Planned your 2017 road trip(s)yet?

[Bobby Dazzler]

You mean that is a two way road ?

very much so, both the north and south side are two way roads.

Although it's a tourist attraction now, it serves the same purpose as it always has done ...as a road

Outside of peak tourist periods, these passes have relatively little traffic (and hence two way traffic is no problem), but it's essential for much of the non-tourist traffic that use the passes.

 

[prop135]

Although it's a tourist attraction now, it serves the same purpose as it always has done ...as a road

Outside of peak tourist periods, these passes have relatively little traffic (and hence two way traffic is no problem), but it's essential for much of the non-tourist traffic that use the passes.

totally agree, in fact its only really the tunnels that get really tight (couldnt get a range rover and an MX5 through at the same time)

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Whilst the thread title may be old (referring to 2017), there are so many good posts in this thread it seemed a shame to start a new thread.

So who's started planning their 2018 road trip(s) yet?

I've been thinking about it for months, and couldn't resist any longer, so last night I booked 5 nights in one of our favourite places in the South of France. Availability has been reducing and I was worried I might miss out. So now to decide where else to go, but the most important thing is that we've started!

Well we've decided another stopover, we've just this moment booked a week on Lake Como, to fall immediately prior to our stay in the South of France.

I fancied the Swiss Lakes, or going further down into Italy, perhaps as far as the Amalfi Coast, but whilst Mrs D enjoys a long road trip, she wasn't so keen on moving every couple of days. We've not done Lake Como before so it seemed a sensible compromise between the Swiss Lakes and Italy.

Trying to wangle a day trip to Modena, and maybe Pagani, by saying my son would like it. She immediately saw straight through my plan, but I kept a straight face, and will continue to try to wangle it. Perhaps the offer of picking up a handbag may swing it. We shall see.

I now need to find somewhere the break up the journey to Lake Como (2 nights), and somewhere to break up the journey home from the South of France (2 night). Suggestions welcome! So far thinking is Switzerland on the way down and somewhere via Millau on the way back.

I fancied doing some of the mountain passes in Switzerland but it seems many are closed until June. Suggestions for mountain passes in Switzerland which are open in April?

 

[prop135]

Well we've decided another stopover, we've just this moment booked a week on Lake Como, to fall immediately prior to our stay in the South of France.

I fancied the Swiss Lakes, or going further down into Italy, perhaps as far as the Amalfi Coast, but whilst Mrs D enjoys a long road trip, she wasn't so keen on moving every couple of days. We've not done Lake Como before so it seemed a sensible compromise between the Swiss Lakes and Italy.

Trying to wangle a day trip to Modena, and maybe Pagani, by saying my son would like it. She immediately saw straight through my plan, but I kept a straight face, and will continue to try to wangle it. Perhaps the offer of picking up a handbag may swing it. We shall see.

I now need to find somewhere the break up the journey to Lake Como (2 nights), and somewhere to break up the journey home from the South of France (2 night). Suggestions welcome! So far thinking is Switzerland on the way down and somewhere via Millau on the way back.

I fancied doing some of the mountain passes in Switzerland but it seems many are closed until June. Suggestions for mountain passes in Switzerland which are open in April?

Lol I am in the Swiss alps in Apr cos I wanted to do some passes. I didn't realise until after I booked so I am treating as a recce. I have seen somewhere (can't remember where though) that Grimsel and Furka passes may be open from the end of March but I have also read end of May. I guess I will find out. Como is on my day trip list as is Lichtenstein and the black forest.

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[kit17]

Thinking of taking the c63 for a Euro trip with the gf this year in June. We would like to end up in Lake Como and drive the Stelvio Pass also possibly visit Milan.
The maximum we could go for would be 7 days, we were thinking of leaving early hours on a Thursday and arriving in Lake Como Friday night, it’s a long stint but we both have experience of doing long drives some abroad. We would leave Lake Como on Sunday and spend the remaining 5 days working our way up through Switzerland and Germany , hopefully visiting the Nürburgring and Mercedes in Stuttgart. Eventually ending up back in the U.K. Thursday Afternoon/evening.

So.... looking for some advice from anyone with experience of doing this or a similar route.
Do you think this is too much in 7 days?
Any other places/roads/hotels worth visiting?
Any advice appreciated

 

[Neiltodd]

I am doing similar with scenic car tours, looking there may give you some ideas

 

[kit17]

I am doing similar with scenic car tours, looking there may give you some ideas

That would be great, what time of year are you thinking of going?

 

[st13phil]

Do you think this is too much in 7 days?

It's (almost) do-able in the sense that you can put a tick in a box to say you've visited various places, but frankly you won't see much and you'll be putting yourself under constant pressure to get to the next destination. Remember that progress on mountain roads is s-l-o-w and that you can easily spend a day driving 150 miles, longer if you actually want to get out of the car and experience any of it. Also, if the weather isn't kind then places like the Stelvio are a complete waste of time as you will see nothing (and the driving will be rubbish too).

My advice would be to be less ambitious with the point-to-point driving and instead concentrate on picking interesting routes to get you around (say) three night stops. That gives you a couple of nights in places from which you can explore, and you'll get home after seven days both with good memories and feeling like you've had a holiday.

 

[kit17]

Points noted, definitely want to go Lake Como though, we want to view some potential wedding venues as well as the roads/views etc. Maybe cut down on the Nurburgring as I’ve done it before and the gf isn’t fussed .

 

[Haven't a clue!]

Stelvio is awesome but narrow. I did it a few years ago in an MX5 and it was a struggle to get 2 cars passed each other in the tunnels on the south side. Defo worth it though.

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Likewise have run it in an MX5 (Niseko), good fun but can be lots of traffic and keen/fast cyclists, all of whom hold their line, so allow plenty of time so you can rerun a few times between other batches of traffic.

 

[st13phil]

Points noted, definitely want to go Lake Como though, we want to view some potential wedding venues as well as the roads/views etc.

OK then, here’s a suggestion:

Thursday – Norfolk to Colmar. It will be a long day on French Autoroutes, but if there are two of you driving it’s doable. Depending upon where you’re starting from it’s around 575 miles and around 11hrs driving. Add in the hour time difference and the wait for the Chunnel plus fuel / pee stops and you could arrive by early evening if you leave around 4am.

Friday – Colmar to Como. Should take around 4-5hrs if you take the direct route across Switzerland (you’ll need to buy a Vignette unless you avoid the motorways - expensive as you can only buy one that lasts a year) which means that even with a later start after the long haul on Thursday you could be on the lakeshore for 3pm and time for a bit of a look around before a relaxing evening.

Saturday – Train trip to Milan. You really don’t want to drive or park in the city, and after two days in the car it will be a break. Direct trains from Como take about an hour to Milan.

Sunday – All day exploring the lake. You’ll need to allow around 4hrs to drive the perimeter + time to check places out.

Monday – Scenic drive to Merano (or thereabouts). Only around 175 miles, but 6-7hrs driving time.

Tuesday – Merano to Stuttgart via Austria and the Timmelsjoch pass (Vignette needed if you use Austrian motorways, but much cheaper than Switzerland as you can buy one for a short period). Around 250 miles and 6hrs driving, so plenty of time to stop and admire the views.

Wednesday – am: Mercedes-Benz Museum / pm: Stuttgart to Trier. Approx 175 miles / 3hrs. Enough time to look around at the Roman remains (Porta Negra and the Amphitheatre) when you get there.

Thursday – Back to Norfolk. Around 500 miles and 8-9hrs driving.

 

[kit17]

OK then, here’s a suggestion:

Thursday – Norfolk to Colmar. It will be a long day on French Autoroutes, but if there are two of you driving it’s doable. Depending upon where you’re starting from it’s around 575 miles and around 11hrs driving. Add in the hour time difference and the wait for the Chunnel plus fuel / pee stops and you could arrive by early evening if you leave around 4am.

Friday – Colmar to Como. Should take around 4-5hrs if you take the direct route across Switzerland (you’ll need to buy a Vignette unless you avoid the motorways - expensive as you can only buy one that lasts a year) which means that even with a later start after the long haul on Thursday you could be on the lakeshore for 3pm and time for a bit of a look around before a relaxing evening.

Saturday – Train trip to Milan. You really don’t want to drive or park in the city, and after two days in the car it will be a break. Direct trains from Como take about an hour to Milan.

Sunday – All day exploring the lake. You’ll need to allow around 4hrs to drive the perimeter + time to check places out.

Monday – Scenic drive to Merano (or thereabouts). Only around 175 miles, but 6-7hrs driving time.

Tuesday – Merano to Stuttgart via Austria and the Timmelsjoch pass (Vignette needed if you use Austrian motorways, but much cheaper than Switzerland as you can buy one for a short period). Around 250 miles and 6hrs driving, so plenty of time to stop and admire the views.

Wednesday – am: Mercedes-Benz Museum / pm: Stuttgart to Trier. Approx 175 miles / 3hrs. Enough time to look around at the Roman remains (Porta Negra and the Amphitheatre) when you get there.

Thursday – Back to Norfolk. Around 500 miles and 8-9hrs driving.

That’s awesome , thank you so much will check all of that out and probably pick your brain further

 

[C43AMG]

Italy.

Calais ( Eurotunnel ) - Troyes ( 4 Hrs ) Troyes - Grenoble ( 5 Hrs ) Grenoble - Cannes ( Via the Napoleon Route - 5/6 Hrs ) Cannes - Along the coast to Lucca ( 4.5 Hrs ) Stay there for a week. Relax Visit Pisa - Florence - San Marino, surrounding area. Just need a route home ? Any suggestions ?

 

[st13phil]

That’s awesome , thank you so much

You're welcome. Lake Como is a fair old haul from the UK, so you have to rely heavily on motorways to get there if you're not going to be driving every day. If you had another day, it would make all the difference as you could visit the Schlumpf Collection at
Cité de l'Automobile in Mulhouse too

 

[st13phil]

Just need a route home ? Any suggestions ?

How long could you spend getting home, Peter?

Bit of an off-the-wall suggestion, but if you can spend a few days, how about a ferry from Ancona to Split then up the Dalmatian coast, through Slovenia (perhaps stop off at Lake Bled), across Austria and back through Germany and Belgium?

Alternatively, Bologna, Modena, Verona, Trento, Bolzano, Merano, Timmelsjoch, Lindau, Strasbourg, and back across France.

BTW(1): If you're in the area of Firenze, San Gimignano, Volterra and Vinci are all worth visiting. Leonardo's birthplace and the Leonardo da Vinci museum are worth an hour or two.

BTW(2): France is reducing the speed limit on non-divided roads from 90kph to 80kph from 1st July this year, so you can bet your bottom dollar that the Gendarmes will be running traps everywhere to fleece the Brit holiday makers...

 

[C43AMG]

How long could you spend getting home, Peter?

Bit of an off-the-wall suggestion, but if you can spend a few days, how about a ferry from Ancona to Split then up the Dalmatian coast, through Slovenia (perhaps stop off at Lake Bled), across Austria and back through Germany and Belgium?

Alternatively, Bologna, Modena, Verona, Trento, Bolzano, Merano, Timmelsjoch, Lindau, Strasbourg, and back across France.

BTW(1): If you're in the area of Firenze, San Gimignano, Volterra and Vinci are all worth visiting. Leonardo's birthplace and the Leonardo da Vinci museum are worth an hour or two.

BTW(2): France is reducing the speed limit on non-divided roads from 90kph to 80kph from 1st July this year, so you can bet your bottom dollar that the Gendarmes will be running traps everywhere to fleece the Brit holiday makers...

Many thanks Phil. About a week. Great suggestions, will have a look, da Vinci museum a must. The Dalmation coast sounds interesting.

 

[prop135]

Many thanks Phil. About a week. Great suggestions, will have a look, da Vinci museum a must. The Dalmation coast sounds interesting.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay near Ancona (If you decide to go) then the town of Senigalia just north of Ancona is a much nicer place to stay. The Hotel Palace used to be one of the best in town although it's been a while since I have been.

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[st13phil]

The Dalmation coast sounds interesting.

We rode down the Dalmation coast from north to south ending up in Dubrovnik in August 2013. The road is good and there's some great scenery, but much of it is quite slow through a mixture of speed limits, traffic and terrain. It was in the low 40c temps when we were riding it which really isn't much fun in bike gear - but would be fine in a car with a/c

You can get an overnight ferry from Ancona to Split which means the journey is effectively free time, and Split itself was an interesting place - certainly worth a few hours before setting off up the road. Postojna Caves in Slovenia are well worth a visit: they're absolutely massive and the guided tour was excellent; Lake Bled was quite picturesque too.

UK motor insurance is generally no problem for cover in Croatia, but I couldn't find anyone in the UK who would offer cover for Bosnia-Herzegovina which you have to cross to get to Dubrovnik. Not a problem if you're just going to head north from Split, but worth knowing if you fancied going to Dubrovnik while you're in that part of the world.

 

[kit17]

You're welcome. Lake Como is a fair old haul from the UK, so you have to rely heavily on motorways to get there if you're not going to be driving every day. If you had another day, it would make all the difference as you could visit the Schlumpf Collection at
Cité de l'Automobile in Mulhouse too

Had a look at the route with the different stops and we are both really keen on it, so thanks again. What roads would you recommend on the leg going from Lake Como to Merano? Would it be viable doing Lake Como-Davos-Stelvio-Merano?

 

[st13phil]

What roads would you recommend on the leg going from Lake Como to Merano? Would it be viable doing Lake Como-Davos-Stelvio-Merano?

From Como to Merano my suggestion would be to head north around the east side of the lake, then pick up the SS38 heading east. At Tresenda you have some choices:

• Option #1: Continue on the SS38, through Bormio and over the Stelvio (2,757m) to Spondigna then all the way to Merano
• Option #2: Turn right onto the SS39 to Edolo, where left onto the SS42. At Ponte di Legno take a left onto the SP29, over the Gavia Pass (2,621m) to Bormio, then rejoin the SS38 over the Stelvio to Spondigna and all the way to Merano
• Option #3: Like option #2, turn right onto the SS39 to Edolo, where left onto the SS42. At Ponte di Legno continue on the SS42 over the Passo del Tonale (1,883m). Just south of Cis, continue south on the SS43 to Dermulo then left onto the SS43DIR back up the east side of the lake and then back onto the SS42 over the Passo della Mendola (1,362m) to San Michele and pick up the main road from Bolzano to Merano
• Option #4: As per option #3, but after the Passo del Tonale, take the SP57 through Cis then the SP6 and onto the SS42 to Fondo. At Fondo pick up the SS238 over the Passo di Palade (1,518m) and on to Merano

Any particular reason you want to route from Como via Davos? That route is eminently doable, but you would miss out the western section of the Stelvio, joining just before the summit from the Passo dell’Umbrail (assuming you took the 28 from Zernez over the Ofenpass).

Option #2 (via the Gavia Pass) is absolutely spectacular, but the Gavia is even more challenging than the Stelvio – you’ll need your brave pills. My advice would be to not even think about either the Stelvio or the Gavia unless the weather is dry and bright. If it’s not, at best you’ll have a miserable experience, while at worst it could be day ruining.

I know the Stelvio is considered a "must do" and it is arguably the most scenic of the high passes, but in reality its not much of a driving road, mainly due to its popularity which means that unless you're very lucky you'll be competing for road space with cyclists, motorcycles, other cars and (worst of all) coaches. For this reason my favoured route (assuming good weather) would be Option #3 - but then I've already driven the Stelvio a few times, so I don't feel the need to do it again.

BTW, beware of speed traps on all the passes. Some sections of the Gavia can have limits as low as 30kph (for good reason!) and the Italian plod will happily relieve you of plenty of cash if you exceed them.