Umbria or Bust!
Discussion
We (Wife and I) plan to take our Marcos Mantara Spyder to the Tuscany/Umbria border late September early October to see friends that have a villa near Castiglione del Lago on Lake Trasimeno (between Florence and Rome). We plan to take the Motorail from Calais to Avignon (keep the miles down) and then Drive along the Cote D'Azure into Italy. We are allowing a very gentle 4 days to get there from Avignon and say 4 to get back to Avignon hopefully not using too many major roads We have pretty much got our stopovers in France sorted but does anyone have suggestions or tips for the trip/stopovers from Genoa through Florence to Lake Trasimeno. Its a there and back so we could do two different routes. Any suggestions need to bear in mind limited budget and little grasp of Italian (wifes french is pretty good). I know this is a relatively dormant board but come on guys here is one to get the Grey matter working!
We plan to take our Marcos Mantara Spyder...
Sounds like it will be a fun trip.
late September early October...
Might have some rain but can also still be quite warm.
Lake Trasimeno...
Really nice area, I cycled roung the lake ages ago.
hopefully not using too many major roads...
Bear in ming that the Autostrada is very efficent at getting you from A to B. It is not like a UK motorway, polluted, busy etc. You can easily jump on and off if you need to make up time.
any suggestions or tips for the trip/stopovers from Genoa through Florence to Lake Trasimeno...
Some of the North can be a bit flat or dull, the middle bit is better.
Luca is recomended. Stunning (small) city and perfect for lunch.
Florence is wonderful but not the best for food unless you get out of the tourist spots or know just where to go. The slow food guide is you best port of call for recomendations. It is expensive and the trafic is a bit mad.
Sienna is also highly recomended, quite laid back.
Over the other side (west) Bolognia well worth it and has the best food in Italy (in my experience) and a good place to spend the day.
There is a (non motorway) road that goes South into Florence and is used by Ducatti to test their bikes. I drove it years ago in a VW camper van and loved it. Multimap is playing up otherwise I would give you the road number.
little grasp of Italian...
Just give Italian a go. You will find everyone is just happy you are trying.
When you need to fill up, Pieno is full (a full tank), Senza Pumbo is unleaded petrol.
Enjoy, sounds like it will be a great trip.
Sounds like it will be a fun trip.
late September early October...
Might have some rain but can also still be quite warm.
Lake Trasimeno...
Really nice area, I cycled roung the lake ages ago.
hopefully not using too many major roads...
Bear in ming that the Autostrada is very efficent at getting you from A to B. It is not like a UK motorway, polluted, busy etc. You can easily jump on and off if you need to make up time.
any suggestions or tips for the trip/stopovers from Genoa through Florence to Lake Trasimeno...
Some of the North can be a bit flat or dull, the middle bit is better.
Luca is recomended. Stunning (small) city and perfect for lunch.
Florence is wonderful but not the best for food unless you get out of the tourist spots or know just where to go. The slow food guide is you best port of call for recomendations. It is expensive and the trafic is a bit mad.
Sienna is also highly recomended, quite laid back.
Over the other side (west) Bolognia well worth it and has the best food in Italy (in my experience) and a good place to spend the day.
There is a (non motorway) road that goes South into Florence and is used by Ducatti to test their bikes. I drove it years ago in a VW camper van and loved it. Multimap is playing up otherwise I would give you the road number.
little grasp of Italian...
Just give Italian a go. You will find everyone is just happy you are trying.
When you need to fill up, Pieno is full (a full tank), Senza Pumbo is unleaded petrol.
Enjoy, sounds like it will be a great trip.
Very many thanks Olivero. Your advice is greatly appreciated. The normal tourist SNCF Autotrain from Calais to Avignon that we were planning to use stops running in mid September so we have switched to the Service that runs from Paris to Livorno. We will miss out the Cote d'Azure on the way to Italy but have more time to explore Tuscany/Umbria.
We have come to expect some rain in Italy. We once spent a week in Florence mid summer and had four days of downpours and thunder storms. Its all a question of luck if we are having to plan this far ahead.
I am off now to log onto Google maps and have a look around.
Once again many thanks.
We have come to expect some rain in Italy. We once spent a week in Florence mid summer and had four days of downpours and thunder storms. Its all a question of luck if we are having to plan this far ahead.
I am off now to log onto Google maps and have a look around.
Once again many thanks.
Wow your friends house is very close to where we have our Tuscany house ! Have you been before ? Make sure you take a trip to Cortona (Medieval hilltop town). You can take a trip out on boats to the islands on the lake (Lago Di Trasimeno) also you can hire speedboats to take you out on "Champagne" trips onto the lake at sunset. For MotorSport go to Magione as they have a race track. Either Saturday's or Sunday's are good for that ! Driving wise, remember that someone flashing their headlights does not mean they are letting you go. IT mean's stop or beware, I am coming past !
You can see our holiday house on my profile (under "I Girasoli"
...
Any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask !
You can see our holiday house on my profile (under "I Girasoli"
...Any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask !
Edited by Louis. on Wednesday 11th July 08:16
Hi Louis. Really nice retreat to get away from it all! I'll file it away for another trip. We have been to Italy 5 times before over the years but have usually either arrived by Plane or Boat. I have never done it this way before and Florence has been the nearest point that I have visited to your place. Thanks for the tip I will add it to my Google map of the trip which is now getting very full. I think that I am going to need two weeks rather than 10 days.
Well just over a week to go to our "Umbria or Bust" trip.
Booked the Autotrain and bed and Breakfast in Aix en Provence, Menton, Spezia, and Lucca for our trip down to Lake Trasimeno.
Got my headlamp deflectors, Yellow vests x 2, red triangle, Spare bulb kit, fire extinguisher, updated satnav, insurance, phrase books and Maps.
What (if anything) else must I have in the event of a discussion with Italian Traffic police?
I suppose I should leave my speed warning gizmo (GPS not radar) in England. I understand the French and Italian police don't like them?
Booked the Autotrain and bed and Breakfast in Aix en Provence, Menton, Spezia, and Lucca for our trip down to Lake Trasimeno.
Got my headlamp deflectors, Yellow vests x 2, red triangle, Spare bulb kit, fire extinguisher, updated satnav, insurance, phrase books and Maps.
What (if anything) else must I have in the event of a discussion with Italian Traffic police?
I suppose I should leave my speed warning gizmo (GPS not radar) in England. I understand the French and Italian police don't like them?
socramsnalla said:
Got my headlamp deflectors, Yellow vests x 2, red triangle, Spare bulb kit, fire extinguisher, updated satnav, insurance, phrase books and Maps.
What (if anything) else must I have in the event of a discussion with Italian Traffic police?
Hope I'm not stating the obvious:What (if anything) else must I have in the event of a discussion with Italian Traffic police?
V5 registration document for the car.
Driving Licence.
In my driver pack.socramsnalla said:
The normal tourist SNCF Autotrain from Calais to Avignon that we were planning to use stops running in mid September so we have switched to the Service that runs from Paris to Livorno.
I've thought of taking the car on the train before but didn't realise they went from France to Italy.I had a look on their site and it doesn't seem to say anything about Livorno. Also it says the car goes on one train and you arrive later by passenger train and then collect the car. Not sure I'd want Italian train men unloading my car... especially if it was a Marcos! Is this what you're doing?
blueyes said:
socramsnalla said:
I had a look on their site and it doesn't seem to say anything about Livorno. Also it says the car goes on one train and you arrive later by passenger train and then collect the car. Not sure I'd want Italian train men unloading my car... especially if it was a Marcos! Is this what you're doing?
Yes I am taking a risk but I have two fiends who used the service earlier this year in an MX5 and a Scimitar GTE. The Simitar GTE owner insisted that he watched them put his car on the train and they were quite obliging. They assure me that neither of them had any problems and I should be fine. We have organised it that we arrive in Avignon and stay in a B&B overnight. The car travels overnight and arrives the next morning.
I have resolved my 10cm minimum ride height problem with specially adapted Spring assisters that I can fit on arrival at the depot at Bercy Station and remove at the other end.
We are picking up the train from Nice on the way back. WISH US LUCK!
Hi Louis. Still on the trip. Having a fabulous time. Managed to get the Marcos round the Monaco GP circuit (at a crawl relative!y speaking). Wife got a video as proof. Been down to Umbria and now on our way back. Did Montepulciano today and staying in Siena tonight. Really puzzled though, have not seen one Ferrari or Lambo in Italy.but there are Porkers everywhere.
At last! two Ferraris and 1 Lambo in Santa Marguerita Leguria (next to Portofino).
Arrived back in England tonight much later than expected. The Marcos got us all the way to Umbria and back to Paris only to have a fuel line go (next to the manifold). That was fixed and then the Steering lock failed in the queue at Eurotunnel at Calais. Becuse the Marcos had got to Eurotunnel before breaking down, I had to be towed onto the train by a French truck and towed off at the other end by a British truck.
Despite all that a wonderful trip. I think that some of those computer driving game designers must have spent time in the motorway tunnels around Genoa. Just wonderful with the throttle open and the top down.
Arrived back in England tonight much later than expected. The Marcos got us all the way to Umbria and back to Paris only to have a fuel line go (next to the manifold). That was fixed and then the Steering lock failed in the queue at Eurotunnel at Calais. Becuse the Marcos had got to Eurotunnel before breaking down, I had to be towed onto the train by a French truck and towed off at the other end by a British truck.
Despite all that a wonderful trip. I think that some of those computer driving game designers must have spent time in the motorway tunnels around Genoa. Just wonderful with the throttle open and the top down.
Gassing Station | Italy | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff