We like it - and have no real option out of season (flights from NWest England fade away in September!). We have 1650 miles, and now take the Folkstone/Tunnel route; listen to 'nagging woman in dashboard' which takes us down to Reims, and thence to Basel - through Switzerland and out to Como.... etc.Stops: Holiday Inn Strasbourg; Holiday Inn Luzern; Holiday Inn Milan - all depend on our timing... Our main one is Luzern going down...On the return, I've found a convenient and clean independent on the services at Montepulciano ~ through the car park and off to the back. There are two different hotels - one on each direction.Different subject... This year I obtained the Telepass 'gizmos' for France and Italy.. Ok, startup fees and a %age fee - but what a godsend. You 'get a bit of a smug on' as you drive down the telepass lane, particularly Milan at rush hour. I recon we saved half an hour there alone.....(www.tolltickets.com)
Many modem types work fine for me, but I found the ISP was the biggest problem. In my location, Northern Calabria, TIM rarely connects - and I hang the modem in a USB power converter on the kitchen wall - and Vodafone works fine. I'm also aware that THREE is good. So much depends on where you are.
We are in the South - Northern Calabria - and the internet is awful! TIM is 2G or nothing! Rarely do you get a 3G connection and it takes ages to download the newspaper. Vodafone is about the best (here) but even that is slow and poor. However, try contacting Francis at Woden (go for www.woden.com). They are based in Birmingham... and Northern Calabria! They will install satellite internet "with a UK ip address" because you are contracted to a UK company.... And with your IP phone (hard or soft) you can even have a UK landline number. Another alternative is the WiBe. I'll let you read it on their website - not my choice but could be yours. No. I'm not tied! I also work remotely when in Italy (which is as often as possible) and this is my chosen solution. And the prices are not outrageous (under £25 pcm gives me what I need)
Try seeds - I was surprised.. I threw some rosemary seeds in the ground before leaving for the UK at Xmas and you should have seen them by Easter.... I've started some lavender seeds (from B&Q) at home and will take them down next time. Seeds seem slow, but the do the work (cheaply) while you're looking. I planted laurels at Easter and will see how they have come on in a couple of weeks when I'm down next. (Chose them for the perma-colour because our builder put in connifers whcih soon died off in patches - and when they're back to the wood, they never recover)
We have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, just off the motorway at Luzern. Good value, friendly and good location. In our opinion, much nicer than Milano/Assago on the way back..... Watch your satnav though - it takes you to the street Wurmistrasse, which is the side entrance to the hotel (walk into reception and they will open the gate for you). Stick on the motorway till you see the sign, and it takes you straight there. We make it in one leg from Calais/Dunkirk between breakfast and teatime - Dunkirk downwards, following the satnav costs about 50 euros less on tolls than Calais as you start 20km to the east, so do less miles in France. (Dover-Dunkirk with Norfolkline, noe DFDS Seaways) Both routes take you into Switzerland at Basel, and through the St Gottard at the other end. We have done this 8/9 times in the past 3 years.
Comments posted
Google "Bill Cowie" - he seems to have had good reports for a number of years
We like it - and have no real option out of season (flights from NWest England fade away in September!). We have 1650 miles, and now take the Folkstone/Tunnel route; listen to 'nagging woman in dashboard' which takes us down to Reims, and thence to Basel - through Switzerland and out to Como.... etc.Stops: Holiday Inn Strasbourg; Holiday Inn Luzern; Holiday Inn Milan - all depend on our timing... Our main one is Luzern going down...On the return, I've found a convenient and clean independent on the services at Montepulciano ~ through the car park and off to the back. There are two different hotels - one on each direction.Different subject... This year I obtained the Telepass 'gizmos' for France and Italy.. Ok, startup fees and a %age fee - but what a godsend. You 'get a bit of a smug on' as you drive down the telepass lane, particularly Milan at rush hour. I recon we saved half an hour there alone.....(www.tolltickets.com)
Many modem types work fine for me, but I found the ISP was the biggest problem. In my location, Northern Calabria, TIM rarely connects - and I hang the modem in a USB power converter on the kitchen wall - and Vodafone works fine. I'm also aware that THREE is good. So much depends on where you are.
We are in the South - Northern Calabria - and the internet is awful! TIM is 2G or nothing! Rarely do you get a 3G connection and it takes ages to download the newspaper. Vodafone is about the best (here) but even that is slow and poor. However, try contacting Francis at Woden (go for www.woden.com). They are based in Birmingham... and Northern Calabria! They will install satellite internet "with a UK ip address" because you are contracted to a UK company.... And with your IP phone (hard or soft) you can even have a UK landline number. Another alternative is the WiBe. I'll let you read it on their website - not my choice but could be yours. No. I'm not tied! I also work remotely when in Italy (which is as often as possible) and this is my chosen solution. And the prices are not outrageous (under £25 pcm gives me what I need)
Try seeds - I was surprised.. I threw some rosemary seeds in the ground before leaving for the UK at Xmas and you should have seen them by Easter.... I've started some lavender seeds (from B&Q) at home and will take them down next time. Seeds seem slow, but the do the work (cheaply) while you're looking. I planted laurels at Easter and will see how they have come on in a couple of weeks when I'm down next. (Chose them for the perma-colour because our builder put in connifers whcih soon died off in patches - and when they're back to the wood, they never recover)
We have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, just off the motorway at Luzern. Good value, friendly and good location. In our opinion, much nicer than Milano/Assago on the way back..... Watch your satnav though - it takes you to the street Wurmistrasse, which is the side entrance to the hotel (walk into reception and they will open the gate for you). Stick on the motorway till you see the sign, and it takes you straight there. We make it in one leg from Calais/Dunkirk between breakfast and teatime - Dunkirk downwards, following the satnav costs about 50 euros less on tolls than Calais as you start 20km to the east, so do less miles in France. (Dover-Dunkirk with Norfolkline, noe DFDS Seaways) Both routes take you into Switzerland at Basel, and through the St Gottard at the other end. We have done this 8/9 times in the past 3 years.