Help planning a drive through the Alps to Italy this year.

[richb]

So as we start a new year I am trying to book all the car related events onto the calendar before my wife Denise decides she wants a 2 x week holiday on an island in the Caribbean at the same time as Goodwood, Le Mans Classic, Back Home etc. and that's aside from the stuff she likes to do like Wimbledon and the Hampton Court Flower Show! Heck the summer schedule gets rather booked-up.

I have always wanted to do one of those driving holidays in the Griff, going nowhere in particular but with a few hotels and destinations planned along the way. Something like across France to Mulhouse to see the Schulpf Museum, then over the Alps taking in one of the passes and spend a few days by the Lakes and then down into Italy, do Milan see the Alfa Romeo & Ferrari museums and then back along the Mediterranean and home. Something like that.

So my question is this, have any of you don it and got any tips? Or perhaps have any web sites / books you could recommend for planning it? I seem to read about these sort of drives in car mags all the time but can never remember where they go and stay!

Thoughts/comments chap & chapesses please Rich...

[Balmoral Green]

Top thread Richard,

I am doing the same myself next summer, booked a house near Rome for two weeks, was planning a similar route and sights on the way down and then back along the med.

Lets hope this thread doesnt die without a post

[milleman]

Going to the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the 'ring in August and am hoping to extend the trip and go into Switzerland. Have been over the Furka and Susten passes on 'bikes and a hire car (1.2 litre clio!) and the roads are just fabulous, perfect tarmac, sweeping bends and awesome scenery.

Just has to be done.

[tinman0]

richb said:

I have always wanted to do one of those driving holidays in the Griff, going nowhere in particular but with a few hotels and destinations planned along the way. Something like across France to Mulhouse to see the Schulpf Museum, then over the Alps taking in one of the passes and spend a few days by the Lakes and then down into Italy, do Milan see the Alfa Romeo & Ferrari museums and then back along the Mediterranean and home. Something like that. So my question is this, have any of you don it and got any tips? Or perhaps have any web sites / books you could recommend for planning it? I seem to read about these sort of drives in car mags all the time but can never remember where they go and stay!

kinda do it twice yearly now.

if you want some fun in the alps, head to Sarnen in Switzerland and stay at Hotel Metzgern. Not too expensive and pretty reasonable. Its also in a very nice position. In the morning head south first over Brunigpass (a low pass) and then to Meiringen. From there decide whether you want to go up Grimselpass or Sustenpass. Grimsel will give you the option of Furkapass to Andermatt, of Nufenenpass and St Gotthard for a different way to Andermatt. At St Gotthard you could actually give up and head south into Italy.

Essentially, Grimsel, Furka and Nufenen are some of the highest passes in Switzerland. They are alot of fun. Hence we're going again in mid June.

[rsvmilly]

I am planning a similar trip for three of us on bikes. The Schulpf Museum is on the list of places to visit, along with the Millau bridge and the gorges that Clarkson took the Audi RS4 to.

There are plenty of websites which will find you hotels. This one seems to have some reasonable deals;

www.bookings.fr/index.en.html

Or for simple, cheap stopovers there is always

www.hotelformule1.com/formule1/index.html

I plan to go at the end of May. I'd like to do Stelvio and some of the other passes although it may still be snowy - a big no no on a sports bike. If the forecast is poor then we can just adapt and spend the time on the Mediterranean coast.

[EmmaP]

Nick - aka V12V8 - at Dettaglio could help organize this for you. He arranges all the Eurohoon tours on behalf of PH. His attention to detail is faultless and his knowledge is amazing.

Details of his company, services and tours may be found by visiting www.dettaglio.co.uk

[rsvmilly]

tinman0 said:

if you want some fun in the alps, head to Sarnen in Switzerland and stay at Hotel Metzgern. Not too expensive and pretty reasonable. Its also in a very nice position. In the morning head south first over Brunigpass (a low pass) and then to Meiringen. From there decide whether you want to go up Grimselpass or Sustenpass. Grimsel will give you the option of Furkapass to Andermatt, of Nufenenpass and St Gotthard for a different way to Andermatt. At St Gotthard you could actually give up and head south into Italy. Essentially, Grimsel, Furka and Nufenen are some of the highest passes in Switzerland. They are alot of fun. Hence we're going again in mid June.

Very handy to know, thanks.

Another thread on a very similar subject

www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=228392

[Axeman30]

How about head across France to SW Germany via Strasbourg, into Switzerland via Basel, then you have the choice of up over the St Bernard pass if the weathers good and if not take the tunnel. Down into Italy it's worth taking in L. Maggiore ( great if you have time to take a boat trip around the islands ) and L. Como from there head down to Milan stopping off at Monza on the way. I went on that route 2 years ago.

On the way back we went via Genoa and along the French Cote D'Azzur before heading up though the French massive central. All in all a nice circular drive.

[richb]

Thanks for comments so far, Axeman - out of interest how long did you take on your trip? I'm thinkning about 7-8 days i.e. leave on Friday EuroTunnel and come back the following week Sunday or Monday. Oh and aside from the Schlumpf museaum, are the supercar museums in Italy worth visiting? I do want to see the Alfa museum in Milan. Rich...

[rsvmilly]

Axeman, how long did that route take you? And did it feel hurried?

[ninjaboy]

the slumf?? museuem was great i went last year with work and they took us for a meal and for a look round, they have a crash simulator and some nice race cars and a 959 rally display

[richb]

ninjaboy said:

the slumf?? museuem

used to be stuffed full of Bugattis, was it still? Rich...

[chilled]

I did a nice meandering route this summer. Took in Grand St bernard, Petite St Bernard, Col De La Bonette (highest road in Europe) San Bernadino, Col d'Iseran and many others. Piccies and my write up is here

www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=309819&st=25

[Balmoral Green]

ninjaboy said:

the Schlumpf museum was great, they have a crash simulator

Ah yes, the 205 on a spit, they roll you round and round and round, loved it.

>> Edited by Balmoral Green on Wednesday 4th January 15:45

[pjm]

Italian Lakes are beautiful, but not the greatest driving roads. The motorway route down through France is very quick and efficient. The peage between Dijon and Geneva (A39 I think) is one of those engineering marvels of interlinked tunnels and bridges creating smooth flat road through increasingly mountainous scenery, particularly if you go all the way to Chamoix and through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy (I think that is the best way to the Italian lakes). If you are coming back through the South of France, the Route Napoleon is meant to be fantastic. I'd advise coming home in more stages than going out. At the beginning, the novelty of driving on European motorways keeps you amused for quite a while. By coming-home time, it just seems like a long boring painful slog. If you're planning to go as far as the Italian Lakes, try to get as close as possible on day 1 while the adrenaline is pumping, then take the scenic route home.

[Carlt]

EmmaP said:

Nick - aka V12V8 - at Dettaglio could help organize this for you. He arranges all the Eurohoon tours on behalf of PH. His attention to detail is faultless and his knowledge is amazing. Details of his company, services and tours may be found by visiting www.dettaglio.co.uk

Contacted Nick via the website last night and he has come back to me today, with lots of info and advice.

Basically, Iam looking to do a nice "tour" for my honeymoon next June

[richb]

He'll wonder why teh sudden burst of interest then because I asked him for a brochure and plan to do the same... (not honeymoon just a nice tour)!

[ninjaboy]

Balmoral Green said:

ninjaboy said: the Schlumpf museum was great, they have a crash simulator Ah yes, the 205 on a spit, they roll you round and round and round, loved it. >> Edited by Balmoral Green on Wednesday 4th January 15:45

The scot who works in italy who invieted us over cracked me by screaming "le toilet" lol the lady who took us round was great too there seemed to be nothing she didn't know about the cars. The cars where mainly bugattis as as been said but their where some good race cars too from the 50's 60's and 70's which impress me more

[dazren]

ninjaboy said:

the slumf?? museuem was great i went last year with work and they took us for a meal and for a look round, they have a crash simulator and some nice race cars and a 959 rally display

What is the parking like? ie easy and close to the entrance? Thinking of paying a flying visit to see the two Royales and the bugatti collection.

DAZ

[blondemoment]

The Schlumpf Museum is well worth a visit! The Bugatti Collection is amazing.

You can park in a large car park at the rear of the Museum, which is well signposted or alternatively, if there is a group of you, arrange to park inside the gates of the Museum! That causes quite a stir!