Bologna to Calais Avoiding Switzerland - Routes?

[EnglishTeacher]

Hi
Can anyone recommend the best return route for a Calais to bologna trip in a LWB van.

Going to clear a house and bring the contents back to the UK.

As the van is empty going out (apart from a few tools etc) & I have a spare vignette, I plan to go the Calais>Luxembourg(cheap fuel)>Basel> Milan route.

But coming back on 1st December, to avoid any custom hassles I plan to avoid Switzerland. So didn’t know whether to go the French way Turin>Lyon or maybe go via Austria Brenner pass.

Or maybe there’s a better way???

Thanks in advance

[4Mille 5Cento]

I've just done this journey , Bologna to Calais , I took a different route down in Germany .

I have used the Brennero route for a few years ,ever since spending a small fortune on French tolls and the Mont Blanc tunnel in 2016 .

Route is Brennero , A12 and A13 to Telfs Austria ,you will need an Austrian vignette for this , over Fernpass which can be closed at night on random days , through Ulm , A8 , heading for Luxembourg , cheap petrol and Lille and Calais .
It's not the fastest or shortest , I just prefer it .

[NDA]

I'd turn left at Lyon or Gap - there's only about an hour in it.

9 hours to Gap, 5 or 6 to Bologna.

[RedWhiteMonkey]

I'd get into France as soon as possible, head towards Lyon and then north. The passes through Austria are mostly just traffic jams, and probably a pain in a loaded van.

[EnglishTeacher]

Thanks for the suggestions. I would prefer to go Brenner but I hadn't thought about traffic, so will swallow the cost and go France

Slight change of route, I'm now starting near Bari (don't ask), so will need to overnight somewhere. Given the distance I suspect It'll be around the Turin area. Has anyone got any suggestions?

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Can't help with hotel suggestions but recommend that you get something like https://www.bipandgo.com/en/ so you can pass through through all the tolls quicker.

[plenty]

Probably quicker to go north of Turin and into France via Mont Blanc. Lots of overnight options in the Aosta/Chamonix area.

ETA: Mont Blanc tunnel closed until 16 Dec.

Edited by plenty on Tuesday 5th November 12:18

[EnglishTeacher]

Didn't know abot MB Tunnel. Sounds like Frejus is the best option then

[omniflow]

EnglishTeacher said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I would prefer to go Brenner but I hadn't thought about traffic, so will swallow the cost and go France

Slight change of route, I'm now starting near Bari (don't ask), so will need to overnight somewhere. Given the distance I suspect It'll be around the Turin area. Has anyone got any suggestions?

I drove Bari (well Cisternino) to UK in about 1990 in a 1982 Alfasud Sprint, which I reckon is probably a match for your van as far as cruising speed goes. We got as far as Piacenza on Day 1 before I just couldn't be bothered to drive any further.

[EnglishTeacher]

omniflow said:

I drove Bari (well Cisternino) to UK in about 1990 in a 1982 Alfasud Sprint, which I reckon is probably a match for your van as far as cruising speed goes. We got as far as Piacenza on Day 1 before I just couldn't be bothered to drive any further.

I know Cisternino well. I'm actually starting at Alberobello.

I drive the route (through switzerland) by car about 3 times a year and either use my TTRS or 21year old A2, to be honest it makes little difference to the time taken, and I probably arrive more refreshed in the A2

We always stop at Como. Good Ibis, cheap and secure car park

Edited by EnglishTeacher on Thursday 7th November 08:09