Travelling across Europe with an electric car? Tips for the best experience
For those who are planning to 'explore' Europe this summer, Škoda offers some practical tips for e-drivers: from places to visit, to charging stations.
Crossing Europe with an electric car, enjoying roads and scenery during holidays or leisure time, is an experience that all e-vehicle owners should try at least once, to discover the beauty and relax of a zero-emission journey. Some drivers have already done it driving their 100% electric Škodas and collected their experiences in the My Enyaq series, including a list of useful tips.
Austria and Carinthia
Lukáš Kroča travelled to Austria and recommends a petrol station with a restaurant and a hotel near a famous lake in Carinthia. "The Marché Wörthersee is a very nice self-service restaurant and from the 100-metre-high Pyramidenkogel tower at the top of the hill you can enjoy a beautiful view of the lake. In the petrol station, there are four fast-charging points and access is from both directions”. Kroča then moved to Nassfeld in the Carnic Alps, between the Gail river valley in Austria and the Val Canale in Italy.
The road runs with spectacular views up to an altitude of 1.530 metres. Also on the Austrian side of the mountain range is the ski resort of the same name, the largest in Carinthia, consisting of 110 km of slopes and lighted by 850 hours of sunshine per year, making it one of the sunniest ski resorts in the Alps. "There are a lot of AC chargers in the resort, which is big and also suitable for children”.
Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia
Lukáš Kroča's journey continues towards the Slovakian mountains. "In Štrbské Pleso there are very convenient charging stations that are included in the Powerpass network, they are located at the side of the paid car park, which usually costs two euros per hour, but if you charge your electric car it is free. It's pretty much worth it to get there with a flat battery” says Kroča. The same goes for the Hungarian capital: in Budapest it is quite easy to find a parking space and there is no need to pay for parking while charging.
The last suggestion concerns the Slovenian Lake Bled: “There are several AC chargers on the lakefront, next to beautiful cafes and restaurants; parking in this area is not easy, so it is better to enjoy a nice boat trip while charging” Kroča concludes.
Switzerland and the French Riviera
Martin Thirolf has already travelled a lot with his Enyaq iV and has set the goal of visiting as many places as possible from home on a single charge. In this way, he has already travelled from Frankfurt through Switzerland and France all the way to the Côte d'Azur, collecting some good memories of this trip. “Erfurt is a wonderful city, even if not so famous. The old town is cosy and the Krämerbrücke bridge is worth a visit” says Thirolf, adding other places to visit: Eisenach, Wartburg Castle and Drachenschlucht.
Wartburg Castle oozes history, but there is also the possibility of a nice hike through the Drachenschlucht gorge and charging the car in the car park along the trail. On this trip, Thirolf did not find any fast charging stations, but in the single Ionity he encountered there was also a stork that was not at all afraid of humans: “This lack of infrastructure was not a problem; driving at low speed in the French countryside, we were able to cover up to 500 km on a single charge” Thirolf concludes.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands there are plenty of charging stations, both AC and DC, and in this way you do not lose a single minute of your journey. The advice is to charge every time you take a break, whether it is short or long, and then to take advantage of dinners and nights in hotels.
The city of Leiden is a little gem, neither too big nor too small. Many students live there, the prices are popular and there is culture for all tastes. Any self-respecting trip to the Netherlands deserves a longer stop if you stay in Amsterdam or The Hague, the most popular destinations.
Switzerland
Matthias Speicher has been driving an electric car for a long time and lives in Switzerland. His first suggestion is to drive through all its mountains and landscapes, forgetting the fears of high electricity consumption even on demanding routes and winding roads.
First of all, some energy will be recovered by braking downhill and then there are charging stations everywhere. Matthias suggests the Grand Tour of Switzerland, a car itinerary whose guidebook is full of tips on places of interest, accommodation, restaurants, monuments and more.
The same guide has been adapted for electric cars: the recommended routes have been modified so that the car's batteries are always ‘filled’ and passengers do not have to wait while charging.
A mobile app version is also available with all the points and routes, charging stations, accommodation and car parks with charging points. The tour is divided into eight stages with detailed descriptions, including the length of uphill and downhill gradients.
Source: ŠKODA
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