Is it just me or does everyone else enjoy the drive to Italy

It will be my 1st time driving myself in August but i have been a passenger many a time in the early and late 90's and loved the whole experience of getting off the ferry and knowing your on the continent.Driving through Switzerland there are some lovely places to stop off and admire the amazing views.I admit its going to be a tiring drive but i think it will be enjoyable non the less given that your in the holiday mood. 

It can be a very enjoyable drive if you take your time doing it.  We do 2 overnight stops on the way down- the first is close to the Channel Ports - we have used the holiday Inn at Englos near Lille the last couple of trips- the second is usually around Colmar [or Besancon depending on the route taken]Highlights - not blasting down the motorways, but taking [still major] roads that are less frantic.                 - crossing the Vosges on more minor roads [i.e. - not dual carriageways]                 - Swiss scenery [of course] - especially the Gotthard pass

The route planner on the Drive Alive website is pretty good  http://www.drive-alive.co.uk/route_planner.asp It allows you to 'drag' your route to vary it, gives a running time total for the journey [useful for booking overnight stops], and also has lots of hotels/campsites etc shown on the map.The website also has plenty of additional info on driving abroad

We love dring to Italy. Have just come back from 2 weeks travelling round the north. Usually have night in Folkestone then 2 nights in Chamonix to break the journey. This year we drove through Switzerland after that and over the Passo del Sempioneand had a night in Bavaria and a visit to one of King Ludwigs castles and then a stop in Belgium on way home. In fact this time last week we were on the A22 going north. Missing Italy already. Roll on next year and early retirement which includes plans to move to La  bel paese.

Recently got back from our 2 week trip to calabria, was a great drive, 2 of us driving non stop we got over to Dunkirk saturday 10th August at 3am and arrived at our holiday villa on Sunday 11th at 1 in the afternoon, a 34 hour drive stopping for fuel, and breaks. Spent around 550 euros for fuel and all tolls in Italy there and back. I have a vignette which looks like new if anyone is interested. In total the car did 1700 miles each way. Weather was fantastic, food and beaches even better, til next year!

Hi Tony,Thanks for the update on your drive, sounds really good. If the two of you can share the drive then all the better.  It always feels to us like something of an achievement to have driven so far in such a short time - particularly when you you see the landscape change as you travel.We expected to drive this year too, but ended up going for 2 weeks 3 days, and it turned out to be cheaper to fly and hire a car.  Calabria sounds fantastic, but tbh i've never been to any part of Italy that i've not liked - if you get the chance from where you are in Calabria, drive over to the west coast of Sicily go to San Vito Lo Capo - total beach party culture.  Beach parties start at 8pm and go on to 8am.I totally understand your comments about the beaches sun and food - what a wonderful place it is.  I think the bottom line here is that a bit of Italy gives us northern europeans enough of a lift to carry on until the next year when we can head back to Italy again.  Next year we're planning to go out in mid june to end on june; then following a wedding in the UK which we have to attend end of first week in July, we'll go back out until around 18 August.  Can't wait!

Maybe I drive a bit fast but we are generally do Dover-Italy or vice versa in 10- 12 hours,we go via Belgium,Luxembourg where fuel is rather cheap,touch on France and into Swizerland.We generally stop around Como or Milan for a night .This Route seems cheaper on tolls/tunnel charges than France and via the 2 French /Italian Tunnels and we save on the Luxembourg fuel.We Try and spend a day or three somewhere on the Journey down through Italy and then do the Run to Sicily and Home in one hit.Lately we have used the Palermo /Genoa Ferry which works out to cost about the same as driving that part but has the Bouns of being fresh as a Daisy for the run between Dover and Genoa.We do miss the Italian drive though.  A decade or so ago we used to do the Journey non stop and sleep in the car wherever I flaked out at god knows what time of the small hours.It was quick but those days are well past.I just cannot do it any more and besides I realised some years ago that we were missing so much.I love the drive and ,although we do use Ryanair a fair bit now, we always manage  the drive once or twice per year.......how else would we get our contraband back?????? Wine from the huge Oak Barrels at the Local Trapido( not sure if thats the spelling)  ,Olive oil from my trees, Barberra Coffee at 1/4 price,even crates of Lemons and Tomatoes  and whatever the parenti have forced upon us,Several Quality Provola and Salami,A number of fresh Bread loaves as they keep for ages and are great for Propette(Polpette) once beyond use as Bread or whatever  we seem to end up with ,we are always full and I mean over loaded with Fresh and unprocessesed things you appreciate and miss once back in the UK.Only back 3 days and am eager to be going back already. 

Ciao e tutti,We have just returned from Italy using the now famous Alan H. Route (with Lörrach variation) notwithstanding a slight hindrance by hurricane Jude on Sunday night!Once again the route proved invaluable. Perhaps I may suggest a couple of other variations. We usually take two nights on the journey and now prefer Freibourg to Mulhouse on the way down. It has a nice cheap IBIS (Hotel ibis budget Freiburg Sued) for about €40. Freibourg is a delightful town with very good food (for Germany) in the market hall is a multi-ethnic food court & near the Hauptbahnhof is a nice Thai restaurant (Leaf Thaiküche). It involves a short toll-road to get there, about €3.As another alternative; the nearby town Colmar is pleasant, with an astonishing masterpiece in it's museumwww.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187073-d230578-r148453587-Musee_d_Unterlinden_Under_the_Linden_Trees-Colmar_Haut_Rhin_Alsace.htmlWe then usually stop in the IBIS in Como. It is the usual Industrial-estate-place but with better than average rooms. There is a surprisingly good restaurant/pâtisserie/pizzeria almost next door & Como town centre is only a short drive away.On the return journey we wanted to see the Notre-Dame du Haut chapel at Ronchamp so we stayed in yet another €40 IBIS in Belfort. This was extremely pleasantly-located hotel in the tranquil suburbs of a rather crusty old French town & involved a another small (easily avoided) French toll of about €5. Belfort is nothing to write home about but has a nice Thai restaurant (Le Voltaire) & an Indian that is reported good (Taj Mahal).The next day we proceeded to pick up the usual Alan H. route in Epinal, via the N19 & E23 & incurred no further tolls at all. Although this route looks longer than the original scenic route through Bussang to Mulhouse it seemed quicker & easier. It certainly would be in inclement wintery-weather!Safe driving to you all 

Really enjoyed reading all of this. Each year we do this journey from the Uk down to Umbria. Originally it was ferry and two stop overs but we've refined it over the years. We now use the Tunnel and share the driving to Colmar. Nice little town with at least 3 budget hotels by the airport (not noisy!). From there we go through Switzerland and down through Como. Then we tend to vary it as the second day is less driving. We have visited lots of lovely places, sometimes staying over. Gubbio was a joy as was Montepulciano. Plans to see lots more too. Last time I went back along the ordinary roads rather than motorways in France and it was hardly any longer and considerable cheaper. Plans for 2014 are to 'do' Liguria on the way down so will approach from France. Excited already.

Thanks Chris. Lucca is fabulous - did that 2 years ago. Puccini house was under restoration but will be back to see it. If you see a black Audi A3 with a UK number plate in early July - could well be us. Wave! J

Will do Jacki.  We'll be in a black Range Rover with a UK plate.  Talk about 'small world' ! C

Hi We have been driving to Italy now for many years. I live in NE England and we normally go to Lago Di Maggiore or Lago Di Como area. We normally take our caravan down with us. I have two routes which I take,NE England down to Cambridge, overnight stop, then Cambridge to Calais for overnight stop, then rump it down to Basel via Lille, Lux,Metz,Strasberg,Basel. Overnight stop in the first service area in Basel. Then next day down through the Gothard and into italy. Setup in campsite by lunchtime with a nice Italian beer. Due to health reasons my wife cant drive whilst towing the caravan so I do all of the driving. Door to door 1150miles. Summer just gone, we had a wedding to go to and we decided to do the overnigth from Hull to Zeebrugge, then romp it down to Basel etc.More expensive on the ferries but a lot quicker. All in all, probably cheaper in time and fuel even though I get nearly 50mpg towing. I just wish the towing experience in England was as good as that on the continent. And as far as staying in service areas, you just need to use your sense as to which type to stay in. Always stay in proper areas with restaurant and facilities not just the sidings with a toilet. The likes of th caravan club like to scare monger. Steve

We drive to south Calabria in August from Southampton fast craft to Cherburg and use the motorways through to St Etienne overnight in hotel (we take the dog!) then use the West coast to Sienna and then  straight to the appartment. This year we hired the Telepass for France & Italy so good it saves so much time. On the way back early September we  where stuck in a jam for half an hour managed to go off on a slip way where there where miles of cars trying the same thing. They kept a lane open for Telepass uses and we went straight through saved a few hours, must have been a few looks watching a UK plate overtaking every one!  

Hill Driving in north Italy is so much lovely and romanting ride, some local services agencies provide luxury cars for your event, in Lake Como I know a real estate firm named Proeprty At Lake Como that also offer luxury cars for lake como holidays, so don't miss driving around lake Como while you visit north Italy. Visit website for more details.

Hi,  anybody out there dusting down their roadmaps to Italy?

Hi,  anybody out there dusting down their roadmaps to Italy?

"anybody out there dusting down their roadmaps to Italy?" Yes - starting planning  leisurely drive down with our dog.  First time with a pet, so changes to route/times required.  Will be using Eurotunnel rather than Ferry - dog will stay in car with us, not put in cage on ferry, and will spend 3 nights on way down [and back] to reduce time in car each day

That sounds really good.  We take our dogs and go via the chunnel.  I think we'll be heading to that Ibis Hotel in Colmar that  you mentioned in a previous post, instead of Strasbourg.  Did you say there's a Thai restauarant not far from the Ibis?

" Did you say there's a Thai restauarant not far from the Ibis?"Not me - the Ibis is out by the airport.  Having used it once, I won't be going there again  [Room was damp etc etc].  You need a car to get into town for good restaurants

Thank Alan.  Yeah I just re-read the thread and it was Chris Notton who mentioned the Thai near Colmar. 

Because of the dog, and also in preparation for avoiding the 100 SF charge for the Motorway Vignette in Switzerland next year, we are looking at a new route down to North West italy [Lake Maggiore/Lake Orta area]We are planning 3 night stops on the journey to cut down the daily in-car time for the dog to approx 5 hours a day max.  We enjoy a leisurely drive down and back anyway, its part of the holidayRoute may well be;-

• Day 1    Eurotunnel and first stop near Lille Englos, at the Holiday Inn express - we've had good stays there before, and ther is plenty of space to walk the dog
• Day 2    Lille to Epinal area
• Day 3    Epinal to Sion in Switzerland - posssibly the Ibis there.  The route will be cross country to Pontalier in France [avoiding Besancon] then into and through Switzerland on non motorway roads.  The lakeside road from Lausanne is a most enjoyable drive, and it goes on through to Sion
• Day 4    Sion to our place near Lake Orta- only 2 or 3 hours drive

• Return Jouney will probably follow the same route and stops

Distance wise this isn't much longer than more direct routes we usually take, but it will add a 2 or 3 hours to the overall journey time because of Days 3 and 4 Anyone got any comments?   [but not about the need for 3 stops overnight, that's a 'given' for us] 

We enjoy the drive to Italy and back, the journey for us, from north Aberdeenshire to Puglia, is usually around  2,200 miles depending on the route which we often vary to see a little more of Italy and other countries. We tend to travel outside of the Summer season and usually cross the Channel by ferry although sometimes take an overnight ferry via Hull or Newcastle. Our preferred routes through France take us through Monte Bianco, and after many years we still find  the views of the Aosta Valley breathtaking at any time of year. In the late Spring the drive through Ventimiglia is exhilarating, but can be finger biting driving around Genoa because the local drivers have absolutely no patience with any vehicle driving within the speed limit. A stop in Switzerland makes a nice change but it is very formal, expensive and driving through the many tunnels is very tiring due to the pressure of traffic.The Adriatica coast offer so many places to stay, so we rarely plan a stop, just leave the Autostrada when bored and look the coast for a pleasant place to stay.

Great post Barry. Thanks for the insights into finger biting driving around Genoa - Italian drivers hey!