From May to November, we got around quite a bit with the #ContiEuropeanRoadshow. What did we experience? Above all, how colorful and diverse Europe is. So, it’s time to take a look back. So, here’s a little review to put facts and fun in the spotlight.

We were impressed by the picturesque panoramic roads in Norway and Sweden. In the Czech Republic and Belgium we had well-developed roads, while in Turkiye and Lithuania we mainly traveled on country roads, in Poland we drove over steep stretches and high passes and in flat Denmark we enjoyed the view from the numerous bridges.

Forests, lakes, islands, and McDonald’s stores

From the fjord-rich coasts of Norway to the endless forests of Finland and Lithuania to the historic cities of the Czech Republic – each region showed us its unique beauty. But we didn’t see everything: We were not able to visit all of the 100,000 lakes, 24,000 islands and 220 McDonald’s branches in Sweden, the 400 Danish islands and 188,000 Finnish lakes.

Lake in the Nuuksio National Park in Finland. Photo: Unsplash / SaiKrishna Saketh Yellapragada.

Sometimes crowded, sometimes spacious

On our tour, we passed through Belgium, which is extremely densely populated with 378 inhabitants per square kilometer, and through Sweden, which is almost empty by comparison, with only around 10 million people living in an area larger than Germany. Even more deserted: Finland, with around 5.5 million inhabitants in an area almost as large as Germany.

Delights on the highway

Along the highways in Belgium and Germany, we mostly found large and well-equipped rest stops with restaurants and shopping facilities. In Norway and Sweden, on the other hand, we tended to find smaller, remote rest areas, albeit often surrounded by breathtaking nature. We were surprised by the many basketball hoops at Lithuanian rest areas. And who would have thought that hot dogs are at least as popular at Polish rest stops as they are in Denmark?

A matter of taste

Which brings us to food. In Turkiye, we enjoyed the hearty Turkish moussaka as well as the many sweet treats from chicken breast pudding to Turkish delight – often accompanied by a glass of strong tea. Cinnamon buns, meat from a tube, licorice, and sour fish (Surströmming) were served in Sweden, while in Norway we enjoyed the sweet brown caramel cheese Brunost. German or Belgian beer – which tastes better? A matter of opinion, but the choice is huge in both countries.

Where are we here?

The different traffic regulations in the various countries have repeatedly presented us with the challenge of always being clear about where we actually are and what applies here. There are also big differences in toll charges: There’s almost nothing that doesn’t exist – from more than 300 toll stations in Norway, some of which are in city centers, to largely or completely toll-free countries such as Denmark and Belgium.

Some bisons in the Bialowieza Forest in Poland. Photo: Unsplash / Krzysztof Chrostowski.

A place for animals

And then there were the animals. However, we never saw moose or reindeer drunk on fermenting fruit in front of our truck in Norway, Sweden, or Finland. Unfortunately, we also didn’t get to see Poland‘s surely impressive bison. What a pity. But who knows what 2024 has in store for us…

Did you join us on the road and take a look at our show truck? Tell us in a comment!