Ever wondered like me! what the massive building under construction and nearing completion next to the motorway near Frankfurt airport is?
I found this link, sorry its in German but i think you get the idea!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5X7I7DnlFc
stewarty
Up-to-date hints on hungary/romania route to bg
Moderator: Moderator
hi,stewarty
the video clip is of the offices and hotel complex.
kmpg is a global tax and company consultant,they wont talk to you unless you do 10million + a year(my son used to be manager)
if its new buildings i presume as next to airport it is more of the same very exspensive real estate office/hotels
the video clip is of the offices and hotel complex.
kmpg is a global tax and company consultant,they wont talk to you unless you do 10million + a year(my son used to be manager)
if its new buildings i presume as next to airport it is more of the same very exspensive real estate office/hotels
Just thought I’d leave a comment on our experience using the Svishtov/Zimnicea ferry.
On the way to Bulgaria our plan was to catch the 9pm ferry. We didn’t reach Alexandria until 8.50 pm and with Zimnicea still some 30 miles away gave up the idea as we didn’t fancy trying to find it in the dark and then have to wait for the 1am ferry. We also didn’t fancy having to drive all the way up to Bucharest but we had a Romanian road map with us that showed a road halfway between Alexandria and the Bucharest ring road (off the main E70/6) at a village called Ghimpati [the 5B] leading directly to Giurgui so we decided to give this a try. This road wasn’t on our sat nav (nor were there any roads mapped to Zimnicea). It cuts across country and was in a good state of repair and we’d definitely consider going this way again.
On the way back from Bulgaria we planned on catching the 7am ferry. We reached Svishtov itself at 6.15am and had to ask at a petrol station where to find the ferry as there were no obvious signs from the way we came into Svishtov. Forget that it’s called the International Port Svishtov because there is nothing international-looking about it! You arrive at the docks, turn right and follow a smallish sign post to the ferry. Having got there at 6.20 we then had to wait at a barrier for ten minutes for the customs personnel to arrive (once the ferry arrives and they have checked everyone they then drive off until the ferry returns from Zimnicea). The customs officers were very thorough; with the car in particular. Passports were checked and then the car documents including the receipts and barcode for the vignette. It looked as if our Audi was being checked against a computer database.
Once cleared by customs we drove over to another portacabin to pay for the ferry. The car and two passengers cost 8 euro. Other than us there was one other car, some foot passengers and a lorry. Because you drive on ‘across’ the ferry and not ‘along’ the ferry there’s only space for one lorry and it gets loaded last as it has no room to manoeuvre. We left Svishtov at 7.05am and arrived at Zimnicea at 7.40am. The lorry being last on was first off.
The customs officers here also arrive just as the ferry does and they too are very thorough. We had to wait patiently whilst the lorry was checked. Again the Audi documents were closely examined and it looked as if it was being cross-referenced on a computer system. A customs officer also recorded the car registration in a notebook. Last May when we had driven over in the Audi we’d been stopped and fined for not having lights on. We couldn’t pay the fine because we didn’t have any Lei and the policeman eventually told us to go away. I’d half-expected the check our car was going through to highlight this outstanding fine, but it didn’t. By the time we left the docks it was 7.55am, so from first arriving at Svishtov to being able to go on our way had taken just over 1 ½ hours.
The road from the port to the town of Zimnicea and onwards to Alexandria isn’t clearly sign-posted. With the road map and sat nav of no use we had to go with intuition as much as anything else. We must have taken a wrong road as we found ourselves driving down all sort of back streets until eventually coming out onto the main road from Zimnicea to Alexandria. Having seen it in daylight we are pleased we hadn’t driven down it in the dark. Half of its length (the Zimnicea end) is scabby and pot-holed. It took us 50 minutes from leaving the port to do the thirty miles to Alexandria.
At the time, we decided we wouldn’t bother with this ferry again. It’s difficult making route comparisons because we haven’t done the same route twice, at the same time of day or in the same vehicle but we saved about 75 miles by not going via Ruse and Bucharest. This in itself would generate a time saving of between 1 – 2 hours, however we spent 1 ½ hours between arriving at Svishtov and leaving Zimnicea so we didn't gain anything significant overall on the days travelling. This break from driving would have been more beneficial had it been in the middle of the drive but for us we'd only been on the road one hour!
M
On the way to Bulgaria our plan was to catch the 9pm ferry. We didn’t reach Alexandria until 8.50 pm and with Zimnicea still some 30 miles away gave up the idea as we didn’t fancy trying to find it in the dark and then have to wait for the 1am ferry. We also didn’t fancy having to drive all the way up to Bucharest but we had a Romanian road map with us that showed a road halfway between Alexandria and the Bucharest ring road (off the main E70/6) at a village called Ghimpati [the 5B] leading directly to Giurgui so we decided to give this a try. This road wasn’t on our sat nav (nor were there any roads mapped to Zimnicea). It cuts across country and was in a good state of repair and we’d definitely consider going this way again.
On the way back from Bulgaria we planned on catching the 7am ferry. We reached Svishtov itself at 6.15am and had to ask at a petrol station where to find the ferry as there were no obvious signs from the way we came into Svishtov. Forget that it’s called the International Port Svishtov because there is nothing international-looking about it! You arrive at the docks, turn right and follow a smallish sign post to the ferry. Having got there at 6.20 we then had to wait at a barrier for ten minutes for the customs personnel to arrive (once the ferry arrives and they have checked everyone they then drive off until the ferry returns from Zimnicea). The customs officers were very thorough; with the car in particular. Passports were checked and then the car documents including the receipts and barcode for the vignette. It looked as if our Audi was being checked against a computer database.
Once cleared by customs we drove over to another portacabin to pay for the ferry. The car and two passengers cost 8 euro. Other than us there was one other car, some foot passengers and a lorry. Because you drive on ‘across’ the ferry and not ‘along’ the ferry there’s only space for one lorry and it gets loaded last as it has no room to manoeuvre. We left Svishtov at 7.05am and arrived at Zimnicea at 7.40am. The lorry being last on was first off.
The customs officers here also arrive just as the ferry does and they too are very thorough. We had to wait patiently whilst the lorry was checked. Again the Audi documents were closely examined and it looked as if it was being cross-referenced on a computer system. A customs officer also recorded the car registration in a notebook. Last May when we had driven over in the Audi we’d been stopped and fined for not having lights on. We couldn’t pay the fine because we didn’t have any Lei and the policeman eventually told us to go away. I’d half-expected the check our car was going through to highlight this outstanding fine, but it didn’t. By the time we left the docks it was 7.55am, so from first arriving at Svishtov to being able to go on our way had taken just over 1 ½ hours.
The road from the port to the town of Zimnicea and onwards to Alexandria isn’t clearly sign-posted. With the road map and sat nav of no use we had to go with intuition as much as anything else. We must have taken a wrong road as we found ourselves driving down all sort of back streets until eventually coming out onto the main road from Zimnicea to Alexandria. Having seen it in daylight we are pleased we hadn’t driven down it in the dark. Half of its length (the Zimnicea end) is scabby and pot-holed. It took us 50 minutes from leaving the port to do the thirty miles to Alexandria.
At the time, we decided we wouldn’t bother with this ferry again. It’s difficult making route comparisons because we haven’t done the same route twice, at the same time of day or in the same vehicle but we saved about 75 miles by not going via Ruse and Bucharest. This in itself would generate a time saving of between 1 – 2 hours, however we spent 1 ½ hours between arriving at Svishtov and leaving Zimnicea so we didn't gain anything significant overall on the days travelling. This break from driving would have been more beneficial had it been in the middle of the drive but for us we'd only been on the road one hour!
M
Driving Uk to Varna in October
Anyone got any information on present road conditions for the journey on The "Hungary-Rumanian route.
Not driven there before but thought it might make a change.
Also any good overnight stopover places.anyone can recommend
Thankyou all
Vjay
Not driven there before but thought it might make a change.
Also any good overnight stopover places.anyone can recommend
Thankyou all
Vjay
route to bg
Hi VJay, not long got back from there after a month away. i have posted a few times recently about the route, and this is the one i took as always.
Dover Dunkirk, head towards brussels, pick up Antwerp, AAchen, Koln, Frankfurt, Nurnberg, Munchen, Vienna, Gyor, Budapest, Gyula, Arad, Deva, Sibiu, Rimini Valchea, Pitesti, Bucharest, Giurgio, Russe bg, from there you can head towards varna/sofia, depending where you want to end up.
We left the uk on monday, france monday pm and went a slightly different route on the way down because of visiting relatives in Vidin, so caught the calafat ferry.
For Koln we went into the town to get a hotel, for vienna, just near the airport was a services with a hotel ( both around 100euros ) there are cheaper if you look, ( you can get an idea from the internet for the BB group of hotels which are around half the price and recommended ) in hungary the hotels are cheap, as are romania. I was very impressed with the roads in romania ( only the main route ones ) and saw how they have advanced since i last drove 5 yrs ago. The villages were tidy, no kids begging for sweets, the hotels were great, will take euros, although i did go into one town to withdraw some Lei ( rumo money ) as you would expect, you can use a credit/debit card in most of the modern fuel stations, but the exchange rate is crap, ( do it on the frontier )
good luck
bon voyage
Dover Dunkirk, head towards brussels, pick up Antwerp, AAchen, Koln, Frankfurt, Nurnberg, Munchen, Vienna, Gyor, Budapest, Gyula, Arad, Deva, Sibiu, Rimini Valchea, Pitesti, Bucharest, Giurgio, Russe bg, from there you can head towards varna/sofia, depending where you want to end up.
We left the uk on monday, france monday pm and went a slightly different route on the way down because of visiting relatives in Vidin, so caught the calafat ferry.
For Koln we went into the town to get a hotel, for vienna, just near the airport was a services with a hotel ( both around 100euros ) there are cheaper if you look, ( you can get an idea from the internet for the BB group of hotels which are around half the price and recommended ) in hungary the hotels are cheap, as are romania. I was very impressed with the roads in romania ( only the main route ones ) and saw how they have advanced since i last drove 5 yrs ago. The villages were tidy, no kids begging for sweets, the hotels were great, will take euros, although i did go into one town to withdraw some Lei ( rumo money ) as you would expect, you can use a credit/debit card in most of the modern fuel stations, but the exchange rate is crap, ( do it on the frontier )
good luck
bon voyage
The previous poster gives the route, so i wont add more, only to say there are a few road works thro the mountains in Romania if your doing then Ruse route, but not too long stopages, its always best to plan this route on a sunday when are are less lorries. I have just driven back the Vidin/Calafat route for the 1st time and i must say the scenery is better, the roads are less busy, especially from Vidin thro Bulgaria, it takes the same time and is more or less the same distance, it depends on choice. On route we use www.booking.com or www.cultbay.com for hotels.
exploration of Romania & Hungary
We are going for a bit of an exploration about Romania. We are going up via Russe to Bucharest and looking for somewhere cheap and cheerful to stay for the night or camp _> can get no response from casa alba the one campsite in the guide books. Must allow dogs as our 3 are coming with us!
Then we are heading to Bran and Dracula's lair for a couple of days - lots of campsites there.
Then want to visit Sighirousria (?) for a couple of hours. After that we were were going to head straight on to Ordea and stay somewhere around there (think there is a dutch run campsite, although again do not respond to emails) and then drive down Romania side of border and enter at Gyula.
But would it be better to go from Sighirousia to Deva and to Gyula that way? Via Michelin and Google says takes a couple of hours longer? Are roads ok?
Then we are heading to Bran and Dracula's lair for a couple of days - lots of campsites there.
Then want to visit Sighirousria (?) for a couple of hours. After that we were were going to head straight on to Ordea and stay somewhere around there (think there is a dutch run campsite, although again do not respond to emails) and then drive down Romania side of border and enter at Gyula.
But would it be better to go from Sighirousia to Deva and to Gyula that way? Via Michelin and Google says takes a couple of hours longer? Are roads ok?
-
Halaku
Hi Everyone,
I will be driving to Bulgaria via the Romania/Hungary route and will be setting off on friday. As it's the first time I've driven an a journey this long, I'm a little apprehensive....
What is the situation in Europe regarding service stations? Say I'm feeling tired and want to have a few hours sleep, is there anywhere I can go?
What are the best options with regards to navigation?
What is the situation with toll roads? How much will I have to pay and in which countries/roads?
Thanks
I will be driving to Bulgaria via the Romania/Hungary route and will be setting off on friday. As it's the first time I've driven an a journey this long, I'm a little apprehensive....
What is the situation in Europe regarding service stations? Say I'm feeling tired and want to have a few hours sleep, is there anywhere I can go?
What are the best options with regards to navigation?
What is the situation with toll roads? How much will I have to pay and in which countries/roads?
Thanks
Resting
Hi, when I do the trip, I usually stop every 3 hours, to stretch my legs, there are plenty of good laybys to stop in all the way. Lots of them have toilet facilities as well just keep an eye out for the signs. When I need to I stop, crack open the window a little, lock the car doors and have a sleep. 2 or 3 hours and im ready for the off again. I must admit though that there is nothing better than stopping in a hotel and having a good nights rest. Lots of places to stay, the signs have beds on them if there are sleeping facilities not a problem. There are plenty of service stations but I never let my fuel get too low because you never know how far the next one will be.
DO NOT FORGET TO BUY YOUR VIGNETTES IN AUSTRIA, HUNGRY AND ROMANIA it just isnt worth not having them they cost at most 8 euros and if you dont buy them you will be fined. Once when we came over just before the Austrian/Hungarian border they had closed the motorway and diverted the traffic up into a huge stop over and the police were checking every vehicle for their vignettes, the fine is large and its on the spot paying. They have machines that take bank cards now.
Have a good safe journey, I will be doing it soon, but the other way round, bg to uk.
DO NOT FORGET TO BUY YOUR VIGNETTES IN AUSTRIA, HUNGRY AND ROMANIA it just isnt worth not having them they cost at most 8 euros and if you dont buy them you will be fined. Once when we came over just before the Austrian/Hungarian border they had closed the motorway and diverted the traffic up into a huge stop over and the police were checking every vehicle for their vignettes, the fine is large and its on the spot paying. They have machines that take bank cards now.
Have a good safe journey, I will be doing it soon, but the other way round, bg to uk.
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