24th September, 2001 - I've spoken to my son who drove to and from Warsaw within the last 12 months.I know he went from Harwich and found the traffic in Holland very busy. he made good time through Germany but the road deteriorates significantly when you cross the Polish Border. There are a lot of roadworks and in many places it is single carriageway with a hard shoulder which the trucks sometimes move onto to let you overtake. Unfortunatelty this hard shoulder is also used by Horse and cart traffic. He found Navigation quite straightforward via Poznan . He thought driving in Warsaw was much more laid back than the likes of Paris or Rome where he has also driven. Have a good trip EDDIE

24th September, 2001 - Ed I first drove to Poland in 1969 and have been driving to Europe 2 or 3 times a year for holidays for the last 20 years so here are my driving tips. These are in addition to the sound advice you've had 'til now. Best / quickest route to Poland is Tunnel, straight up the coast to Belgium and through germany to the two Frankfurts! (Main and Oder) Make sure you get first class breakdown insurance and EC (Form 101?) medical cover. Get good cover for outside EC Always carry 100USD in fives, tens and twenties outside EC Lane discipline is suberb in Germany - make sure your's is Driving in East Europe Roads can be in a bad state of repair puncture foam worthwhile. Good oil, anti freeze, w screen wash can be hard to find / expensive take some with you. Roads are very dangerous (good friend's brother recently killed in Poland) drive defensively If stopped make sure they know you are English befor using German (the most usefull second language) Be very pleasant to any policeman - I got a speeding fine reduced from £75 to £2 Handy to have some local currency but offer to pay in dollars. Keep the dollars seperate from each other - show him you only have say $5 - surprising how often that was exactly what the fine should be! Don't expect a receipt!!!!!!!! Remember the Germans are near and go there to exploit (the girls are there for them) make sure they know you are English In some places (especially the Balkans) you can get priority for petrol - this doesn't make you popular with locals! Manhole covers have a high scrap value (again especially in the Balkans) expect to find them missing. Poles drive like Italians with their brains kicked out (sorry any Polish listers) Yugoslavs are far worse. Don't drive in Poland in winter unless you really have to. I have seen -40 in Poland. Anton