Euro Road Trip

[Whistle]

In just over 4 weeks we are planing a road trip from the U.K. to the lake Como area.

We will use Le-shuttle to get into France then would like to pass through the following:

Belgium
Luxembourg
Germany (Black Forest)
Switzerland (mountain passes)
Italy (lake como, or equivalent places)
Monaco
South cost of France (no further than Marseille)

Then north back towards Calais.

We will be travelling in a Cayman GTS (4.0) with a one way ticket. We are looking at staying around 5 / 6 weeks so no rush.


Any recommendations what so ever would be most appreciated as I need to get planing.

Places to stay
Things worth seeing
Places to avoid


Thanks in advance

[bigglesA110]

We're doing a similar trip during July in our A110. Newcastle - Amsterdam ferry though, down to Modena and back via France and Channel Tunnel, over about 3 weeks.

Plans I've put together include the Swiss passes, Lake Maggiore, Brescia, Briancon, Beaune etc.

Things to see - Como really isn't that far from Milan, so I'd definitely recommend the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese, NW of Milan. One of the best museums we've been to. Plus Milan is a great city to look around.
If you're in the right area at the right time, catching a stage of the Tour de France is an experience - we're doing that at Aix-le-Bain on the way back north.
If you're coming through Europe on the French/German border, the car museum at Mulhouse (Musée National de l'Automobile, collection Schlumpf) is staggeringly big and stuffed full of Bugatti's if that's your thing.

I'm looking forward to following the B500 through the Black Forest and into Switzerland - not a fast road by all accounts but very scenic.

In terms places to stay, until we get to Modena we're just a night or two at each stop. Mostly interesting places within our budget. I'm particularly looking forward to a night in jail in Lucerne... https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g188064... Private cell, obviously!

Edited by bigglesA110 on Saturday 20th June 10:18

[seefarr]

Unless you're going to somewhere in Belgium, I wouldn't drive via Belgium. Slow, always raining, always road works has been my experience when I've gone through. Stick to the French autoroutes and stick to the speed limits on them - lots of unmarked cameras.

Get a toll beeper before you go. I've got a Bip&Go which can do France, Spain, Italy and some parking stations but other brands are available.

+1 on the Schlumpf collection. It's at the end of the Alsace Wine Route that starts in Strasbourg which is very pretty. Stopping in Champagne region on the way there or back always nets browny points too.

My reading / Harry's Garage states that the B500 is no longer a good driving road as you intimate. If you do this other route (also from Harry) on a weekday though, it is a very good driving road. We stayed in Freiburg hence starting there.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/2YfiL9qumXtqy9if6

Don't forget to get a Vignette for Switzerland online (you no longer have to buy it at the border) and same story if you accidentally end up in Austria. The classic passes for me are stay in Andermatt and do the Susten, Grimsel, Furka, Nufenen. Oberalp and Albula were some other favourites of ours. Again, aim to do these on a weekday cos they all get packed on weekends with cars, motorbikes and sweaty men in lycra doing 2 kph round blind corners. And make sure you read up on speed limits / penalties!

We went to Switzerland via Alsace from a few years ago and have some more thoughts here:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[davek_964]

Although I agree with the previous comment on Luxembourg, it's on our route in a few months purely so we were on autobahns on the way down.
Our route is actually similar to the OP - down through Germany (one stop), a couple of nights in Como then we spend most of our time at a beach resort in Italy - although will probably travel around a bit.
Then Nice / Cannes for one night, stop for one night in Lyon and then home.

[TheHeadhunter]

Whistle said:

In just over 4 weeks we are planing a road trip from the U.K. to the lake Como area.

We will use Le-shuttle to get into France then would like to pass through the following:

Belgium
Luxembourg
Germany (Black Forest)
Switzerland (mountain passes)
Italy (lake como, or equivalent places)
Monaco
South cost of France (no further than Marseille)

Then north back towards Calais.

We will be travelling in a Cayman GTS (4.0) with a one way ticket. We are looking at staying around 5 / 6 weeks so no rush.


Any recommendations what so ever would be most appreciated as I need to get planing.

Places to stay
Things worth seeing
Places to avoid


Thanks in advance

We did something similar a few years ago, but a 6 week round trip, and a more direct route, plus looped the opposite way around.

We did Loire Valley, Provence, Monaco, Milan/Como, Tuscany, Leysin & Gstaad (Switzerland), then back via Reims and Versailles.


We drove to Dover, overnight then early ferry. Drove to Loire Valley 4 nights there, then on to Sarlat in the Dordogne, 10 nights with family, then Provence for around a week, Monaco for 2 nights, Milan for 3 nights, Lake Como for a week, Leysin & Gstaad in Switzerland for a week collectively, then 2 nights in Reims a 3 night stop over in Versailles en route back to the UK.

It was great, 7500km all together, Sarlat was an Airbnb, most other were hotels, but not too flash, except Monaco, Milan and Versailles as a homeward-bound surprise treat.

It was me, my wife and our then 12 year old daughter, and the dog.

If I did it again, I don't think I would change a thing. It was all brilliant, and mix of accommodation worked perfectly.

If there is anything that overlaps with your plans, please feel free to ask.

[W i d e body]

I agree with poster who said Alfa Romeo museum is the best ,it has so much more than the obvious Ferrari and Lamborghini places .

It also has my favourite ever car that I have seen ,the Bertone Carabo .

Closed Tuesdays ,which is unusual ,most museums take Monday off .