Hello, Im planning to drive to Florence

use google maps ,987 miles , from london to florence - 2 days to go and 2 days to go back  - or use ryanair 2 hour from london to perugia airport - and pick a car from perugia to florence -. about 200km - 2 hours .Tuscany ,, not florence only :)http://www.lifeinitaly.it/italiasegreta/regioni/toscana/Toscana.htm

Hi, You don't say whereabouts in the UK you are starting your journey but we have done this many years from Cambridgeshire/Oxfordshire and soon Cardiff. I would say first night in Northern France (we use a great place in a hamlet called Wisques), then possibly Colmar/Riquewihr in the Vosges. Third night in Mennaggio (Lake Como) and on to Firenze. Possibly not the cheapest given you need a Vignette to pay for Swiss motorways but very scenic (you feel you are on holiday from day 2), you avoid expensive Swiss hotels and most of the route is motorway so no worries about snow. You can do it in fewer days (we used to do Cambridge to Rome with one overnight stop at Lake Lucerne in Switzerland) but if you are not going to fly, enjoy the drive!

Hello.  We drove to Chianti at the end of September from the U.K.  We used Eurotunnel to cross and then took the autoroute from Calais down to Chambery. just beyond Lyon. This route avoids Paris and is a good quiet autoroute.  We stay here at a nice B&B overnight just off the autoroute. Then, after a good breakfast, we took the autoroute and crossed into Italy via the Frejus tunnel.  Then the autostrada, which goes past Turin, Bologna and down to Chianti, just. beyond Florence.  The main autostrada is the A1. I appreciate we did this in two days and day one was very long (not helped by Eurotunnel delays!). Returning in a few weeks we will probably take 3 days as the daylight hours are now shorter. Weve used the Frejus Tunnel a few times and have found it to be the quietest and least stressful way into Italy.  Hope this is helpful.and that you have a good trip next May.  

Cost wise - From Calais, the best option is probably to take the Luxemburg route from Calais as it avoids [nearly] all French motorway charges.Calais - up to Dunkirk and on through Belguim to Luxemburg.  [Fill up with fuel in Luxemburg - cheapest on the route]From Luxemburg, on to Metz and then Nancy [Toll-free French motorways] and over the Vosges to Mulhouse.[You can do Metz to Mulhouse via Strasbourg - motorway all the way, but some charges]From Mulhouse in to Germany and down the motorway [free] towards Basle.  Turn off towards Lorrach, before Basel, to avoid possible traffic hold ups - then on into Switzerland.   Vignette needed, you can buy it at the border, or at the Bad Bellingham Srervices on the German motorway.This route is slightly longer than Calais to Metz direct, but saves a fair amount in tolls.In Switzerland, use the free Gotthard Tunnel, but look at the signs to see if the Gotthard pass is open [worth doing if it is]. Probably worth getting off the motorway near Locarno to fill up with petrol before rejoining it and going on nto Italy.As an alterntive - the Simplon Pass is normally open all year round, and is a lovely drive.  You can do it by going Nancy to Besancon, on to Lausanne and round the top of Lake Geneva to the Simplon. There is an Ibis in Sion West if you need a convenient overnight stop..Enjoy

Petrol in LuxembourgIf you go via Luxembourg, you don't have to leave the motorway to find cheap petrol. The government had the great idea of setting the price across the whole country, so motorway petrol is the same price as everywhere else