Trip to Florence - hints & tips please
Discussion
Friend of mine is getting married in July in Tuscany, and instead of the usual "let's fly" approach, I'm thinking about taking the beast! A quick search indicates that it's around 1000 miles. So, I'm looking for hints and tips on the route/best method of doing it. It's been suggested to get the motorail thingy from Calais down to the south of France (to save on the boring bits) and then getting off at Avignon (400+ miles)/Nice (250+ miles) and driving through the mountains.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences? And how long will it take to be fun?
(for reference, train is looking to be around the £400 mark for a return journey)
Thanks,
Mike.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences? And how long will it take to be fun?
(for reference, train is looking to be around the £400 mark for a return journey)
Thanks,
Mike.
I drove down to the south of Italy last April for my wedding. Top tips include: Do Reims for the Champagne, only do Switzerland if you go over the alps (St. Elvio pass etc) as Switzerland sucks. Italy, and in particular Tuscany, is a great place to drive. Try and go via Ferrari or Lamborghini if you can.
Do the Italian Riviera (Cinque Terra etc), Monte Carlo and the Route Napoleon on the way back.
Have fun!
Do the Italian Riviera (Cinque Terra etc), Monte Carlo and the Route Napoleon on the way back.
Have fun!
Ooooh, that makes two tivs going to Italy then, I'm setting off on Thursday 20th July, P & O Ferry £85 return, night in Reims, then on to Milan the next morning. Two nights there as the missus wants to watch Robbie Williams 
, then off to San Remo for five nights. And another night in Reims on the way back.
I normally fly & I know that it's a cheaper alternative, but having hired a car in Italy last year, I now feel more confident about driving there.
I've spoke to people about the long drive, and I gather you should have at least one night break on the way there, if not two. All the people I've spoke to who have driven to the south of France in one day, have vowed never to do it again.
, then off to San Remo for five nights. And another night in Reims on the way back. I normally fly & I know that it's a cheaper alternative, but having hired a car in Italy last year, I now feel more confident about driving there.
I've spoke to people about the long drive, and I gather you should have at least one night break on the way there, if not two. All the people I've spoke to who have driven to the south of France in one day, have vowed never to do it again.
RUSSELLM said:
I normally fly & I know that it's a cheaper alternative, but having hired a car in Italy last year, I now feel more confident about driving there.
Driving in Italy is a doddle. Just try and avoid the Milan Tangienziale if it's your first time.
Florence is beautiful. Just up from the Pont de Vecchio is a square with the amazing sculptures. Go to Siena too.
chimhunter said:
I drove down to the south of Italy last April for my wedding. Top tips include: Do Reims for the Champagne, only do Switzerland if you go over the alps (St. Elvio pass etc) as Switzerland sucks. Italy, and in particular Tuscany, is a great place to drive. Try and go via Ferrari or Lamborghini if you can.
Do the Italian Riviera (Cinque Terra etc), Monte Carlo and the Route Napoleon on the way back.
Have fun!
what he said.....
Reims on the way down, through Nice and Monaco stopping at Maranello ( I saw schumacher testing there about 7 years ago) and then down to Tuscany. Pure Heaven.
TIT ED said:
Driving in Italy is a doddle. Just try and avoid the Italians....,
True story (I've told it before).
My pal Luigi from Montebelluna (right up in the north) had to go to Naples on business. he was picked up by a colleague from the airport and driven into town. On the way this guy drove straight through a red light.
"Gino. The traffic light. It was red I think." said a trembling Luigi.
" Don't worry about it Luigi". Said Gino. "In Napoli when the traffic light is red, it's just a suggestion".
I was a bit timid at first & noticed they bully you, so as I was in a hire car, I thought what the hell....From what I could work out, the car driving the fastest seems to have priority at junctions 
, so I was up for a bit of that. On the lights front, sometimes I'd be sat behind a car waiting to turn right at red lights & if there was nothing coming from the left they would go, other times they wouldn't. I think some of the motorists have adopted the law from the states, but not all of them.
Pedestrians waiting to cross at the crossings, don't stop unless they've started crossing & you think you might damage your car by hitting them
>> Edited by RUSSELLM on Wednesday 25th January 11:36
I am also considering a trip down this summer - but most likely going through Holland/Germany/Switzerland and then into Italy. Would plan to take 5 or so days to get down, explore northern italy over the next week, and then take the car-rail from Avignon (after Nice and Monaco) to Calais to avoid a long slog back through France. Did over 2k miles in France last summer, so hence the logic for a slightly different route.
Has anyone undertaken a similar journey or have recommendations as I have not driven through the countries mentioned above before and distances can be misleadingly longer than anticipated?
Has anyone undertaken a similar journey or have recommendations as I have not driven through the countries mentioned above before and distances can be misleadingly longer than anticipated?
Just returned from a long weekend in Florence, and had a great time thanks to some good advice from the people on here
Basically fell from one bottle of red wine to another for four days!!
Stayed at the Pitti Palace Hotel bang on the Ponte Vecchia. Small but convenient for everywhere.
Clothes, jewellery, handbags, shoes etc everywhere, we could have spent far more money than we actually did.
Food everywhere is absolutely fantastic. Make sure you have a Flotentine steak, basically a
off T-bone (30oz 
) cooked on a charcoal grill, stunning.
Didn't drive anywhere, it looked lethal and I couldn't see any obvious parking either, unless on a scooter or a bicycle. Just about everywhere is walkable anyway.
Many thanks to all on here that offered advice to me, we had a really nice time and will return, with more money, in the future.
PM me if you have any questions that you think I may be able to answer, I've got a lot of work to catch up on as I've just got back from Florence!!
Basically fell from one bottle of red wine to another for four days!!
Stayed at the Pitti Palace Hotel bang on the Ponte Vecchia. Small but convenient for everywhere.
Clothes, jewellery, handbags, shoes etc everywhere, we could have spent far more money than we actually did.
Food everywhere is absolutely fantastic. Make sure you have a Flotentine steak, basically a
off T-bone (30oz ) cooked on a charcoal grill, stunning. Didn't drive anywhere, it looked lethal and I couldn't see any obvious parking either, unless on a scooter or a bicycle. Just about everywhere is walkable anyway.
Many thanks to all on here that offered advice to me, we had a really nice time and will return, with more money, in the future.
PM me if you have any questions that you think I may be able to answer, I've got a lot of work to catch up on as I've just got back from Florence!!
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