Motorhome hire, Uk-Italy in 3 weeks...?
Discussion
Deesee said:
Op just rent a telepass, makes life a lot easier, (especially on the Milan ring road).
www.tolltickets.com
They have put prices up this year but are essential kit.
Just drive straight through.
Thanks for the info but I don’t think I have time to get one of these sorted, I’ve got a Sanef tag for France, that should ping at the toll but charge us as a class 2 vehicle using witchcraft.www.tolltickets.com
They have put prices up this year but are essential kit.
Just drive straight through.
DJFish said:
Deesee said:
Op just rent a telepass, makes life a lot easier, (especially on the Milan ring road).
www.tolltickets.com
They have put prices up this year but are essential kit.
Just drive straight through.
Thanks for the info but I don’t think I have time to get one of these sorted, I’ve got a Sanef tag for France, that should ping at the toll but charge us as a class 2 vehicle using witchcraft.www.tolltickets.com
They have put prices up this year but are essential kit.
Just drive straight through.
I pick mine up from the services at Folkestone ( harbour shipping they are a toll Ticket agent) they have them in stock, give em a call/email.
Pick up on way and drop off when you return.
DJFish said:
Is it worth having?
We go for three/four weeks in the summer and a few more times for shorter periods and I always have one.Only the entrances and exits of autostrada tend to have them. Apart from the Milan ring road when they seem to be every 3rd gear change.
Saves queing at the tolls, the wife sleeps/ relaxes instead of climbing out the window.
Auto car park payments (like the sanef)
If you like the sanef then you’ll miss the ability to jump the queue.
Btw are you going Germany / Switzerland or tunnel Mont Blanc / frejus?
DJFish said:
Probably Mont Blanc on the way down, whichever's quickest.
Don't know about the way back, we haven't thought that far ahead.
TMB (tunnel Mont Blanc) is quick, but in my car (not camper) it was 80/90 euro to TMB on the autoroutes then another 40/50 euro from TMB to Milan then + tolls ongoing.Don't know about the way back, we haven't thought that far ahead.
We tend to go via Germany and Switzerland saved around 200 euro in tolls with no delays. And I’d say about 20/40 mins longer.
I’d suggest perhaps a route via Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland rather than TMB (& cheaper fuel).
That's interesting, I just popped Luxembourg into Via Michelin as a waypoint & it knocked an hour & £200 off the journey!
Which route do you take through Germany?
I notice one route takes us quite close to Stuttgart... https://www.porsche.com/museum/en/
Which route do you take through Germany?
I notice one route takes us quite close to Stuttgart... https://www.porsche.com/museum/en/
Edited by DJFish on Tuesday 31st July 10:38
Without sounding miserable and putting a downer on the idea we have done this trip a few times albeit from Poland which might be a bit closer.
Couple of points to bear in mind,
Diesel in Italy is bloody expensive, (Last year 1.85EUR per litre on the motorway, 1.60EUR in the towns and villages)
Roads in Italy are bloody expensive top to bottom of the country (circa 100 EUR each way)
Campsites in Italy are expensive. 19EUR - 25EUR per night with electricity.
The emptying and refilling facilities even on the larger sites are a bit rubbish and often involve buckets as opposed to driving over the drain to empty.
You may find it more cost effective and convenient to take your normal car down and stay in one of the "cottages" on a villagio When we went down last year they worked out at about 5 EUR more expensive per night than actually camping especially when taking into account renting a motorhome. Car will no doubt be more comfortable than the motorhome on the trip. Also I would be worried about driving a rented motorhome on the tight lanes as scrapes etc are very possible.
We did have a fantastic time and it was very enjoyable however our trip cost a lot more than taking our normal car and staying in fixed accommodation. (Also given our motorhome is pretty ancient the fixed accommodation on offer was probably far better than our motorhome)
If you do decide to go. The Autostradas are amazing! The food is fantastic outside the main tourist areas and really quite cheap. Wine comes in 4l plastic bottles and for 3 euros and its actually very good. People are great especially in the south. There is rubbish everywhere however you soon get used to it.
Would is do it again this year - Of course, Would my wife? No chance
From memory and bearing in mind we only got as far down as Puglia the whole trip cost just under 2000 (GBP) which was quite a lot for 10 days in the sun
Couple of points to bear in mind,
Diesel in Italy is bloody expensive, (Last year 1.85EUR per litre on the motorway, 1.60EUR in the towns and villages)
Roads in Italy are bloody expensive top to bottom of the country (circa 100 EUR each way)
Campsites in Italy are expensive. 19EUR - 25EUR per night with electricity.
The emptying and refilling facilities even on the larger sites are a bit rubbish and often involve buckets as opposed to driving over the drain to empty.
You may find it more cost effective and convenient to take your normal car down and stay in one of the "cottages" on a villagio When we went down last year they worked out at about 5 EUR more expensive per night than actually camping especially when taking into account renting a motorhome. Car will no doubt be more comfortable than the motorhome on the trip. Also I would be worried about driving a rented motorhome on the tight lanes as scrapes etc are very possible.
We did have a fantastic time and it was very enjoyable however our trip cost a lot more than taking our normal car and staying in fixed accommodation. (Also given our motorhome is pretty ancient the fixed accommodation on offer was probably far better than our motorhome)
If you do decide to go. The Autostradas are amazing! The food is fantastic outside the main tourist areas and really quite cheap. Wine comes in 4l plastic bottles and for 3 euros and its actually very good. People are great especially in the south. There is rubbish everywhere however you soon get used to it.
Would is do it again this year - Of course, Would my wife? No chance
From memory and bearing in mind we only got as far down as Puglia the whole trip cost just under 2000 (GBP) which was quite a lot for 10 days in the sun
DJFish said:
That's interesting, I just popped Luxembourg into Via Michelin as a waypoint & it knocked an hour & £200 off the journey!
Which route do you take through Germany?
I notice one route takes us quite close to Stuttgart... https://www.porsche.com/museum/en/
Join A5 then to Basel then san gottard.Which route do you take through Germany?
I notice one route takes us quite close to Stuttgart... https://www.porsche.com/museum/en/
Edited by DJFish on Tuesday 31st July 10:38
Diesel is cheaper in Luxembourg and Germany.
Last yr it was ok in Switzerland too.
Italy about the same as uk.
If your going to the museum then continue to Munich and pick up the brenner pass. You’ll come out at the top of Garda
1x word of warning just check there are no Dutch German Swiss etc bank holidays when your going over the alps, it gets very busy!
Traffic in southern Germany is well busy,roadworks are going to be there for years.
If you do decide to go that way and go into Stuttgart,you should go to Mercedes museum too.
Not sure if a motorhome goes into either of their car parks though.
The drive through the Dolomites from Brenner is stunning.
You're probably going to make slow progress on that Autostrada too,it's only 2 lanes and you'll be stuck behing HGVs for much of it.
If you do decide to go that way and go into Stuttgart,you should go to Mercedes museum too.
Not sure if a motorhome goes into either of their car parks though.
The drive through the Dolomites from Brenner is stunning.
You're probably going to make slow progress on that Autostrada too,it's only 2 lanes and you'll be stuck behing HGVs for much of it.
Deesee said:
Join A5 then to Basel then san gottard.
Diesel is cheaper in Luxembourg and Germany.
Last yr it was ok in Switzerland too.
Italy about the same as uk.
If your going to the museum then continue to Munich and pick up the brenner pass. You’ll come out at the top of Garda
1x word of warning just check there are no Dutch German Swiss etc bank holidays when your going over the alps, it gets very busy!
^ Generally this but see below. I regularly drive from London to Piedmont. Diesel is cheaper in Luxembourg and Germany.
Last yr it was ok in Switzerland too.
Italy about the same as uk.
If your going to the museum then continue to Munich and pick up the brenner pass. You’ll come out at the top of Garda
1x word of warning just check there are no Dutch German Swiss etc bank holidays when your going over the alps, it gets very busy!
If you smoke and have space, Lux is the place to stock up on fags, too. I can't remember the exact prices because I spend around 1000/1500 euro a time on my return to the UK (wife's, son's and my own consumption only) but I think the price differential with Italy works out at about one pack a carton "free". Normal fags are less than half of the UK price. Rolling tobacco can be bought in what can only be described as sealed buckets.
I've never investigated fully but the motorway service areas in Lux tend to offer cheap booze and coffee (for brewing at home) and other goodies like chocolate as well.
If you do take a camper, look out for some of the Italian autostrada service areas as many have have a wastewater dump near the exit slip road.
I would avoid the Milan motorway network at all costs during daylight/early evening at any time in August. If you are coming over MB or through Switzerland, there is a turn off from the Turin-Milan autostrada that goes onto the Gravellona Toce-Genoa motorway (A26) which will take you to the SS1 near Genoa which feeds into E80 going south. Of course, the is no guarantee of an absence of jams there, but there is an absolute certainty around Milan.
If you do come through Switzerland, consider coming down the Simplon Pass onto SS33 which mutates into the E62 which feeds you onto A26 near Arona at the foot of Lake Maggiore (and it is toll free until Arona). The Simplon Pass has had a lot of engineering work done on it and is much faster now than it was. I did the passage from Brig to the Italian border in 18 minutes one afternoon recently (admittedly in an Alfa 156 GTA and conceivably not entirely to the letter of Swiss motoring law...)
HTH
psi310398 said:
^ Generally this but see below. I regularly drive from London to Piedmont.
If you smoke and have space, Lux is the place to stock up on fags, too. I can't remember the exact prices because I spend around 1000/1500 euro a time on my return to the UK (wife's, son's and my own consumption only) but I think the price differential with Italy works out at about one pack a carton "free". Normal fags are less than half of the UK price. Rolling tobacco can be bought in what can only be described as sealed buckets.
I've never investigated fully but the motorway service areas in Lux tend to offer cheap booze and coffee (for brewing at home) and other goodies like chocolate as well.
If you do take a camper, look out for some of the Italian autostrada service areas as many have have a wastewater dump near the exit slip road.
I would avoid the Milan motorway network at all costs during daylight/early evening at any time in August. If you are coming over MB or through Switzerland, there is a turn off from the Turin-Milan autostrada that goes onto the Gravellona Toce-Genoa motorway (A26) which will take you to the SS1 near Genoa which feeds into E80 going south. Of course, the is no guarantee of an absence of jams there, but there is an absolute certainty around Milan.
If you do come through Switzerland, consider coming down the Simplon Pass onto SS33 which mutates into the E62 which feeds you onto A26 near Arona at the foot of Lake Maggiore (and it is toll free until Arona). The Simplon Pass has had a lot of engineering work done on it and is much faster now than it was. I did the passage from Brig to the Italian border in 18 minutes one afternoon recently (admittedly in an Alfa 156 GTA and conceivably not entirely to the letter of Swiss motoring law...)
HTH
We did Simplon last year as we had a week in the Jura, before we went to Garda and onwards. Simplon is much improved and virtually traffic free, although you need to drive a lot further through France, certainly look at it going there or back OP.If you smoke and have space, Lux is the place to stock up on fags, too. I can't remember the exact prices because I spend around 1000/1500 euro a time on my return to the UK (wife's, son's and my own consumption only) but I think the price differential with Italy works out at about one pack a carton "free". Normal fags are less than half of the UK price. Rolling tobacco can be bought in what can only be described as sealed buckets.
I've never investigated fully but the motorway service areas in Lux tend to offer cheap booze and coffee (for brewing at home) and other goodies like chocolate as well.
If you do take a camper, look out for some of the Italian autostrada service areas as many have have a wastewater dump near the exit slip road.
I would avoid the Milan motorway network at all costs during daylight/early evening at any time in August. If you are coming over MB or through Switzerland, there is a turn off from the Turin-Milan autostrada that goes onto the Gravellona Toce-Genoa motorway (A26) which will take you to the SS1 near Genoa which feeds into E80 going south. Of course, the is no guarantee of an absence of jams there, but there is an absolute certainty around Milan.
If you do come through Switzerland, consider coming down the Simplon Pass onto SS33 which mutates into the E62 which feeds you onto A26 near Arona at the foot of Lake Maggiore (and it is toll free until Arona). The Simplon Pass has had a lot of engineering work done on it and is much faster now than it was. I did the passage from Brig to the Italian border in 18 minutes one afternoon recently (admittedly in an Alfa 156 GTA and conceivably not entirely to the letter of Swiss motoring law...)
HTH
Deesee said:
We did Simplon last year as we had a week in the Jura, before we went to Garda and onwards. Simplon is much improved and virtually traffic free, although you need to drive a lot further through France, certainly look at it going there or back OP.
Having come from Basel and the A5, I normally take the 2 down to the 1 and just turn off towards Montreux on the 12 near Berne, and then pick up the 9 to Brig. IIRC it is motorway until Visp. It's a lovely drive with great views (although you may have to sell a child to afford to eat at the rest stops) and in a camper you won't be that bothered by the Swiss speed limits. The other option is to pick up the 6 from Berne and turn off for Kandersteg and take the train ferry through the mountain, and drop down to Raron to pick up the 9 to Brig. The train ferry limits are: 2.5m wide,12m long, 28t total weight:https://www.bls.ch/en/fahren/unterwegs-mit/autover...
The children might enjoy this and it gives the driver a bit of a break.
psi310398 said:
Deesee said:
We did Simplon last year as we had a week in the Jura, before we went to Garda and onwards. Simplon is much improved and virtually traffic free, although you need to drive a lot further through France, certainly look at it going there or back OP.
Having come from Basel and the A5, I normally take the 2 down to the 1 and just turn off towards Montreux on the 12 near Berne, and then pick up the 9 to Brig. IIRC it is motorway until Visp. It's a lovely drive with great views (although you may have to sell a child to afford to eat at the rest stops) and in a camper you won't be that bothered by the Swiss speed limits. The other option is to pick up the 6 from Berne and turn off for Kandersteg and take the train ferry through the mountain, and drop down to Raron to pick up the 9 to Brig. The train ferry limits are: 2.5m wide,12m long, 28t total weight:https://www.bls.ch/en/fahren/unterwegs-mit/autover...
The children might enjoy this and it gives the driver a bit of a break.
Deesee said:
Absolutely, but thats a 2/3 hr detour?
From Berne? 1, if that. In the context of your journey, I'd say marginal. I've never done a direct time comparison. FWIW, I normally drive a Porsche with UK plates through Switzerland and thus have a big target on my back in the eyes of the Swiss Police, so I tend to drive like a nun at exactly the limit. From leaving my hotel in Southern Germany to arriving home in North Italy, the time of arrival is pretty much the same with either route. But you could try the viaMichelin route planner to check - it's quite reliable and can take into account the vehicle you are driving and the time of day.If you look at the map, you have to go round quite a lot to do Berne-Montreux-Visp-Brig and you have Swiss speed limits on dual carriageway motorways with quite a lot of trucks slowing things down as well. Berne-Kandersteg-Raron-Brig is much more as the crow flies.
Depending on timings, there are campsites near Kandersteg, in rather beautiful scenery. You could plan your journey to arrive close to the train ferry and have an early and easy start into Italy in the morning (Genoa by lunchtime would be perfectly feasible), or a day's canter back to the Tunnel on your return.
psi310398 said:
Deesee said:
Absolutely, but thats a 2/3 hr detour?
From Berne? 1, if that. In the context of your journey, I'd say marginal. I've never done a direct time comparison. FWIW, I normally drive a Porsche with UK plates through Switzerland and thus have a big target on my back in the eyes of the Swiss Police, so I tend to drive like a nun at exactly the limit. From leaving my hotel in Southern Germany to arriving home in North Italy, the time of arrival is pretty much the same with either route. But you could try the viaMichelin route planner to check - it's quite reliable and can take into account the vehicle you are driving and the time of day.If you look at the map, you have to go round quite a lot to do Berne-Montreux-Visp-Brig and you have Swiss speed limits on dual carriageway motorways with quite a lot of trucks slowing things down as well. Berne-Kandersteg-Raron-Brig is much more as the crow flies.
Depending on timings, there are campsites near Kandersteg, in rather beautiful scenery. You could plan your journey to arrive close to the train ferry and have an early and easy start into Italy in the morning (Genoa by lunchtime would be perfectly feasible), or a day's canter back to the Tunnel on your return.
Your road route (via bern and simplon) would be at least that (2/3 hours+), the train at least 2hrs (plus waiting time+), rather than san gottard.
As per do not speed in Switzerland, but thats a story for another day.
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