calais to tuscany route
Discussion
i am planning a trip to florence in late june , and would be grateful for advice/suggestions as to :
1) potential routes from calais to florence----pros and cons of going through the benelux countries and /or switzerland VS solely france and directly into italy
2) interesting roads, that i should not miss (i hope to be able to build in sufficient time to allow the odd diversion from the most direct route)----tunnels/passes---st bernard/ stelvio/frejus
this is the start of my investigations, and i have used the search function, but would appreciate your help as to alternatives to the stelvio pass, particularly as i am getting the impression that the stelvio pass is often very crowded
please bear in mind that on this occassion i will be in a 1993 series 1 mx5 with 114 bhp, so i suspect that i may be holding up the caravans ,rather than the other way around
3)interesting car places to visit --- mulhouse schlumpf museum/lambo museum/ferrari museum/pagani
thanks for your help
mods--please move this if you feel that it would be more appropriate elsewhere
1) potential routes from calais to florence----pros and cons of going through the benelux countries and /or switzerland VS solely france and directly into italy
2) interesting roads, that i should not miss (i hope to be able to build in sufficient time to allow the odd diversion from the most direct route)----tunnels/passes---st bernard/ stelvio/frejus
this is the start of my investigations, and i have used the search function, but would appreciate your help as to alternatives to the stelvio pass, particularly as i am getting the impression that the stelvio pass is often very crowded
please bear in mind that on this occassion i will be in a 1993 series 1 mx5 with 114 bhp, so i suspect that i may be holding up the caravans ,rather than the other way around
3)interesting car places to visit --- mulhouse schlumpf museum/lambo museum/ferrari museum/pagani
thanks for your help
mods--please move this if you feel that it would be more appropriate elsewhere
I go to Milan a couple of times a year and always go via Belgium, Lux, Germany. France is shorter but I find expensive for tolls and more so if you get nicked speeding...Sadly I don't normally have time for several stop-overs en route.
About 8 hours would get you to Mulhouse via A5 Germany, unless you stop off at Spa. Fill up in Lux; even on the motorway it's cheaper than other neighbouring countries. If you don't need a car theme, there are plenty of lovely places to overnight along the Rhine or in Baden-Wuertemburg.
For Switz, you need to buy a Vignette to be good to go on the motorways. You can buy this in advance (by post if nec) from Swiss Tourist Board in London for ca £30 valid to Jan 2014 or pay in Euro, SFR or by credit card at the border. If you enter Switz via a small border crossing and claim you are there for the day you can avoid paying but face fine on exit if use motorway or they catch you on the motorway. Your call. With wife and kid in tow I get in advance. Swiss motorways always seem to have variable (low) speed limits so don't expect to cross the country in less than 3.5 hours. Better to try some of the passes rather than bomb straight through - take you pic in the south and east. Do fill up in Switz before leaving as imagine still much cheaper than Italy. If you fancy a detour over into Austria can recommend the Silvrettastrasse in Voralberg. The Grossglockner is a quite a trek east and worth it if time permits; can be dodgy weather even in June! Would allow you to enter Italy via Cortina d'Ampezzo and drop down to Padova four months early for the l’auto d’epoca :-) There are some smaller interesting car museums in Italy that someone else on here might recollect - they are often shut at the weekend ! In Turin there's the Lingotto and Museo dell’Automobile. You could consider going back via France for the roads in Provence just north of Nice and a blast over the Millau bridge.
Hope you find some of this useful. !
About 8 hours would get you to Mulhouse via A5 Germany, unless you stop off at Spa. Fill up in Lux; even on the motorway it's cheaper than other neighbouring countries. If you don't need a car theme, there are plenty of lovely places to overnight along the Rhine or in Baden-Wuertemburg.
For Switz, you need to buy a Vignette to be good to go on the motorways. You can buy this in advance (by post if nec) from Swiss Tourist Board in London for ca £30 valid to Jan 2014 or pay in Euro, SFR or by credit card at the border. If you enter Switz via a small border crossing and claim you are there for the day you can avoid paying but face fine on exit if use motorway or they catch you on the motorway. Your call. With wife and kid in tow I get in advance. Swiss motorways always seem to have variable (low) speed limits so don't expect to cross the country in less than 3.5 hours. Better to try some of the passes rather than bomb straight through - take you pic in the south and east. Do fill up in Switz before leaving as imagine still much cheaper than Italy. If you fancy a detour over into Austria can recommend the Silvrettastrasse in Voralberg. The Grossglockner is a quite a trek east and worth it if time permits; can be dodgy weather even in June! Would allow you to enter Italy via Cortina d'Ampezzo and drop down to Padova four months early for the l’auto d’epoca :-) There are some smaller interesting car museums in Italy that someone else on here might recollect - they are often shut at the weekend ! In Turin there's the Lingotto and Museo dell’Automobile. You could consider going back via France for the roads in Provence just north of Nice and a blast over the Millau bridge.
Hope you find some of this useful. !
I have done that run into Italy a few times, normally going through Germany. However, the traffic always seems to be bad and loads of road works along the autobahns, the sections of derestricted speed limits are dual carriageways with too much traffic and too dangerous to go really fast. . For a change last summer I went through France, yes there are tolls but the roads are generally clear, I set the cruise control at 90mph, you can cover huge distances very quickly and get the boring bit done.
You could pick up the Route Napolean from Grenoble to Cannes then follow the coast round past Monaco, Genoa etc. those motorways can be congested around France/Italy border but I have found ok the further east you push. I am planning a similar route later this year, heading to Florence and pick up the old mIlle miglia route north up to Bologana, Turin then head back through the alps.
You could pick up the Route Napolean from Grenoble to Cannes then follow the coast round past Monaco, Genoa etc. those motorways can be congested around France/Italy border but I have found ok the further east you push. I am planning a similar route later this year, heading to Florence and pick up the old mIlle miglia route north up to Bologana, Turin then head back through the alps.
We travel regularly to Bagni Di Lucca from Yorkshire.
Either early or late start to get to Ashford/Calais and the autoroute down past Lille, Reims, Troyes, Bourges En Bresse but the depends on how we want to cross the Alps. In the summer months a mountain pass is not to be missed, before Easter generally not possible/sensible.
Mont Cenis is great & not so busy, with a nice cafe overlooking a lake at the top.
Grand Saint Bernard past Val D'Isere and lots of others also worth a look. Google Maps is your friend.
Mont Blanc is best and least stops on Auto Strada down to Tuscany, via Val D'Aosta.
My advice is get to Italy ASAP, then enjoy the coffee, scenery & roads once there. Each turn must be taken on the racing line, each overtake a race & they don't get pissy, but do use the horn as often as the throttle. If you see someone flash you from behind, it's not an invitation it's "GTF out of my way I don't lift even if it's a squeaker"! Mis-interpret this at your peril.
Once in Italy, you are in driving heaven. Stop anywhere for good food. It's just a schlep getting there. Save yourself for that.
Millions of things to do round Firenze, but take a satnav and enjoy. GATSO's are small boxes, nothing like UK etc.. Speed limits seem to be minimums to Italians.
Have fun & let us know what you choose & how it goes.
Either early or late start to get to Ashford/Calais and the autoroute down past Lille, Reims, Troyes, Bourges En Bresse but the depends on how we want to cross the Alps. In the summer months a mountain pass is not to be missed, before Easter generally not possible/sensible.
Mont Cenis is great & not so busy, with a nice cafe overlooking a lake at the top.
Grand Saint Bernard past Val D'Isere and lots of others also worth a look. Google Maps is your friend.
Mont Blanc is best and least stops on Auto Strada down to Tuscany, via Val D'Aosta.
My advice is get to Italy ASAP, then enjoy the coffee, scenery & roads once there. Each turn must be taken on the racing line, each overtake a race & they don't get pissy, but do use the horn as often as the throttle. If you see someone flash you from behind, it's not an invitation it's "GTF out of my way I don't lift even if it's a squeaker"! Mis-interpret this at your peril.
Once in Italy, you are in driving heaven. Stop anywhere for good food. It's just a schlep getting there. Save yourself for that.
Millions of things to do round Firenze, but take a satnav and enjoy. GATSO's are small boxes, nothing like UK etc.. Speed limits seem to be minimums to Italians.
Have fun & let us know what you choose & how it goes.
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