Europe: Six countries, 2100km of roads, 300+ photos

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One of the most scenic views during the entire 2000km long trip
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Nearby towns
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Berlin was simply not getting closer no matter how fast we went (and we rarely went slower than 130km/h). At that point we had driven virtually non-stop for about 800km and simply got tired so the only thing I was thinking of was the hotel in Poznan (Poland). Wes till had another 500 or so km to go. At least the day was nice and traffic not too heavy which helped alot.
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[ChrisZwolle]

Oh yeah, the A2 has some scenic overlooks, first near Bielefeld towards Herford / Bad Oeynhausen and then somewhat further near Bad Eilsen.

I also think A2 has above-average quality for a German Autobahn, and, together with it's six lanes for almost 500 kilometers, it qualifies as one of the best Autobahnen in Germany.

[tompaw]

Originally Posted by MAG

Hang on a minute, you drove some 1500 km in 11 hours?
This gives an average speed of just over 130 km/h, ignoring any pit stops.
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As I said, it was 10h 52mins from A4 Krakow Gateway to Calais Channel terminal. 100% motorway all the way through. Easy to achieve with my girlfriend doing 210-230 km/h on A2 west from Berlin ;-)

[havaska]

Originally Posted by Wover

I think those signs are found next to most highways in Europe, but they might not be as visible in every country. In Belgium for example, they gave the big kilometer-signs (like the one on your first picture from Holland, in front of the "Nederland" sign) and small hectometer signs which are directed towards the motorway (so not very visible from a passing car).

Reason why they have so many is that if you break down or you had an accident, you could specifiy your location to emergency services as efficiently as possible.

They have these in the UK too, though they're spaced out every 500m (yes, they're in metric in the UK!)

You can read more about them here http://www.cbrd.co.uk/indepth/dls/

[snowman159]

I noticed the 120km/h limit on the overhead signs. Last time I drove on the A2 (at night) it was 120km/h pretty much all the way between A14 and A7. Is that a permanent limit?

[PLH]

No, such speed limits are temporary, mainly due to heavy traffic.

[snowman159]

Originally Posted by PLH

No, such speed limits are temporary, mainly due to heavy traffic.

well, there was no traffic at all, no construction going on, no reason to be seen anywhere. that's why I asked

[ChrisZwolle]

Lärmschutz.

[hofburg]

A2 looks great. you took some really good photos of that highway.

[MAG]

Originally Posted by ChrisZwolle

Lärmschutz.

That's the most likely explanation.

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Looking at these pictures one can easily understand why the German autobahns will remain the benchmark by which all others are measured, for a long time to come. There is not a lot one can improve on here.



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[Pansori]

The last batch from Germany... I know it's getting boring by now. This report so far looks more like Germany report than "6 countries".

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Landscape near the A2. Wind turbines seemed so common. In some locations there were so many of them that it started to look a little over the top. But knowing Germany's attitude to nuclear energy that may be out of necessity rather than just to show-off the commitment to being "green"
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Dynamic road signs on A2
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Speed was often limited to "only" 120km/h
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We're near A391... I could barely spot this road on the map. Any ideas what's the story behind that one?
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