She Took A 90s BMW Through 18 Countries. Then A Commenter Told Her Never To Leave The Motorway In Slovakia

A driver who took a 1990s BMW 3 Series through 18 countries in four weeks posted the trip to Instagram on 18 October. The comments under it turned into a row over the state of Slovakian roads.

The account is automotive_tia, and the six slides set out the numbers. Almost 8,000 miles, a roof tent on a saloon, a total spend of £4,700 for two people covering fuel, ferries, trains, tolls, campsites and food, and one repair: two rear tyres at £160. She says the car never broke down. The post has passed 3,700 likes and 88 comments.

Most of the comments were pure road trip envy. One commenter had other plans for the thread.

The Road Trip Club In The Comments

Plenty of readers turned up with a story of their own. One had done 30 days and 7,200km in an E30 and admitted the trip had topped it. Another covered 8,500km in four weeks with his son. A third drove from Bristol to Mauritania in a BMW earlier this year, which puts 18 countries in perspective. One said he might steal the idea, minus the tent.

The critics argued with the route, not the idea. Readers pointed out that it skipped Romania, Spain, the Côte d’Azur and Poland. The author’s reply to the Poland comment was that she had missed 26 other European countries too, with only four weeks and a 12-hour shift to get back to.

Her caption set the rules: bonus points for doing it in a car from the 1990s or older. The BMW carries a P registration plate, which puts it close to 30 years old, and the only job she reports on it is a pair of rear tyres at £160.

Then Came The Slovakia Warning

The one sour note came from a commenter called tall_luka. He told everyone to ignore the post, called it propaganda and said nobody should take a car off the motorway in Slovakia. His worry was wheels and suspension: he says he drove a lap of Europe of more than 6,500km this summer, crossed Slovakia on mostly B roads, and warned of “a ton of potential rim killers”.

It did not stay a debate about roads. His replies kept coming, with digs at how she treats her car and a taunt about meeting on the Nürburgring, and the thread turned personal on both sides. One line from the author summed up her side: “Suspension is replaceable. Memories aren’t.”

A verified account joined in to defend the trip and praised the roads in Slovenia, then had to be told that Slovakia and Slovenia are two different countries. Other readers took sides, and a post about 18 countries of good memories ended up as a row about one of them.

What The Official Advice Says About Slovakian Roads

The pothole worry is a real one for any driver. A hard strike can bend an alloy wheel, split a tyre sidewall or damage dampers and suspension joints. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s current Slovakia travel advice does not rate road surfaces or mention potholes, so it settles neither side. It does say many main roads have a single carriageway in each direction, which makes overtaking difficult, and it warns: “Beware of oncoming cars overtaking on your side of the road.” Road markings are hard to see in poor weather and can be faded.

Staying on the motorway has its own rule. Anyone using Slovak motorways must display a vignette on the inside of the windscreen when entering the country, and driving without one risks a heavy fine. Vignettes are sold at all major border crossings and at larger petrol stations. The same page warns that criminals sometimes puncture the tyres of foreign-registered cars at petrol stations, then pose as helpers or fake a breakdown. At night, stop only in a well-lit public place such as a service station, lock the car and be wary of anyone offering help.

Neither side measured a single road, so the pothole question stays open. The mileage is harder to argue with: almost 8,000 miles in a car close to 30 years old, with two rear tyres as the only repair…

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