Easy Route to Italy from Tunnel

[Citygirl]

Morning Folks
Looking for a round route from Calais to Lake Garda and back a different way. Thinking of France/ Switzerland going and Austria/ Germany returning. Seen lots of routes and getting very confused.com!
As it’s first time out bar a weekend in new Moho ( 7.3 metres) I really don’t want any tricky, hairpin bend passes so tunnel through the Alps is probably best option.
Your experience is welcome
Thanks

 

[Richard n Ann]

We went through Belgium, Germany and Austria because it's toll free apart from a vignette for the motorways in Austria. Was a good route, can't remember any bad roads until we got to Italy where it's the norm.

PS we were that dissapointed in Italy we hightailed it to Spain so the way home was completely different.

 

[ADJF]

If you go through Switzerland the Simplon Pass is fine with your vehicle, if you fancy a challenge then I recommend the St Bernard Pass (where they filmed the Italian Job) which is breathtaking on both the Swiss and Italian sides. We have been over both in the last two weeks. If you fancy a stop over there is a decent Swiss Aire (19CHF for the night in Lugano) just above the lake with full facilities inc Electricity. Garda is 2 1/2 to 3 hrs away. I would also recommend taking a trip across the Venice from Garda. Its not too far and its a brilliant time to visit without crowds. Camping Fusina is 19EU for the night with the ACSI card and you get the ferry straight into Venice from just outside the front gates

 

[suavecarve]

If you go through Switzerland the Simplon Pass is fine with your vehicle, if you fancy a challenge then I recommend the St Bernard Pass (where they filmed the Italian Job) which is breathtaking on both the Swiss and Italian sides. We have been over both in the last two weeks. If you fancy a stop over there is a decent Swiss Aire (19CHF for the night in Lugano) just above the lake with full facilities inc Electricity. Garda is 2 1/2 to 3 hrs away. I would also recommend taking a trip across the Venice from Garda. Its not too far and its a brilliant time to visit without crowds. Camping Fusina is 19EU for the night with the ACSI card and you get the ferry straight into Venice from just outside the front gates

Grand St bernard is a cracking pass and has the extra value of the Italian job already pointed out.
There is a further stop at Martigny but it is an overnight in a car park job, but the other side Aosta "welcomes" you. I have left a review on S4S for it. "If you love prisons, particularly the ones with high fences and barbed wire on the top which is run by vest wearing imitators of the non paid up members of the camping club then this is your place. You will not find me back here"

 

[ADJF]

I a

Grand St bernard is a cracking pass and has the extra value of the Italian job already pointed out.
There is a further stop at Martigny but it is an overnight in a car park job, but the other side Aosta "welcomes" you. I have left a review on S4S for it. "If you love prisons, particularly the ones with high fences and barbed wire on the top which is run by vest wearing imitators of the non paid up members of the camping club then this is your place. You will not find me back here"

I avoided that one and overnighted on the road over St Bernard. There are some lovely stops to pullover and wild camp.

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[Lofty1]

At the moment you need to go through france (mont blanc) as austria and switzerland have closed boarders from italy and uk (daughter drove up on tuesday)

 

[ADJF]

At the moment you need to go through france (mont blanc) as austria and switzerland have closed boarders from italy and uk (daughter drove up on tuesday)

err....no they dont. This is completely untrue. I drove into Switzerland from Italy a few days ago....

Out of interest, where is the UK border between Switzerland and Austria?

 

[Citygirl]

Hi
Which is the easiest route please?

 

[ADJF]

Looks like Switzerland may now be off your travel list unless you have been somewhere else first for 10 days. This has just been announced.

UK lands on Swiss quarantine list

People coming to Switzerland from the United Kingdom will be required to go into quarantine from Monday.

www.swissinfo.ch

 

[Citygirl]

Looks like Switzerland may now be off your travel list unless you have been somewhere else first for 10 days. This has just been announced.

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[Citygirl]

Mm, not very clear but looks like you don’t have to if you’re just transiting

 

[Lenny HB]

At the moment you need to go through france (mont blanc) as austria and switzerland have closed boarders from italy and uk (daughter drove up on tuesday)

Ouch! that could be expensive.

 

[Citygirl]

I can find nothing online at all backing this statement up that borders are closed. Please provide a source.

 

[peterc10]

The quickest way is to go through France and enter Switzerland at Basle. Straight through Switzerland on the Autoroutes 3 then 2 via Lucerne and the Gotthard Tunnel and pop out in Italy at Como. Very easy route all on motorways with no hairpins. From there go via Bergamo to Lake Garda.

Some people recommend going via Belgium on their free motorhomes and Luxembourg for their cheap diesel before dropping back down into France. But you will probably need a new set of fillings from the bone shaking Belgium motorways. .

 

[Citygirl]

Brilliant, thanks Peter, very helpful

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[ADJF]

I can find nothing online at all backing this statement up that borders are closed. Please provide a source.

and you will not, because it is not the case

 

[Citygirl]

ADJF can’t find anything about having to quarantine either tbh. Hoping it doesn’t mean for transit as well as we shan’t be staying in Switzerland

 

[Parrot Face]

Done all of the routes mentioned and now i stick to France....Belgium......Luxembourg......Germany......Austria .....Italy via the Brenner Pass. Its longer but straight forward. I also find it cheaper I find Switzerland expensive and got fed up trying to find someone to sell me a vignette for the motorway.

 

[peterc10]

Done all of the routes mentioned and now i stick to France....Belgium......Luxembourg......Germany......Austria .....Italy via the Brenner Pass. Its longer but straight forward. I also find it cheaper I find Switzerland expensive and got fed up trying to find someone to sell me a vignette for the motorway.

If you cross via the motorway at Basle you will be stopped and checked and if you have not got one you will be directed to where to buy either a vignette or permit, depending upon whether your motorhome is above or below 3500kg.

 

[EuroTrotters]

If you cross via the motorway at Basle you will be stopped and checked and if you have not got one you will be directed to where to buy either a vignette or permit, depending upon whether your motorhome is above or below 3500kg.

Easier to use the app

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[dunnah01]

You'll may also need an umweldplakette to get through Germany. We had to get one yesterday which was a bit if a PITA for our 4.25T van with no emissions data on the V5, but got there in the end.

 

[GAVLAD]

We travelled this last year.
Outbound we did Zeebrugge to Bastogne - Luxembourg - Metz - Colmar - Lucerne - Peschiera del Garda
We didn’t overnight in Bastogne, I just wanted to look around the Battle sights.
For the return, we routed via Innsbruck, Rothenburg, Heidelberg, Sankt Goar, Maastricht and then Ghent.

If I was do do the same again, I would drop Sankt Goar and stay elsewhere.
The route we took had us crossing the river by boat for the campsite and then crossing it yet again to get to town so we ended up paying nearly as much in boat fees as the campsite.
Plus the site was sandwiched between very busy rail, road the river on one side and road and rail on the other.

Be careful in Switzerland and watch your speed, if you are 2km over and get caught, it’s a big fine!

 

[WESTY66]

Done all of the routes mentioned and now i stick to France....Belgium......Luxembourg......Germany......Austria .....Italy via the Brenner Pass. Its longer but straight forward. I also find it cheaper I find Switzerland expensive and got fed up trying to find someone to sell me a vignette for the motorway.

Before I got my present van (4250kg) I used to get all my vignettes for the bike and last moho (3500kg) from toll tickets before I set off, just tell them what dates I wanted them to run from (Austria and Slovenia) and the Swiss one was for the year (jan to Dec I think) For this one (4250kg) I use the app as EuroTrotters has posted

 

[peterc10]

Easier to use the app

View attachment 428006

That's interesting. What is the app called and is it available for Android? I am over 3500kg. Does that give you the form that you can print out, or is it all on your phone? And how do you get the windscreen vignette for under 3500kg?

Last time I went over in 2016 I pre-printed the over 3500kg form and filled most of it in. But when I got to the border I was told that I must use the actual form, so had to fill it in again. The people at the border were very helpful though.

Edit. Found it now on Play Store. It looks very good for next time we go to Italy Thanks

 

[EuroTrotters]

That's interesting. What is the app called and is it available for Android? I am over 3500kg. Does that give you the form that you can print out, or is it all on your phone? And how do you get the windscreen vignette for under 3500kg?

Last time I went over in 2016 I pre-printed the over 3500kg form and filled most of it in. But when I got to the border I was told that I must use the actual form, so had to fill it in again. The people at the border were very helpful though.

Hi

It’s on apple and iPhone

Search via Switzerland

it comes up second on App Store

I paid 39 Swiss francs for 12 days over 3.5t

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[pjay]

Just to add, the app is not for motorhomes under 3500kg, the option for motorhomes under 3500kg shown in the first screenshot above is for info only to tell you that you need to purchase a vignette.

Pete