# France stopover enroute to Italy



## 102503 (Jan 16, 2007)

The clue is in the title, we are heading to Italy in late July and are thinking our stopover in France enroute to Italy could be somewhere south of Dijon travelling on the A39.
Does anybody have tips of handy places, car parks, rural spots that would suit us for a night on the road?
Cheers


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hiya

We stopped at Metz camping municipale last year. Lovely site near to the centre of Metz. It's a bit off your route, but it was definitely on our route :wink:

Gerald

_Edit: Or, if you wish, there's Aires at 
:: Sampans :: and :: Dole ::. Don't know what they're like._


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## 102503 (Jan 16, 2007)

Cheers Gerald


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*France to Italy*

Hi

Out of interest, where abouts in Italy are you going?

I have travelled via Dijon in the past, and continued towards Geneva and then the Simplon Pass - coach not motorhome.

Russell


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Stopovers en route to Italy*

 Buon giorno Blunders,
I would suggest you subscribe - only a tenner - less than the cost of many guide books. You will then have access to the site data base amongst other things. To me sounds like you want to go too far in one day if you intend to get to Dijon. Many many places to choose from between Calais and Dijon.
saluti,
eddied


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## 102503 (Jan 16, 2007)

*Re: France to Italy*



Rapide561 said:


> Hi
> 
> Out of interest, where abouts in Italy are you going?
> 
> ...


Hi Russell, Our initial destination is Pisa, then a random tour of Tuscany ending up near Rome for a few nights. I have seen a couple a decent looking sites which have rail access close by, idea for venturing into Rome.
Blunders


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## 102503 (Jan 16, 2007)

*Re: Stopovers en route to Italy*



eddied said:


> Buon giorno Blunders,
> I would suggest you subscribe - only a tenner - less than the cost of many guide books. You will then have access to the site data base amongst other things. To me sounds like you want to go too far in one day if you intend to get to Dijon. Many many places to choose from between Calais and Dijon.
> saluti,
> eddied


Hi eddied
what are you suggesting I subscrbe to? 
I am sure there plenty of place between Calais and Dijon and as a first time overseas in our motorhome we could easily be distracted by many places and never end up in Italy, so focus we must and make a note of interesting places to return too on our next grand tour.
Blunders


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Italy*

Hi

Here is a link - in English - to the Trenitalia website.

http://www.trenitalia.it/en/index.html

Out of interest, a coach firm I worked for used to always use the Dijon area as an overnight stop for destinations you mention. It is about 800 miles from Calais to Pisa. It is fairly pricey on tolls though.

Russell


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## Arizona (May 9, 2005)

Hi Blunders

Wow! That's exactly the trip we've planned, well kinda planned!! We're hoping to land in Calais around July 1st and then travel straight down to Pisa. It's our first time heading to Italy I've just started to look at sites, we never book but like to have a rough idea!! 

Maybe we'll see you on the road!

regards


Arizona


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Calais to Pisa*

Hi

If I was going to Pisa by motorhome, I would go via Belgium, Luxembourg and so on towards Mulhouse/Basle. This is a far more cost effective option for tolls.

I suggest you check my thoughts though by looking at a route checker etc.

It is aslightly journey running via Basle than Geneva, but it would certainly be my preference.

Russell


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

_It is aslightly journey running via Basle than Geneva, but it would certainly be my preference. _

What is the missing word after slightly?


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

Hi Blunders - subscribe to this site and get access to all the information goodies it has to offer from what must be the biggest MH community in the world :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Sue


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

pippin said:


> _It is aslightly journey running via Basle than Geneva, but it would certainly be my preference. _
> 
> What is the missing word after slightly?


a slightly shorter journey via Geneva.....

Russell


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## fdhadi (May 9, 2005)

Have a look here for a route. You can change a few things (caravans but not mh's) by selecting options under the destination grid.

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm

I think you are better going Calais (fuel up) / Belguim (slightly cheaper fuel than France) / stopping for *CHEAP *fuel in Luxembourg / back into France / enter Swiss at Basle and then through the Gothard tunnel (no extra charge after paying the swiss road tax) / enter Italy by-passing Milan.

Think this is a much cheaper route than using french toll roads.

I think the word Russell missed off was Shorter :wink: .


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## 95409 (Jun 11, 2005)

Hi we did the same route as above and did the long run down form Calais and stayed in the Aire in Thann.Then crossed into Switerland and Italy via Gotthard.Be aware the motorway north of Italy is worse than chaos.


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

To be honest Pisa was a big disappointment for me. Even the buildings are not straight proving that cowboy builders are not a 21st century thing. I liked Paris though. 8)


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

We are aiming for Sestri Levante for old times sake via the route Russell and Frank are advocating. Taking maybe a week to get there, via Lake Maggiore and Gotthardt pass. Don't intend big mileage each day either, meander nomadically as we always do, normally at about Plan G clause 4 para 8 by the time we've completed the trip.
We can't use aires as we have "no sans ess" as they say in the C&CC books.
Leaving Dover June 9th.
Aida at Verona booked for opening night June 20th.
Django Reinhardt festival at Samois sur Seine on 27th/29th June.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

The number of times Hampshireman mentions his toileting arrangements in his posts never ceases to amaze me. I propose a whip-around to buy him:










Dave


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

Excuse me, but I am not like you rich so and sos who have those big white boxes with kitchen sinks too.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hampshireman said:


> Excuse me, but I am not like you rich so and sos who have those big white boxes with kitchen sinks too.


Annecy is lovely Hampshire, if your route takes you that way.

They don't mind us pennyless peasants either!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

Than ks Zeb, I know of it of course but it's a bit out of the way as "planned". We return to Calais via M.Blanc tunnel then up France to the festival which is near Fontainblue.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hampshireman said:


> Aida at Verona booked for opening night June 20th.


We hope to be 'doing' Verona this year - not sure what we're going to see, 'cos I hope someone else is organising it 8)

Last year, we saw Madame Butterfly during the Puccini festival, held annually in the theatre by his summer palace at Torre del Lago Puccini. Magical!

Gerald


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hampshireman said:


> Than ks Zeb, I know of it of course but it's a bit out of the way as "planned". We return to Calais via M.Blanc tunnel then up France to the festival which is near Fontainblue.


Just a thought for Hampshire or anyone else contemplating a similar trip.

Are you aware how expensive the tunnel tolls are?

Or how beautiful the passes are! :lol: :lol: Most of the terrifying hairpin bends have long since been smoothed out, and the gradients are generally not a problem. If you've never done it, you should go over at least one high pass - and not for the cash saving either!!

Cheers


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

Yes thanks Zeb.

Ref Opera. I'm going to blame the wife now. 

When we talked about booking last week, she wasn't sure and when and how and all that. I did want to get decent numbered seats. In a week they're all sold so we're with the plebs in the gods on cushions on concrete now. Oh well it's a one off, but it could have been better.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hampshireman said:


> so we're with the plebs in the gods on cushions on concrete now


We had plastic seats, but we still needed the cushions - especially since they have "Puccini Festival 2007" printed on them :wink:

Gerald


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

Thanks for the pics. It looks roughly where I was aiming for, expense no object!!! 

Carole is now worrying that we will have to be glued to the seats by 6pm as they not allocated.


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