alan h's activity

Questions Asked

Driving to Italy 

Just driven down.  No longer cheap petrol in Switzerland  - fill up in France. 

Even Italian petrol is appreciably cheaper than Switzerland 

(There was no petrol available in Mulhouse for some reason)

Wed, 09/14/2022 - 06:49

IMU Tax

 

Don't forget the first payment is due by 16th June

Sat, 05/14/2022 - 06:35

DRIVING TO ITALY FOR CHRISTMAS

 

You've got until Saturday to enter France, before the entry ban for UK citizens comes into place.

Thu, 12/16/2021 - 04:33

European PET Passport.

 

Anyone had experience of getting a European Pet Passport for a dog in Italy (or possibly France, when we drive down)

Thu, 08/26/2021 - 05:40

As a Brit with a holiday home in Northern Italy, its been over a year since I have been able to visit it.  Last time was in February 2020, when the highlight was a meal out with Italian friends in a crowded restaurant in Bergamo!  Luckily, no ill

Thu, 05/06/2021 - 04:55

IMU etc Due Soon

just a quick reminder to those not living in Italy,  that the IMU etc on your Italian property requires paying this month.

Tue, 12/01/2020 - 14:48

Travelling through France - UK Quarantine 

 

Looks like people travelling through France to the UK could well be soon required to quarantine themselves for 2 weeks on their entry into the UK.

Fri, 08/07/2020 - 03:27

Are there companies in Italy that just change kitchen units doors and worksurfaces, rather than a complete replacement of the units?

Thu, 12/05/2019 - 17:37

My house has a semi-underground store room that was nice and cool during the recent very hot weather - the dog and I spent a lot of time in it - me reading and him asleep on the floor.Floor is just old concrete slab - lots of dust, and the walls a

Wed, 07/03/2019 - 10:50

Car Driving to [and in] Italy on a UK Licence- post Brexit  IF No Deal reached. I am driving down in March, and have had to plan for a 'No Deal' Brexit, just in case.If No Deal - all UK Driving Licence holders

Tue, 02/26/2019 - 10:34

Comments posted

Mon, 08/12/2013 - 10:52

My Suggestion. Rheims to Chalons en Champagne [the only bit of toll road]Challons. to St Dizier - normal road [not dual carriageway, but with overtaking lanes at times]St Diziere to Nancy - dual carriagewayNancy to Colmar - dual carriageway, then normal road, but with overtaking lanes in placesColmar to Mulhouse then turn left into Germany - dual carriagewayDown German autobahn towards Basel - pick up Swiss Motorway Carnet at Bad Bellingen servicesBefore reacing Basel, take turn to Lorrach, and on into Switzerland - avoids Basel [possible traffic delays at Border] - dual carriage way throughoutTake Swiss motorway to Lucerne and on to Gotthard Tunnel [or Gotthard Pass], and on into Italy and autostrada Easy route to take- done it many times

Sat, 08/10/2013 - 16:49

Get a couple more quotes as a comparison.  Then bargain the price down

Wed, 08/07/2013 - 06:42

Filter You should be able, once the listing has come up, filter the answers by specifying which year[s] you wish to see.  [filter is on RHS of the answers listing page]

Fri, 08/02/2013 - 11:48

Probably nearer 100Km, if that - but you save a ton in toll charges and time paying toll charges (plus border queues [if you go through Basel), so the overall time diifference won't be massive.  Plus cheap petrol.Still its up to you  [and the route planner you use]

Thu, 08/01/2013 - 16:56

Standard Answer from meDover - Dunkirk [DFDS] is usually cheapestCalais -Dunkirk, Lille - into Belgium - Charleroi, Namur, and on to Luxemburg - all toll free motorway. Fill up with petrol in Luxemburg [at services entering or leaving the country - cheapest on your route. Then toll free motorway to Metz, Nancy and towards Colmar [becomes single carriageway for part ner Colmar]. Toll free motorway from Colmar to Mulhouse, then over to Germany and down towards Basle.  Take turning off to Lorrach to avoid Basle [can be bad]  So far, still no charges Travel through Switzerland needs a vignette  - about 35 Euros [I think] at the services on the German motorway [at Bad Bellingen] - but thats the only charge [vignette lasts one calendar year - actually Dec to January (14 months)]Through Gotthard Tunnel [no charge] and down into Italy and on to Italian autostrada and toll charges Good luck

Wed, 07/31/2013 - 17:19

If all else fails - try 'Google Translate' on http://translate.google.co.uk/it has a 'listen' facilty, so you can hear how the words are pronounced, and isn't too bad on basic phrases

Answer to: Verne
Wed, 07/24/2013 - 09:53

I tend to go via Switzerland as it avoids french toll roads, and road tunnel charges.   I recommend cutting up to Belgium [via Lille] and on to Luxemburg, then down to Metz, Nancy and then Colmar and Basle bypass into Switzerland.It is a wee bit further than blasting down to Metz on the french autoroute, but is totally toll free and Luxembourg petrol is cheap [motorway petrol price is the same as off the motorway]You do need a Swiss Vignette [buy it at the German services at Bad Bellingen], but you have saved on French road toll charges - and it lasts until the end of Jan next yearNo further charges in switzerland [fill up with fuel before getting to Italy, on the Locarno road, just off the motorway - motrway petrol prices are high]Only toll charges will be on the Italian autostrada

Answer to: Verne
Wed, 07/24/2013 - 07:11

About 750 miles - 11 or 12 hours driving time [excluding all stops] So you could, in theory, have a kip in a hotel [just] before the Mont Blanc tunnel [depending on your route] and have about 3 hrs [or so] driving left the next morningI'd probably go into Italy and leave a shorter drive [say 60 - 90 mins] in the morning

Wed, 07/24/2013 - 06:59

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