I'd be grateful for any advice other community members might be able to give me on another matter.
chris18's activity
Questions Asked
We bought a house in the Bagni di Lucca area in October 2011. We used the house for one week in late October 2011, a week either side of Christmas 2011, a week in February 2012 and then 2 weeks in April 2012.
Has anyone converted their Cantina into living space and if so what are the pros and cons ?
I'm not going to attempt it without a Geometra but would be interested to hear other members experiences.
Is the planned rise in the price of the Swiss Vignette to 100 CHF going ahead?
I understand that the vote in the referendum in Switzerland went AGAINST the planned rise.
I'm planning a trip from Lucca to Venice in the summer ( I know, Venice in summer!). Does anyone have any views on the best way to get there? Road would be approx 3.5 hours, not sure about rail?
For all those lovers of Italy and all things Italian I can heartily recommend Italy Unpacked, which is being broadcast on BBC 2 at 9pm on Friday evenings in the UK.
We're being chrged €19 per hour for garden work, which consists almost entirely of strimming our grass around the house near Lucca. It seems very expensive to me, and takes place between April - August.
In Italy we've got a SKY TV package for which we pay approx €50 per month.
If we go over at Christmas and then might not go back until June.
Is it just me or does everyone else enjoy the drive to Italy - if so what are your highlights?
I'm driving over to Italy later this month. When we get through the Gottard Tunnel and eventually enter Italy we're heading towards Pisa.
Comments posted
Thanks for that Alan. In the summer we go through Great St Bernard Tunnel or Gottard Tunnel, so the electronic vignette would be all round more efficient than the sticky one. I don’t know if you’ve looked at the Bip&Go website, but their facility CAN be used in Italy - it’s an additional subscription fee over and above the arrangement to use it in France, but in practice it can be used in Italy. I must admit I am looking forward to sailing through the barriers without having to stop and pay in both France and Italy!
Thanks for your reply Alan. I’ve been doing a bit of research and Bip & Go looks like a realistic prospect.
What I am looking for is a facility which allows me to use it in France and Italy as I’ll be travelling from Calais to Lucca.
Well done. You've prepared thoroughly and have enjoyed a relatively stress free journey as a direct result.
There are a few other Italy Forums, and I note that on those other forums a number of people are posting messages where they have had pretty much the same experience as you - thorough prep followed by a surprisingly 'light touch' at the border check points.
@Clueless in Italy @alan h
Quite right. If our Italian friends require us to quarantine for 5 days then so be it. We would expect them to respect our requirements if the situation was reversed, so we must respect theirs.
Tony, thank you very much for the info re the ferry to Elba.
You should be OK, you've clearly taken all reasonable steps. Are you going ferry or eurotunnel? We use eurotunnel, just out of personal preference.
Do you drive through France and into Italy, or France/Swiss/Italy? The reason I ask is because we really enjoy the drive, so much so that when we get to the Italian border i'm sometimes tempted to go back to Calais and start all over again. This idea is not popular with my family!
In the past we've stayed in Calais just outside the tunnel at an Ibis that sells decent food in its own restaurant, room service only during Covid. We've also stayed at Reims, Metz, Bourg en Bresse and latterly Troyes - all very nice to look around. In Switzerland we've stayed in Colmar and Lugano. We've used the Gottard tunnel (free with Swiss vignette) , Mont Blanc tunnel (€45 one way), and Great St Bernard tunnel (€28 one way).
I'd be inclined to take a relaxed approach.
If they ask just tell them that you're taking some old bits and pieces to your second home.As long as the vehicle towing the trailer does not advertise secondhand goods or antiques you should be OK, as it will appear non-commercial.
At the moment, no restrictions on entry to France, and from 26 June no restrictions on entering Swiss. The over-arching caveat is of course, that both countries will want to see double jab Covid vaccine record, and it would be wise to take a PCR/other Covid test less than 48 hours before entering France. Good Luck.
I think you would enjoy Troyes.
We've not stopped at any of the War memorials but every time we pass the Forest at Verdun. Homage is not a strong enough word.
I see you stay south of Pisa. Have you ever been on the ferry to Elba? We have'nt been to Elba but I would be interested to hear if you have.
I hope my positivity is not misplaced! After Eurotunnel Calais, we head to Troyes, nice old medieval centre and some good restaurants to eat outside. At this stage it's full on holiday mode in the car. After a night in Troyes we head also to Lausanne, via some of the villages in the Jura.
I have to confess the restaurant prices in Lausanne make me happy that my end destination is Italy. From Lausanne we head to The Great St Bernard tunnel. Now, I don't know what your experiences have been in continental tunnels, but we've previously used the Mont Blanc tunnel (busy-ish and pricey) and the Gottard tunnel (mass tourism but free). The best one of those two in my opinion is the Gottard. If you go Gottard, there's a great service station at Stalvedro Sud and you are surrounded by people with big smiles on their faces as they are all holiday bound, but what hit's you is the sudden change in the landscape - you've entered the Gottard in something which is very Swiss, but you exit to a landscape which so Italian. The Great St Bernard is as you know not too busy and reasonably priced, with the addition of that cafe at the AGIP. The on in to Italia!
I hope my positivity is not misplaced! After Eurotunnel Calais, we head to Troyes, nice old medieval centre and some good restaurants to eat outside. At this stage it's full on holiday mode in the car. After a night in Troyes we head also to Lausanne, via some of the villages in the Jura.
I have to confess the restaurant prices in Lausanne make me happy that my end destination is Italy. From Lausanne we head to The Great St Bernard tunnel. Now, I don't know what your experiences have been in continental tunnels, but we've previously used the Mont Blanc tunnel (busy-ish and pricey) and the Gottard tunnel (mass tourism but free). The best one of those two in my opinion is the Gottard. If you go Gottard, there's a great service station at Stalvedro Sud and you are surrounded by people with big smiles on their faces as they are all holiday bound, but what hit's you is the sudden change in the landscape - you've entered the Gottard in something which is very Swiss, but you exit to a landscape which so Italian. The Great St Bernard is as you know not too busy and reasonably priced, with the addition of that cafe at the AGIP. The on in to Italia!