st bernard pass & google map timings.....

[Longers]

Hi all

I'm in the final stages of planning a route for Sept to the part of the Alps near the French, Italian and Swiss borders. I'd love to head further east but time is against us I think....

The route I have planned after checking www.alpineroads.com and the google / viamichelin mapping tools includes a loop from the Chamonix area > Megeve then along Cormet de Roseland > Bourg Saint Maurice over petit St Bernard > Aosta, then grand St Bernard > Martigny > Chamonix.

Does anyone with some experience of this area know roughly how long this takes to drive at a comfortable / fun pace (i.e. not totally flat out for the whole day)? Google & michelin are telling me approx 6 hours. I know their suggested timings can easily be beaten on the motorways if the roads are clear, but I don't know how accurate they'll be on the twisties when obviously the pace will be just a bit slower.... I also want to allow for lunch, photo stops etc etc

Because this is part of a longer route I need to know whether to book 2 nights in the same place near Chamonix or if it'll be better to break it up into more than one day.

Thanks in advance

Longers

[sassthathoopie]

6 hours doesn't sound like enough to me.

Problem is the time can be so variable - is there low cloud? (ie no point in stopping to look at views/restricted visability for driving) Do you get stuck behind a caravan?

It's a real shame to have to hurry through such great scenery.

Here's some highlights of our run up the GSB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOD0q282AAg

[rufusruffcutt]

Sounds like a great road trip, through some stunning scenery I would take ones time and book the extra nights anyway!

As a fun fact you do realise the Grand Saint Bernard pass is the road used in the opening sequence of The Italian Job. There is a whole heap of information on the following link about the road and movie.

http://mitteleuropa.t35.com/filmlocations_the_ital...

[Longers]

sassthathoopie said:

Here's some highlights of our run up the GSB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOD0q282AAg

Thanks for that. Looks awesome, I want to go NOW!!

I'm putting the trip together for some of us from the TVR S Series forum - they'll love it

Which way would you recommend doing it; from the Swiss or Italian side...?

rufusruffcutt said:

Sounds like a great road trip, through some stunning scenery I would take ones time and book the extra nights anyway!

As a fun fact you do realise the Grand Saint Bernard pass is the road used in the opening sequence of The Italian Job. There is a whole heap of information on the following link about the road and movie.

http://mitteleuropa.t35.com/filmlocations_the_ital...

Yes I did know that but hadn't seen that gem of a website before, great link thanks!

As mentioned above a load of TVR S's will be going. This all started from a guy joining the forum from Italy, someone had the tongue in cheek idea of driving to see him and, in the time we have, this part of the Alps was an obvious choice!

I'll make sure I pop back with some pic's, a full write up etc when we're back in Sept

Cheers,
Longers

[rufusruffcutt]

Longers said:

I'll make sure I pop back with some pic's, a full write up etc when we're back in Sept

Keep an eye out for bulldozers in tunnels

[mcdjl]

I drove the Grand St Bernard in late June/July a few years back and came round a hair pin to find a block of ice 30ft long and 3ft high in the middle of the road. Awesome view though- wish i could be more helpful on how long it'd take but you will want to stop so allow time.

[Longers]

mcdjl said:

I drove the Grand St Bernard in late June/July a few years back and came round a hair pin to find a block of ice 30ft long and 3ft high in the middle of the road.

mcdjl said:

Awesome view though- wish i could be more helpful on how long it'd take but you will want to stop so allow time.

Thanks for the advice. Yep, now splitting that bit of the trip over 2 days so will have plenty of time to stop, take pic's etc etc

[sassthathoopie]

The filming for the Italian job was a cheat. The bridge and the opening sequences are on the Italian side, the lake and hotel are at the top, then the Miura descends the Italian side again!

When I went the upper section of the Italian side was under construction hence the digger at the end of my film. So we went up the Swiss side, gentle down through the road works and then filmed the necessary shots on the bottom section by the bridge.

Tip: The Italian tourist information office has absolutely the finest looking woman I have ever met.

Every review of the Stelvio Pass accuses it of being crap because it's too busy. Well I only made one overtake in my drive up and down (see the link from my youtube clip above), and I wasn't sparing the horses. We stopped for coffee and cake in Bormio and started the ascent at about 17:55. We stopped on the top for a walk around and a beer at the tibetan bar, and then descended the Swiss side, stopping at the campsite.

Remember - Austria is secret driving heaven. The mountain roads are immaculate and mostly quiet, progress is a case of how restrained you're feeling!

Enjoy

[mcdjl]

For what its worth and almsot certainly tempered by the direction i drove but i seem to remember the italian side being a longish shallow climb up from the motorway until it reached a long series of tightly climbing hair pins on an almsot sheer cliff face. The swiss side which i went down seemed a lot straighter which made it easier to enjoy the scenery while driving. This was about 5 years back so my memory may be distorted....
On the way up there were several sections where the crash barrier was made of concrete blocks spaced out by poles....these and the semi closed tunels make some nice noises.

[Longers]

Thanks guys

mcdjl said:

....these and the semi closed tunels make some nice noises.

13 TVRs signed up already for the trip so yes, there should be "some nice noises"

[sassthathoopie]

mcdjl said:

For what its worth and almsot certainly tempered by the direction i drove but i seem to remember the italian side being a longish shallow climb up from the motorway until it reached a long series of tightly climbing hair pins on an almsot sheer cliff face. The swiss side which i went down seemed a lot straighter which made it easier to enjoy the scenery while driving. This was about 5 years back so my memory may be distorted....
On the way up there were several sections where the crash barrier was made of concrete blocks spaced out by poles....these and the semi closed tunels make some nice noises.

Your recollection is correct. The Swiss side is a more flowing than the Italian side. View on both sides is good. If I had to choose up Swiss side and down Italian side would be my suggestion.

[dcr]

Last september did a round trip from Megeve - Chamonix - Martigny - Grand - Petit and back via Albertville , 300km , 9 hours including nice lunch , vist the dogs at the top and numerous photo stops.One of the best day trips ever , enjoy!

Dave