Glendog's Euro Road Trip 2012
 

Hi all,

Having been home for a week i have finally gotten round to sorting my photos from my summer drive to the Continent with the missus.

We took in a total of 8 countries with overnight stops in the following places:

Brugge, Belgium
Nürburg, Germany
Lucerne, Switzerland
Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Tarrenz, Austria
Munich, Germany (2 nights)
Cologne, Germany
Dazza's, England!

Departing Cornwall on a typically wet and shitty bank holiday Friday we missed our Eurotunnel crossing by over 3 hours due to bad traffic but managed to get to Brugge before midnight at least!

After the sightseeing of Brugge, it was on to the more familiar setting of the Ring where the weather was in the main rather wet! Thankfully it dried for a couple of hours early on the Saturday morning allowing some decent laps - my first in almost 18 months and first with Michelin Super Sports tyres! I noticed that the Ring Taxi has now switched back to the M5 with the arrival of the F10 model. Jochen was on hand as always to capture some quality shots! :smokin:

Wehrseifen
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/1.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/2.jpg

A 'lightened' CSL parked outside the Hotel Am Tiergarten
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/3.jpg

The obligatory BMW Test Centre photo...
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/4.jpg

After the Ring we headed south towards Switzerland and the Alps. The Alps are simply stunning and a place where the CSL is simply sublime to drive, particularly on the many switch-back roads and mountain passes. We were also exceptionally lucky to have clear blue skies the whole time we were there!

We drove the following passes amongst others:

Susten Pass
Grimsel Pass
Furka Pass
Saint Gothard Pass
Oberalp Pass
Stelvio Pass

Susten Pass
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/5.jpg

Grimsel Pass - looking ahead to Furka Pass
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/6.jpg

Looking back at the Grimsel Pass
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/7.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/8.jpg

Stelvio Pass
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...p%202012/9.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/10.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/11.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/12.jpg

After the scenery of the Alps it was time to begin heading north once more and back into Germany; via the BMW HQ in Munich of course! The museum and 'Welt' were brilliant and well worth a visit if you ever get the chance. My girlfriend Helen even enjoyed it and the city itself is well worth exploring.

BMW Museum
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/13.jpg

BMW Welt
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/14.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/15.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/18.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/22.jpg

Shame they used one of the slower black versions to display...
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/16.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/17.jpg

Batmobile!
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/19.jpg

Classic!
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/21.jpg

Awesome!
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/w...%202012/20.jpg

Finally, after some horrific German traffic jams and an all too brief overnight stop in Cologne, it was on to the Eurotunnel and our return to England via Dazza's place in Berkshire where i also met up with Bealo just before he returned to his ladyboys in Thailand! We eventually arrived home in Cornwall on the Sunday some 9 days after setting off and the CSL having covered almost 2750 miles - without missing a beat.

Now to start planning the next jaunt to Europe... :smokin:

Great pics, and that looks like a serious road-trip!

Next year it'll be 60+ CSLs doing a similar journey hopefully :thumbs::beer:

Good wright up Rob,looks an awesome trip:thumbs::thumbs:

That looks Epic rob, I've choking to do something like this and the CSL trip next year should hopefully tick that box for me and the Mrs. I'm just PRAYING that it will not fall in the middle of one of my offshore trips...

Well Jel...

Looks ace mate :thumbs:

Great write up and what routes and pictures :thumbs:

That looks like a superb road trip :supz:

How was the Stelvio Pass?
I've heard mixed reports about this one.

Great pictures!!!

Fist off i would like to say you are looking well Rob ( do you get any older )
:moan:

You should work for the tourist board m8 that looks like it was fun :partyman:
and some fantastic pix to boot, still shimmy has the euro csl trip in hand for 2013 cant wait the alps look like fun :supz:

:thumbs:

Great pics dude and great to catch up over :beer: been ages ... and good to tie it in with Stu being up

Euro road trips are awesome especially in a CSL .. do miss mine for the ' all round ' capabilities luggage space etc .. When Chloe is a tad older will get another under the belt... shame as would of been good to do the CSLR trip ( might try and go solo ) !

Great pictures. Never driven up those passes but have cycled up (and down :-D :-D ) most of them.

Glendog74s packing list for Euro road trip ?:

. Green T-shirts (2) - Check
. Cargo shorts - Check
. Driving shoes (flipflops) - Check
. Toothbrush
. Missus

Very nice pics Rob :thumbs:

You should drop a pm to meet for lunch/dinner in Luzern ;)

Glad U had a great EURO trip mate :thumbs: Swiss Mountain Passes are EPIC in the CSL :supz: :supz: :supz:

Nice pins mate....and the bird looks bang tidy too. :119:

nice one Rob, looks like you had fun ;)

Looks a great trip. Always wanted to do that route.

Similar trip
 

Leaving on friday down to Monte Carlo back through Alps 2x GT3 CSL hot Golf Gti should be good.:thumbs::partyman::partyman::partyman:

great pics, looked like a great trip.

What colour are they CSL wheels? look like a glossy anthricite? I like it!:smokin:

cool trip Rob:smt023

Nice report, I need to do something like this.

looks like an awesome trip!

what are your thoughts on the michelin super sports?

Great photos. And Stelvio Pass must was an amazing experience. Also the CSL outside the Hotel Am Tiergarten has a beautiful colour scheme..

Regards

Thanks for the comments boys - it was an awesome trip indeed!

Awesome mate - you need to do it!

Cheers Mark, lol!

It was great to catch up dude! Chloe is old enough now: Charlotte was only 5 months old when she went to the Ring for a week in 2009!

Lol! :-D

I thought you lived in Zurich?! :(

Cheers Shim! :smt055

Have a good 'un! :smokin:

They are a mix of faded gloss black paint and brake dust, lol!

I only managed to get 4 laps of the Ring in but they seemed very planted. They were certainly a lot better than my old PS2s ploughing through standing water on the Autobahn at 100 mph!!! :supz:

Just for you Shim... :wink:

you do know since the SteveCSL episode i do save all these pictures :)

Yeap,

Zurich - Luzern is 30 mins :-D

Well, i'm not forwarding the bedroom shots - before you ask! :bigcry:

D'oh! :banghead:

Epic Rob!:thumbs:Great pics. I really want to do an Alpine pass trip.:-D

P.S. Don't leave Shimmy alone with the Mrs.;):hahaha:

Or Rob. :thumbs:

He looks good in his uniform:drool::wink:

Great to see you again at Dazza's enjoyed the chinky and a bit of LPR. Great write up and photos and fingers crossed will be doing the same soon.

Bunch of :gayfight::gayfight:





















He is rather handsome in uniform.:smt055:hahaha:

Rob - you already know my opinion:beer:



very jealous indeed.............Mrs looks bang tidy:hahaha: :smokin:

Ditto mate! :beer:

Miss ya dude! :smt055

Miss ya too! :smt057