The Alps and back in a weekend?
Discussion
Thinking of driving over to Switzerland to see a mate
Up early on a Friday to catch a Eurotunnel (45 mins from home)
Calais - Zurich (550 miles) on the Friday
A few Swiss and Italian passes on the Saturday/Sunday (250 miles?)
Zurich to Calais on the Sunday but with the option of stopping over somewhere in France if too tired.
Will be travelling solo.
Good fun or madness?
Up early on a Friday to catch a Eurotunnel (45 mins from home)
Calais - Zurich (550 miles) on the Friday
A few Swiss and Italian passes on the Saturday/Sunday (250 miles?)
Zurich to Calais on the Sunday but with the option of stopping over somewhere in France if too tired.
Will be travelling solo.
Good fun or madness?
Edited by Little Dave on Monday 18th August 15:58
Done this before. You'll be tired! But it's quite possible. Some great roads in Switzerland - but these days I would rather spend a bit longer over there. The drive over itself can be pretty monotonous, which doesn't necessarily put you in the frame of mind for really enjoying yourself in the short time you'll have there. If you have the ability to take the Monday off as well, I'd go for it!
Good fun
I've done this several times on climbing trips from London; drive down on Friday, walk up to hut on Saturday, do climb on Sunday morning and drive back later in the day.
Just substitute some great driving for climbing and Bob's your uncle!
The autoroutes are likely to be quiet on Friday so it's any easy run down. There are plenty pension type hotels in CH so I wouldn't bother booking anywhere to stay (assuming you're not going at peak), if you can't find somewhere in one village then drive to the next.
The latest I've left to come back on the Sunday is about 4pm which can allow a couple of hours sleep before work on Monday if all goes to plan;)
It is very tiring though!!
ETA- Sorry I didn't see the first time but you're staying with a mate so ignore the bit about pensions
I've done this several times on climbing trips from London; drive down on Friday, walk up to hut on Saturday, do climb on Sunday morning and drive back later in the day.Just substitute some great driving for climbing and Bob's your uncle!
The autoroutes are likely to be quiet on Friday so it's any easy run down. There are plenty pension type hotels in CH so I wouldn't bother booking anywhere to stay (assuming you're not going at peak), if you can't find somewhere in one village then drive to the next.
The latest I've left to come back on the Sunday is about 4pm which can allow a couple of hours sleep before work on Monday if all goes to plan;)
It is very tiring though!!
ETA- Sorry I didn't see the first time but you're staying with a mate so ignore the bit about pensions
Edited by Camel on Monday 18th August 18:56
DAN3M said:
We are all hoping to do the davos to stelvio passes and such like, when are you thinking of going and do you have any passes specially in mind?
Been watching Top Gear ??!! 
Looks like a good trip that, did a few roads over that way last September and desperatly want to go back !!
DAN3M said:
Doing the same but staying in switzerland for a weeks thgen driving to the ring for a couple of days then back.
We are all hoping to do the davos to stelvio passes and such like, when are you thinking of going and do you have any passes specially in mind?
I am going a week tomorrow. 6.50am Chunnel then onto Zurich hopefully arriving 5pm ish. I am leaving the Alpine route to my mate who obviously has the local knowledge but he has said Stelvio can be a bit of a mare with traffic, bikes buses etc. He has suggested Klaussenpass and Susstenpass amongst others.We are all hoping to do the davos to stelvio passes and such like, when are you thinking of going and do you have any passes specially in mind?
Hello - I'm the mate BigDave is visiting 
The plan is this
Once BigDave arrives on friday and i have welcomed him with a bucket of beer
, we head off on the saturday to do the Klausen pass, Susten pass, Grimsel pass, Furka pass and a little bit of the Gotthard pass before heading home for tea and medals 
As someone has said above these passes nearly follow on from each other and form a circular route, so were not wasting time driving to/from a pass.
Sunday we are either going to head over the hills to Liechtenstein or visit a friends collection of P-Cars (2x 959, 934, 935 street version, 356 and more)
I hope what i have planned is a good balance between driving and R&R, bearing in mind BigDave has to drive 500 miles plus each way just to get here/home.
Dave - dont forget the copy of Asian Babes
The plan is this
Once BigDave arrives on friday and i have welcomed him with a bucket of beer
, we head off on the saturday to do the Klausen pass, Susten pass, Grimsel pass, Furka pass and a little bit of the Gotthard pass before heading home for tea and medals As someone has said above these passes nearly follow on from each other and form a circular route, so were not wasting time driving to/from a pass.
Sunday we are either going to head over the hills to Liechtenstein or visit a friends collection of P-Cars (2x 959, 934, 935 street version, 356 and more)
I hope what i have planned is a good balance between driving and R&R, bearing in mind BigDave has to drive 500 miles plus each way just to get here/home.
Dave - dont forget the copy of Asian Babes
, and look-out for so-called "Sunday-Drivers" without mirrors
Hallo
the "little men" can be everywhere,but be careful, if it is a sunny week-end
with lots of motorbikers, those are the days "they" love... and get a tan at the
same time, I must confess not all are like that...
special caution: if you have a rather loud exhaust, playing F1/CanAM on a pass
might attract undue attention ;-), a friend of mine driving a SL63 with
standard exhaust and doing the Julierpass, was "collected" by the police
just because some w...er in a chalet was complaining on the way-up, but that car
is really on the limit, with no work done, as are C63 and C63T....
Pistonheads love these tunes :-))))
and you can always drive one time up slowly and have a good look round ;-)
..what a hell of a country... :-((
When driving to Liechtenstein, take a small detour to the Kerenzerberg
(ex hill-climb-track)from Naefels/GL, or up the Rickenpass (you might know) to Wattwil then
right towards Nesslau-Gams further to FL
Looking forward to your experiences on that week-end.
Rainer
(living aroud here since 49
Enjoy
the "little men" can be everywhere,but be careful, if it is a sunny week-end
with lots of motorbikers, those are the days "they" love... and get a tan at the
same time, I must confess not all are like that...
special caution: if you have a rather loud exhaust, playing F1/CanAM on a pass
might attract undue attention ;-), a friend of mine driving a SL63 with
standard exhaust and doing the Julierpass, was "collected" by the police
just because some w...er in a chalet was complaining on the way-up, but that car
is really on the limit, with no work done, as are C63 and C63T....
Pistonheads love these tunes :-))))
and you can always drive one time up slowly and have a good look round ;-)
..what a hell of a country... :-((
When driving to Liechtenstein, take a small detour to the Kerenzerberg
(ex hill-climb-track)from Naefels/GL, or up the Rickenpass (you might know) to Wattwil then
right towards Nesslau-Gams further to FL
Looking forward to your experiences on that week-end.
Rainer
(living aroud here since 49
Enjoy
Good morning
Both are rather known, I can do both tours in one on an
easy afternoon, during the week, occasional trucks or local
buses,otherwise clear.
Just try it, Fuchs should know them both, they are very
near to Pfaeffikon. Maybe you would need a good map or navigational aid, but no driving problems.
Drive Kerenzerberg twice, and you have spectacular views
into the Glarus valley and towards the lake of Zurich..
On Sunday there is a British car-meeting in Mollis-Naefels
here:
http://www.britishcarmeeting.ch/
Regards,
Rainer
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff