Calais to Tuscany - best route?
Discussion
Morning all
Has anyone done this route?
Considering:
Calais > Reims > Strasbourg > Milan > Tuscany
Calais > Reims > Geneva > Torino > Tuscany
I'll be the driving the family down to a villa for the holidays so looking for the quickest / easiest route with light traffic. Looking at one stopover - considering Geneva at the moment.
Ideas?
Cheers,
Matt
Has anyone done this route?
Considering:
Calais > Reims > Strasbourg > Milan > Tuscany
Calais > Reims > Geneva > Torino > Tuscany
I'll be the driving the family down to a villa for the holidays so looking for the quickest / easiest route with light traffic. Looking at one stopover - considering Geneva at the moment.
Ideas?
Cheers,
Matt
I have done the latter (or just about, I actually did Calais, Reims, Lyon, Chambrey, Turin, Genoa, Florence, Perugia).
A couple of points (in no particular order):
1. It is a long way, probably too great a stretch to do in one day with only one driver.
2. Calais to Dijon is boring.
3. You may find it quicker to go to Lyon, then Chambrey, then Turin.
4. The A6 autostrada from Turin down to Savona is a crazy piece of engineering. It is known as the autostrada della morte. I can't think why. Have a close up look at a map: sometimes the north and southbound carriageways are 2km or more apart, there is a loony cornetto spiral down a mountain and there are many viaducts and tunnels.
5. The A10 and A12 costal autostrada are hard work: twisty, but more particularly it is dark tunnel, bright sunshine, dark tunnel, bright sunshine, dark tunnel, bright sunshine, dark tunnel, bright sunshine, very hard on the eyes.
6. If you're a real glutton, it may be better still to bomb down the A20 or A75 in France and then cut across the A89 and/or A72. These are deserted and quite spectacular autoroutes. Not really the quick way. Alternatively, take the A75 all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, crossing the Millau bridge, and then the coastal autoroute all the way.
7. All in all, this is one of the great journeys. If you have time, pull off the autoroutes and autostradas to cross the Alps on one of the many fine passes. You will add hours to your journey, however.
A couple of points (in no particular order):
1. It is a long way, probably too great a stretch to do in one day with only one driver.
2. Calais to Dijon is boring.
3. You may find it quicker to go to Lyon, then Chambrey, then Turin.
4. The A6 autostrada from Turin down to Savona is a crazy piece of engineering. It is known as the autostrada della morte. I can't think why. Have a close up look at a map: sometimes the north and southbound carriageways are 2km or more apart, there is a loony cornetto spiral down a mountain and there are many viaducts and tunnels.
5. The A10 and A12 costal autostrada are hard work: twisty, but more particularly it is dark tunnel, bright sunshine, dark tunnel, bright sunshine, dark tunnel, bright sunshine, dark tunnel, bright sunshine, very hard on the eyes.
6. If you're a real glutton, it may be better still to bomb down the A20 or A75 in France and then cut across the A89 and/or A72. These are deserted and quite spectacular autoroutes. Not really the quick way. Alternatively, take the A75 all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, crossing the Millau bridge, and then the coastal autoroute all the way.
7. All in all, this is one of the great journeys. If you have time, pull off the autoroutes and autostradas to cross the Alps on one of the many fine passes. You will add hours to your journey, however.
Did it a few years ago. Below Strasbourg to the Swiss border at Basel the roads were crap (often single carriageway) and once into Switzerland Basel was a car park. On the way back we went into Germany and up the autobahn for an hour or so before popping back across into France somewhere North of Strasbourg. Was loads quicker. Also, if you have the time go over one of the proper passes rather than just going through one of the tunnels.
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff