# Best Route to the Italian lakes



## 97361 (Jan 20, 2006)

Can somebody who travels to the Italian lakes frequently.please give me advice on best/quickest route avoiding most toll roads & tunnels,bridges etc.Your experience of campsites and picturesque scenery would also help please. Thanks Supersnake.


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

Hello

I am here!!!!

Ok for the Lake and toll free as far as possible!

From the Channel port, Calais/Dunkerque head for the toll free motorway and follow the signs for Lille. This French motorway is toll free. Bypassing Lille using the Lille ring road - very, very busy - but usually keeps moving, head towards Valenciennes, Mons "Belgie" and then once in Belgium, you are watching signs for Charleroi and Namur. After Namur, you will head southwards towards Arlon. Arlon is a town close to the Belgian/Luxembourg border. Entering Luxembourg, keep trucking towards "France" and signs for Thionville, Metz and Nancy. Once in France, stick on the A31 motorway, again toll free, passing Nancy and southwards towards the sun. After Nancy, there is a town called "Charmes" - I have not stayed at the Aire in Charmes, but do a search on here as I know a lot of people have. If you want to drive further than Charmes, press on towards Epinal on the RN57 - mostly dual carriage way and again toll free. There are literally hundreds of campsites and aires along the road - all sign posted. The tourist info at Epinal will send you lots of info if you so wish - do a search under "syndicat D'initiative Epinal" on the web.

Where the road changes status to single carriage way is where you will lose time compared to the autoroutes. A few gear changes are required here but nothing too stressful.
However, there are some lovely coffee shops and places to pause for a hour or two. There are several tourist offices dotted along the road. Whilst on the single carriage way, head for Thann, then towards Mulhouse. You are now near the French Swiss border and will travel on the A35 to the border. Here you will need a swiss motorway pass costing either 30 euros or 40 swiss francs. They are purchased at the border and are valid for a year. The border staff like to apply the sticker themselves to the inside of your windscreen.

Switzerland then - no tolls to pay as you have your permit. Head for Lucerne, pausing for a cup of tea at www.postillon.ch. On then towards St gotthard - the longest road tunnel in europe and then follow signs for Bellinzona. There is an excellent service area here assuming you do not want to cook your own food in the van. On then towards Lake Lugano and the Swiss Italian border at Chiasso. Climb the hill and a quick glance to the left is Lake Como. From here the world is your Oyster. You are now paying tolls however and to get as far as Lake Garda will cost you about 5.00 pounds worth of currency.

Many of the Lakes are close - Garda, Como etc but do not overlook the ones where the Italians go on holiday and are not yet in our own itineraies, Lake Iseo for example.

I do this jounrney from Barnsley to Garda in 2 days - one overnight stop.

If you are travelling with www.transeuropaferries.com, come off the ferry at Oostende and head for Brussels, then after the ring road head for Namur and Arlon. You save miles by sailing in to Oostende.

There are many other route to Italy but given the size of the vans etc, and not wanting to baulk other road user on slower roads, the above is OK.

Private me or post a reply for any other info what so ever - and if you go to Garda next year when I am living there - call in!

Rapide561 and Oscar


----------



## 97361 (Jan 20, 2006)

*Best Route to the Italian Lakes*

Many thanks Rapide561, not sure about doing it in two days, but we aint in a big hurry and your route looks to be fairly flexible.We know eastern
France but thats it and we have heard so much of 'the Lake region' we must give it a try.Thanks Again


----------



## 99045 (May 4, 2006)

Hi Rapide 561

Found your post by accident: brilliant as 4 of us in 2 Americans are hoping to go to Garda in September. Our main problem is getting LPG for one of the RVs but your route through France/Luxembourg/France will help with that.

One question: it's ages since we've been through the Gotthard Tunnel - once on a motorbike believe it or not - and I'm a bit worried about fumes and claustrophobia: one of our party is not keen on tunnels.

Have you any advice about that? Any ideas about where to find a good campsite just before going through the Tunnel?

Thanks for any help (that's assuming you find this reply: it's a bit late!).

Sherrie


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Gotthard Tunnel*

Hi

Don't worry about the tunnel.

There is a second tunnel alongside that can be used in an emergency.

The tunnels have fans and so on. I will be honest - there are some fumes but nothing horrendous. I used to turn the air con off on the coaahes as we went through and no probs.

Your mobile telephones will work in the tunnel.

As for camping in Switzerland, I have no idea, but I stayed in a village called Seelisbrg on many an occasion with coaches. It is lovely - excellent views of the lakes. Do a search for Seelisberg and take it from there!

Rapide561


----------



## 99045 (May 4, 2006)

Thanks, Rapide 561. Useful and reassuring information.

Sherrie


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

An alternative to Going via Lille and the industrial area of N France (and from what I remember very poor road surfaces on the free Autoroutes), is to take the Autoroute into Belgium, Past Brugges, round the top of Brussells and then go south down to Luxembourg, then as above. Nice countryside in the Ardennes, but timing round Brussells may be crucial.


----------



## apothecary (May 14, 2005)

*Lake Garda*

Thanks for info Rapide 561 & Oscar. I went there a couple of years back and I'm off again in four weeks. Only difference to your route is that I avoid Swiss motorways (& the cost of the token) and go over the Alps. If the weather is clear, the views are amazing. We stopped of in Lucerne for a few days, there's a good campsite, (or at least there was!) near to the Lido.


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*road surfaces*

Hi Mike

Yes you are right about the road sutfaces. Not quite so noticable in a coach, but it gave the Compass a good shaking up!

Rapide561


----------



## phoenix (May 9, 2005)

W are travelling down to Naples, using the toll route. Can anyone please advise us of which class toll we shall be charged and how much that would be?

Also the Swiss vignette, for the 10 day pass, will they accept Euros?

We have a Swift 630L, over 3.5t. I've tried googling but cannot find anything helpful.

Thanks
Lyn and Malcolm


----------



## 88974 (May 11, 2005)

Just back from that route, we came down through Germany though into Basel, pulled in at the swiss border because the van was over 3.5tonne we had to get a different vignette than the usual one, went into the office were we paid 25 euro for a seven day pass. The motorways through Italy were not that expensive we were charged at the class B rate which I think is the same as cars. The road between Bologna and Florence is not great, with very narrow lanes and twisty at the same time will take about an hour and half to get through this section. Found Naples very dirty only stayed a night before moving on to Sorrento, have a great trip.


----------



## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Our friend has a house on lake Trasimino & we have a standing invite - so the info given above will help us decide a route - I take it from Garda down is fairly straightforward ?

What is the route like if you go right down to the south of France & then turn left along the coast road & into Italy that way ?


----------



## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Best route to Italian Lakes*

 
Hi all, I do the trip Naples-UK at least twice a year and sometimes 3 until quite recently. Last UK - Naples was early March (lots of snow around).
If I may just add a comment or two to the excellent info. already passed on.
On said trip had to take evasive action due to heavy snowstorms in the Ardennes (Namur - Bastogne - Arlon stretch) which would normally be the preferred route.
Did Calais - Reims - A4 to Metz and then normal Metz - Strasbourg - Mulhouse etc.
Checking out my cedit card statement I see that I paid Euro 59.50 motorway tolls in France. Luxembourg - Thionville - Metz - Strasbourg would probably have cost about half that.

At the Swiss border the vignette valid 1 year for up to 3500 Kg. (most motorhomes) is SF 50 or Euro 30 with a couple of Francs change.
TIP - to avoid the hassle of crossing Basel from the St.Louis/Basel border crossing from France, just before Mulhouse leave the A35 French motorway and follow the signes for Germany. Cross the Rhine into Germany at Ottmarsheim, and go down the German A5 the 30 Kms. or so to the Weil am Rhein/Basel crossing. On the way down stop at the BAD BELLINGEN service area, and purchase your Swiss vignette in advance, stick it in, and be waved straight thru at the border. At the same time you avoid the horrendous road works going on in Basel to cross the Rhine and link up all French /Swiss motorway systems.

In Italy your costs will be
Como South - Milano Euro 1.60
Milano Tangenziale Ovest (Western Ring Road) Euro 2.10
A1 Milano - Napoli Nord - Euro 41.20
A3 Napoli - Pompei - Salerno fixed rate Euro 1.80

I noticed someone going to Lake Trasimeno, exit A1 about 100 Kms. south of Florence at Val di Chiana, a quick dual carriageway(toll free) from there to Trasimeno.
ANOTHER TIP
Try and do as much of your motorway trip in Italy as you can on a SUNDAY, when heavy trucks are banned from the motorways between 07:00 and 22:00. This is especially relevant to the horrendous Bologna - Florence trans-Appenine stretch. Only 85 Kms. but pretty hairy with heavy trucks on the road!
HTH
saluti,
eddied


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Val di Chiana*

Hi

If you are in the Val di Chiana, pay a visit to nearby Chianciano Terme (famous for its spa water) and also Montepulciano - famous for its wines etc

In Chianciano T, you can drink the free mineral water etc etc. Also a massive hypermarket approaching Chianciano and a lovely "curiousity shop" - worth a day out!

In the coach parl is a toilet dop facility and a hose pipe etc

Rapide561


----------

