# Advice on driving to Greece please.



## Harleyboygaz3 (Sep 4, 2019)

Have been doing some research on driving to Greece but have a couple of reservations so some advice from anyone would be greatly appreciative. So looking maybe latter part of next year leaving from Portugal straight through Spain and France into Italy where we were thinking of spending a bit of time round lake Guarda. Then onto Venice then into Slovenia then through to Croatia and Montenegro  spending a bit of time in each. From there we get to Albania of which I wouldn’t mind travelling through but my insurance company doesn’t cover for. SO, I’m thinking from here, what are your views/ experiences of going via Kosova into Macedonia to Greece? I was also looking at maybe getting ferries from Italy either Venice, Ancona etc. To Patras but all looked quite expensive  to me? We have no real time schedule and are exempt the 90 day stay in Europe as we are residents of Pt. and our van is Portuguese registered. Any suggestions,ideas extremely thankful.

Gary


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## witzend (Sep 4, 2019)

Depends if you want to drive thru the Balkins there was a member on here called Rottiontour who posted several routes with stopover cords to Greece from Germany. We have a insurance issue with driving as you have so we use the ferry from Venice to Igonmenitsa we found that the extra insurance and fuel to drive made the ferry price reasonable


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## Harleyboygaz3 (Sep 4, 2019)

witzend said:


> Depends if you want to drive thru the Balkins there was a member on here called Rottiontour who posted several routes with stopover cords to Greece from Germany. We have a insurance issue with driving as you have so we use the ferry from Venice to Igonmenitsa we found that the extra insurance and fuel to drive made the ferry price reasonable



Thanks for the reply, I had figured that from Venice to Igoumenitsa would be approximately 2000kms inc. return  which would equate to approximately €550 in fuel, that is if I were to go via Balkans. I checked price for return and was about €700 , I guess the advantage with driving would be we would get to see a lot more of five different countries of which I have never been too. Just wondering more about travelling through the Balkans, being safe etc.?

Thanks Gary


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## witzend (Sep 5, 2019)

Here's Bernds  (Rotti's) blog with his route thru to Greece  Off....to the dogs of Crete


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## jenks (Sep 5, 2019)

You can buy insurance at the borders - we paid 40Euro for Albania in a car last year. Macedonia is ok, but I find stopping in towns etc dodgy, driving back through Serbia the advice from the border guards on the way in was stick to motorway and only get fuel at big named services.... didn't feel safe at all. Kosovo is a lovely country but keep all doors locked when driving through the towns and cities. You'll also get fleeced a couple of Euro every traffic light in town for a screen wash. 

For Montenegro check the route carefully, sat nav's love the mountain passes which are hard work in a car let alone motorhome.

Good luck for your travels plan well and enjoy!


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## Harleyboygaz3 (Sep 5, 2019)

jenks said:


> You can buy insurance at the borders - we paid 40Euro for Albania in a car last year. Macedonia is ok, but I find stopping in towns etc dodgy, driving back through Serbia the advice from the border guards on the way in was stick to motorway and only get fuel at big named services.... didn't feel safe at all. Kosovo is a lovely country but keep all doors locked when driving through the towns and cities. You'll also get fleeced a couple of Euro every traffic light in town for a screen wash.
> 
> For Montenegro check the route carefully, sat nav's love the mountain passes which are hard work in a car let alone motorhome.
> 
> Good luck for your travels plan well and enjoy!



Thanks for info., yes I have read about buying insurance on borders but I thought would give that one a miss for Albania tbh. There must be a reason why Albania is exempt on my insurance, which incidentally covers pretty much everywhere in Europe including Morocco.. I also heard somewhere of motorhomes getting pulled by Albanian officials demanding money in cash for certain reasons just made me feel a little uneasy.  I guess it’s a bit of a gamble which ever way I go?


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## mikal83 (Sep 5, 2019)

*greece*

We towed our caravan down from Calais to southern Greece last year via. Lux, Salz, Ljub, Zag, Split, Dub, along the Monty coast, up to Shkoder, down the rd to just outside Tirana, down to Gjiro and across into Greece. Was easy except the mountain from the coast over the top into Shkoder was a good un. Delays on both the Monty border and Albanian border AND greek was hours. Insurance bought at the border. If you wish to know in detail, Holler.

Mike


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## witzend (Sep 5, 2019)

jenks said:


> You can buy insurance at the borders - we paid 40Euro for Albania in a car last year.



You also have to consider Health and breakdown insurance The insurance bought at the border is only 3rd party so nothing for your car/van.


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## Harleyboygaz3 (Sep 5, 2019)

witzend said:


> You also have to consider Health and breakdown insurance The insurance bought at the border is only 3rd party so nothing for your car/van.



Hadn’t really thought about health insurance as we don’t have any here anyway, maybe something worth looking into.Vehicle Insurance here in Portugal is all 3rd party anyway ,UNLESS you’re vehicle is newer than 8 years old you can get comprehensive. Breakdown also they won’t do for me as MH is over 7m which is a nuisance but hopefully being an old low mileage Merc. and is well maintained should be ok. Was going to join ADAC for cover end of last year but they have stopped taking on customers outside of Germany :mad1:


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## ScoTTyBEEE (Sep 7, 2019)

Ferry from Barcelona via Sardinia to near Rome and ferry the other side. Sod driving S.France and N.Italy, boring and expensive.


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## Harleyboygaz3 (Sep 7, 2019)

ScoTTyBEEE said:


> Ferry from Barcelona via Sardinia to near Rome and ferry the other side. Sod driving S.France and N.Italy, boring and expensive.



Interesting, always fancied Sardinia and certainly Rome would like to hear more please. Any idea on costs of ferry from the other side? I’m guessing  maybe it’s Ancona to Patras maybe? If so I’ve already checked that one out and seems expensive from what I’ve seen. Have been told Northern Italy , lake Guarda etc. stunning,including my parents who have been? I had a holiday home in Northern Tuscany near La Spezia 15 years ago and loved the area but didn’t see Northern Italy so quite fancied having a look. 

Gary


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