Drive to Italy

[Bolognese2]

getting my 991.1 4S back from Porsche Tonbridge after a service
planning to go see family and friends in Bologna. had enough of my home office....
Drove home to Italy few times, normally I go on Eurostar, Calais, Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Basel.
Then I did few times the San Bernardino and the San Gottardo, before going to Como, Milan and Bologna

this time I plan to take a different road and spend less times on motorways
the idea is to do:
Calais, Reims then cut through French country side: Troyes, Langres, Vittel, Epinal and Mulhouse.
From there Zurich and then east through Davos, Passo dello Stelvio, Merano, Bolzano e down to Bologna

any views, suggestions?

return trip will be 4 / 5 days driving, approx. 2,000 miles

[So]

Can't help I am afraid, but I am considering driving to the Lakes next month so am interested in the responses.

[Bolognese2]

I know the swiss part quite well, I find France motorways effective but boring. particularly keen to get some suggestions from Reims to the Swiss border.
anyway cant wait. for many different reasons.

[RiccardoG]

Ciao!

My family is also in Bologna. I have done the trip down so many times now I could write a book...

Indeed the "standard" route would be Reims/Metz/Basel/Lugano/Milano/Bologna. On that route you can deviate a bit from Bern and take in the Swiss trilogy of Susten/Furka/Grimsel and top it off with old San Gottardo (careful not to miss it and get stuck on new San Gottardo).

On your new route, after Epinal you can go trough the Parc des Ballons des Vosges (D417/D430) which is very nice and twisty. There is also the D996 around the Troyes (hehe... Italian joke here) area that comes recommended, although I thought its was just OK.

In CH after Davos I would take the 28 to Zemez passing the Fluelapass and into Italy via Tubre. From there you could extend by doing Stelvio up/down although personally I avoid it as a tourist trap. After Merano you can get off the A22 and take the old SS12 alongside it, usually quite quiet and enjoyable down to Trento after which you're relegated mostly to motorways. Having said that, the A22 from the border down to ~ Trento is pretty epic if you get no traffic (no speed cameras either). I have not found any good routes between Mulhouse and Zurich and believe none exist as too crowded.

An alternative is to get into Austria via Feldchirch (nice) and down to Italy via the Timmesljoch which is pretty fun on the way into Italy (less so coming back). Although you'll have some 100kmh autobahn to contend with too.

A whole other option is to go down via Reims, Troyes, Dijon and in Italy via Aosta. This is all motorway but the part around Geneve and up to Ivrea is relatively twisty and free flowing. From Aosta there is (was?) no "Tutor" up to Milan if you take the A4.

Also, check out the book and magazines "Curves" by Stephan Bogner.

When will you go and from where?

Auguri!

[Bolognese2]

Ciao Riccardo,

I will go in July 19th I think from Wadhurst (East Sussex)
grazie for the suggestions. and yes Troyes quite an interesting "lost in translation" word for us

[Bolognese2]

oh and yes I done the old San Gottardo. and it is Great. I also like the San Bernardino and the descend into Italy

[RiccardoG]

Haha, going on same day!

[silber]

From Reims you could aim for Freiburg and into the Black Forest, which has excellent roads, light traffic, great scenery and is huge fun.

From the Black Forest you can pop out at various points on the Swiss border, head to Luzern, direction Brienz through some great views and a nice little pass depending on traffic, and from there directly past Meiringen and onto the Grimselpass, which is huge fun and stunning. Up and over that and either (1) left onto the Furka pass and then onto the Oberalp pass to the Gotthard, or (2) right 10km or so and left onto the Nufenenpass which is big fun and nothing like as busy as the other passes, and cruised down the other side to the Italian side of the Gotthard.

If you go further south than Reims, Alsace has some great driving roads away from from the main trunks. The roads around the village of Saint-Hippolyte are really good, and the village itself is well worth seeing. Very unique.

Enjoy.

[Orangecurry]

We did your trip once. Actually took the car on the train to Nice, so cheated, but were driving to the tip of Italy - Locorotundo.

We drove all the way back... we stayed overnight in Bologna and then Troyes - stunning.

Sorry I have no useful info whatsover

On the motorway near Bologna we were overtaken by two brand new identical Fiats being 'delivered' at full velocity, and they were touching nose to tail. How we laughed.

Oh here's a thought - why not drive through southern Belgium and take in Nurburg?

Edited by Orangecurry on Thursday 2nd July 21:36

[Billy_Whizzzz]

Yes did same route (Reims - Lucarno etc) via Bologna on way to Bari then last year - sadly in my Defender rather than my 911. Came back via Mont Blanc which was fantastic. Doing same route again at end July - will definitely do Mont Blanc.

[Monch]

Bolognese2 said:

I know the swiss part quite well, I find France motorways effective but boring. particularly keen to get some suggestions from Reims to the Swiss border.
anyway cant wait. for many different reasons.

Reims follow to Troyes, then around this area you can pick up the 996 or 901 or 959 or 928, great roads that take you down to Dijon and Beyond

have a look at the map, really quiet roads and great fun.

[RiccardoG]

Monch said:

Reims follow to Troyes, then around this area you can pick up the 996 or 901 or 959 or 928, great roads that take you down to Dijon and Beyond

have a look at the map, really quiet roads and great fun.

And CLEARLY designed for Porsches of all sorts!

[So]

Slightly off topic - how many of you guys drive from the UK to Italy without a co-driver?

Mrs So is currently refusing point blank to drive on the continent. I am fairly sure I can drive 1000 or so miles over two days, but I would prefer to have a second driver in case of emergencies.

What do you think?

[Bolognese2]

my wife refuses to drives outside of the UK
i always done 100% of the driving.
perfeclty doable in a day and a half if you go to North Italy...

i went sometime alone, sometime with the whole family, sometime with my older daughter who as a perfect teens slept virtually the entire trip.
best companion?
my dog. you can go as fast as you want, play the music you want, stop when you want and set the aircon at the temp you want.
oh, and he does not answer back....

[RiccardoG]

Hi So,

I've done it numerous times, even as an Uni student back in the 90's with my "speedy" Fiat. Still do it at least once a year.

Never had any problems. In fact find it easier to manage stops and include unexpected sightseeing and discovering new roads/places. Of course, at that moment you then actually would like to share the experience with someone else. Suppose one can't have everything!

Only had one breakdown in over 50 trips (last year, with the 997!) and even then I didn't feel that, had I been alone, it would've been an issue. In general France / CH / Italy as safe as UK. Just make sure you have good breakdown and recovery, I was impressed with the PCGB Lockton service last year.

[Bolognese2]

So

one more thing for you
traffic in France is fairly light, much less stressful to drive than in the UK
same in Switzerland.
avoid San Gotthard tunnel that in the summer can be a nightmare in terms of queue

and avoid Milan traffic on a Friday afternoon towards the sea

[So]

Bolognese2 said:

So

one more thing for you
traffic in France is fairly light, much less stressful to drive than in the UK
same in Switzerland.
avoid San Gotthard tunnel that in the summer can be a nightmare in terms of queue

and avoid Milan traffic on a Friday afternoon towards the sea

Thanks Guys

I am a bit tempted to swerve through Germany. Just because.

I am going to have another try with my wife. I won't ask her to drive unless it's essential, but I can see no reason why she should not make the effort!

[Cheib]

So said:

Slightly off topic - how many of you guys drive from the UK to Italy without a co-driver?

Mrs So is currently refusing point blank to drive on the continent. I am fairly sure I can drive 1000 or so miles over two days, but I would prefer to have a second driver in case of emergencies.

What do you think?

I drive out a couple of times a year for the family ski trip....and generally do all the driving. We do it in one hit, we go to Switzerland but within half an hour of the Italian border. Leave here at 6 am....get there at 6pm. We’re a couple of hours from Folkestone. I am tired at the end of it but I much prefer driving myself. Think it depends what you’re driving though. I do that in our Cayenne S Diesel with comfy chairs and adaptive cruise. Might be slightly different in my GT3.

Re OP’s question our route is to drive down through France to just south of Dijon and then head across country through the Jura to Lausanne. From there along Lake Geneva and you can go over into Italy via the Grand St Bernard Pass. Once you’re over the pass you’re about an hour from Turin. I like that route because you don’t really go near any major cities....busiest being Reims (which now has a by pass) and Lausanne so traffic is generally very good.

[mr pg]

Bolognese2 said:

So

one more thing for you
traffic in France is fairly light, much less stressful to drive than in the UK
same in Switzerland.
avoid San Gotthard tunnel that in the summer can be a nightmare in terms of queue

and avoid Milan traffic on a Friday afternoon towards the sea

Avoid the tunnel at any time as there's 2 great roads right above it.

[NDA]

So said:

Slightly off topic - how many of you guys drive from the UK to Italy without a co-driver?

Mrs So is currently refusing point blank to drive on the continent. I am fairly sure I can drive 1000 or so miles over two days, but I would prefer to have a second driver in case of emergencies.

What do you think?

I've done Surrey to the Med in a single journey many times on my own. Never had any emergencies.... it's a bit dull, but not difficult.

When I'm travelling with someone, it takes much longer - constant wee breaks, food, coffee etc none of which I need with such frequency!