Road trip with convertible car

Time flies. March is very close, and in the end of  May we are flying to Malaga and starting a road trip with kids from Spain to Finland. The kids are now five and nine years old.

Last Summer we did a shorter road trip, driving in Sweden and Denmark. Our destination was Legoland Billund in Denmark. Now we are ready to drive through Europe in a droptop. And the car will become our own, which is nice too.

Road trip car

I haven't actually been thinking much about our road trip car. It's a convertible Mercedes Benz Cabriolet 320 CLK. Is it possible that it can break down on our road trip? This is something we need to think about. And check out in advance, that everything works before we start driving.

What is the best car for road trips? I guess it depends on where you drive and how much space is needed. If there are toddlers in the car, you need to think about car seats and the reliability of the car.
How to Take a Road Trip With Toddlers

Here are some car options for road trips.
Best cars for road trips

Is it different to do a road trip through Europe with a droptop than a regular car? I guess it is.

Here you can find some nice road trips for convertible cars. One of them is about Stelvio Pass at an altitude of 2,757 meters in Italy. It's one of the highest paved roads across the Alps.
The best convertible car road trips

I'm not sure yet what route we will take. That is something we have to find out sooner or later. We have been thinking about driving through the Alps. I will post our preliminary route here when we know. There are still many things to plan for the road trip.

What are the challenges of our road trip?

• We have to drive with the roof down, because of the luggage. Does it take some of the droptop driving feeling away?

• There isn't much space for luggage. Can we pack the things needed? This requires planning. What to take, and what to leave.

• The car can break down. I hope it happens (if it has to happen) in some nice place. Which could be Italy, close to a beach, thank you.

•  The kids can get bored.

•  I'm the one navigating. That is a challenge for sure.

• No internet connection.

What other challenges could there be?

Getaway to Tallinn

On Valentine's Day I went to Tallinn with my husband for one day. This time the kids stayed home with my parents. We have visited Estonia and especially Tallinn many times with the whole family. There are fun things to do and it's not very expensive.

One day getaway without kids

We took our car on the ferry, and traveled two hours to Tallinn. It's really handy to live nearby Helsinki, because you get to Estonia in only a few hours. In one day we had the opportunity to relax, sleep well, eat a nice breakfast an do some shopping.

Usually we go to the same hotel, because the spa there is really good. So we went to Hotel Kreutzwald and had a lava stone massage.

I didn't have much time to take pictures. The weather was also mostly a bit gray.

Do you have a favourite place or hotel in Tallinn?
 

Next week I will write again about our road trip.

Toll roads in Europe

There are quite a lot of toll roads in Europe. Toll roads are mostly motorways, expressways or ways that travel through tunnels.

From here it's possible to see all toll roads and estimate the expenses.

Europe toll roads

In a couple of places you may need to purchase a Vignette (toll sticker) instead. Tolls are paid in proportion to the distance traveled on each toll, especially this is so in Italy and France. In Denmark and Sweden it's mainly the major bridges that carry tolls.

There are usually options provided for cash and credit card payment, you have to choose the right lane for preferred method of payment.

Are the toll roads expensive? Some of them can be. For example in France the toll roads from Calais to Nice costs about 108 €.

Here you can find all important information about tolls roads in Europe.
Highway tolls in Europe

The route for road trip

Now it's time to start planning the route for our road trip. Which roads have the best landscapes?

Skyscanner listed the 20 best European road trips in 2019

• Germany: Autobahn
• Germany: Route 500
• Ireland: Ring of Kerry
• Italy: Amalfi Coast
• France: Les Corniches
• France: La Route Des Grandes Alpes
• Norway: Trollstigen
• Switzerland: Klausen Pass
• Portugal: Estoril Coast Drive
• France: Route Napoleon
• Germany: Romantic Road
• Italy: Great Dolomite Road
• Switzerland: Furka Pass
• Norway: Atlantic Road
• Italy: Stelvio Pass
• France: Col de Turini
• Romania: Transfagarasan (DN7C)
• Portugal: São Miguel Island
• Portugal: The Algarves
• Iceland: Ring Road

Exciting, can't wait to plan the route for our road trip in Europe.

This Friday, on Valentine's Day we'll make a short getaway with husband southwards.

Speed limits and car equipment

Amazing, it's already February and our road trip is getting closer.

Now it's time to think about speed limits in different countries and car equipment.

Speed limits

In EU Member States there is a general speed limit for motorways. The speed limit is mostly 120 or 130 km/h. Germany has a recommended speed of 130 km/h and no general speed limit for motorways. For rural roads the general speed limit in EU Member States is mostly 80 or 90 km/h and for urban roads 50 km/h.

List of speed limits throughout Europe

Car equipment requirements

From 1 July 2012, all cars in France must have a working breathalyser in it, ready to be used.

Compulsory or recommended equipment for European countries:

• First Aid Kit
• Fire Extinguisher
• Warning Triangle (compulsory in most European countries)
• Spare Bulbs
• Headlamp Adjustment

The requirements are a bit different for every country.
Car equipment requirements

Driving from Denmark to Sweden last Summer