Swiss route suggestions

[smarty156]

We have a road trip to the Italian lakes planned for end July to early August. We're going down through Germany and Austria, taking in the Stelvio Pass amongst others.
I need some help with part of the route back.
We'll be leaving Lake Maggiore (on a Friday), going up to the San Gotthard Pass (taking that rather than the tunnel), then I'm hoping (if we have time and the kids didn't throw up on the Stelvio Pass!) to take in some more passes. If we don't have time then it will just be the fastest route from then to Dijon for our last overnight stop.
What I'd like help with is getting from San Gotthard Pass to Dijon. I was thinking of the Furka Pass and Grimsel pass then to Interlaken then the quickest route to Dijon after that (think skirting Bern and heading West before turning North West?).
Or Susten Pass instead.
Or will we not have time? We would probably leave Lake Maggiore by 9am but I'd like to be at the hotel just short of Dijon by 6pm really. So that's 9 hours including fuel, food and photo stops.
Open to all suggestions.
Thanks.

[psi310398]

Both routes are interesting in the pass section but it is dull as anything, especially with children in the back, driving along the Rhone into France. And feeding anyone, even children, in Switzerland is ruinous...

A PistonHead alternative - rerun the opening sequence of a certain film: ignore the children, slot Matt Monroe into the CD player and pretend you are driving a Miura ...

If you are leaving Maggiore at 9 in the morning, you could head down from Stresa/Arona to Ivrea (uncluttered motorway) and then up towards Aosta but rather than going through the tunnel divert onto the Little St Bernard Pass. The road across this pass (SS26 from the Aosta Valley via La Thuile in Italy onto D1090 from La Rosiere to Bourg-Saint-Maurice in France) is usually open from May to October. You can then pick up the A43 which will lead to the A6 via the A40 and A406. You also get to see a much more attractive bit of Savoie as well, than the drag past Geneva and into France.

Just a thought.

You should get that done in around 8-9 hours...

Peter

[smarty156]

Thanks for the suggestion. As I say, open to anything. Don't want to do the passes because I think I should while there only to find I should have done something more interesting.
Kids are 8 and almost 12 and looking forward to the road trip like us. They're petrol heads but we haven't done a trip like this before.
Car is an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio if that helps with route choices.

[mr pg]

The petite st bernard is a good option and a lovely road. We'll be doing it agin this summer and from Bourg st Maurice are adding the D902 to Albertville this time.
If you go for your suggestion my preference would be the Susten rather than Furka.

[smarty156]

psi310398 said:

Both routes are interesting in the pass section but it is dull as anything, especially with children in the back, driving along the Rhone into France. And feeding anyone, even children, in Switzerland is ruinous...

A PistonHead alternative - rerun the opening sequence of a certain film: ignore the children, slot Matt Monroe into the CD player and pretend you are driving a Miura ...

If you are leaving Maggiore at 9 in the morning, you could head down from Stresa/Arona to Ivrea (uncluttered motorway) and then up towards Aosta but rather than going through the tunnel divert onto the Little St Bernard Pass. The road across this pass (SS26 from the Aosta Valley via La Thuile in Italy onto D1090 from La Rosiere to Bourg-Saint-Maurice in France) is usually open from May to October. You can then pick up the A43 which will lead to the A6 via the A40 and A406. You also get to see a much more attractive bit of Savoie as well, than the drag past Geneva and into France.

Just a thought.

You should get that done in around 8-9 hours...

Peter

Are any of those roads toll roads?
Looks like a good route.
Also, any suggestions for places to stop for lunch and leg stretching?

Edited by smarty156 on Thursday 11th May 23:27

[psi310398]

smarty156 said:

Are any of those roads toll roads?
Looks like a good route.
Also, any suggestions for places to stop for lunch and leg stretching?

Edited by smarty156 on Thursday 11th May 23:27

I'm away from home so no access to notes but:

No tolls across the pass itself. But the French Autoroutes and the Borgomanero-Ivrea (plus a bit towards Aosta) autostrada are all toll motorways.

There is a cafe on the col itself - place called Seez from memory. La Rosiere is a pleasant enough place for a pitstop. But most of Savoie is good for just pulling in and taking in views. There are plenty of lay bys and roadside cafes.

Depending on whether you head for Albertville (in which case I have nothing special to suggest from my own experience) or go cross country, I'd say Annecy or Chambery would be good lunch stops. Annecy, from recollection, is a very pleasant place and has a lovely lake on which rowing boats can hired (or could be 25 years ago when I was young and romantic enough to offer such physical labour to 'er indoors)

The aires on the A39/A40 are some of the best on the autoroute network, are reasonably priced, with extensive picnic areas and one or two have stunning views.

HTH

Peter

[smarty156]

Thanks again.
I'll let you know how we get on.

[mikey k]

I use this site for alps routes

http://www.alpineroads.com/alpmap.php

[psi310398]

I suggested to the OP going via Petit St Bernard.

I've just driven down to Italy, overnight stop in Nuits St Georges.

Up at sparrow's fart as travelling alone, so had plenty of time for some recreational motoring from mid-France to North Italy on a sunny day.

I am indescribably bored with the long drag past Switzerland up to the Mont Blanc Tunnel, so I thought I'd go over the Petit St Bernard instead. Being the prudent sort, I checked on t'internet at breakfast. End of May and it's shut.

Anyway I went cross-country to Annecy (with lots of twisties to keep me entertained) and then down onto the autoroute to the Frejus Tunnel. The autoroute was nearly empty and so was the road down to Turin. So plenty of Panamera hooning as well.

Annecy and the lake as pleasant as I remembered it, with plenty for children btw.

On another note, I lived for a year in France 30-odd years ago and then every (and I mean every) village had a bar/tabac. Casting around for refreshment in the Haute Savoie, I noticed today how few seem to survive off the tourist trail - a bit like pubs in the UK? A shame.

Peter

[smarty156]

So for a quick route from Nuits St George's would that be A6, A40, A41 then A43 to the tunnel?
Just thinking of an alternative to Petit St Bernard if wife and kids don't want to spend so long in the car.

Edited by smarty156 on Friday 26th May 17:02