Christoph from Vienna kindly provided us with his current travel report about the Autoput. Warning: he drove by car! Different prices apply for motorhomes, but the report can serve as a guide, also for motorhome drivers who prefer the land route to Greece over the ferry I´m going to Lefkada again this year for New Years.
The outward journey went via the Autoput and Egnatia Odos, here are the key data.

Departure Vienna: 2.30 p.m.
Arrival Lefkada: 9:45 am local time next day
Travel time: 18, 25 hours
Kilometers driven: 1649

Costs: 4, 90 Hungarian vignette
26 Toll Serbia
2, 60 Toll Macedonia
5 Toll and tunnel fee Preveza Greece
126 fuel for approx. 140 liters 95
Total: 164, 50

That corresponds to a reduction in price of approx. 50 € compared to May 2008!

Due to the hardly existing volume of traffic, this time I made the route to Serbia from Vienna in 3:30 hours, which was previously never succeeded.

40km before Belgrade, I stopped for about 45 minutes at the Beska OMV station.

For 2 veal soups, 1x Pleskavica, 1 Cola, 1 coffee I paid 12.50.

1 liter of 95 cost the equivalent of 0.91 in Serbia.

The Serbian dinar depreciated by 10% compared to September, which makes the whole thing cheaper with relatively stable prices.

The same applies to Hungary, the vignette was cheaper by about 15% due to the exchange rate!

This time I took the time at the toll stations to determine the difference between euro and dinar payment and lo and behold: At the moment, payment in euros is even slightly cheaper, especially since the clearly visible pricing in euros has to be highlighted at all toll stations, which was a little different a few years ago.

The traffic from Belgrade again decreased significantly.

To the south of Vranje one can now see serious efforts to build a motorway towards the Macedonian border, which would be another 30km. .

In Macedonia, the construction sites with traffic lights at the Vardar bridges have been permanently removed.

What is striking to me again and again is the flourishing border traffic between the Greeks and the alleged Macedonian enemies.

In Gevgelija, just before the Greek border, a new casino temple is already being built, and gambling addiction should seemingly overshadow patriotism.

Unfortunately this time I was standing in front of locked doors at Evzoni´s duty-free shop, because the inventory took 2 days, so there was no Marlboro at 16 . Bad luck.

After exactly 12 hours at 3:30 am, contrary to my announcement, I stopped at the Olympia Plaza in Polikastron in September, but this is due to the lack of alternatives.

I refueled there at 0.86 / liter and sipped espresso for over 2.

By the way, in Macedonia the liter 95 would have been around 0.81 cost.

At least the toilets were a little cleaner this time than they were last time.

Between Grevena and Metsovo the snow cover along the road got higher and higher, but this year I have to praise the perfect clearance again.

After all, it was snowing there until about 12 hours before I was going through.

The winter landscape was simply fantastic to look at, the whole pass was presented in a white dress.

Between Metsovo and Ioanina you can see the construction progress better and better in the not yet opened sections. I think a continuous opening might be possible within a year after all. .

Almost before 10 am I reached Lefkada in a not so tired state.

The entire trip was definitely one of the coldest I´ve ever made, Only just before Preveza did the temperatures rise above 0 degrees for the first time.

On the way back, I chose the way back via Ancona with Superfast due to the attractive winter offers.

Here again the key data for the purpose of price comparison:

Travel time: 28 hours

Kilometers driven: 1090

Ferry costs: 229 (2 people inside cab. Car)
Tunnel size: 3 (for Womos 5 euros, note from meinwomo)
Toll Ita: 31
Petrol: 90 for approx. 92 liters 95er . Higher average price, since petrol is more expensive in Italy (1, 11) and Austria (1, 01 motorway)

Total: 353

In principle, it is a very pleasant way to travel, although the ship was more or less empty with 150 vehicles on board, especially since the departure time of the Superfast 11 (20:00 from Igoumenitsa) was optimal.

I imagine the port exit in Ancona or the transit from the port to the motorway to be relatively difficult in the main season.

BUT !!! Despite dumping prices for the ferry ticket, the journey via autoput was almost 190 cheaper!

The longer journey time for the ferry route of around 10 hours is offset by the fact that I am after the autoput I `` slept ´ the time gained on site.

Nevertheless, for me the huge advantage of autoput outweighs the fact that I am not bound by any departure times. I imagine the transit from the port to the motorway to be relatively difficult in the main season.

BUT !!! Despite dumping prices for the ferry ticket, the journey via autoput was almost 190 cheaper!

The longer journey time for the ferry route of around 10 hours is offset by the fact that I am after the autoput I `` slept ´ the time gained on site.

Nevertheless, for me the huge advantage of autoput outweighs the fact that I am not bound by any departure times. I imagine the transit from the port to the motorway to be relatively difficult in the main season.

BUT !!! Despite dumping prices for the ferry ticket, the journey via autoput was almost 190 cheaper!

The longer journey time for the ferry route of around 10 hours is offset by the fact that I am after the autoput `` slept ´ the time gained on site.

Nevertheless, for me the huge advantage of autoput outweighs the fact that I am not bound by any departure times. However, 10 hours is neutralized by the fact that I `` slept ´ the time gained on site after the autoput.

Nevertheless, for me the huge advantage of autoput outweighs the fact that I am not bound by any departure times. However, 10 hours is neutralized by the fact that I `` slept ´ the time gained on site after the autoput.

Nevertheless, for me the huge advantage of autoput outweighs the fact that I am not bound by any departure times.


~womo66~fritz14~fritz~, 2009-01-15