Italy road trip
Discussion
Mrs Sib and I have a week booked in a villa near Florence. We thought we'd take 3 days to get there by car and 3 days back. We plan to spend the night just outside Calais on the way out, and then day 1 will be a full day rather than being partly taken up by the channel crossing. And we would like to spend a night visiting one of the Italian lakes on the way back. Otherwise its a blank canvas at the moment.
Anyone with any experience of a trip like this? I'm finding it hard to know how to go about planning it because the only part of the journey I know is the Autoroute past Paris to Lyon. Where to stay, what would be the best route etc?
Any help/tips etc you can offer will be much appreciated.
Anyone with any experience of a trip like this? I'm finding it hard to know how to go about planning it because the only part of the journey I know is the Autoroute past Paris to Lyon. Where to stay, what would be the best route etc?
Any help/tips etc you can offer will be much appreciated.
Depends what you are looking for really..
We do it most years, and go via the black forest in Germany (very nice hotel there), and the roads are awesome - then through Switzerland, up and over the alps couple of passes and then down into Italy.
We tend to make a road trip of it on the way there, and then do it in two days on the way back.
If you go through the Frejus tunnel, Chambery in France is "roughly" in the middle.
We do it most years, and go via the black forest in Germany (very nice hotel there), and the roads are awesome - then through Switzerland, up and over the alps couple of passes and then down into Italy.
We tend to make a road trip of it on the way there, and then do it in two days on the way back.
If you go through the Frejus tunnel, Chambery in France is "roughly" in the middle.
We've done a Rome road trip that covered a lot of this ground. I'd suggest you go north to Verona, which is a very cute town. It's only 100km across to Venice if you fancy that. You can come back over the alps via Verona and drop into Innsbruck.
Coming back through Germany I'd suggest a first stop at Fussen because there's a spectacular rail+cable car high up into the alps.
Then you have a few options back through Germany/France up or up Belgium and back to Calais that way.
Coming back through Germany I'd suggest a first stop at Fussen because there's a spectacular rail+cable car high up into the alps.
Then you have a few options back through Germany/France up or up Belgium and back to Calais that way.
Toll charges on the French Autoroute can add up the further you go, so I'd usually head east through Belgium and into Germany/Luxembourg.
However, to take in Geneva on a road trip, and visit Reims, we did the drive to Dijon via the tunnel on day one. Getting off the Autoroute after that took us through the Jura national park, crossing the Swiss border near Les Rousses. To go further south from there, skirt around Lake Geneva, and towards the St Bernard's Pass - the next major city from there is Turin, and an easy day's drive from there to Florence.
However, to take in Geneva on a road trip, and visit Reims, we did the drive to Dijon via the tunnel on day one. Getting off the Autoroute after that took us through the Jura national park, crossing the Swiss border near Les Rousses. To go further south from there, skirt around Lake Geneva, and towards the St Bernard's Pass - the next major city from there is Turin, and an easy day's drive from there to Florence.
I don't pay any motorway tolls in France by heading to Lille from Calais , into Belgium ,Lux ,Germany ,
Austria , buy a Vignette to drive on their motorways ,about 10 Euro for a 10 day ticket, up to Brennero into Italy ,you can drop into Lake Garda on the way down after passing Trento .
It's a slightly longer route than going down to the Mont Blanc tunnel ,but that is SO expensive ,about 45 Euro one way but a lot better value if you buy a return ticket which I think is valid for 7 days only .
For the route I use ,put Lille and Imst Austria , as points on the way and then Brennero and from there it's all
Autostrada to Florence ,the drive down through the Dolomites is breath taking and also great at night with what I can only describe as floating lights on the hillsides .
Watch out for the Florence ZTL ,apparently one of the most lucrative for fining unsuspecting drivers .driving into a restricted to residents and permit holders only zone .
Zona Trafico Limitato .
Austria , buy a Vignette to drive on their motorways ,about 10 Euro for a 10 day ticket, up to Brennero into Italy ,you can drop into Lake Garda on the way down after passing Trento .
It's a slightly longer route than going down to the Mont Blanc tunnel ,but that is SO expensive ,about 45 Euro one way but a lot better value if you buy a return ticket which I think is valid for 7 days only .
For the route I use ,put Lille and Imst Austria , as points on the way and then Brennero and from there it's all
Autostrada to Florence ,the drive down through the Dolomites is breath taking and also great at night with what I can only describe as floating lights on the hillsides .
Watch out for the Florence ZTL ,apparently one of the most lucrative for fining unsuspecting drivers .driving into a restricted to residents and permit holders only zone .
Zona Trafico Limitato .
Your choices are practically endless.
Rather than Dover -> Calais, have a look at Harwich -> Hook of Holland - an overnight ferry that takes you into Holland - perfectly positioned to drive through Germany to the Alps, then onto Lake Garda - where you can stay in Salo at the Locanda Del Benaco - definitely try the restaurant if you do this. Salo to Florence is less than 1/2 day drive. We're going in May, and we're doing Hook of Holland -> Nuremburg on day 1. We were going to make the first stop Rothenberg der Tauber (sic?), but I just couldn't get my head around the hotels there, so we changed to Nuremburg. Then we're stopping off at Salzburg for a couple of days, before heading into Italy over the GrossGlockner. We're actually spending one night in a "hotel" at the top of the pass, then 3 nights on Lake Garda, and then on to Radda for a week in a Villa.
Alternatively - Portsmouth -> St. Malo - another overnight ferry that takes you into Western France - then drive down the West coast - you can get about 1/2 way down on decent non-toll dual carriageways. It's not as direct, but it's very nice. You could do this route on the way back for a total change from the route out, but be aware that the ferry from St. Malo -> Portsmouth only runs overnight once a week (Tuesdays I think)
Don't be concerned about driving anywhere in Europe (apart from possibly Belgium) - Italy really isn't a problem. You'll see that slow cars drive with 2 wheels practically in the gutter so that they're easy to pass. Other drivers will expect you to do the same if you're not keeping pace with the traffic.
Rather than Dover -> Calais, have a look at Harwich -> Hook of Holland - an overnight ferry that takes you into Holland - perfectly positioned to drive through Germany to the Alps, then onto Lake Garda - where you can stay in Salo at the Locanda Del Benaco - definitely try the restaurant if you do this. Salo to Florence is less than 1/2 day drive. We're going in May, and we're doing Hook of Holland -> Nuremburg on day 1. We were going to make the first stop Rothenberg der Tauber (sic?), but I just couldn't get my head around the hotels there, so we changed to Nuremburg. Then we're stopping off at Salzburg for a couple of days, before heading into Italy over the GrossGlockner. We're actually spending one night in a "hotel" at the top of the pass, then 3 nights on Lake Garda, and then on to Radda for a week in a Villa.
Alternatively - Portsmouth -> St. Malo - another overnight ferry that takes you into Western France - then drive down the West coast - you can get about 1/2 way down on decent non-toll dual carriageways. It's not as direct, but it's very nice. You could do this route on the way back for a total change from the route out, but be aware that the ferry from St. Malo -> Portsmouth only runs overnight once a week (Tuesdays I think)
Don't be concerned about driving anywhere in Europe (apart from possibly Belgium) - Italy really isn't a problem. You'll see that slow cars drive with 2 wheels practically in the gutter so that they're easy to pass. Other drivers will expect you to do the same if you're not keeping pace with the traffic.
These replies are all really helpful so thank you everyone.
We are very experienced in French driving, Mrs Sib being a Francophile we have tended to take most foreign holidays there, and as we live in the south east getting to tunnel is easy enough. She may love France but she hates boats, so there is never any question of crossing by ferry!
Yet to decide which car to take - but provisionally it will be her 997 Targa, as its her birthday treat.
We are very experienced in French driving, Mrs Sib being a Francophile we have tended to take most foreign holidays there, and as we live in the south east getting to tunnel is easy enough. She may love France but she hates boats, so there is never any question of crossing by ferry!
Yet to decide which car to take - but provisionally it will be her 997 Targa, as its her birthday treat.
We are heading down in June to Lake Garda.
Day 1 is down to Dijon, we will use the Auto-route until Troyes and then come off and use the back routes to Dijon.
Day 2 is down to Lake Garda via Switzerland and the Great Saint Bernard Pass.
On the way home we are heading up via Freiburg for a night and then over to Reims, but I may use the N500 to Baden Baden.
Day 1 is down to Dijon, we will use the Auto-route until Troyes and then come off and use the back routes to Dijon.
Day 2 is down to Lake Garda via Switzerland and the Great Saint Bernard Pass.
On the way home we are heading up via Freiburg for a night and then over to Reims, but I may use the N500 to Baden Baden.
If your in the south east, use the tunnel on day one then head for Germany, lots of decent hotels, head for Switzerland on day 2 lots of options for the lakes, St Bernard, Gottard etc.. you’ve got the choice of Garda (our favourite), Como, Maggiore…
You can break down 5/6 hours a day driving quite comfortably and have two days on the lakes.
Way back try something different say the mountains, Mont Blanc (Courmayeur/Chamonix). Or go back via Austria.
We travel just south of Ancona.
Black Forest and the Lakes are our favourite stop offs. Be patient in Switzerland and enjoy the passes.
Enjoy and have a great time.
You can break down 5/6 hours a day driving quite comfortably and have two days on the lakes.
Way back try something different say the mountains, Mont Blanc (Courmayeur/Chamonix). Or go back via Austria.
We travel just south of Ancona.
Black Forest and the Lakes are our favourite stop offs. Be patient in Switzerland and enjoy the passes.
Enjoy and have a great time.
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