Lille to Monza in 1 day. Best route?
Discussion
Not ideal, but later this month I will be driving from midlands to Monza (for the F1) in just over 1 day. I plan to get to Lille after work on the Thursday, then drive from Lille to Monza area on the Friday. It looks doable, around 650 miles and 11hrs driving. Any hints or tips to minimise time? I have a French toll tag and plan to go the most direct route through Switzerland. Can I just purchase a Vignette when I arrive in Switzerland at the motorway services?
Cheers, Matt
Cheers, Matt
You can buy a Vignette online prior to leaving and put the sticker in your windscreen - then you should get waved through by the Swiss border guards rather than have to queue up to buy one.
Assuming you're heading for the border at Basel, take the N44/N4/N59/A35 route from Reims to Colmar as apart from one tunnel, it's toll free and there are literally minutes' difference compared to taking the Autoroute via Metz/Strasbourg.
My only concern about doing that distance in a day is getting through the Gotthard tunnel. if you're travelling in September it might be okay but it can be a 2-hour wait to get through at busy times because it's single carriageway. You can take the pass over the top of the mountain which is well worth doing but if you're pushed for time I would only do that if it's going to take the same/less time than the tunnel, so it's worth stopping before you get there and checking how long the queue is.
Assuming you're heading for the border at Basel, take the N44/N4/N59/A35 route from Reims to Colmar as apart from one tunnel, it's toll free and there are literally minutes' difference compared to taking the Autoroute via Metz/Strasbourg.
My only concern about doing that distance in a day is getting through the Gotthard tunnel. if you're travelling in September it might be okay but it can be a 2-hour wait to get through at busy times because it's single carriageway. You can take the pass over the top of the mountain which is well worth doing but if you're pushed for time I would only do that if it's going to take the same/less time than the tunnel, so it's worth stopping before you get there and checking how long the queue is.
You can buy an online vignette for Switzerland now.
https://www.bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/home/services/se...
https://www.bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/home/services/se...
matt21 said:
Great tip on the St Gottard tunnel, didn’t think of that.
Do you think going via Grenoble & Turin would be a safer bet? Looks probably 1hr further
I wouldn't travel that distance to avoid it, especially because going via Grenoble will be more expensive on tolls. As it's September (so out of summer holiday season) the queues might not be as bad - as I said probably something to keep an eye on as you're travelling. It's about 40 minutes longer to go via Zurich and the San Bernadino tunnel so that could be another option.Do you think going via Grenoble & Turin would be a safer bet? Looks probably 1hr further
Depends what time and day you hit gotthard, but agree the pass isn’t any quicker if it is busy as it initially is but then you get stuck in the queue merging with the exiting tunnel .
Any particular reason you are starting in Lille? I spent last summer commuting between Rotterdam and Lausanne which was a long dull slog. If starting from uk I’d try and get further than Lille before calling it a day and making the next day a shorter trip. 11hrs driving is more exhausting than you realise.
Any particular reason you are starting in Lille? I spent last summer commuting between Rotterdam and Lausanne which was a long dull slog. If starting from uk I’d try and get further than Lille before calling it a day and making the next day a shorter trip. 11hrs driving is more exhausting than you realise.
Will look to pre order the vignette. I assume we won’t have one in our windscreen if we get an e vignette?
Good question on Lille. We don’t arrive into Calais until 8pm assuming no delays, so thought 1hr South would be a good stop point ahead of a long drive on the Friday.
Fortunately will be doing it in my 520d, which long distance is immensely comfortable. I’ve done a few 12hr driving days before so should be doable.
Good question on Lille. We don’t arrive into Calais until 8pm assuming no delays, so thought 1hr South would be a good stop point ahead of a long drive on the Friday.
Fortunately will be doing it in my 520d, which long distance is immensely comfortable. I’ve done a few 12hr driving days before so should be doable.
just looked at google maps.
if it were me i'd get as far into france as you can that first evening. ime the traffic is light late evening and you can 'make progress'. french speed cameras are literally signposted as to their location. second day early start but allow time for a nice lunch in the italian alps and arrive in good time to enjoy your evening. you're on holiday after all
route down slightly and cross geneva [not using the motorway so no need for vignette] and the mont blanc tunnel into italy. adds 35mins to the total journey on google maps, the tunnel costs 20quid more than the vignette but you can make up way more time on the french and italian motorways than you can in switzerland. you can absolutely tank it on the autostrada, everyone else does! very few cameras and waze is totally accurate as to their location.
if it were me i'd get as far into france as you can that first evening. ime the traffic is light late evening and you can 'make progress'. french speed cameras are literally signposted as to their location. second day early start but allow time for a nice lunch in the italian alps and arrive in good time to enjoy your evening. you're on holiday after all
route down slightly and cross geneva [not using the motorway so no need for vignette] and the mont blanc tunnel into italy. adds 35mins to the total journey on google maps, the tunnel costs 20quid more than the vignette but you can make up way more time on the french and italian motorways than you can in switzerland. you can absolutely tank it on the autostrada, everyone else does! very few cameras and waze is totally accurate as to their location.
shirt said:
just looked at google maps.
if it were me i'd get as far into france as you can that first evening. ime the traffic is light late evening and you can 'make progress'. french speed cameras are literally signposted as to their location. second day early start but allow time for a nice lunch in the italian alps and arrive in good time to enjoy your evening. you're on holiday after all
route down slightly and cross geneva [not using the motorway so no need for vignette] and the mont blanc tunnel into italy. adds 35mins to the total journey on google maps, the tunnel costs 20quid more than the vignette but you can make up way more time on the french and italian motorways than you can in switzerland. you can absolutely tank it on the autostrada, everyone else does! very few cameras and waze is totally accurate as to their location.
+1 on getting further into France. But avoid the MB tunnel unless you find out differently - in June they were running a convoy system and the queue was 1.5 hours early on a Friday and building.if it were me i'd get as far into france as you can that first evening. ime the traffic is light late evening and you can 'make progress'. french speed cameras are literally signposted as to their location. second day early start but allow time for a nice lunch in the italian alps and arrive in good time to enjoy your evening. you're on holiday after all
route down slightly and cross geneva [not using the motorway so no need for vignette] and the mont blanc tunnel into italy. adds 35mins to the total journey on google maps, the tunnel costs 20quid more than the vignette but you can make up way more time on the french and italian motorways than you can in switzerland. you can absolutely tank it on the autostrada, everyone else does! very few cameras and waze is totally accurate as to their location.
omniflow said:
How about Harwich -> Hook of Holland overnight on the Thursday night. Then on the Friday, it's about 90mins to clear Holland, then south through Germany, into Austria and then take the Brenner pass into Italy.
Google maps suggest 14.5 hours for that , with lots of roadworks symbols on the route .Still might be preferable to some of the things mentioned ,like the possible Mont Blanc tunnel queues .
OP will need a vignette for the Austrian motorway too . 10 Euros for a 10 day sticker or buy online .
The mad thing about the MB tunnel is that the Italians were just letting you straight through so it was fine coming back.
Deesee said:
Dijon,Lausanne,Simplon.. I'll only transit Gottard early as the queues can eat a few hours up.
Well we made it and this is the route we took. Lille to near Bergamo in 11.5hrs, 680 miles. Was a long day but ran smoothly. Thanks for the recommendation, no hold ups with tunnels and the wheels were turning pretty much all day. Picked up the Swiss vignette at a petrol station at the border. The route was a little slow over the Simplon pass with roadworks and trucks but the scenery was breathtaking and we kept moving. Once we were in Italy everyone was doing 90mph+ so soon got to our destination! matt21 said:
Deesee said:
Dijon,Lausanne,Simplon.. I'll only transit Gottard early as the queues can eat a few hours up.
Well we made it and this is the route we took. Lille to near Bergamo in 11.5hrs, 680 miles. Was a long day but ran smoothly. Thanks for the recommendation, no hold ups with tunnels and the wheels were turning pretty much all day. Picked up the Swiss vignette at a petrol station at the border. The route was a little slow over the Simplon pass with roadworks and trucks but the scenery was breathtaking and we kept moving. Once we were in Italy everyone was doing 90mph+ so soon got to our destination! Slow over Simplon is pleasant in a 2/3 hour queue at gotthard is not so pleasant.
Enjoy the race.
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