Euro Road Trip - Alpine passes
Discussion
Hi all... am looking for a little help from the pistonhead knowledge base.
Am planning a trip for Septemeber 2020, and think I have been a little overzealous!
I will be travelling for 5 days, leaving Surrey on Thursday morning, and returning on the Monday evening.
A group of 4 , each driving our own cars. The plan is to enjoy the scenery and ribbons of tarmac, rather than to visit cities etc. It really is a trip to drive around and enjoy.
My planned drive is as per this link https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1lXWWTx...
However, am beginning to wonder if this is more than 5 days worth of driving , and questioing if it needs to be cut down a touch?
Day one takes us to Beaune/Dijon on autoroute, just to eat up the mileage nice and early. but its from there through the Swiss/Italian alps that I have no idea about... and also now worried if some of the passes (Gavia in particular) are a bit of a hardship with single track for a lot of the way with few passing opportunities?
Anyone care to educate me, and suggest improved itinerary? - The only thing that we definitely have to do is the Stelvio pass.. I know its busy/slow/overated etc, but its a box that absolutely needs ticking!
Hugely grateful to anyone that can assist - as don't want to get it wrong... the others will make me pay for all the beer/wine if I screw it up!
Thanks
Am planning a trip for Septemeber 2020, and think I have been a little overzealous!
I will be travelling for 5 days, leaving Surrey on Thursday morning, and returning on the Monday evening.
A group of 4 , each driving our own cars. The plan is to enjoy the scenery and ribbons of tarmac, rather than to visit cities etc. It really is a trip to drive around and enjoy.
My planned drive is as per this link https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1lXWWTx...
However, am beginning to wonder if this is more than 5 days worth of driving , and questioing if it needs to be cut down a touch?
Day one takes us to Beaune/Dijon on autoroute, just to eat up the mileage nice and early. but its from there through the Swiss/Italian alps that I have no idea about... and also now worried if some of the passes (Gavia in particular) are a bit of a hardship with single track for a lot of the way with few passing opportunities?
Anyone care to educate me, and suggest improved itinerary? - The only thing that we definitely have to do is the Stelvio pass.. I know its busy/slow/overated etc, but its a box that absolutely needs ticking!
Hugely grateful to anyone that can assist - as don't want to get it wrong... the others will make me pay for all the beer/wine if I screw it up!
Thanks
My initial observation having done many of these trips is that you are doing a lot of mileage in Switzerland. They hate the motor car and will actively prevent you from overtaking whilst they dribble along. Worse still if you do insist on making progress , call the old bill on you to wait further up the road. Try and drop further south and into Austria or North Italy and only dip into Switzerland for the must do passes. You route will look very similar but avoid the frustration of the Swiss. I normally aim to do about 250-350 miles a day with a couple of shortcuts built in for those wishing to enjoy the next hotels facilities earlier. There are so many great roads that it's very easy to link them all together. It does take time though but if your prepared to put in the donkey work it will pay dividends when you get there.
I did something similar in June with my brother (both driving separate cars), I used an app called UltimateDrives, you can go to the map view and see all the ‘passes’ and try and link them all together, should be able to do quite a few around the Stelvio area over the few days you have.
Looks like you skipped a number of the best bits of Switzerland. As you're heading through Andermatt, you should include the 'loop', including the Nufenen.
250-350 miles in the mountains is a lot imo, and would require very steady progress, which is when you might get unwanted attention. Been to Switzerland numerous times, and if you're observant/don't go silly, it's well worth doing.
As you state, Stevio is overated. Austria is worth considering.
250-350 miles in the mountains is a lot imo, and would require very steady progress, which is when you might get unwanted attention. Been to Switzerland numerous times, and if you're observant/don't go silly, it's well worth doing.
As you state, Stevio is overated. Austria is worth considering.
We did 8 nights when we did some of those passes but we had 2 at the nurburgring then travelled south through the black forest (we got the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam) so time-wise you might be okay but will probably end out driving a lot of the day.
Before we went i'd heard all the Stelvio patter about it being rubbish and not worth it but it was awesome, we had a good few stints of spirited driving without being anywhere near near silly then slower stints taking in the views (for me the views were the best bit being my first time there). There are many good passes and from memory they are relatively concentrated once you're in/ near the alps.
Before we went i'd heard all the Stelvio patter about it being rubbish and not worth it but it was awesome, we had a good few stints of spirited driving without being anywhere near near silly then slower stints taking in the views (for me the views were the best bit being my first time there). There are many good passes and from memory they are relatively concentrated once you're in/ near the alps.
I do think it's a lot, and you need to be aware of too many miles on motorways. Are you able to be in Calais for Thursday morning? If so, Zurich or Lucerne area is nicely doable in 8 hours. Same for the return leg, which leaves you 3 days of driving in that Switzerland etc. You need to factor time in for gawping at views, because they're stunning.
Plan your three days to finish at Dijon, then it's a day to get home.
Plan your three days to finish at Dijon, then it's a day to get home.
Having done numerous road trips through the Alps in the past the first thing I would mention is that it is much easier to cover long distance when driving through Germany rather than driving through France.
If I were doing such Alpine destinations I would head from Calais over towards Trier and then down past Stutgart to Konstanz.
Freiburg is probably the furthest I would be comfortable doing on a one-day driving leg from Calais.
Assuming you are getting an early crossing.
Day 2 would be an easy drive in to the Alps for the wide choice of passes that you want to link together.
Google maps at this point in the year prevents you planning routes on closed passes. The passes usually open late April/early May. Depending on how much snow fall is, or has taken place.
The Tom Tom route planner does allow you to plan routes using closed roads, this will give you a better idea on routing options and driving time, until you can revert back to google maps as the passes become open.
If this is the first driving holiday that you are planning to do then I'd also recommend not basing it on the typical Gumball events that are often shown on youtube etc. Because to enjoy the drive you need to be refreshed, relaxed and offer yourself plenty of time to stop every so often and take in the views.
So the driving leg down to the Alps and the driving leg back to Calais should be based on the premise that you are simply "getting in" then "getting out" of holiday area, so those days are just pure boring motorway legs on your time schedule.
But when you are in the "holiday area" that is when you need to give yourself plenty time to enjoy it.
So of course its up to you to decide on this aspect
If I were doing such Alpine destinations I would head from Calais over towards Trier and then down past Stutgart to Konstanz.
Freiburg is probably the furthest I would be comfortable doing on a one-day driving leg from Calais.
Assuming you are getting an early crossing.
Day 2 would be an easy drive in to the Alps for the wide choice of passes that you want to link together.
Google maps at this point in the year prevents you planning routes on closed passes. The passes usually open late April/early May. Depending on how much snow fall is, or has taken place.
The Tom Tom route planner does allow you to plan routes using closed roads, this will give you a better idea on routing options and driving time, until you can revert back to google maps as the passes become open.
If this is the first driving holiday that you are planning to do then I'd also recommend not basing it on the typical Gumball events that are often shown on youtube etc. Because to enjoy the drive you need to be refreshed, relaxed and offer yourself plenty of time to stop every so often and take in the views.
So the driving leg down to the Alps and the driving leg back to Calais should be based on the premise that you are simply "getting in" then "getting out" of holiday area, so those days are just pure boring motorway legs on your time schedule.
But when you are in the "holiday area" that is when you need to give yourself plenty time to enjoy it.
So of course its up to you to decide on this aspect
GroundZero said:
Having done numerous road trips through the Alps in the past the first thing I would mention is that it is much easier to cover long distance when driving through Germany rather than driving through France.
Wow, I'm really, really surprised to read this. My experience of France is the opposite, like Calais to Annecy is really easy, Google Maps currently showing it as 522 miles in 7h 40 mins. Surely to go to Germany involves either travelling east without going south, or going via Belgium whose motorways are just awful?French m'ways can be pricey, but they have such lovely, smooth and quiet tarmac, and out of peak season are just so quiet. When I do Calais to Annecy normally it's case of getting on the autoroute, setting the cruise to an indicated 85mph and then just sit there for a day. It's so easy - four hours /260 miles is very, very easy, I then stop and refresh /refuel myself and car, and then do it again.
I love driving in France. From Annecy there is just the biggest playground of central massif and french alps, which in spring or autumn can be utterly deserted. Apart from central Spain maybe, everywhere else is more congested and / or more onerously policed.
The direction the OP wants to go, Google is showing Basel via France as 7 hours whereas Freiburg via Germany is 8+ hours.
I don't have great experience of autobahns (I think I prefer to avoid them), I find the up-and-down nature of the speed limits, the heavier traffic, and they seem to have more road works, to be wearing and more tiring.
heebeegeetee said:
....
No doubt everyone has different experiences on their holiday adventures.I just found the French drivers and the roads to be more stressful and not what I wanted on long distance driving.
The German autobahns on the other hand leave me feeling much more relaxed at the end of a long drive.
Different story when you get off the French motorways and on to the A and B roads. Similar to Germany again, these are often very relaxing and scenic to drive.
GroundZero said:
Having done numerous road trips through the Alps in the past the first thing I would mention is that it is much easier to cover long distance when driving through Germany rather than driving through France.
If I were doing such Alpine destinations I would head from Calais over towards Trier and then down past Stutgart to Konstanz.
Freiburg is probably the furthest I would be comfortable doing on a one-day driving leg from Calais.
Assuming you are getting an early crossing.
Day 2 would be an easy drive in to the Alps for the wide choice of passes that you want to link together.
Google maps at this point in the year prevents you planning routes on closed passes. The passes usually open late April/early May. Depending on how much snow fall is, or has taken place.
The Tom Tom route planner does allow you to plan routes using closed roads, this will give you a better idea on routing options and driving time, until you can revert back to google maps as the passes become open.
If this is the first driving holiday that you are planning to do then I'd also recommend not basing it on the typical Gumball events that are often shown on youtube etc. Because to enjoy the drive you need to be refreshed, relaxed and offer yourself plenty of time to stop every so often and take in the views.
So the driving leg down to the Alps and the driving leg back to Calais should be based on the premise that you are simply "getting in" then "getting out" of holiday area, so those days are just pure boring motorway legs on your time schedule.
But when you are in the "holiday area" that is when you need to give yourself plenty time to enjoy it.
So of course its up to you to decide on this aspect
This sounds good, guess I will have advance planning on my next road trip, thanks!If I were doing such Alpine destinations I would head from Calais over towards Trier and then down past Stutgart to Konstanz.
Freiburg is probably the furthest I would be comfortable doing on a one-day driving leg from Calais.
Assuming you are getting an early crossing.
Day 2 would be an easy drive in to the Alps for the wide choice of passes that you want to link together.
Google maps at this point in the year prevents you planning routes on closed passes. The passes usually open late April/early May. Depending on how much snow fall is, or has taken place.
The Tom Tom route planner does allow you to plan routes using closed roads, this will give you a better idea on routing options and driving time, until you can revert back to google maps as the passes become open.
If this is the first driving holiday that you are planning to do then I'd also recommend not basing it on the typical Gumball events that are often shown on youtube etc. Because to enjoy the drive you need to be refreshed, relaxed and offer yourself plenty of time to stop every so often and take in the views.
So the driving leg down to the Alps and the driving leg back to Calais should be based on the premise that you are simply "getting in" then "getting out" of holiday area, so those days are just pure boring motorway legs on your time schedule.
But when you are in the "holiday area" that is when you need to give yourself plenty time to enjoy it.
So of course its up to you to decide on this aspect
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff