Just a minor point - There’s no reason at all why a mobile phone should cost “a fortune” to use while in Euroland.
milodon:
After starting the thread from the bottom, I had to check if the OP was asking for advice on getting to Camp Londra, or at least Yugoslavia
Nah Dover.
Roymondo:
Just a minor point - There’s no reason at all why a mobile phone should cost “a fortune” to use while in Euroland.
Eeee, we used to dream of mobile phones when we were pumping gettonis into Italian phone boxes (or 5p pieces into German phone boxes) 
Harry Monk:
Roymondo:
Just a minor point - There’s no reason at all why a mobile phone should cost “a fortune” to use while in Euroland.Eeee, we used to dream of mobile phones when we were pumping gettonis into Italian phone boxes (or 5p pieces into German phone boxes)
Small brown coins with grooves in them that only fitted in phones… LUXURY.!!!
Try telling thyouth of today about the hours hunched over a TELEX machine for reloading instructions and they wont belive you.
All Monte Python aside Harry, GSM phones is the exact point at which the european job lost all it’s appeal.
Jesus christ. He was asking about a run to paris not bloody china in a day cabbed daf.
You all make “europe” sound like the promised land.
I learnt to drive trucks in austria and ended up starting my first job in arctics on a trip to jerez.
I like to think im pretty switched on, i asked lots and lots of questions and researched lots and got on just fine.
Cut the guy some slack, plenty agency guys driving round europe.
Concretejim:
Jesus christ. He was asking about a run to paris not bloody china in a day cabbed daf.You all make “europe” sound like the promised land.
I learnt to drive trucks in austria and ended up starting my first job in arctics on a trip to jerez.
I like to think im pretty switched on, i asked lots and lots of questions and researched lots and got on just fine.
Cut the guy some slack, plenty agency guys driving round europe.
Talking about doing Europe in a day cab I do remember a truck from Sun Valley Hereford going to Italy in a day cab ERF .Doug somebody I think . Never mind a day cab ……it was an ERF that hadn’t broken down by Dover………
OwenMoney:
Concretejim:
Jesus christ. He was asking about a run to paris not bloody china in a day cabbed daf.You all make “europe” sound like the promised land.
I learnt to drive trucks in austria and ended up starting my first job in arctics on a trip to jerez.
I like to think im pretty switched on, i asked lots and lots of questions and researched lots and got on just fine.
Cut the guy some slack, plenty agency guys driving round europe.
Talking about doing Europe in a day cab I do remember a truck from Sun Valley Hereford going to Italy in a day cab ERF .Doug somebody I think . Never mind a day cab ……it was an ERF that hadn’t broken down by Dover………
Or KFH 248P, the ERF NGC that did five years on Baghdad without breaking down once !
I did a French trip once in a day-cabbed Bedford TL artic 
: much worse than any ERF! Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
OwenMoney:
Concretejim:
Jesus christ. He was asking about a run to paris not bloody china in a day cabbed daf.You all make “europe” sound like the promised land.
I learnt to drive trucks in austria and ended up starting my first job in arctics on a trip to jerez.
I like to think im pretty switched on, i asked lots and lots of questions and researched lots and got on just fine.
Cut the guy some slack, plenty agency guys driving round europe.
Talking about doing Europe in a day cab I do remember a truck from Sun Valley Hereford going to Italy in a day cab ERF .Doug somebody I think . Never mind a day cab ……it was an ERF that hadn’t broken down by Dover………
Or KFH 248P, the ERF NGC that did five years on Baghdad without breaking down once
I did a French trip once in a day-cabbed Bedford TL artic
I once did a week in Scotland in a Transit.
Beat that.
I once did a week in Grimsby in one day!
the maoster:
I once did a week in Grimsby in one day!
That’s purgatory, you win.
Concretejim:
Jesus christ. He was asking about a run to paris not bloody china in a day cabbed daf.You all make “europe” sound like the promised land.
I learnt to drive trucks in austria and ended up starting my first job in arctics on a trip to jerez.
I like to think im pretty switched on, i asked lots and lots of questions and researched lots and got on just fine.
Cut the guy some slack, plenty agency guys driving round europe.
Agreed, might have been different 40 years ago, when there were loads of paperwork and Customs procedures that could trip up an inexperienced driver at the borders and fewer motorways, but now it’s pretty straight forward, with a bit of advice and pre-planning.
I’ve known many people who’ve done their first Euro trip on their own, I’ve done many a crip sheet for new drivers for various race teams, I think they found it helpful, but once they were on their way it was up to them, although they did have my phone number if needed.
I did my first trip on my own, I asked loads of questions and made a few minor errors, such as not using one of the slow vehicle lanes going up a hill in France, but fortunately one of the local French drivers explained the error of my way by coming past me in the slow vehicle lane while sound his air horns and waving at me, what a lovely helpful chap. 
I’m surprised that no one has offered any practical advice yet. How about Malaria medication, DDT and water purification equipment?
It’s important you carry the correct paperwork especially when in sight of the goon towers of the peripherique interior. Be careful of anyone asking about Big geese in the moonlight.
Well I have my start on euro work after my holiday… Going on the continent. In a Luton van.
You will all laugh and take the micheal. Which is okay - but I really fancy giving it a go and it’s probably a more gentle introduction that taking an artic over with very little experience. After I’ve done that once or twice I’d be able to know what I was doing a bit more and go up to something bigger.
Way I did it, though I only ventured up to a 7.5 ton abroad.
It’s an easier introduction than taking a truck, and makes sense to me.
sammym:
… You will all laugh and take the micheal.
No Sammy, not at all.
After getting my HGV licence, there wasn’t much work around, so I did my first Euro in my own MK I Luton Transit.
sammym:
After I’ve done that once or twice I’d be able to know what I was doing a bit more and go up to something bigger.
Same here mate… after a year or so doing Euroland in the van, I did 12yrs Euro on artics.
I used the van whilst some of the newness wore of my HGV licence, the van also helped me by giving me the opportunity to get some stamps in my passport so it looked good when I applied for the job on artics.
I winged it at the interview, the passport and the HGV licence appeared to be consistent (timewise) with each other, then the boss put 2 + 2 together and came up with 5!!
Next thing I knew, I’d got a mountain of paperwork, the keys to an artic, and instructions for my delivery to Barcelona.
Although my first faltering shenanigans were back in the early 80s, it sounds like you have a very good plan, which might even still work today! 
theres no steeper learning curve than having lied through your teeth to get the job,coming down the ramp off the boat with your bumhole twitching like a rabbits nose muttering,oh god,oh god,oh god,oh god,where do i go,what do i do,wheres the guy in front going,what the hell is that guy waving for,remember and keep my elbow to the kerb,and dont drive in the fast lane,oh god,oh god oh god,no,no,no no,
then 30 mins later at the 1st peage theres the,oh christ,the slot is on the wrong side,and theyre all hooting behind me,then…after another 30 mins,its …this driving abroad is a doddle…that lasts until the first exit,round the roundabout,and right up to the 1st staggered crossroads,then refer to the start of this post again.
all goes well till your coming back into the uk a week or 2 later,then you write yourself off at the roundabout coming out of dover 
dieseldog999:
theres no steeper learning curve than having lied through your teeth to get the job,coming down the ramp off the boat with your bumhole twitching like a rabbits nose muttering,oh god,oh god,oh god,oh god,where do i go,what do i do,wheres the guy in front going,what the hell is that guy waving for,remember and keep my elbow to the kerb,and dont drive in the fast lane,oh god,oh god oh god,no,no,no no,then 30 mins later at the 1st peage theres the,oh christ,the slot is on the wrong side,and theyre all hooting behind me,then…after another 30 mins,its …this driving abroad is a doddle…that lasts until the first exit,round the roundabout,and right up to the 1st staggered crossroads,then refer to the start of this post again.
all goes well till your coming back into the uk a week or 2 later,then you write yourself off at the roundabout coming out of dover
that’s one of the funniest - and accurate - things I’ve read on here diesel - applies to us mere van and puddlejumper drivers
dieseldog999:
theres no steeper learning curve than having lied through your teeth to get the job,coming down the ramp off the boat with your bumhole twitching like a rabbits nose muttering,oh god,oh god,oh god,oh god,where do i go,what do i do,wheres the guy in front going,what the hell is that guy waving for,remember and keep my elbow to the kerb,and dont drive in the fast lane,oh god,oh god oh god,no,no,no no,then 30 mins later at the 1st peage theres the,oh christ,the slot is on the wrong side,and theyre all hooting behind me,then…after another 30 mins,its …this driving abroad is a doddle…that lasts until the first exit,round the roundabout,and right up to the 1st staggered crossroads,then refer to the start of this post again.
all goes well till your coming back into the uk a week or 2 later,then you write yourself off at the roundabout coming out of dover
All of the above, plus going up Jubilee Way on the wrong side of the road in the middle of the night (we had a night permit ) after being away for a few weeks. 
You’re a braver man than me Sammy…
There’s no way in hell I’d have the nerve to tell my Missus “I’m off to do Euro luv, see you in a couple o’ three weeks for a day and a half maybe even a full weekend if we’re lucky” 
Ahh but if I was single… stares wistfully off into the horizon
Reef:
You’re a braver man than me Sammy…There’s no way in hell I’d have the nerve to tell my Missus “I’m off to do Euro luv, see you in a couple o’ three weeks for a day and a half maybe even a full weekend if we’re lucky”
Ahh but if I was single… stares wistfully off into the horizon
C’Mon reef, this is a van, he’ll be tipped Lyons and back in less than 48 hours…