# Calais to Venice



## SineadandTony

We are hoping to travel from Calais to Venice in June/July as part of our holiday. We are travelling in an Auto-Trail Arapaho with another couple with a caravan. Our initial plan was to go via Strasbourg, Salzburg, and onto Venice. However, after reading numerous posts about this new "Go Box" for tolls in Austria we are having second thoughts. This is turn raises the issue of going through Switzerland and the Alps. I am also interested in any information in respect of tolls any an approximate cost of my journey. So can anyone give me advice as to the best route to take bearing in mind this is the first continental trip that the couple travelling with us have embarked on. 

Any information will be greatly appreciated


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## 96706

One point worth noting, is the maximum speed limit imposed of 50 MPH for a towed caravan through France. Mate of mine has arrived in Spain after lengthy travelling time, because their companions have a caravan.


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## Mike48

You can play around with routes on this site here:

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm

Under route preferences select the car/caravan combination.


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## Zebedee

**** said:


> One point worth noting, is the maximum speed limit imposed of 50 MPH for a towed caravan through France. Mate of mine has arrived in Spain after lengthy travelling time, because their companions have a caravan.


Not necessarily true ****. :?

It applies only to those car/caravan units with a Gross Train Mass of over 3.5 tonnes - see the Caravan Club article >> here <<

So it may not apply to the OP's friends.

Dave


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## Rapide561

*Tolls*

Hi

My first question, before offering a response is the weight of your Autotrail and also the number of axles. I am assuming you are over 3500kg and also a three axle motorhome. Is this correct? This info has a dramatic effect on toll costs and proceedures for your journey.

Russell


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## eddied

*Calais - Venice*

 Ciao sinead, buon giorno Russell,
I can see where Russell's caution is coming from. He's probably thinking of the double whammy vignette for car/caravan transiting Switzerland via the Gothard Tunnel. I believe it is well worth the expense; especially if you are first timers to Italy travelling in convoy.
The standard route is your best bet :
Calais - Dunkirk, Dunkirk - Lille - no tolls.
LIlle - into Belgium - Mons - Namur - no tolls
Namur - Arlon - Luxembourg - no tolls. Fill up in Luxembourg with heap fuel, booze, and ****.
Luxembourg - Thionville - Metz - no tolls
Metz - Strasbourg - a toll section involved, but not expensive.
Strasbourg - St.Louis crossing at Basel - no tolls. 
At St.Louis crossing point, you pay the Swiss motorway toll 40 CHF (€30) each for the car and caravan, and 40 CHF (€30) for the motorhome up to 3500 Kg. If over this weight the motorhome pays on a differnent basis, the full details of which Russell has.
Basel - Luzern - Gothard Tunnel - Chiasso/Como crosssing into Italy.
Tolls are those you paid at St.Louis.
In Italy you would go Como - Milano - Venezia using the A4 autostrada, the cost of whcih I'm not sure.
You could have a look on www.autostrade.it where there is a facilty for calculating costs.
As for overnight stops - along the route mentioned are loads of opportunities in campsites or aires. The database on MHF should give you some ideas.
Depending on the time you arrive Calais, I could reccomend following places to cnsider. Mons, Luxembourg, St. Avold, Obernai, Colmar, Luzern, Lugano, Como, Milano, Verona/Garda area.
I'm sure Russell will help with further detailed suggestions.
saluti,
eddied


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## Autoquest

Austria is a nightmare and the Brenner is hell on earth, you pay tolls for the motorway in Austria, use a few miles of the stuff after endless A road and then pay again for the Brenner - Horrible


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## SineadandTony

Thanks for the responses. Yes Russel my MH is over 4 tonne with 3 axles so I take it it will be more costly. Thinking at this stage that we will give austria a miss although I would like to see it


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## DJP

It is definately worth going via Austria and into Italy. We went 3 years ago with our tag (6 wheel) Chieftain and towing a Smart car. We went via France and Mont Blanc. Never again, hassle at Mont Blanc and a total of £150 in tolls from Calais to Lido de Jesalo.
Came back via Austria and Germany etc. We did buy a Go Box as we were way over 3.5 tonnes, 6 wheeler towing a 4 wheel trailer (the Smart on A Frame) Total cost for Go box including sufficient credit to get us across Austria including a stop off at Zel em Zee? was £50. A lot cheaper and better scenery.


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## Rapide561

*Tolls*

Right, as a TAG axle and over 3500kg, you are class 4 on French tolls. (Yes, I know the operator might charge you the lower rate as a two...)

As a class four, your tolls Calais - Strabourg will be about 250 euro return. I suggest therefore toll free....

Calais - Ostend - Brussels - Luxembourg - Metz - Chateau Salins - Phalsbourg - Saverne - Molsheim - Obernai - Colmar - Swiss Border. This is all toll free and overall takes about 90 minutes longer than motorway all round, but you can use some of the off motorway routes for your overnight stop.

Swiss tolls - will cost you 32.50 SFR for 10 days worth of driving in a 12 month period.

Italy - not too expensive compared to France - you will be officially class 3, vut might scrape class 2.

Avoid Austria on a cost basis is my advice.

Russell


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## finyar

Sinead, 
I am also lking at a similar route this year and a couple of questions I have are

(1) what is the distance by following your route

(2) how long do you think it wil take each way

(3) Are you intending goig straight there of hitting it as a mid point destination in the midle of two weeks holidays,if so what is the rest of your route?

Thanks
Finyar


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## SineadandTony

its roughly 1500km from calais to venice. we are going for just over 3 weeks staying in venice for a week mid way through.we are travelling down through brussels into switzerland and then down to venice and on the return trip we are hoping to go back through france which is roughly the same distance.


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## SaddleTramp

Keep off the Motorways have a nice steady journey, No Tolls, No Go Boxes, No Taxes, Nice and easy 3 days, Rushing 2 days.

as stated about 1500 K.


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## finyar

Looks like it might be just a bit to far for a two week break.

In reality I have a days drive to get to Dover as well so another 3 days driving each way means 8 days out of 14 are already accounted for!

Ah well it was a nice thought!

Finyar


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## Rapide561

*Holiday*

Hi

I think that the journey is part of the holiday. For example......based on me living in Derby

1) Derby - Calais - Ostend. Park in Ostend and have a drink or two.

2) As far as Strasbourg arriving about 3pm, time for a leisurely walk around etc

3) Day 3 - either welly it to Venice or stop again for a night in Switzerland and rest along the shore of the lakes

On the other hand, with a low cost flight from Leeds - Milan, I could have a fortnight in Italy!

Horses for courses.

Russell


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## Sportingmac

We are off to the Union Lido (Lido de Jeselo area) at the end of the month and will be going through Germany and Austria. Checked with the Austrian tourist board regarding the Go Box toll for travelling the A10 - it will be €46.91 each way plus €5 for the Go Box - which you can keep. Italy tolls on top - but we think its worth it since we have not had a bad journey nor a bad summer there for the last 20+ years. 

We go every year and the trip is worth making. We share the driving and just go for it - stop for coffee and cakes and just cruise on. 

Travel at the weekends - trucks are not so numerous.

Go enjoy.


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## lafinca

*Sam journey*

Hi - we are doing this journey at the end of July, then ferry Venice to Corfu, return seven days later and return to Calais. Three weeks total. My query is: The Gotthard tunnel - is it a nightmare? I can't find even with a detailed google search the weight limits for the different toll classes for the French toll routes. I have a 2900kg (3.19 ton) motorhome (single rear axle) - can anyone help with what toll class this is please? We did the route to Lucerne a few years ago in a car, and I came of the toll routes onto the Route Nationale but recall that we had a fair number of steep and windy roads to negotiate - I am therefore thinking of biting the bullet and paying the tolls. Does anyone know any safe Aire's for stops en-route please? Would you use Aire's, are they ok?

Thank you!

C


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## Rapide561

*Tolls*

Hi

In France, a motorhome with two axles, under 3500kg and less than 3.0m high is class 2.

If you run Calais - Lille - Arlon - Luxembourg - Metz - that is all toll free and gets you cheap fuel in Luxembourg. (Motorway all the way)

From Metz you can go toll free to Switzerland via Nancy and Epinal, toll free to Strasbourg via Chateau Salins, or pay on the A4

In Switzerland, you need a vignette, bought at the border for 40 Swiss Francs.

The Gotthard Tunnel might have queues at busy times. Nothing to worry about.

Russell


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## Dinks123

I agree with both Russel and Eddied....! Why go all the way to Venice....? We stayed at Butterly on Lake Gardo...witch is within walking distance of the rail station between Milan and Venice. Not expensive to travel on it either.


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## clive1821

Yep I agree with russel, I did overnight in Callias, overning in Lx and over night just before the gothard tunnel then please your self, and the route was callias, brussels, Lx, was via the small sections of toll two if I recall and was not worth the bother of missing them, saltsburg, basle got the usefull over 3.5 tonne paperwork, (just make sure you have all your vechicle documents) very easy to get at the border, the tunnel was no problems, and no probs at the borders at all no paperwork to do, they did not want to see my passport.... simple as russell says, and I can't speak a word of french, german or Italian..... and just back from there last week, and went and returned single crew..


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