Lake Maggiore no tolls (1 Viewer)

[critch]

Hi all in preparation for our September trip, hopefully to Lake Maggiore, does anyone have a toll free route to get there, as we begrudge putting money into the pockets of all these countries who don't like us any more as we are leaving their club, incidentally I managed to get the French Air Quality Certificate after an hour of Red wine assisted endeavour.

 

[Rob Turner]

You could go Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland but you'd need a vignette to transit Swiss. €40 for 3500kg vans or I think €25 for 10 days if it's a heavy van.
Loads on here about Swiss tax, just search for it.
That's the way I'd go though, you'd struggle to get away without paying anything.

 

[Lenny HB]

Easy to get through Austria avoiding the toll roads.

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[jockaneezer]

The tolls we encountered en rout to Maggiore from Switzerland weren't that expensive compared to France where I avoid toll roads with a vengeance. We entered via Switzerland which cost us €40, but we wanted to have a few days there anyway.

 

[Northernraider]

How expensive are the tolls in comparison to the cost of fuel to avoid them?

 

[Rob Turner]

You could go through the tunnel at 50 odd euro or go Austria but either way it'll be longer. You wont save anything in the long run

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[EX51SSS]

If you decide to go into Switzerland, use the Simplon Pass. It's free and comes out in Italy at Lake Miggorie.. There is an Aire on the top of the Pass. Used it a few weeks ago both ways. Nearest Swiss town to the Simplon Pass is Brig.

 

[BreweryDave]

To answer your question, set your destination into your sat nav and select 'avoid tolls'

Simples.

 

[Rob Turner]

To answer your question, set your destination into your sat nav and select 'avoid tolls'

Simples.

You could do that but it'll put hours and miles on your trip

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[Rob Turner]

St Gotthard is also free and brings you out at Locarno at the top of the lake

 

[EX51SSS]

To answer your question, set your destination into your sat nav and select 'avoid tolls'

Simples.

It won't prevent you from going into Switzerland and having to buy a vignette

 

[BreweryDave]

You could do that but it'll put hours and miles on your trip

Yes but thats what the op wanted!

It won't prevent you from going into Switzerland and having to buy a vignette

Interesting one that! Makes me wonder how smart these Sat navs may be! Have to try that one day and see what it says. In theory - should say no route available. I wonder???

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[jockaneezer]

How expensive are the tolls in comparison to the cost of fuel to avoid them?

Just checked my log book and we didn't pay any tolls between Simplon and Maggiore but we drove from Maggiore to lake Iseo on the autostrada past Milan, a distance of 128 miles which cost €10.60.

 

[TerryL]

There were 2 routes published in MMM January 2017 edition by Brian Fairbrother, one to Lake Garda via Austria the other to Lake Maggiore via Switzerland. Both of them are non-toll routes although you'll still need a vignette for Switzerland. We used the first earlier in the year and it was a lovely run - we even used the recommended stopovers. We plan to use the second later this year. Obviously they're not the quickest routes mind.

 

[EX51SSS]

Yes but thats what the op wanted!



Interesting one that! Makes me wonder how smart these Sat navs may be! Have to try that one day and see what it says. In theory - should say no route available. I wonder???

No because roads that take you through borders are still roads per sea and you can wander in and out st your leisure. A border control sign can up telling me border in so many kilometers, as any border, but there isn't a setting in the sat navs to have a Border Charge option. Ours is set for no toll road, or U turns etc but no options for Border Charge.
Even though Dartford crossing is free after 10.00 pm, it'll divert irrespective of time. Can't knock the sat nav

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[Minxy]

Have a look at ViaMichelin and RAC's route planner, you can manipulate the details to get a route that suits you with/without tolls.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I think €25 for 10 days if it's a heavy van.

CH32.50 (or the same in Euros)

It's CH3,25 per day and you have to pre pay for a minimum of 10 days.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Via Austria is one way. The only other way I can think of is going much further South into France and using one of the Southern Alpine passes.

Either way adds so much time and distance to the journey that it would more than likely work out to be more expensive than just paying a few tolls.

If you're on a time limit then neither one is really practical. If time isn't a factor and you don't care about the cost but just have some weird moral objection to tolls then go for it. I'd suggest one of the Southern France routes.

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[Rob Turner]

Mont Cenis is a nice trip over the top if that's what you'd rather. It goes over the Frejus tunnel and is the old road into Italy. Drops down into Susa and then to Torino.
Used to go over it in a truck years ago