alan h's activity

Questions Asked

I'm planning my route down for a months visit in July.

Mon, 06/04/2012 - 08:13

I logged on this morning to my local webcam, to look at the snow on the ski slopes.

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 04:47

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14995588Loved the note about changing the locks!

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 09:20

I have just got back from my latest trip to Italy, and thought some of you might be interested to hear about a Swiss hotel that we stayed in on the way down.It is the Hotel Engel in Stans [near to Lake Lucerne, a few minutes from the motorway

Mon, 07/25/2011 - 05:21

For many years now I have used the likes of 'mappy', 'via michelin' etc for calculating different routes down to Italy - for us its a part of our holiday, so we don't always want to take the quickest/shortest route down.  We prefer to vary the rou

Wed, 06/01/2011 - 09:25

Today I received an email from the Swiss Travel Centre.  The relevant portion is;- "The GBP price for a Vignette will increase from 01 June 2011 and we wanted to give you the opportunity to purchase this years’ Vignette before the pric

Mon, 05/23/2011 - 09:45

I've just driven down and back for a [much too] short holiday, and feel that an update on how fuel prices look on the way down would be useful to fellow travellers The following is a good site for seeing what prices have been like  

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 05:02

P&O have introduced a new ferry on the Dover - Calais route - its called the Spirit of Britain. They seem to have a special offer on at the moment [on this ship only] I've just booked a return crossing [car + 2] for £60 - significantly less th

Sat, 01/29/2011 - 06:08

Does Tomato soup exist in Italy? We were feeling a bit under the weather when we went out to Italy 2 weeks ago.  As part of the R&R process, I fancied some soup, and looked around the supermarket.  There were lots of different soups, but I rea

Mon, 01/24/2011 - 08:29

The route/timings for next years Giro d'Italia have been posted http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/   My son rang me up to inform me that the route passes about 100m away from

Sat, 11/06/2010 - 07:04

Comments posted

Sun, 11/24/2019 - 06:42

What we did when we bought our holiday home in Italy was:-
1. Decide on area - we did this visiting places we thought would do, with Italian friends, who gave us a overview of the area
2. Using Italian Yellow Pages (Pagine Gialle?) We got names of estate agents in the area, and by googling them got their website and email details.
3. Booked a weeks holiday in the area and arranged, by email (in Italian- Google translate if all else fails) meetings with half a dozen agents - max 2 a day. They were all given via email our requirements - location, no of bedrooms, land etc etc, and price - so in theory they would take us to appropriate places. (Worked pretty well).
4. Found the one we liked and offered 40% below asking price . Was accepted and we've enjoyed the ace for over 15 years.

Good luck

Thu, 11/21/2019 - 15:29

If you copy the web address in stevemonkseatons post and put it into 'Google Translate " you might get a fair(ish) English version of the page.

Wed, 11/20/2019 - 11:18

These sites may help  [I don't know how accurate they are]http://english.controleradar.org/  https://radars.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/#/https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/french-super-speed-camera/ Good luck  

Sat, 11/09/2019 - 05:07

GeoffAnnn,I'm sure youve already tried this, but I Googled "Italy earthquake insurance" and it threw out some possible insurers, who say they do it.  [but caveat "ubject to the area that the property is in"] 

Tue, 10/15/2019 - 10:07

Try Googling something like   "Lucca  expats  forum"  -  should throw something up

Fri, 08/09/2019 - 11:30

If you want 'cheap' hotel - don't stay in Venice.
We stayed in Padova and went into Venice on the train. Saved a fortune.

Tue, 07/16/2019 - 07:03

Toll free route through France [motorwys passing by the following];-

  • Calais - Dunkirk - Lille - Mons - Luxembourg [Fill up with fuel at motorway services just before leaving Luxembourg - cheapest petrol on route] - Metz - Nancy.  All motorway with no tolls
  • Nancy - Mulhouse [or Nancy - Colmar - Mulhouse] much dual carriage way, except when going over the 'hills'.
  • Mulhouse into Germany and down autobahn towards Basel [not Mulhouse - Basel direct]
  • Turn off onto autobahn to Lorrach and Rheinfelden and into Switzerland ...............Note - pick up Swiss Motorway Vignette at Bad Bellingham services on first Autiobahn
  • On to Lucerne and Gotthard Tunnel.  [Thus avoiding risk of traffic/customs problems in Basle]
  • on to Italy, paying as necessary on Italian Autostradas.

Journey time from Calais to Pisa - approx 16 hoursStops to suit what time you started from UK -mprobably after 3 hrs on day 1, 8 hrs on day 2 and leavibng approx 5 hrs into PisaSuggest the Eurotunnel rather than the Ferries - will save about 2 hrs [minimum] on journey time [unless you need a decent break and a meal -motherwise the Tunnel is so much simpler] Good luck

Thu, 07/04/2019 - 07:45

My comune did 'revalue' my property, causing the IMU paymrnt to increase. But if they did that to you they should have told you, or your accountant.

Thu, 07/04/2019 - 07:43

Thanks - that's what I thought was the case, but its good to get feedback from you

Wed, 05/22/2019 - 15:26

Don't know the legal rquirements, but whenever I've seen bombola used, they have always been placed outside the building [on balcony or ground level].  Having them inside the building is a recipe for disasterTalk to a Geometra, he/she would know the legalities.