During our last stay in Switzerland we had already considered using the car for the next return trip to Turkey, just to test the route and border crossings and perhaps also to refute one or the other prejudice of rip-offs during the tour and prices to explore for toll and diesel yourself.

Since we had spent the last few days with Lydia and Georg in Augsburg, we first chose the Autobahn past Munich in the direction of Salzburg and Villach for our return journey. From here it was supposed to go through Ljubljana and Zagreb to just beyond Belgrade, where we had booked a double room in a hotel on the outskirts for the night. The next day should then lead past Nis and Thessaloniki to Izmir. To get straight to the point, the division of the route should have been better planned in such a way that 200 kilometers more could easily have been covered on the first day, because behind Nis there is a section that leads through the mountains over country roads and before Izmir there is also the motorway is under construction. So much for planning and first comment.

A professional cool box in the vehicle

As was to be expected, we had planned an early departure from Augsburg, but intensive discussions and farewells were so extensive that it was 8:00 a.m. before we started. Based on our research, we had thought of a first short stop before the border with Austria, which should be used to fill up the tank and do some shopping at the discounter. Diesel is cheaper in Germany than in Austria. Shopping at the discounter also has a cost-cutting effect and helps to save time without it becoming hectic. Thanks to excellent satellite navigation, both the discount store and a gas station in the neighborhood near the autobahn were already identified when we left, so the 226 kilometers on the E 52 / A 8 were completed in just under two hours. In addition to a few drinks and something for "on the go", there was also a small order list to take home to Turkey. It would have been excellent and already “seen” as a purchase for the next tour: a professional cool box in the vehicle.

Payments were easily possible with a credit card

Before entering Austria, please remember to buy the obligatory vignette, which can be purchased at petrol stations for €8 and is valid for 10 days. Depending on the duration of your journey, a vignette with a longer validity is also worthwhile. In addition, once €10 and €6.50 were due to cross the tunnel. Both payments were easily possible with a credit card. A vignette is also obligatory for Slovenia, it costs €15 at best and is valid for 7 days.

After another 200 kilometers on the E 55 / A 10 you have already passed Austria and at Villach you cross the border into Slovenia. Now it goes on the E 61 / A 2 to Ljubljana, then further on the E 70 / A 2 into Croatia and past Zagreb, which is reached after another 2 hours. Travel distance so far almost 700 kilometers. Motorway tolls also have to be paid in Croatia, but here you pay with a ticket drawn at the end of the journey by credit card or cash. We calculated a total of €15.50 to cross Croatia, which was easy to handle even with a credit card.

€40 for the comfortable double room including breakfast

After about 1,100 kilometers the border to Serbia is reached and another 2 hours later we have arrived at the hotel behind Belgrade, distance traveled so far 1,380 kilometers, which could be covered without much effort on the motorway. The hotel, located slightly above Belgrade, turned out to be a stroke of luck, because it was more of a huge 4-star villa than a hotel building. Since we had booked through a well-known booking portal, we only had to pay €40 for the comfortable double room including breakfast.

€8 vignette for Austria for 10 days
€10 tunnel/bridge fee
€6.50 Tunnel
€15 vignette for Slovenia for 7 days
€14.50 Toll Croatia 110,- Kuna (HRK) corresponds to about €14.50
€40 double room near Belgrade including breakfast
€11 Tolls Serbia Dinar 1,260 (RSD) is about €11
€1.80 Tolls Macedonia 110 denar (MKD)

Please read as well:

City guide Georg and the first city trip through Augsburg

Bursa at Uludag Mountain - short history!