Trip to Bulgaria

[Satellitemark]

Hi all,

I've just driven from Wales to Bulgaria for the second time in my wife's B9 and the whole journey went without issue apart from finding I needed new rear pads as I entered Bulgaria , I took a executive decision to carry on for the remainder of the journey around 5 hours to the coast, I had them replaced while I waited this afternoon. They fitted TRW pads and had it done within a hour for 124 bgn which comes out at £56.61 all in. I thought that was a very good deal, I had replaced the front pads before I left , if I had known I would of done the rears too ! No scrub that if I'd known I could get someone else to do it for £56 I would of let them do it !


Mark

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[Gravity]

That's some trip. Did you go overland all the way (apart from the Channel)?
Did you see much of old Croatia or Serbia?

[Satellitemark]

Hi Gravity,

We set off 5am Thursday through the tunnel at 10.50 straight through France and Belgium into Germany to Aschaffenburg (just past Frankfurt) arrived 20.00 (local time) stopped overnight.
Set off from Aschaffenburg 7.00 drove through rest of Germany Austria and Hungary into Romania stopping at Arad at 23.00 local time overnight (we hit traffic at Budapest and at the Romanian border making a long day.)
Set off from Arad at 9.00 traveling through the rest of Romania and into Bulgaria then drove through Bulgaria to the coast arriving at 22.00

The 2000 mile journey took 3 days and 4 1/2 tanks of fuel , 3 up fully loaded with a roof box on and giving it some in Germany and Austria !

Overall cost Inc fuel , tunnel / hotels / vignettes /meals / bridge toll around £650


Mark



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[Gravity]

Great drive. I've driven to Warsaw through Germany and to the east of Poland before now, and for sixteen years we have had a place on Gozo in the Med, and we always drive, never fly if we can avoid it.

We take a different route each time, and dawdle - mostly France then over the Alps and down the length of Italy, across to Sicily then jetfoil to Malta and then ferry from Malta to Gozo.
Really enjoy the drives, but not without a few hiccups over the years.

[ron]

I've driven for30+years to Germany.I go to Dresden first & then to Munich.I find my old M59 desire was more comfortable on long trips than my current '65 plate B9.
Can't fault either for economy,I did Dunkirk to Munich,overnight,on 1 tank in the old one.
Great cars for the price but I do wish the seats were better in the B9.

[Satellitemark]

I enjoy the drive too , last time we went in the Berlingo we did a bit of a tour of Germany and Austria, my wife and grandson liked the look of the pictures I have sent home of the grosglockner from my motorcycle trip the previous year so we went there on the way out and Rothenburg ob der Tauber (German Christmas town )on the way back .

As for incidents that year two wheels broke free from a poorly maintained merc van in bulgaria and one hit us square in the middle of the front of the car exploding the plastic, grill bumper and Alli bumper bar behind the plastic bumper.
My wife's pride and joy car wrecked on her birthday !
Got it repaired for around £400
But it did put a bit of a crimp on the rest of the holiday due to me being concerned how much it was going to cost .

I put that down to a one off that could of happened to anyone, unfortunately the police aren't concerned unless someone is hurt and often dodgy drivers are not insured or they won't give details ,so I just got on with it.

My wife would like to do the route down to Venice then ferry to Greece and up into Bulgaria, but the possible costs are keeping that at bay until I do some more research.

Mark

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[Satellitemark]

Hi Ron ,

I filled up a few days before we set off (£73) I did some local errands etc and did 60 miles before we set off, the rest of the tank got us to the Belgian / German border where we filled up .

My wife gets a bit of a ache from the seat, for me I find my left leg ached a bit from contact with the gearchange console.


Mark

I've driven for30+years to Germany.I go to Dresden first & then to Munich.I find my old M59 desire was more comfortable on long trips than my current '65 plate B9.
Can't fault either for economy,I did Dunkirk to Munich,overnight,on 1 tank in the old one.
Great cars for the price but I do wish the seats were better in the B9.

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[Tepee]

Hi Ron ,

I filled up a few days before we set off (£73) I did some local errands etc and did 60 miles before we set off, the rest of the tank got us to the Belgian / German border where we filled up .

My wife gets a bit of a ache from the seat, for me I find my left leg ached a bit from contact with the gearchange console.


Mark

I've driven for30+years to Germany.I go to Dresden first & then to Munich.I find my old M59 desire was more comfortable on long trips than my current '65 plate B9.
Can't fault either for economy,I did Dunkirk to Munich,overnight,on 1 tank in the old one.
Great cars for the price but I do wish the seats were better in the B9.

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Hello.

Just a tip regarding pain in the leg after contact with the gearchange console:

I attached a strip of foam from a grey seat pad (like this one: https://www.fjellrevenshop.no/produkt/fjellreven-sitteunderlag-kanken/) and attached it with  a double coated tape on the gearchange console and on the door where my knee/leg is resting while driving.  It looks OK also...

This summer I was travelling with my Partner Tepee (1.2 petrol) from Norway, through Denmark and to Germany and it was a much better experience driving- without sore knees.

[Satellitemark]

Hi Tepee,

Thanks for the suggestion, I'm going to look into getting some to match the trim.

Mark

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