to dodge the european winter
 

Plenty of usefull tips already but I would advice you to stay south as long as possible while going west. Indeed Greece , Italy and depending on budget the odd ferry-hop. Once in Italy you could head west to the flower-riviera, hugging the coast all the way into France. Once in France cross the country from south-east to north-west (to Calais, the chunnelcrossing is a breeze!) and if you want to avoid the toll-routes in France, use the "route national". Stay away from eastern or central europe if you want to avoid the cold! Good luck!!
Robert, Amsterdam.