Tuscany to Calais
Discussion
I'm doing a similar trip a month after you, but I have left myself 5 days to get back.
My 2 routes are to either
1) overnight in aosta, then strasbourg, then take in germany and belgium via the ring, spa, cologne, bruges.
or
2) just stop a few days in the alps(Aosta, Chamonix and Martigny) and blast back up the lyon/dijon/reims route in france in a day and a half.
Unless you have a specific reason for wanting to do Luxembourg I'd give it a miss, its a bit bland compared to most of the places around it.
My 2 routes are to either
1) overnight in aosta, then strasbourg, then take in germany and belgium via the ring, spa, cologne, bruges.
or
2) just stop a few days in the alps(Aosta, Chamonix and Martigny) and blast back up the lyon/dijon/reims route in france in a day and a half.
Unless you have a specific reason for wanting to do Luxembourg I'd give it a miss, its a bit bland compared to most of the places around it.
Aosta has quite a nice sized town center, it has a nice atmosphere without being too busy or generic. It also has all the amenities to make it a good stopover location, good choice of restaurants and hotels ranging from budget/high end chain to local. Doesn't feel as much a mountain town as Chamonix etc though.
As you say you will most likely lose out on one of Aosta's biggest appeals as the start of the Grand st. bernard pass, although the tunnel cutoff may be open by then, I don't know. It leads over to Martigny which has a very well presented vintage car museum.
As you say you will most likely lose out on one of Aosta's biggest appeals as the start of the Grand st. bernard pass, although the tunnel cutoff may be open by then, I don't know. It leads over to Martigny which has a very well presented vintage car museum.
Depends a bit on the criteria - speed, cost, scenery, destinations or just the quality of the driving experience?
With the passes closed, another option is to go scenic and head up the coast on the SS1 Aurelia, Sp1/E80, take in Portofino, go along the french riviera, over to Millau and up from there. Some great scenic drives and some good twisty stuff to be had in that area of France. I seem to remember Orange to Florac was good until I made my son sick.
Heading up past Milan > Bellinzona (world heritage site - 3 castles) > Chur > Vaduz > Lindau was an enjoyable main road route into Germany. Neuschwanstein Castle is a 3 hour round trip from Lindau. Lindau to the Ring with a couple of hours stop off at Heidelberg is a decent day out. Ring to Bruges is also an easy drive. Once you are out of germany it is a dull couple of hours, but Bruges is lovely.
I drive to Pavia a couple of times a year (just south of Milan) as that is where my in-laws live, but I do it in one hit through the night. Dunkirk > Namur > Lux > Basel > San Gothard > Como > Milan. Takes 11 hours and misses big chunks of paeage.
Where in Tuscany are you going?
With the passes closed, another option is to go scenic and head up the coast on the SS1 Aurelia, Sp1/E80, take in Portofino, go along the french riviera, over to Millau and up from there. Some great scenic drives and some good twisty stuff to be had in that area of France. I seem to remember Orange to Florac was good until I made my son sick.
Heading up past Milan > Bellinzona (world heritage site - 3 castles) > Chur > Vaduz > Lindau was an enjoyable main road route into Germany. Neuschwanstein Castle is a 3 hour round trip from Lindau. Lindau to the Ring with a couple of hours stop off at Heidelberg is a decent day out. Ring to Bruges is also an easy drive. Once you are out of germany it is a dull couple of hours, but Bruges is lovely.
I drive to Pavia a couple of times a year (just south of Milan) as that is where my in-laws live, but I do it in one hit through the night. Dunkirk > Namur > Lux > Basel > San Gothard > Como > Milan. Takes 11 hours and misses big chunks of paeage.
Where in Tuscany are you going?
Javam said:
With the passes closed, another option is to go scenic and head up the coast on the SS1 Aurelia, Sp1/E80, take in Portofino, go along the french riviera, over to Millau and up from there. Some great scenic drives and some good twisty stuff to be had in that area of France. I seem to remember Orange to Florac was good until I made my son sick.
This is also a great alternative.I'd agree Portofino is worth seeing, but it can be a bit of a time consuming excursion. That said, it is worse later on in the summer when it can be completely closed for hours due to congestion.
If you have time the Vaucluse region of Provence around Vaison-la-Romaine is a great scenic area. The road up to the summit of Mont. Ventoux is pretty special too.
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