Driving motor vehicles has been something I have been doing for a very long time, including at the competition level with some success as my regular reader can attest, having read a previous post. Yet what I have done much more of is general driving, both on normal roads and motorways, to the tune of well over 500,000 kilometres in several countries. I have loved driving ever since I was a child, almost irrespective of the specific vehicle driven, and it still gives me great pleasure.
So when one of my dear friends requested I help with shifting one of his high performance cars from Greece to Switzerland, as he was indisposed for business reasons, I jumped at the chance to add a few more miles to my scorecard. And this has directly led to this post, allowing me to vent on a few issues that either impressed or annoyed me in my wanderings. My observations will cover more than this one trip, though this has been my 'inspiration' so to do.
Let me start with a few brief observations concerning driving on Greek roads first, though I intend a comprehensive piece on this in the near future - it has been in the pipeline for over a year but somehow got delayed, then delayed again, then delayed further...
Greece has worked hard to create a motorway network over the last twenty five years. Basic and laughable at first, created in bits and pieces, it now covers large parts of the country. More importantly it is actually pretty good, modern and rather efficient; perfect, however, it is not. As impressive as the new stretches of road or the large numbers of pristine tunnels built, so disappointing can be some of the details, undermining this laudable effort. By this I mean both the construction details and attention thereto, but also the administration of these new creations with a toll network, the setting of speed limits and the attention to detail - these all leave a bit to be desired, seemingly for little reason.
Italy has had an impressive motorway network for many years, allowing anyone needing to cover longer distances in as short a time as possible to do so, while at the same time maintaining a comprehensive and largely well-functioning general road system for those in less of a hurry. But in many instances the motorway network is showing its age, nowhere more so than in the many tunnels where an air of neglect seems to prevail, with deteriorating walls and ceilings, peeling paint etc. The problem, I believe, is mainly aesthetic, but it does detract from the experience nevertheless.
Italians seem to approach driving with brio, on and off the motorways, with speed limits and most other instructions and signals ignored. This seems to happen irrespective of the type of car people are driving, and it is not uncommon to see little Fiat or VW or other small cars bounding along at the top end of their capabilities, sometimes even beyond. They get away with it to a large extent thanks to a reasonable general skill level, a deeply ingrained automotive culture and a certain degree of good fortune!
Switzerland is generally a step above in quality, with excellently maintained roads and tunnels and meticulous attention to safety details despite the lie of the land often making this a difficult proposition. Where it is head and shoulders above both its southern neighbour and Greece is in the driving standards and road discipline - Swiss drivers are generally strict observers of the rules of the road, including speed limits, something Greeks and Italians regard as vague guidance or eccentric advice to be ignored at best. It does help that most road markings and speed limits follow a certain logic, slightly erratically applied in Italy and largely absent in Greece. Another thing in their advantage is the toll system for use of motorways, which involves a one-off annual payment and no tedious toll posts to stop at every so often, with the major tunnels being notable exceptions.
Tolls are becoming a real nuisance for visitors to Italy, as it seems that many no longer feature human tellers but purely automatic systems, not always easy for foreign visitors to operate without credit cards. At least the distances between toll posts are generally sensible, with a few exception particularly near major cities. Greece is, alas, in some ways worse in respect of tolls; not only are they paid for at the entrance to each segment, but sometimes the distance between toll posts in negligible. Still, despite price increases in the last few years, the cost remains low by other European standards.
Not that many years ago any driver leaving Greece by car to drive around Italy, Switzerland, Germany etc. would find themselves using a road network far superior to what they were used to; not any more. Greek motorways are growing and improving, providing an impressive experience with excellent road quality and decent coverage. Drivers unfortunately are slower to adapt to motorway driving, where stricter rules apply than on national roads, but it is happening and standards are improving.
Those of us in a hurry use the motorways, which provide efficient but relatively joyless transport from point A to point B, with the pleasure being in the time and effort saved rather than the experience itself. The real pleasure of driving, especially a spirited motor vehicle, is to be found off the motorway network. This can be a challenge, but is almost always a pleasure, though not when a scenic 60 kilometre drive turns into a five hour ordeal due to roadworks, poor signposting and local idiosyncrasies. Still we love driving...
I'm an old fart and largely enjoy navigating by maps and road signs, not GPS and irritating voices commanding me to turn here and there. In that respect Switzerland is pretty good, though not perfect, but largely clear and informative; Italy is similar in the north, if on occasion patchier; I have never ventured south of Bari as a driver, so have nothing to report on that. Greece possesses an amazing network of secondary roads, some of striking beauty and providing real driving pleasure but with signposting that can at best be described as eccentric.
Thank you, dear reader, for being patient as this blog attempts to get up to speed again. Hopefully my next ramblings will follow soon, all being well.
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