You’ll love doing Europe after driving in the UK, 
all the real Euro drivers have given you more advice than I can give you,
I think there is nothing worse than a Brit abroad attitude, if you don’t like the food, beer, wine, langauge then don’t complain about it just don’t go abroad. 
so I would say try and speak a bit of the lingo. I always try and they seem to like you making an effort, even if all you do is make them laugh at your feeble atempt.
JB:
Caricari/ scaricari - load/ unload (Maybe wrong way around its been a while!)
Hi JB, That’s spot-on mate, and they’re the right way around. 
All the rest were good too…
However…
JB:
Izqiuerda - a la derecha - Left / right
Sorry mate, I’m not being picky but both of those are correct in Spanish. 
In Italian, left = sinistra
right = destra
r slicker:
carico-unloading
IIRC, forgetting that the Italian for ‘unload’ begins with an “s” turns it into the opposite meaning.
I’ll stand to be corrected, but I was married to an Italian for just over 25 years.
dieseldave:
However…JB:
Izqiuerda - a la derecha - Left / rightSorry mate, I’m not being picky but both of those are correct in Spanish.
:
Oh, Spanish, Italian, it’s the same bloody thing!
Harry Monk:
Oh, Spanish, Italian, it’s the same bloody thing!
Hi Harry,
Funny that you should mention that…
I always found that the Spanish can understand Italian if you shout loudly enough… 
I’ve no idea of a reason, but I got on quite well with the Italian language, however I always struggled with Spanish… 
I always preferred Italy anyway…
i found it was useless speaking italian in spain.
theres so many different dialects of spanish as well.
i have nil spanish…sorry.i tell alie.
i can order beer and wine in spanish…thats it.
some words.
per favor…please.
thats all i can think of.
cerveza…rioja…blanco
lug84:
if they have guns then thats it mate they can have the whole truck i not getting shot for no one
Don’t worry, If you don’t give them any problems, They are fine, They just want the load.
They won’t touch any of your gear.
But if you give them hassle, Then that’s another story and you become a statistic.
That’s the way it used to be. Good luck.
Harry Monk:
dieseldave:
However…JB:
Izqiuerda - a la derecha - Left / rightSorry mate, I’m not being picky but both of those are correct in Spanish.
:
Oh, Spanish, Italian, it’s the same bloody thing!
It was late when i wrote it…
We used to do 80% Italy and every now and then theyd throw a Spanish run at me Month after month of Italy speaking pidgen Iti (obviously a bit louder if they didnt understand )
Then into the land of Big Bulls Balls
No wonder i got confused
They all speak English when you’re not listening anyway
Harry Monk:
greg50:
.
remember when it was the road on the side if the mountain and it was two way.
then they built the ski slope…The Ski Jump is the only place in France where traffic drives on the left…
Opposite, on the way back is “The Wall of Death” but the OP shouldn’t worry too much about that at this point…we don’t want to spoil his weekend, do we?
spoil my weekend
lol no way i’m well up for this trip harry and thanks to you and everyone who took the time to post tips and that many thanks lug84 
Wheel Nut:
toowise:
remember if an italian car flashes you he means hes coming through NOT letting you out.If you pull out he’ll probably be going too fast to stop anyway.
But sometimes a car flashing you doesnt mean that at all
Got a point there Wheelnut. I should have said MOVING car.
JB:
We used to do 80% Italy and every now and then they`d throw a Spanish run at me
Hi JB, Yes mate it was about the same for me too.
good luck lug…you lucky man.
i would love to be heading off today.
to italy of course.
dont forget to bring the camera and let us know the result of your trip when you are back.
perhaps put some pictures of the trip up on here.
Harry Monk:
dieseldave:
However…JB:
Izqiuerda - a la derecha - Left / rightSorry mate, I’m not being picky but both of those are correct in Spanish.
:
Oh, Spanish, Italian, it’s the same bloody thing!
you just have to shout louder.
I did my first euro trip to Italy in 2007,thoroughly enjoyed it.If you do a search I did a diary of the trip on here.I got good advice from the boys on TNUK before i left,just as they have done above.
I was slightly different to you,in that I had less than 24hrs notice of the trip and I was going on my own.Think its called thrown in at the deep end
Have a good trip and don’t forget to take your camera so you can do a diary when you get back
make sure you keep strap in cab for when you park up at nite strap your doors together on inside! not joking either!!
i’m going to Lentate sul seveso first then 2nd drop is fiorenzuola
am off 5am
i’m going to Lentate sul seveso first then 2nd drop is fiorenzuola
am off 5am
OK, you have a good trip. If you are leaving from Kent, you should be not far short of the Alps this time tomorrow. The first day is a bit of a slog, motorways all the way and on the limiter transiting France, but the second day is a cracker from the word “go”.
There’s nothing really to worry about in italy. There is truck and load theft but no more than here I would say. Just don’t park in the Italian equivalent of Dagenham or Liverpool Docks and you’ll be fine.
The worst mistake you could make is to go down Mont Blanc too quickly and toast your brakes so watch out for that. And when you go into the tunnel, take a good deep breath, close the windows and don’t breathe again for the next ten minutes.
And take a camera- here’s a few pics I shot on a trip last year trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=31071 .
dieseldave:
Yes, you just have to say" Vee haf meat here IN ZEE BUILDING!!!" only in a different accent.