italy help (1 Viewer)

[sillybug]

hi hopeing i can get some info from funsters who have been to italy.

we have been to france many times over the last 15 years and feel its time for a change so are thinking about italy
i,m just abit concerned about mountains as our motorhome is a little old 23 years old but is in tip top condition other half has looked after it well but added problem is my daughter and family are following us down and they also have an older motorhome also relatively well looked after.

ours is a hymer 694 tag theirs a smaller burstner.

So big question how much more bigger are mountains going to italy .
Is there somewhere not to far into italy with nice lake good for kids (age 3 and 6)

how long to get there from calais

best rout avoiding worst mountains

Is italy worth me worrying so much or should i just go south of france

Advice needed soon as travelling on ferry 27 july

thankyou sillybug (teresa)

 

[hilldweller]

how long to get there from calais
best rout avoiding worst mountains
Is italy worth me worrying so much or should i just go south of france

Our 2l FIAT has no problems.

Our quick route Calais Metz Luzern Italy uses holes through the mountains for which you pay the Swiss a reasonable toll ( you buy a £30 vignette at the border which pays for all motorways until next Jan).

So stop at the aire in the middle of Metz. Camping Lido by the motor museum in Luzern and choose where to stop in Italy.

There is a delightful small campsite in Cannero Riviera, Lake Maggiore which is close to the border.

Yes it is worth it.

 

[JeanLuc]

Italy is wonderful - go and enjoy it. At this time of year you should get some sun!

You should have no problem with passes through the mountains: lorries, many of them old, do it all the time. You just have to go steadily and remember to come down as slowly as you go up, using a low gear, so as not to burn the brakes.
The best route depends on where you are heading for, but our favourite routes in are:
1. Via Briancon and the Col de Montgenèvre
2. Via Barcelonette and the Col de Larche

Both are beautiful and offer wonderful views. The roads climb quite high and there are a several hairpin bends, but nothing difficult - as mentioned above, big lorries use them. Head down from Calais to Grenoble (I recommend you by-pass the city) then take whichever one you choose.

Regarding the best route from Calais, that depends on whether you want to use motorways or not. We prefer not to, but the first section from Calais can be a bit tedious on the N/D roads so we sometimes go towards Dunkirk then down the free motorway and through Belgium & Luxembourg and back into France around Metz. So the options for us would be either Calais - Metz (via Belgium & Luxembourg) - Dijon - Bourg-en-Bresse - Grenoble;
or Calais - Lille - Reims - Troyes - Dijon, then as the first route. In both cases we aim to by-pass the cities where possible and keep off the autoroutes unless they are free. However, we normally expect to make two or three overnight stops before reaching the Italian border. For us, the journey is a key part of the experience. If you cannot afford the time for that, I suggest you use the autoroutes.

A word of warning about road signs: in France, as in the UK, motorway signs are blue and major / A-road signs are green; in ITALY it is reversed and MOTORWAY signs are GREEN. Easy to end up on the wrong one if you are unfamiliar with the route.

Campsites in Italy can be quite expensive, but there are cheaper options: Arree di Sosta (as French Aires) are often very good and there are farm camping options too. For example, here are some sostas we have used: Verona, La Spezia, Gubbio, Lucca, Parma (not great), and Punta Sabbioni (for Venice - just like a small campsite).

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[Popeye]

Our 2l FIAT has no problems.

Our quick route [HI]Calais Metz Luzern Italy uses holes through the mountains[/HI] for which you pay the Swiss a reasonable toll ( you buy a £30 vignette at the border which pays for all motorways until next Jan).

So stop at the aire in the middle of Metz. Camping Lido by the motor museum in Luzern and choose where to stop in Italy.

There is a delightful small campsite in Cannero Riviera, Lake Maggiore which is close to the border.

[HI]Yes it is worth it[/HI].

I would repeat everything Brian has said. I travelled via Belgium and Luxembourg then onto Metz. If the aire in Metz is full the camp-site immediately alongside is reasonably priced.

I used two different sites in Lucerne but the Lido was the better of the two with fabulous walks into the town.

I would also recommend getting off the toll roads and seeing a bit of the countryside, not just to avoid tolls but to slow your journey down and reduce the stress of driving.

Best of luck.......Griff :thumb: