Road Trip to Italy
Discussion
So,
The OH and I have decided to take a two-week road trip to Italy late may/early june.
We'll take the SLK, make sure not to have a lot of luggage so the roof can go down (prerequisite!).
We're planning on going through Zurich, Milan, Firenze, Rome, Taranto,...
So, any experience here? I've been through italy before and defo want to go to Firenze again, but any other places we should at least pass through? Any good roads with great views we can do through the alps? Maybe not through Zurich but another road?
Then there's the small question on navigation, I have an android phone and that has the plus of having a great screen (for in the sun) and the fact that a NAV app would cost a fraction of a real GPS unit.
I use the phone a lot now but with the (free) google maps, which is brilliant but uses data so unuseable when abroad. I was looking at CoPilot but it gets very mixed reviews, so not sure I'll do that.
Any tips for the travel?
The OH and I have decided to take a two-week road trip to Italy late may/early june.
We'll take the SLK, make sure not to have a lot of luggage so the roof can go down (prerequisite!).
We're planning on going through Zurich, Milan, Firenze, Rome, Taranto,...
So, any experience here? I've been through italy before and defo want to go to Firenze again, but any other places we should at least pass through? Any good roads with great views we can do through the alps? Maybe not through Zurich but another road?
Then there's the small question on navigation, I have an android phone and that has the plus of having a great screen (for in the sun) and the fact that a NAV app would cost a fraction of a real GPS unit.
I use the phone a lot now but with the (free) google maps, which is brilliant but uses data so unuseable when abroad. I was looking at CoPilot but it gets very mixed reviews, so not sure I'll do that.
Any tips for the travel?
buy a Swiss vignette in the UK, it'll work out cheaper
spend a day or two in Verona (you'll be over that way), it's much nicer than Florence imo and less crowded
tbh, Florence is nice and the main sites are worth it but the nicer parts are further out (like Fiesole) and if you go in the summer months it will be a sweat box as the city is in a valley
eta - my 10 year old tom tom works perfectly abroad, a basic nav will be fine
spend a day or two in Verona (you'll be over that way), it's much nicer than Florence imo and less crowded
tbh, Florence is nice and the main sites are worth it but the nicer parts are further out (like Fiesole) and if you go in the summer months it will be a sweat box as the city is in a valley
eta - my 10 year old tom tom works perfectly abroad, a basic nav will be fine
I used to live in Milan, but had to take my car back to the UK for it's MOT, so picked up a mate for the drive back.
Depending on where you are, you might want to consider getting the Hull-Zeebrugge ferry. It's an overnighter with cabins, so you leave at 7pm, have something to eat/drink, have a decent night's kip, then you're ready to set off fresh in the morning.
We stopped in Bruges
Amsterdam (2 nights)
Frankfurt (he knew someone there, but pick a nice German city)
Somewhere in the forests north west of Munich
Innsbruck (2 nights)
Venice (2 nights)
Siena
Milano
As far as navigation goes, I used my Nokia phone, you can download all the maps you need from your wifi at home, does Android do something similar?
I'd also reccommend Torino, and while you're in Milan, go to Lago Maggiore (Arona and Stresa are nice), you can get an all day pass for the ferryboat ad hop on and off the islands with all the pretty mountains and wotnot. Or drive up the eastern side of the lake into Switzerland (You need to buy tax for a full year if you're in Switzerland. A whole £20!)
Depending on where you are, you might want to consider getting the Hull-Zeebrugge ferry. It's an overnighter with cabins, so you leave at 7pm, have something to eat/drink, have a decent night's kip, then you're ready to set off fresh in the morning.
We stopped in Bruges
Amsterdam (2 nights)
Frankfurt (he knew someone there, but pick a nice German city)
Somewhere in the forests north west of Munich
Innsbruck (2 nights)
Venice (2 nights)
Siena
Milano
As far as navigation goes, I used my Nokia phone, you can download all the maps you need from your wifi at home, does Android do something similar?
I'd also reccommend Torino, and while you're in Milan, go to Lago Maggiore (Arona and Stresa are nice), you can get an all day pass for the ferryboat ad hop on and off the islands with all the pretty mountains and wotnot. Or drive up the eastern side of the lake into Switzerland (You need to buy tax for a full year if you're in Switzerland. A whole £20!)
sleep envy said:
buy a Swiss vignette in the UK, it'll work out cheaper
I'm from Belgium 
sleep envy said:
spend a day or two in Verona (you'll be over that way), it's much nicer than Florence imo and less crowded
Verona we'll do, ta!sleep envy said:
tbh, Florence is nice and the main sites are worth it but the nicer parts are further out (like Fiesole) and if you go in the summer months it will be a sweat box as the city is in a valley
Well, I've been there in August and I know what you mean, but now going end May so won't be that bad...sleep envy said:
eta - my 10 year old tom tom works perfectly abroad, a basic nav will be fine
Sygic is pretty unknown but gets very good reviews, I'll probably look into that, for 40€ you can't go wrong and you get a week free trial .Vytalis said:
There is a cracking road from castelnuovo garfagnana (north of luca) to the coast. Slk would cope with it great. Luca itself is also worth a stop if you're going that way
Thanks, Luca was already added to the route by the oh! I drove my 205 GTi to the Italian border in Switzerland a couple of years ago and Tom Tom on Windows Mobile took me the whole way. Very good programme and maps.
I wouldn't rely on the Google Navigation on Android yet even if data allowances weren't an issue.
Sygic I've used at work and is also very good, a close second to Tom Tom in my personal preference.
Have a good trip, will be a lot of fun if it's anything like my expedition
I wouldn't rely on the Google Navigation on Android yet even if data allowances weren't an issue.
Sygic I've used at work and is also very good, a close second to Tom Tom in my personal preference.
Have a good trip, will be a lot of fun if it's anything like my expedition
get a second hand tomtom with european cover, you can sell it when you get back and get your money back if you want otherwise they're only £120 or so new.
beware of countries that need vignettes. I learned the hard way that some of them have checks (€90 even though I was just passing through slovenia)
otherwise they're only £120 or so new.beware of countries that need vignettes. I learned the hard way that some of them have checks (€90 even though I was just passing through slovenia)
kingboyk said:
I drove my 205 GTi to the Italian border in Switzerland a couple of years ago and Tom Tom on Windows Mobile took me the whole way. Very good programme and maps.
I wouldn't rely on the Google Navigation on Android yet even if data allowances weren't an issue.
Sygic I've used at work and is also very good, a close second to Tom Tom in my personal preference.
Have a good trip, will be a lot of fun if it's anything like my expedition
Thanks!I wouldn't rely on the Google Navigation on Android yet even if data allowances weren't an issue.
Sygic I've used at work and is also very good, a close second to Tom Tom in my personal preference.
Have a good trip, will be a lot of fun if it's anything like my expedition
Any nice places we should see?
I know I listed the usual "big cities"/tourist attractions, but we'd like to be on the "outside" as well. If you have a hint for a nice place to set up tent/inn/hostel (I know one just outside firenze), please tell me. Also looking for nice little towns and the like.
Oh I use Google Nav on android every day without issue, if data allowances weren't an issue, it'd be a no-brainer for me
.The 109 between Arnoldstien, Austria and Podkoren, Slovinia is quite a nice drive and from Podkoren to Tarvisio Italy is also nice. There is a cold war museum on the border between Austria and Slovinia if that is your kind of thing, there is also a "three land point" where Austria Italy and Slovinia come together sort of like Drielanden punt with Germany Belgium and Netherlands, the day we were there it was a thunder storm so the cable car to the top was shut.
ps I'm also in Belgium
ps I'm also in Belgium
An SLK is a pretty poor car for driving around Europe in imho.... especially the smallest engine one. Its not a 'real' sports car and you're going to be able to take next to no luggage, especially if you want to get the roof down. No fun of driving a sports car, and no practicality of having storage space so personally I wouldn't bother.
I've just drove around Europe in an SLK also, 2 people. We had too much stuff to take with us, so the roof couldn't go down. It wasn't particularly fun, I wouldn't do it again.
I've just drove around Europe in an SLK also, 2 people. We had too much stuff to take with us, so the roof couldn't go down. It wasn't particularly fun, I wouldn't do it again.
Tyrion said:
An SLK is a pretty poor car for driving around Europe in imho.... especially the smallest engine one. Its not a 'real' sports car and you're going to be able to take next to no luggage, especially if you want to get the roof down. No fun of driving a sports car, and no practicality of having storage space so personally I wouldn't bother.
I've just drove around Europe in an SLK also, 2 people. We had too much stuff to take with us, so the roof couldn't go down. It wasn't particularly fun, I wouldn't do it again.
Like I said, if the roof can't go down, we need to take less stuff, it's a prerequisite. If the roof can't go down, we'll take the Alfa, it's more economical and more practical.I've just drove around Europe in an SLK also, 2 people. We had too much stuff to take with us, so the roof couldn't go down. It wasn't particularly fun, I wouldn't do it again.
The bike is another option but that carries a lot less stuff than the SLK though.
BoRED S2upid said:
Did you say Rome you intend to drive a car, any car around Rome. Good luck they are nutters.
It's the intention of driving TO rome, not IN Rome
. I've been there, wouldn't want to get anywhere near that in my own car.Probably find a place to stay in the outer city, then rely on public transport to get inside.
Almalfi Coast is a must. I did the journey from UK > GR and was the best place we stayed/saw. (OH was very impressed with it as quite romantic and a nice twisty coastal road to stretch the SLK's legs)
I'd suggest hiring a small boat (was about 120euro for the whole day) and head around the coast (if you can drive a boat - lol) was nice to see from water level and get out to some beaches etc. They also provide a map with a route to take which is helpful.
If you want further details please feel free to pm me
(such as hotels or anything else - Stayed in Firenze also so if your want some tips for there just ask)
This was our route + the chariot - Enjoy the trip, wish i was doing it all again 
I'd suggest hiring a small boat (was about 120euro for the whole day) and head around the coast (if you can drive a boat - lol) was nice to see from water level and get out to some beaches etc. They also provide a map with a route to take which is helpful.
If you want further details please feel free to pm me
(such as hotels or anything else - Stayed in Firenze also so if your want some tips for there just ask)This was our route + the chariot
- Enjoy the trip, wish i was doing it all again Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff