traveling to lake como
Discussion
Hi Folks
I am travelling to Lake Como, from Warwick, for a photo-shoot at the end of the month and am looking at the most effective driving route to get there.
Looking to do it in 2 hits of about 450 miles each, the objective is get there with the least hassle and least amount of time on the road.
Anyone got any good advice.
PS not in the TIV as this is purely business trip
I am travelling to Lake Como, from Warwick, for a photo-shoot at the end of the month and am looking at the most effective driving route to get there.
Looking to do it in 2 hits of about 450 miles each, the objective is get there with the least hassle and least amount of time on the road.
Anyone got any good advice.
PS not in the TIV as this is purely business trip
I acknowledge its a business trip but my advice is make it a jolly too.
Cannot help but think time ON the road will be the same wether you do it in one two or three hits. The only way to reduce the time on the road would be to travel during the night.
It is a dream of mine to take the Cerb to the alps/passes so make a long weekend of it and go in the chim.
Cannot help but think time ON the road will be the same wether you do it in one two or three hits. The only way to reduce the time on the road would be to travel during the night.
It is a dream of mine to take the Cerb to the alps/passes so make a long weekend of it and go in the chim.
Unfortunately it is purely business, it will be fun, but my client is paying for all our travel expenses so I have a responsibility to do it as cost effectively as I can.
Would love to take the Chim but I'd need to fit a roof rack and a trailer to it to get all my camera and lights gear in, and my second photographer and all his stuff. Merc Estate it is then.......bah...
Would love to take the Chim but I'd need to fit a roof rack and a trailer to it to get all my camera and lights gear in, and my second photographer and all his stuff. Merc Estate it is then.......bah...
Hi Frank,
I drive regularly (every six weeks) into Europe, funnily enough from Warwick and in an estate full of equipment! Always drive M40, anti-clockwise on M25 avoiding peak hours at all costs (by far the worst part of the trip). Travel on Euro Tunnel, I have an annual flexi pass so can arrive when I want but the 30m crossing is easy and gives a short power-nap. Entering France is then pretty easy, swing of the roundabouts and get some fuel as the motorways in France are tres expensive and stations are far apart. Then onto the E40 for a blast to the E15. Motorways all the way down, pulling you over towards Strasbourg which is all fine. Lots of toll roads, probably about €50 each way I'm afraid. Remember to tell the bank you are away, HSBC were calling me at every toll booth! Also, with a roof box if the ticket is not being issued at the booths look up - they have a laser sensor and may think you're in a lorry and issue the ticket from the higher-up slot! Very annoying, especially if you have no passenger on that side to jump out!
On the motorway there are a couple of new roads (ring road) near Strasbourg so your satnav may have a bit of a blank 20m near there. If in the TVR (which I know you're not) I would take my break in Troyes, a beautiful place to stay and sends you through the Champagne region on the next day... breaks the drive up across country roads with places to buy and taste en route! Further down I like Basel as a place to stop, particularly when the weather is good. Lots of good restaurants.
Lake Como I haven't yet been to but hear it is great. The Italians are worse drivers than the French which will seem unlikely by the time you get to the border!
Hope this helps, Rus
p.s. Services in France smell really bad, have filthy toilets but food is ok.
I drive regularly (every six weeks) into Europe, funnily enough from Warwick and in an estate full of equipment! Always drive M40, anti-clockwise on M25 avoiding peak hours at all costs (by far the worst part of the trip). Travel on Euro Tunnel, I have an annual flexi pass so can arrive when I want but the 30m crossing is easy and gives a short power-nap. Entering France is then pretty easy, swing of the roundabouts and get some fuel as the motorways in France are tres expensive and stations are far apart. Then onto the E40 for a blast to the E15. Motorways all the way down, pulling you over towards Strasbourg which is all fine. Lots of toll roads, probably about €50 each way I'm afraid. Remember to tell the bank you are away, HSBC were calling me at every toll booth! Also, with a roof box if the ticket is not being issued at the booths look up - they have a laser sensor and may think you're in a lorry and issue the ticket from the higher-up slot! Very annoying, especially if you have no passenger on that side to jump out!
On the motorway there are a couple of new roads (ring road) near Strasbourg so your satnav may have a bit of a blank 20m near there. If in the TVR (which I know you're not) I would take my break in Troyes, a beautiful place to stay and sends you through the Champagne region on the next day... breaks the drive up across country roads with places to buy and taste en route! Further down I like Basel as a place to stop, particularly when the weather is good. Lots of good restaurants.
Lake Como I haven't yet been to but hear it is great. The Italians are worse drivers than the French which will seem unlikely by the time you get to the border!
Hope this helps, Rus
p.s. Services in France smell really bad, have filthy toilets but food is ok.
rusgb said:
Hi Frank,
I drive regularly (every six weeks) into Europe, funnily enough from Warwick and in an estate full of equipment! Always drive M40, anti-clockwise on M25 avoiding peak hours at all costs (by far the worst part of the trip). Travel on Euro Tunnel, I have an annual flexi pass so can arrive when I want but the 30m crossing is easy and gives a short power-nap. Entering France is then pretty easy, swing of the roundabouts and get some fuel as the motorways in France are tres expensive and stations are far apart. Then onto the E40 for a blast to the E15. Motorways all the way down, pulling you over towards Strasbourg which is all fine. Lots of toll roads, probably about €50 each way I'm afraid. Remember to tell the bank you are away, HSBC were calling me at every toll booth! Also, with a roof box if the ticket is not being issued at the booths look up - they have a laser sensor and may think you're in a lorry and issue the ticket from the higher-up slot! Very annoying, especially if you have no passenger on that side to jump out!
On the motorway there are a couple of new roads (ring road) near Strasbourg so your satnav may have a bit of a blank 20m near there. If in the TVR (which I know you're not) I would take my break in Troyes, a beautiful place to stay and sends you through the Champagne region on the next day... breaks the drive up across country roads with places to buy and taste en route! Further down I like Basel as a place to stop, particularly when the weather is good. Lots of good restaurants.
Lake Como I haven't yet been to but hear it is great. The Italians are worse drivers than the French which will seem unlikely by the time you get to the border!
Hope this helps, Rus
p.s. Services in France smell really bad, have filthy toilets but food is ok.
That is FANTASTIC insight, I'm in a Volvo V70, would love to slip the TVR in a 'roof box' and do the Alps in it....maybe next time.I drive regularly (every six weeks) into Europe, funnily enough from Warwick and in an estate full of equipment! Always drive M40, anti-clockwise on M25 avoiding peak hours at all costs (by far the worst part of the trip). Travel on Euro Tunnel, I have an annual flexi pass so can arrive when I want but the 30m crossing is easy and gives a short power-nap. Entering France is then pretty easy, swing of the roundabouts and get some fuel as the motorways in France are tres expensive and stations are far apart. Then onto the E40 for a blast to the E15. Motorways all the way down, pulling you over towards Strasbourg which is all fine. Lots of toll roads, probably about €50 each way I'm afraid. Remember to tell the bank you are away, HSBC were calling me at every toll booth! Also, with a roof box if the ticket is not being issued at the booths look up - they have a laser sensor and may think you're in a lorry and issue the ticket from the higher-up slot! Very annoying, especially if you have no passenger on that side to jump out!
On the motorway there are a couple of new roads (ring road) near Strasbourg so your satnav may have a bit of a blank 20m near there. If in the TVR (which I know you're not) I would take my break in Troyes, a beautiful place to stay and sends you through the Champagne region on the next day... breaks the drive up across country roads with places to buy and taste en route! Further down I like Basel as a place to stop, particularly when the weather is good. Lots of good restaurants.
Lake Como I haven't yet been to but hear it is great. The Italians are worse drivers than the French which will seem unlikely by the time you get to the border!
Hope this helps, Rus
p.s. Services in France smell really bad, have filthy toilets but food is ok.
Thank you so much, this info is invaluable.
And I'm also doing it in August, and leaving the Tuscan at home! In my defence though, I AM taking the tuned AMG ML63, dyno'd at 620bhp...
We're staying at a villa in Tuscany (shame I couldn't have the Tuscan in Tuscany!), and then doing a week's business in Cologne.
I didn't fancy the 450mile stints, so we going down in three jumps, staying in Dijon and then Turin. Then on the way to Cologne after the two week holiday staying in the aforementioned Lake Como and then over the Stelvio to Zurich - again, doing three days rather than two.
I think anything over 300 miles a day turns it into a chore. Better to plan for extra time and enjoy it.
Not taking the Tuscan due to needing to take loads of crap + mountain bikes. Plus if I'm honest, I don't think ye olde back would survive three 300 mile days in the Tiv. Twice.
We're staying at a villa in Tuscany (shame I couldn't have the Tuscan in Tuscany!), and then doing a week's business in Cologne.
I didn't fancy the 450mile stints, so we going down in three jumps, staying in Dijon and then Turin. Then on the way to Cologne after the two week holiday staying in the aforementioned Lake Como and then over the Stelvio to Zurich - again, doing three days rather than two.
I think anything over 300 miles a day turns it into a chore. Better to plan for extra time and enjoy it.
Not taking the Tuscan due to needing to take loads of crap + mountain bikes. Plus if I'm honest, I don't think ye olde back would survive three 300 mile days in the Tiv. Twice.
Batwick2 said:
And I'm also doing it in August, and leaving the Tuscan at home! In my defence though, I AM taking the tuned AMG ML63, dyno'd at 620bhp...
We're staying at a villa in Tuscany (shame I couldn't have the Tuscan in Tuscany!), and then doing a week's business in Cologne.
I didn't fancy the 450mile stints, so we going down in three jumps, staying in Dijon and then Turin. Then on the way to Cologne after the two week holiday staying in the aforementioned Lake Como and then over the Stelvio to Zurich - again, doing three days rather than two.
I think anything over 300 miles a day turns it into a chore. Better to plan for extra time and enjoy it.
Not taking the Tuscan due to needing to take loads of crap + mountain bikes. Plus if I'm honest, I don't think ye olde back would survive three 300 mile days in the Tiv. Twice.
Points in order We're staying at a villa in Tuscany (shame I couldn't have the Tuscan in Tuscany!), and then doing a week's business in Cologne.
I didn't fancy the 450mile stints, so we going down in three jumps, staying in Dijon and then Turin. Then on the way to Cologne after the two week holiday staying in the aforementioned Lake Como and then over the Stelvio to Zurich - again, doing three days rather than two.
I think anything over 300 miles a day turns it into a chore. Better to plan for extra time and enjoy it.
Not taking the Tuscan due to needing to take loads of crap + mountain bikes. Plus if I'm honest, I don't think ye olde back would survive three 300 mile days in the Tiv. Twice.
With 620 bhp even that heavy old lump would be as fast as a Tuscan!
The Italians go absolutely made over the Tuscan, in a nice way. You owe it to yourself to experience it at least once. Especially around Como the Tiv is perfect, roof off to catch the sun and sound as it bounces back from rock faces and through little villages, narrow enough as there are some hairily tight roads north of Como itself, and as soon as you stop you'll be surrounded by enthusiasts crazy for the curves!
Got to agree it is a long schlep and best broken up, but don't agree re the comfort. My record is (from memory) 1100 miles in about 14 hours from Senigallia in the east of Italy to Essex, not including ferry. Back window out all the way to keep cool ish and only stopping for fuel. Arrived feeling totally knackered but no aches apart from the old legs which were a bit stiff. I think they're incredibly comfortable for a sportscar (just wish there was more side support).
Anyway enjoy the trip but try and avoid the first week of August,most of Europe is travelling south then.
Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff