Best route Calais to Italy (1 Viewer)

[Gianolio]

Hi
We're meeting up with family in Northern Italy and would like to know the best and quickest routes there. Not planning to stop long on the way as will take a more leisurely drive back up to the UK.
Doesn't necessarily need to be France all the way to Italy.

Appreciate your advice

 

[magicsurfbus]

If you aim for Basel and go straight through Switzerland it costs less to use their Alpine tunnels, as the toll is included in the price of your motorway Carnet.

The French Alpine tunnels (ie Mont Blanc) cost a bloody fortune.

 

[ukbill]

france ,belguim ,luxembourg,back into france ,then swiss into italy fuel at both lux and swiss brings u out near lake como

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[jonandshell]

Agreed!

Calais, go east through Belgium, into Germany then straight down to the German/Swiss border. Past Lugano then towards Milano.!:thumb:

Good roads all the way, no tolls except for the Swiss Vignette. There are different rules in Switzerland if you are over 3500kg though!

 

[motorhomer]

I agree with the routes.

BUT

How heavy is your van?

Normal motorway vignette in Switzerland is for up to 3500kg. Above that you need the commercial one. Not sure of the latest pricing of these but I would advise checking.

Likewise if you come back through Austria if you are above 3500kg you need a GO box.

 

[7735]

I agree with the routes.

BUT

How heavy is your van?

Normal motorway vignette in Switzerland is for up to 3500kg. Above that you need the commercial one. Not sure of the latest pricing of these but I would advise checking.

Likewise if you come back through Austria if you are above 3500kg you need a GO box.

You only need a go box if you use the Austrian A roads or moterways, we went via Garmish, Innsbruk and the Brenner pass, good roads all the way and no tolls.

spongy

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[Popeye]

france ,belguim ,luxembourg,back into france ,then swiss into italy [HI]fuel at both lux and swiss[/HI] brings u out near lake como

Have to agree with ukbill, this is the route I took last summer on Hilldweller's advice and couldn't fault it. :thumb:

 

[hilldweller]

Have to agree with ukbill, this is the route I took last summer on Hilldweller's advice and couldn't fault it. :thumb:

Got another favourite now.

Liege/Brussels/Luxembourg/Fussen then sneak south through Austria on non MWay roads to end up in Italy in Merano.

Grand route.

 

[Rapide561]

Italy

Italy is our most regular haunt and we don't pay much in tolls!

Here are our routes - shown Link Broken!

In respect of the swiss tolls/taxes/call it what we will, this is my article about them explaining the rules and costs for over and under 3500kg.

Russell

I will add that the bit from the Swiss border to the Italian ring road is easy enough, but the signage is not brilliant. We do it though and just follow our noses.

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[weekenders]

We are currently in Desenzano Del Garda, took the route as Rapide & Brian has advised, very good route, Dunkirk, down to Luzembourg, (cheap Diesel), down to Basel, Lake Luzern, through San Gottard tunnel, Belinzona, past lake Lugano, lake Como, then jumped onto the Toll road to Desenzano Del Garda, beautiful site called San Francesco, nice pitches with lake views, very clean toilet/shower blocks, restaurant, and nice flat bike rides, we rode to Pescheira del Garda yesterday, about 8 km's.
We would recommend this route,
Oh and it's been about 30 degs today!!:thumb:

 

[motorhomer]

You only need a go box if you use the Austrian A roads or moterways, we went via Garmish, Innsbruk and the Brenner pass, good roads all the way and no tolls.

spongy

Quite right, I have done the same thing myself just didn't mention it in my post!

But it can be tricky to avoid motorways in Austria, you need to plan the route very carefully. Once spent a nervous couple of hours leaving Slovenia which took us straight onto Austrian motorways with no apparent place to buy vignettes for quite some distance. We did not actually have a problem but not sure what would have happened if we had been stopped.

 

[Mike Home]

All these are very old routes. Anyone got any updates? Also what are they like in February.Are they clear and open?
Might go in two weeks time, currently planned to go to Spain but might surprise my wife with a change! (I will have to learn some italian pronto!)

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[Bailey58]

It's a very olf thread Mike.