After my success answering Annec's question, its my turn. However, I’m not clever enough for an ‘Italian’ question – so I’ll go for one with a ‘Greek’ connection insteadI’m a ‘sad’ man who likes numbers.
Simplon pass is a fantastic drive - we use it when we drive down with the dog, as there are some very good dog friendly hotels on the route down.
If I was driving to from Assissi, I wouldn't use the Furkha pass route, (beautiful though it is), but would take the motorways from Lusanne through to Milan.
The bit over the Simplon is a good road, but not motorway, and there is a great stop at the top of the pass to walk the dog, and get a snack on the cafe there.
The route goes alongside lake Geneva up the Simplon, and past lake Maggiore in Italy.
From memory, (we went onto mains drainage a few years ago), you flush a 'sachet' down the loo about once a month, plus just before you leave the place empty for a time.
The AA do a report every month on the average cost of fuel in Europe. Well worth looking at.
Also, the Via Michelin map has a button on it to show where petrol stations are, and for many of the French ones it gives the prices at the station, so you can find significant savings along your route.
1. Do we need to have been in the UK for 14 days before travelling or can we have been in one of the safe country list too?
The latest on the Gov.UK site states;-
"Entry to France
Travellers arriving in France from the UK, European Area, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay are no longer required to self-isolate, to demonstrate their travel is essential or to hold an international travel certificate.
.......
Border checks may also be in place at points on France’s land borders with Italy, Spain, Belgium and Germany."
So you shouldn't have any problems unless you are from Leicester, and going via Belgium
2. Using the no toll route how much of a drag are the roads?.
Depends what you mean by no toll route.
My favourite toll free route [only pay for Swiss Vignette and Italian autoroutes] is on motorways passing by Calais, Dunkirk, Lille, Namur, Luxembourg, Metz, Nancy Colmar, Mulhouse, into Germany, Lorrach [avoiding Basel] and into Switzerland. All this route is free motorways except some between Nancy and Colmar, which is a beautiful drive, and a pleasant change from motorways.
Switzerland needs a motorway vignette - you can buy it in UK on-line, or at the German motorway services at Bad Bellingham which you pass on the way.
I tried to do Switzerland once on vignette free roads - never again!!
The rest is motorways all the way - not really worth trying to avoid Italian tolls
Lombardy, and especially Bergamo were hotspots for Covid19.
I have friends who live near Bergamo, and just before lockdown they moved to their holiday home near lake Iseo, to escape the worst of the virus.
They now go back to their town to shop for elderly mother, but wont return permanently for the foreseeable. There is no way they would consider going to Bergamo itself - for them it is much too dangerous.
Regretfully, I'd recommend you avoid Bergamo completely at this time.
(It is a beautiful Old Town - We were there with our friends just before the outbreak hit Italy and loved it)
Comments posted
Simplon pass is a fantastic drive - we use it when we drive down with the dog, as there are some very good dog friendly hotels on the route down.
If I was driving to from Assissi, I wouldn't use the Furkha pass route, (beautiful though it is), but would take the motorways from Lusanne through to Milan.
The bit over the Simplon is a good road, but not motorway, and there is a great stop at the top of the pass to walk the dog, and get a snack on the cafe there.
The route goes alongside lake Geneva up the Simplon, and past lake Maggiore in Italy.
I'd go via the Gotthard tunnel. No extra cost.
If you have time, the trip over the Gotthard pass is well worth it.
Again, from memory - WC Net also do fosse friendly bathroom/toilet cleaning products, but any "eco" cleaners will do the job.
"But with the WCNet how often do you use it?"
From memory, (we went onto mains drainage a few years ago), you flush a 'sachet' down the loo about once a month, plus just before you leave the place empty for a time.
Petrol/Diesel prices
The AA do a report every month on the average cost of fuel in Europe. Well worth looking at.
Also, the Via Michelin map has a button on it to show where petrol stations are, and for many of the French ones it gives the prices at the station, so you can find significant savings along your route.
1. Do we need to have been in the UK for 14 days before travelling or can we have been in one of the safe country list too?
The latest on the Gov.UK site states;-
"Entry to France
Travellers arriving in France from the UK, European Area, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay are no longer required to self-isolate, to demonstrate their travel is essential or to hold an international travel certificate.
.......
Border checks may also be in place at points on France’s land borders with Italy, Spain, Belgium and Germany."
So you shouldn't have any problems unless you are from Leicester, and going via Belgium
2. Using the no toll route how much of a drag are the roads?.
Depends what you mean by no toll route.
My favourite toll free route [only pay for Swiss Vignette and Italian autoroutes] is on motorways passing by Calais, Dunkirk, Lille, Namur, Luxembourg, Metz, Nancy Colmar, Mulhouse, into Germany, Lorrach [avoiding Basel] and into Switzerland. All this route is free motorways except some between Nancy and Colmar, which is a beautiful drive, and a pleasant change from motorways.
Switzerland needs a motorway vignette - you can buy it in UK on-line, or at the German motorway services at Bad Bellingham which you pass on the way.
I tried to do Switzerland once on vignette free roads - never again!!
The rest is motorways all the way - not really worth trying to avoid Italian tolls
Good Luck
As the Monza Grand Prix has been cancelled because of Covid19, have you spoken to your travel insurance company as it may cover the total cost
(I assume you have Monza tickets as proof, and you don't get in through the gap in the fence that I used)
Lombardy, and especially Bergamo were hotspots for Covid19.
I have friends who live near Bergamo, and just before lockdown they moved to their holiday home near lake Iseo, to escape the worst of the virus.
They now go back to their town to shop for elderly mother, but wont return permanently for the foreseeable. There is no way they would consider going to Bergamo itself - for them it is much too dangerous.
Regretfully, I'd recommend you avoid Bergamo completely at this time.
(It is a beautiful Old Town - We were there with our friends just before the outbreak hit Italy and loved it)
An update on the trip down and back would be useful.
I did a Google search on:-
"how to boost cesspit performance"
Gives several things you could buy in UK and take to your Italian house when you next go there.
(Getting hopeful we will manage to get to ours later this year)