a road trip adventure

Well, if your Passat if capable of doing 5.5l/100km (51mpg), then surely you can do it.
However why punish yourself and drive only at around 100-120km/h in Germany, while you could bomb it at 200km/h

CiniO

Kristopherus wrote: »

Send a pm to Snaps. He is a Boardie. He lived in Mayo and is now in his native Poland. He may very well know.

He lives in Poland, but he is not Polish. He is from Ireland.

polan

Eric Cartman wrote: »

e65 730d, 88 litre tank , average tank trip at 8l/100km is 1100km , mostly motorway you may even have fuel left over.

730d may have the range but the point of the trip is to do it on a budget
730d would certainly be a nice place to do it in but hardly on a budget :P

CiniO wrote: »

Well, if your Passat if capable of doing 5.5l/100km (51mpg), then surely you can do it.
However why punish yourself and drive only at around 100-120km/h in Germany, while you could bomb it at 200km/h

I don't know if it's capable, but that's what the manufacturer suggests

I plan to buy the car, drive it to Poland, come back and sell it for perhaps more than I bought it for

Victor

You might be able to do it, but (a) be prepared to fill up at some point (b) carry some spare (c) where will the fuel be cheapest?

CiniO wrote: »

in Germany ... you could bomb it

The residents won't like this.

polan

polan wrote: »

..........

A 99 Passat 1.9 TDI.........

polan wrote: »

.........

I plan to buy the car, drive it to Poland, come back and sell it for perhaps more than I bought it for

Could be a few hundred to be made if you buy off someone looking for a quick sale and sell to someone quite keen on 99 Passats.

CiniO

polan wrote: »

I plan to buy the car, drive it to Poland, come back and sell it for perhaps more than I bought it for

Where do you want to buy it? Ireland or France?
Where do you want to sell it? Poland, France or Ireland?

polan

Buy and sell it in Ireland.

FortySeven

I've driven to Poland and back a few times in a petrol bmw 5 series. You will stop and start a lot in the initial traffic off the ferry for a good hour. Germany is difficult to drive slow. Remember toilet, coffee, food breaks. Also, there is nothing at the border you mention. Still a good drive to civilisation in Poland.

It is a long, boring drive and I was in a tuned petrol bmw with very expensive suspension and very comfortable seats. Not sure you'd enjoy it in a passat diesel.

XsApollo

I've done that journey many times.
You would be doing very well to do what your saying.
You would need to be doing 90 to 100km/hr for the whole journey, which when going through Germany would be more of an achievement I think than doing the trip on one tank:-P

polan

FortySeven wrote: »

I've driven to Poland and back a few times in a petrol bmw 5 series. You will stop and start a lot in the initial traffic off the ferry for a good hour. Germany is difficult to drive slow. Remember toilet, coffee, food breaks. Also, there is nothing at the border you mention. Still a good drive to civilisation in Poland.

It is a long, boring drive and I was in a tuned petrol bmw with very expensive suspension and very comfortable seats. Not sure you'd enjoy it in a passat diesel.

I've went three times. Once in a MK4 Golf, once in a V50 Volvo and once in an E46 Coupe, but I've never thought about any challenges.

CiniO

polan wrote: »

Buy and sell it in Ireland.

You might do Calais - Swiecko on one tank as you say, but in general, account about 300 - 350 euro each way for the journey, and that's the most budget option for one person (assuming you take your own sandwiches and coffee in a flask )

If you think you can buy 99 Passat and sell it for about 700 more when you return, then you'll have your journey for free.

polan

CiniO wrote: »

You might do Calais - Swiecko on one tank as you say, but in general, account about 300 - 350 euro each way for the journey, and that's the most budget option for one person (assuming you take your own sandwiches and coffee in a flask )

If you think you can buy 99 Passat and sell it for about 700 more when you return, then you'll have your journey for free.

I don't expect it to be free, no, but wouldn't mind getting back a few quid

CiniO

FortySeven wrote: »

I've driven to Poland and back a few times in a petrol bmw 5 series. You will stop and start a lot in the initial traffic off the ferry for a good hour. Germany is difficult to drive slow. Remember toilet, coffee, food breaks. Also, there is nothing at the border you mention. Still a good drive to civilisation in Poland.

It is a long, boring drive and I was in a tuned petrol bmw with very expensive suspension and very comfortable seats. Not sure you'd enjoy it in a passat diesel.

I've driven between Mayo and Poland or back around 15 times by now, and never seen start-stop traffic off the ferry for an hour.
If I ever had any delays it was mostly in UK on M6 or M1. Few times on Dartford crossing around London, and once in Germany due to accident 2 hours delay. Beside that, all journeys went smooth without any delays.
Quickest I did was 33 hours from south-eastern Poland to western Mayo (2500km). Slowest was 4 days

Average cost around 500 euro each way.

It's funny OP is asking about doing the distance on one tank, as I traveled from Mayo to Poland a month ago, and had to fill up 8 times on the way.
Nightmare.

polan

Calais to the Border though

Ireland to Calais is a different story altogether

gar32

This may help

Google

top gear london to edinburgh one tank

Lot's of tips but again he near went over 2000 rpm


Also read up on "hypermiling"

You can do it if you want

Good luck.

Mycroft H

I reckon it could be done.

Sure as long as your slightly faster than the lorries, it shouldn't be a problem.

pablo128

I didn't even make Dublin - Silverstone - Dublin on a full tank in an Avensis D4D. Mind you, it was loaded to the bollix with 4 lads and a weekends worth of camping gear. And 6 slabs of gargle!

80 mph most the way didn't help either, now that I think about it.:pac:

CiniO

Mycroft H wrote: »

I reckon it could be done.

Sure as long as your slightly faster than the lorries, it shouldn't be a problem.

Most lorries travel at 90km/h on the Continent, and this is probably the most fuel-saving speed for most cars. Driving with the lorries wouldn't be a bad idea.

Obviously cars are different.
In some increasing from 90 to 120km/h won't make any significent fuel consumption hike.

F.e. my civic 2.2 diesel would do about 5 l/100km on motorway at 90km/h. If I decide to drive at 120km/h it rises up to 5.5 l/100km so difference is quite negligible.
But if I drive at 140km/h then it's already up at 7 l/100km.
At 200km/h we are talking over 12 l/100km.

In other car though I've driven recently (Pajero Pinin 1.8 petrol), it was about 8.5 l/100km at 90km/h. At 110km/h it was already at 10.5 l/100km. And at 130 km/h it was around 14 l/100km.
So while in Civic it's not worth driving at 90km/h instead of 120km/h because fuel savings are very little, but in above Pinin, driving with the trucks at 90km/h is actually i big saving in fuel comaring with driving at around 110 - 120km/h.

FortySeven

I misread the op. Thought it was cherbourg . 1 hour traffic would not happen from Calais. My mistake. I usually take the overnight to cherbourg to get a fresh morning run across the mainland.

FortySeven

I won't post my mpg from my 3 litre v8 and lead boots :-)

Victor

Oh, what happens to your fuel economy if it is -15 degrees outside?

Also factor in the costs of making the vehicle road legal in those countries.

CiniO

Victor wrote: »

Oh, what happens to your fuel economy if it is -15 degrees outside?

On longer journey - nothing.

Fuel economy can be affected by low temperatures in short distance city driving.
It takes much longer for engine to warm up, and also engine burns significently more fuel, just after cold start as oil is fairly thick.
The colder the worst it will affect fuel economy.
But once you drove for 20 minutes and engine is fully warmed up, fuel economy will be the same, no matter if it's +40 or -30 outside.

Also factor in the costs of making the vehicle road legal in those countries.

What do you mean by that?

All those countries are EU countries, and obviously signatories of Vienna Convention of Road Traffic from 1968.
For vehicle to be road legal in international traffic, it needs to fulfill technical requirements from country of registration. Also driver needs to carry registration cert with him. Nothing more to that really.

dr.fuzzenstein

Mycroft H wrote: »

I reckon it could be done.

Sure as long as your slightly faster than the lorries, it shouldn't be a problem.

OP would have to swim along with lorries, overtaking would not be an option.

FortySeven

CiniO wrote: »

On longer journey - nothing.

Fuel economy can be affected by low temperatures in short distance city driving.
It takes much longer for engine to warm up, and also engine burns significently more fuel, just after cold start as oil is fairly thick.
The colder the worst it will affect fuel economy.
But once you drove for 20 minutes and engine is fully warmed up, fuel economy will be the same, no matter if it's +40 or -30 outside.




What do you mean by that?

All those countries are EU countries, and obviously signatories of Vienna Convention of Road Traffic from 1968.
For vehicle to be road legal in international traffic, it needs to fulfill technical requirements from country of registration. Also driver needs to carry registration cert with him. Nothing more to that really.

I believe you need to carry a full set of bulbs, a high vis jacket, a breathalysor and an extra warning triangle in France. not sure, just off the top of my head.

ION08

Yes it can probably be done but it sounds like a really sh*t "road trip adventure"

Why would you put yourself through that agony dwelling over your consumption and focusing on your fuel needle when instead you could just drive normally, enjoy the drive and... God Forbid.... put a bit of diesel in her if she needs it!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

dr.fuzzenstein

ION08 wrote: »

Yes it can probably be done but it sounds like a really sh*t "road trip adventure"

Why would you put yourself through that agony dwelling over your consumption and focusing on your fuel needle when instead you could just drive normally, enjoy the drive and... God Forbid.... put a bit of diesel in her if she needs it!

Maybe next time he can try to do the A7 in record time?

Wx

polan wrote: »

Hey guys, I've thought of a brilliant adventure for myself which is Calais to Poland on a single tank of fuel!

Question is - would it be possible to do it!

Distance from Auchan filling station in Calais to Swiecko (Polish-German border) is exactly 1000 kms.

A 99 Passat 1.9 TDI has a 62 litre diesel tank.

With an average of 5.5l/100kms in theory it would be possible, but what do you reckon?

Always wanted to do a road trip adventure

What's your usual usage?

Only saw original post and so the above question


If the only question is; can it be done?, very probably.

Have driven Calais Poznan and Calais Oswiecim and to the best of my recollection the only drawbacks were about 4 or 5 major city /intersections with slow traffic but even then knee there are not stoppages you should be okay. Of course time of departure from Calais should be a major consideration.

Del2005

Fred Swanson wrote: »

That only applies to French registered vehicles.

Nope any road user in France has to carry all that, bar the breathalyser, and the French police do check.

The OP sounds like the worst nightmare I could think of. Driving pure motorways for 1000km as slowly as possible stuck in the middle of HGVs for 10 plus hours. I did the guts of 1000km on a bike across France in a day and was struggling to stay awake and that was with fuel stops around every 120km, would be really tiring in a car.

Terrontress

Here is someone who did something similar in aPassat.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/news/sunday-times-tank-range-world-record.html

A newer model, granted.

I can't really see what you hope to achieve. Are you driving to Poland just to measure the economy, or are you going there anyway?

When Jeremy Clarkson did it, I'd imagine that the boredom was awful and he had producers to make it seem exciting.


One of three things will happen; you'll either make it there on one tank and wonder what all the fuss was about, or you'll get so low on diesel that you fill up and wonder why you bothered to drive like a lorry for the past 650km or you'll run out of diesel and feel like a tool.

corks finest

CiniO wrote: »

I've driven between Mayo and Poland or back around 15 times by now, and never seen start-stop traffic off the ferry for an hour.
If I ever had any delays it was mostly in UK on M6 or M1. Few times on Dartford crossing around London, and once in Germany due to accident 2 hours delay. Beside that, all journeys went smooth without any delays.
Quickest I did was 33 hours from south-eastern Poland to western Mayo (2500km). Slowest was 4 days

Average cost around 500 euro each way.

It's funny OP is asking about doing the distance on one tank, as I traveled from Mayo to Poland a month ago, and had to fill up 8 times on the way.
Nightmare.

Must have been pushing the car to take so long,drove from Cherbourg to Romania in 32 hours,coffee, coffee, red,bull,water,water,pajero sport commercial, pre sat nav days

pcardin

Del2005 wrote: »

Nope any road user in France has to carry all that, bar the breathalyser, and the French police do check.

True. But very unlikely to happen in this scenario, unless check point is set right in port territory. Calais to Belgium border is just over 50km motorway driving only.

That however only covers the breathalyzer issue, you still need to carry around bulbs and high viz jacket. I do carry them every year but have never been stopped and checked.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

pcardin

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

in this scenario the only toll road would start after crossing German/Poland border.