Italian/French road trip
Discussion
I'm doing a trip across France/Italy next week - route Napoleon etc.
I've done trips before in my boxster but I just wondered if any folk with wide cars like the 360 have been to cinque terra area? I'm not going to that bit for the roads, but am concerned about the width of the 360.
Obviously will be booking somewhere with parking for a few nights (will do walking etc) but am concerned I might get myself in a pickle there as I know these villages are tiny. I think most of the main bits of the villages don't allow cars of course.
Thanks for any help! Also going to pop to lake como on the way back up.
I've done trips before in my boxster but I just wondered if any folk with wide cars like the 360 have been to cinque terra area? I'm not going to that bit for the roads, but am concerned about the width of the 360.
Obviously will be booking somewhere with parking for a few nights (will do walking etc) but am concerned I might get myself in a pickle there as I know these villages are tiny. I think most of the main bits of the villages don't allow cars of course.
Thanks for any help! Also going to pop to lake como on the way back up.
Sure will do! When are you going?
I'm going next week and have booked my first hotel near.Grenoble thanks to a hotel recommendation on here I found when searching.
Drove a friends boxster the other day - very interesting to compare to the 360 - boxster is more confidence inspiring in the twisties!
I'm going next week and have booked my first hotel near.Grenoble thanks to a hotel recommendation on here I found when searching.
Drove a friends boxster the other day - very interesting to compare to the 360 - boxster is more confidence inspiring in the twisties!
My main advice would be to avoid the Route Napolean after you get past Castellane unless you like crawling behind long lines of camper vans and caravans. Far better to bo along the D2 over the Col de Vance. Normally fairly quiet. I have been over it in the LP560 and the 430 so not too narrow.
I used to take my 430 spider to the island of Corsica now there you have to be a bit careful on choosing roads! Of to Corsica again this year but taking the Elise (the most perfect car possible for the Cosican roads ) as the other toys sold awaiting delivery of the Speciale next year.
Best advice if it is a yellow road in the Michelin map should be ok, if it is white best to avoid.
I used to take my 430 spider to the island of Corsica now there you have to be a bit careful on choosing roads! Of to Corsica again this year but taking the Elise (the most perfect car possible for the Cosican roads ) as the other toys sold awaiting delivery of the Speciale next year.
Best advice if it is a yellow road in the Michelin map should be ok, if it is white best to avoid.
Sure will do! When are you going?
I'm going next week and have booked my first hotel near.Grenoble thanks to a hotel recommendation on here I found when searching.
Drove a friends boxster the other day - very interesting to compare to the 360 - boxster is more confidence inspiring in the twisties!
Very interesting I to have a boxster and 360 spider, agree totally, but two totally different cars, I do not think the 360 is that much wider is it ?
Look forward to your reports and photos, Have a safe good trip, Mike
I'm going next week and have booked my first hotel near.Grenoble thanks to a hotel recommendation on here I found when searching.
Drove a friends boxster the other day - very interesting to compare to the 360 - boxster is more confidence inspiring in the twisties!
Very interesting I to have a boxster and 360 spider, agree totally, but two totally different cars, I do not think the 360 is that much wider is it ?
Look forward to your reports and photos, Have a safe good trip, Mike
Sure will do! When are you going?
I'm going next week and have booked my first hotel near.Grenoble thanks to a hotel recommendation on here I found when searching.
Drove a friends boxster the other day - very interesting to compare to the 360 - boxster is more confidence inspiring in the twisties!
Very interesting I to have a boxster and 360 spider, agree totally, but two totally different cars, I do not think the 360 is that much wider is it ?
Look forward to your reports and photos, Have a safe good trip, Mike
I'm going next week and have booked my first hotel near.Grenoble thanks to a hotel recommendation on here I found when searching.
Drove a friends boxster the other day - very interesting to compare to the 360 - boxster is more confidence inspiring in the twisties!
Very interesting I to have a boxster and 360 spider, agree totally, but two totally different cars, I do not think the 360 is that much wider is it ?
Look forward to your reports and photos, Have a safe good trip, Mike
The 360 is certainly bigger than the Boxster, as can be seen by the difference in space around the car in the garage. Funny to see that others have/or have had the Boxster and the 360. Both different, both great. For me at least, the Boxster is the best do-anything car I've ever driven.
Concerning the road trip, I'm always interested in hearing hotel recommendations, not so much for the best quality but more for parking to avoid door banging etc.
We've decided to leave our trip for a little while as we have our annual service this week and if we do the Euro trip, by the time we come back it'd be due its 31250k service. It seems a bit silly to have both in the space of a couple of months! (we need the annual now as we're having the crank seal replaced at the same time)
Concerning the road trip, I'm always interested in hearing hotel recommendations, not so much for the best quality but more for parking to avoid door banging etc.
We've decided to leave our trip for a little while as we have our annual service this week and if we do the Euro trip, by the time we come back it'd be due its 31250k service. It seems a bit silly to have both in the space of a couple of months! (we need the annual now as we're having the crank seal replaced at the same time)
martisracing said:
My main advice would be to avoid the Route Napolean after you get past Castellane unless you like crawling behind long lines of camper vans and caravans. Far better to bo along the D2 over the Col de Vance.
This is basically the route I'm doing early Sept in my Scuderia. Seems from this thread the only other traffic will be other 430's and 360's.Will take a load of pics.
Had car checked over, got full AA breakdown insurance etc.
My stops are all planned out now, but not the exact details of the routing yet. I will plan that nearer the time, but am looking forward to a trip where I can leave without having to worry about hotels.
That said, I prefer to improvise on these trips, but unfortunately this time I'm going peak season (which I'd obviously prefer to avoid) so didn't want to risk it with a Ferrari too... Trip is a mix of driving for me and some relaxing time to please the wife.
Day 1
London > Eurotunnel. (1.5hrs)
Calais > Eybens (Just under 8 hours via autoroutes)
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/chateau-de-la-comm...
(recommendation of great place to stop I found on PH, and only £100 for a 'superior' room. Apparently great dinner here. Thanks to whoever recommended it....)
Will force myself to keep roof on all the way for this to make the journey smoother (I'm a roof off guy normally!). Lunch stop to be determined, but will keep it simple, and 4 hours in to journey for proper break.
Day 2
Fun driving morning - early start to avoid caravans etc, N85/Route napoleon (with D2 diversion as tipped earlier in thread) to hotel in Antibes (afternoon beach action to keep wife happy). Picked Antibes as a bit less busy than Nice/Cannes etc. Was aiming for Villefranche but couldn't easily get hotel there.
Day 3
Drive to La Spezia, Italy. Haven't worked out route yet but should be simple (if a bit busy sadly!). Probably stop in Monaco on the way for an hour (will be horribly busy, but might as well). Park car in secure parking place and take train to Vernazza for 3 nights break in Cinque Terra (keep wife happy, hopeful of romance etc).
Day 6
Drive to Menaggio, Lake Como, Italy. Route TBC, but not seeking amazing roads for this, rather quick route to get to Como smoothly. Intend to check out the Michelin starred restaurant in Bellagio if possible during my stay.
Day 8
Drive to Gevrey-Chambertin, France. Man day - this route to include loads of passes through french alps, and possibly Swiss ones too. Could do Gotthard pass or Grimsel. I loved the D1006 years ago in my boxster, so could also go that way again instead. Will see.
Day 9 day off at hotel.
Drink Pinot Noirs. Ride bikes in vineyards drunk, borrowed from this hotel that we're staying at (which sounds like a great hotel to me):
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/les-chambertines.e...
Day 10
Blast up to calais via autoroutes. Eurotunnel. Home.
Day 11
Back to work
Had car checked over, got full AA breakdown insurance etc.
My stops are all planned out now, but not the exact details of the routing yet. I will plan that nearer the time, but am looking forward to a trip where I can leave without having to worry about hotels.
That said, I prefer to improvise on these trips, but unfortunately this time I'm going peak season (which I'd obviously prefer to avoid) so didn't want to risk it with a Ferrari too... Trip is a mix of driving for me and some relaxing time to please the wife.
Day 1
London > Eurotunnel. (1.5hrs)
Calais > Eybens (Just under 8 hours via autoroutes)
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/chateau-de-la-comm...
(recommendation of great place to stop I found on PH, and only £100 for a 'superior' room. Apparently great dinner here. Thanks to whoever recommended it....)
Will force myself to keep roof on all the way for this to make the journey smoother (I'm a roof off guy normally!). Lunch stop to be determined, but will keep it simple, and 4 hours in to journey for proper break.
Day 2
Fun driving morning - early start to avoid caravans etc, N85/Route napoleon (with D2 diversion as tipped earlier in thread) to hotel in Antibes (afternoon beach action to keep wife happy). Picked Antibes as a bit less busy than Nice/Cannes etc. Was aiming for Villefranche but couldn't easily get hotel there.
Day 3
Drive to La Spezia, Italy. Haven't worked out route yet but should be simple (if a bit busy sadly!). Probably stop in Monaco on the way for an hour (will be horribly busy, but might as well). Park car in secure parking place and take train to Vernazza for 3 nights break in Cinque Terra (keep wife happy, hopeful of romance etc).
Day 6
Drive to Menaggio, Lake Como, Italy. Route TBC, but not seeking amazing roads for this, rather quick route to get to Como smoothly. Intend to check out the Michelin starred restaurant in Bellagio if possible during my stay.
Day 8
Drive to Gevrey-Chambertin, France. Man day - this route to include loads of passes through french alps, and possibly Swiss ones too. Could do Gotthard pass or Grimsel. I loved the D1006 years ago in my boxster, so could also go that way again instead. Will see.
Day 9 day off at hotel.
Drink Pinot Noirs. Ride bikes in vineyards drunk, borrowed from this hotel that we're staying at (which sounds like a great hotel to me):
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/les-chambertines.e...
Day 10
Blast up to calais via autoroutes. Eurotunnel. Home.
Day 11
Back to work
I'd advise a stop in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, which is easy as it's between Nice and Monaco. There are some great restaurants by the marina and with the large cliffs as a back-drop, it's about the most lovely place I've had lunch for many years 
We have a few pics of our trip in the Boxster here: www.kyodo.co.uk/album/europe2012 (just our little personal online album but perhaps of interest as it was the Monaco F1 weekend)
We have a few pics of our trip in the Boxster here: www.kyodo.co.uk/album/europe2012 (just our little personal online album but perhaps of interest as it was the Monaco F1 weekend)
I took part in an epic road trip last year. 2800 miles in 8 days in my 355. 13 of us in 6 cars.
From England we travelled to Lausanne in Switzerland and stayed over. Then to Milan via Great St. Bernard Pass (Italian Job). Italian F1, Lake Como (the autostrada SS-36 via Lecco is simply epic for tunnels). Stelvio pass (lovely scenery, driving was hard work as the car kept grounding out on the bends and brakes overheated on way down....slightly scary and loads of cyclists too), Davos, San Bernadino pass (nice cafe at the top) San Gottard pass and tunnel (tunnel was a bit crap as too congested). Then making way home we did a few laps of "The Ring". Nice. Not so nice in wet though.
Car was perfect. Wouldn't worry about the size of the car on the passes.
Some decent vids of mine here.....
https://www.youtube.com/user/sealinz/videos
From England we travelled to Lausanne in Switzerland and stayed over. Then to Milan via Great St. Bernard Pass (Italian Job). Italian F1, Lake Como (the autostrada SS-36 via Lecco is simply epic for tunnels). Stelvio pass (lovely scenery, driving was hard work as the car kept grounding out on the bends and brakes overheated on way down....slightly scary and loads of cyclists too), Davos, San Bernadino pass (nice cafe at the top) San Gottard pass and tunnel (tunnel was a bit crap as too congested). Then making way home we did a few laps of "The Ring". Nice. Not so nice in wet though.
Car was perfect. Wouldn't worry about the size of the car on the passes.
Some decent vids of mine here.....
https://www.youtube.com/user/sealinz/videos
Martisracing - thanks for that D2 tip. Just did it today. Wow! Bettered route napoleon for me. The sound of my challenge stradale exhaust reverberating off the cliffs in the 360 spider was amazing!
Anyone doing N85 should definitely get on the D2 at Castellane. Also Castellane makes a great lunch spot.
The D2 had barely any traffic, so it was lovely to be able to take each section at a pace of your choosing.
Passed one black 458 on the D2, but no other Ferraris on the whole route sadly!
Anyone doing N85 should definitely get on the D2 at Castellane. Also Castellane makes a great lunch spot.
The D2 had barely any traffic, so it was lovely to be able to take each section at a pace of your choosing.
Passed one black 458 on the D2, but no other Ferraris on the whole route sadly!
Gassing Station | Ferrari V8 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff