Hi Folks,
We're off to Italy in late September and want to know which route to take. I'm considering going either around or through Switzerland. Can anyone recomend which is the best route considering I'm using a Merc 320 cdi estate to pull caravan MTPLM 1700 kgs and 25 ft long. Will I manage the mountains if driving via autobahns and tunnels?
R.
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Where in Italy are you travelling to? It makes a difference whether to go round or through Switzerland.
You need to take into account the tolls. Through Switzerland you will need to pay £18.00 for a vignette for the motorway. They are valid for a year, December to December. You can buy them at the border crossing or get in advance online(£21.50 inc £3.50 postage). I can't remember the website, but if you Google Swiss Motorways, you'll find the right site.
Also if you decide to go around Switzerland, depending on your destination, you may need to go through the Mont Blanc tunnel, which will involve a cost.
If you check on a site like Via michilin, you may be able to adjust the settings to take into account that you are towing, and adjust your route accordingly.
Lets us know where your destination is, and we can let you know what the roads are like.
You don't say what part of Italy you intend to go. For Lake Garda and Venice you could think about the Fern and Brenner Passes in Austria. You do have to buy a motorway vignette like you do in Switzerland but you only need it for the car and you can buy short term ones. Where as in Switzerland you need a vignette for both car and van and you pay the annual fee. However if you are going to Como or the other western lakes the route through Switzerland might be the most direct.
This year, staying in Austria, Slovenia and Italy 50 miles East of Venice, we didn't travel via Switzerland on the way out.
Working out the return journey, and armed with the cost per mile, I looked into the costs travelling either via Switzerland (the shortest route) or Austria, Germany etc taking into account toll/vignette prices.
It would have cost us £20 extra to travel home via Switzerland just one way.
Had we travelled to Bibione via Switzerland It would have entailed 150 miles less and the toll/vignette cost would have been slightly cheaper.
As David knows, my preferred route for the past 15 years is via Switzerland
Hi All,
Thanks for replying. Over 4 weeks, I intend to ferry from Dover to Dunkirk and to tour to Milan and Lake Como then onto L. Garda and Venice. If we have time, visit Florence and maybe Rome too. Your suggested route through Germany and Austria sounds interesting, as I like to the idea of being adventures, although I wonder whether it would be any quicker through France to Turin via Lyon, albeit not as pretty as your route. Rostrevor, (Sorry I almost mistook that for Restover)I am impressed with by the frequency of your travelling through Switzerland but I'm concerned whether my rig would cope with the mountains and possible breakdown of transport in the tunnels. Perhaps you would like to comment?
Roger
Quote: Originally posted by Rostrevor on 14/9/2007 As David knows, my preferred route for the past 15 years is via Switzerland
Yes you go on about it so much you even persuaded me to try it this year!!!!! Now seriously, it was our intention to travel, via Switzerland, to Lake Maggiore but because Margaret's Mum was quite seriously ill we decided to stay in Switzerland for a couple of weeks. The highest we went with the van was to Kandersteg otherwise I was surprised how level the roads were. I imagine the St Gotthard is the easiest route although I was intending to use the Simplon Pass but that did not happen. People do seem to get wound up about paying for the Swiss vignette but you can easily pay the same amount in just one day on the French Autoroutes which people never seem to comment on. We came out of Switzerland via Geneva and into France near Annecy which is a good route and there is certainly no problem with the route along the north shore of Lac Leman.
The route through the Gotthard tunnel would certainly be the most direct and quickest for Lake Como and Milan. Frankly, what you pay out in Swiss motorway taxes you would probably save against the extra petrol and tolls if you took the other routes.
The Gotthard is the main north/south axis route in Switzerland and as such is a motorway of the highest quality. The ascent/descent from the tunnel is relatively gradual and the tunnel itself is more or less level and straight so I can't see that you would have any problems. It's a route that is used by tens of thousands of caravanners every year without problem.
One word of warning though! Avoid the Gotthard at weekends and just before public holidays as in peak season there are frequently queues of up to two hours at the tunnel entrance. Even out of season weekends are busy as the northern Swiss and Germans dash down south for the weekend to take advantage of the better weather.
If you do decide to take this route then you could consider a stopover in the southern Swiss lake areas of Locarno or Lugano. We spent two weeks at Camping Delta in Locarno in August and there were lots of happy caravanners there many of whom were stopping over on the way to or from Italy.
As someone already mentioned, the ViaMichelin website is excellent for route planning.
All the best,
Jan.
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I live about an hour from Garda and Venice somewhere in the middle and travel back to the UK a fair bit either on hols or work, I have found through trial and error, for me anyway using the Brenner pass and Germany is a great route very quick and easy and then Luzembourg and Belguim plus you get the beauty of Austria and of course southern Germany although for you if you wish to see Como it may seem like dead millage, which ever route you choose you will have plenty of tunnels and mountain roads but with the Merc shouldn't be a problem as I see plenty of German rigs on the road here every day, if your passing drop in for a glass or two of Prosecco. Best of luck and have a great time.
Hi All,
Thanks again for your latest comments. Altough Jan's route sounds interesting, I'm a little apprehensive about going through the St. Gotthard Tunnel as at 10 miles, its a little on the long side. So I think we shall try the Brenner Pass direction. And anyway, Nero has invited us to try a glass or two of Prosecco. I've never heard of that particular drink, although as he comes from Borso Del Grappa, there's a chance it may be a form of the much loved (cough) degestive of the same name, Grappa!! My son brougt some back from Spain recently and I've now become quite partial to it. As I have already said, it's a very good degestive, particularly after a heavy meal. Although its not to everyones taste.
Roger
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Topic: Route to Italy
