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

Tue, 11/30/2010 - 11:33

Crossing is supposed to be 19hrs long   For days of sailings [3/week]  see http://www.aferry.co.uk/livorno-palermo-ferry.htm

Answer to: Wi Fi
Fri, 11/26/2010 - 07:16

"We have some friends who often park outside the house to use their laptop and make calls etc  ...................... You can buy wi-fi detectors or try for it with your laptop and eventually you'll find a convenient place to park and surf." This may well be illegal in Italy - it appears that it is in the UK  In the UK, the Communications Act 2003 says a "person who (a) dishonestly obtains an electronic communications service, and (b) does so with intent to avoid payment of a charge applicable to the provision of that service, is guilty of an offence". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4721723.stm

Thu, 11/25/2010 - 04:47

  My interpretation of the wording, in respect of property rentals, is;-   "No one is allowed to start a new thread or post with the sole reason of saying: I have a villa for rent or a flat to rent or anything else to sell or buy. You can respond to requests on the forum for help finding accommodation with something like “I have a property – PM me for details/costs etc”, but you cannot just start a thread to advertise your property          [Responding in this way to a request on the Forums is subtle advertising on your part, as you could PM the requester and not post anything - so its a 'bit of a fudge' in the Rules]. Also – the last bit of the Rule [about buying or selling] has been overtaken by the 2 [very underused] Groups that now cover these areas   Your community profile can be enhanced to include information about your business and that can also be tied to advertising in the rest of the website . You can put in your Profile that you have a property to rent, and if you take out paid advertising on the website you can put a link to it.   You cannot create profiles with the names of a company, villa or other commercial activities '- the community is about the people which can then advertise their business under appropriate clearly marked spaces in agreement with ITALY Magazine." You can choose any name for your postings/profile, [like Angie and Robert], as long as it isn’t an advert [like Angie and Robert’s Holiday Home Rentals]   The purpose of the Rules seem to be to protect the website's income from Advertising.  and this makes sense, [to me at least].   Hope this helps

Wed, 11/24/2010 - 16:52

Surely its pretty clear in the Rules "No one is allowed to start a new thread or post with the sole reason of saying: I have a villa for rent or a flat to rent or anything else to sell or buy. Your community profile can be enhanced to include information about your business and that can also be tied to advertising in the rest of the website - please contact us for futher information. You cannot create profiles with the names of a company, villa or other commercial activities '- the community is about the people which can then advertise their business under appropriate clearly marked spaces in agreement with ITALY Magazine."   It seems simple - no overt advertising of accommodation etc  in the threads - otherwise 'Italy's' paying advertisers could get a bit umpty, and the forums could end up flooded with adverts

Answer to: Wi Fi
Sun, 11/21/2010 - 08:17

Google "Bagni di Lucca" and you'll find places like "Reliable access arrived with Jacquline's Internet point at via Vittorio Emanuele, 66 in Ponte a Serraglio. The eponymous, charming, and English-speaking owner offers a small number of Internet-connected PCs as well as a wi-fi link for those who want to connect their own computers."

Thu, 11/18/2010 - 06:31

"...........  cheddar is really good.  Ive now got 10 packs in the fridge to see me through the winter  ....." If you want to keep it beyond the sell by date - Cheddar freezes well - it may be a bit more crumbly when thawed out, but that's all   I used to use it as freezer packs in the cool box when driving down from the UK

Answer to: Alps
Tue, 11/16/2010 - 18:28

"the Gottard tunnel can be a bugger on the way back..so timing is crucial" Totally agree - If you are in doubt about the queues for the tunnel   [from experience they can be particularly bad on Friday afternoons and Saturdays - but reasonably clear Sundays, up to about 1500hrs]  get off the autostrada at the Quinto junction [or even the one before] and take the 'old' road alongside the motorway and up and over the pass Similarly, if the queue from the Swiss side is bad - take the first available exit and [again] follow the 'old' road alongside the motorway and go up and over the pass   PS - buying/selling the vignette on ebay is of course against Swiss Law, [vignettes are not transferable] and anyway, what type of cheapskate would try to evade what is a pretty small charge to use the Swiss motorways for a year?

Answer to: Alps
Mon, 11/15/2010 - 17:06

Blue and Mon said   "...... routes across Germany and missing Basel by going via Loerrach and Bad Saeckingen. " I don't go that far East - justtake the mainly dual carriageway passing Lorrach and Rheinfelden and straight on down [South] to the Swiss motorway, then a quick 'right - left' [West - South] and you're on the motorway to Lucerne

Answer to: classic alfa's
Mon, 11/15/2010 - 14:37