Member Since: 27 Nov 2012
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 96
Driving to Italy (Rome area) - routes and times
Thinking of driving down to Rome and coming back by Motorail from Livorno. (Unfortunately, because they don't take large vehicles, we can't take the D3 )
Interested to hear how others have done this. We'd like to make it a comfortable drive--i.e. at least one stopover, maybe two
Any thoughts or tips on how long to allow to do this "comfortably", good or bad routes, stopover locations, etc, gratefully received. I love the smell of FBH in the morning... The smell, you know that gasoline smell... Smells like...victory!
(With apologies to Apocalypse Now!)
14th Mar 2013 1:44 pm
paulmeryan
Member Since: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 742
tempted to drive to Lake Garda myself this July/Aug.
Google maps indicates 15 hr drive from North London and best tip above was Belgium > Lux (cheap fuel) > Munich > Innsbruck > Brenner Pass > Milan etc... No tolls, Swiss taxes etc.
Be interested in what you decide to do. No idea about stops, there might be something in the thread above.
There are various motorail options though, one from France another German. Uber pricey though and saves no time really.VR6 > 330D Touring > D3 HSE > !?XC90?!
14th Mar 2013 1:55 pm
ZacSmith
Member Since: 26 Aug 2010
Location: Dover
Posts: 709
I did a trip to Lake Como last year. Selestat in Alsace is an easy 6 hours drive from Calais. Depends how comfortable you are looking but this was very nice...
After that, lunch in Andermatt, a look at the Devil's Bridge and down into Italy.VIN: A175A328***
14th Mar 2013 2:56 pm
Martin Site Admin and Owner
Member Since: 06 Nov 2004
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 18573
Did the motorail from 's-Hertogenbosch in Holland to Alessandria (Italy) in September last year in the BMW as part of our honeymoon trip to Lake Como.
Yes we could have driven all the way down, but the sleeper train was an experience in its own right It is not cheap though, but for us it was a lot more relaxing to sit on the train than drive all the way down in the BMW. This obviously is not such a problem in a Disco.06 D3 SE / 15 LR D90 XS SW / 88 LR 90 Td5 / 68 BMW 2000 ti
Any issues with the site let me know!
14th Mar 2013 3:17 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73135
Nice old BM.
14th Mar 2013 3:37 pm
Martin Site Admin and Owner
Member Since: 06 Nov 2004
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 18573
Ta 06 D3 SE / 15 LR D90 XS SW / 88 LR 90 Td5 / 68 BMW 2000 ti
Any issues with the site let me know!
14th Mar 2013 3:38 pm
sacimiddx
Member Since: 09 Mar 2007
Location: hants
Posts: 2144
don't miss the indoor food market in Livorno
it's outstanding Illegitimi Non Carborundum
14th Mar 2013 3:46 pm
wvlenthe
Member Since: 07 Jan 2009
Location: Arnhem
Posts: 1967
I have used the German 'Autozug' twice when going on holidays in Italy. Once to Triest, once to Bolzano.
If I may say, I have heard horror stories about the Motorail going from and especially to 's Hertogenbosch. Wagons left in the sun for a day with no a/c on, no drinks, bad food. I hope others have better experiences (especially when on honeymoon).
I find the German alternative very good. The experience of your own sleeping compartment is really a nice one. You travel along the Rhine for great amounts of time and the view varies from river to castle to towns. Very nice. We were travelling with 3 children in 2010, of 5, 3 and 1 yo. They have lots to see, can walk around, sit, etc. Better then being packed in a car for 12+ hours.
When booking, they have three classes of vehicle: <1> 1,35 and LAND ROVER. No joke. So no problem taking the Disco with them. Proof here:
The disadvantage for you is it runs from Dusseldorf instead of Den Bosch, but this is 45 min further. And it does not go as far as Livorno, I suppose your best bet would be Alessandria.
Well, my 2 cents.
Regards,
WiljoD3 V8 HSE Auto in Zermatt silver - driveway version gone but not forgotten, only the living room cupboard version remains
Day 1: Newcastle to London to stay at in laws
Day 2: London to Eurostar and then drove down through France to Offenberg in Germany(hotel Palma garden).Nice little place.
Day 3: Down to Stuttgart to visit Porsche Museum and then on to Innsbruck for overnight stay.
Day 4: Innsbruck to Bardolino at Lake Garda.
Had 2 great weeks in Garda/Verona/Venice and then had hard journey back via Switzerland to France in one day and stayed over in Reims on way back. Early start through tunnel dropped in laws off in London and short hop back to Newcastle!
disco was great really comfortable and never missed a beat!
JonnyL
14th Mar 2013 9:48 pm
wvlenthe
Member Since: 07 Jan 2009
Location: Arnhem
Posts: 1967
If driving back from Venice, would it make sense using the Mont Blanc tunnel and then north along Lyon/Dyon/Paris?
WiljoD3 V8 HSE Auto in Zermatt silver - driveway version gone but not forgotten, only the living room cupboard version remains
15th Mar 2013 9:31 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
I have driven to Italy twice. First time was to Venice in a 200tdi Disco, 3 kids on board. We took 3 days to do the journey, but bear in mind it was the late 90's and our kids were 2, 6, and 7 yrs. We stayed in Chalons in France on the first night, then drove over the Grand St Bernard pass into Italy. Second night was Milan, then onto Venice.
The following year we drove down to Naples, again took 3 (long) days in our trusty old 200tdi Disco.
In my opinion, if you are going to do a road trip, do a road trip! Make the journey part of the holiday, and allow time to enjoy the journey. There is no point in driving like your hairs on fire, trying to get there as soon as possible - you may as well fly. Find out what you want to see along the way, don't be afraid to take detours to see more stuff.
The one reason I like doing road trips is the sense of the journey you have made when you get there. Getting into an aluminium tube in Manchester, eating crap food, and getting off a couple of hours later in a warmer place has its advantages in some circumstances, but for a true feeling of travel, you have to go by road and do it all yourself.
....The one reason I like doing road trips is the sense of the journey you have made when you get there......
Done last year (september) in Jag XK...We spent 3 weeks going through France - Italy - Germany - France:
from Calais
Missed Paris..went via Riems
stayed in Dijon
then went to the Monaco boat show (had some tickets given...just awesome)
...St Tropez
then to Lake Garda...4 days realy nice weather crusing around with hood down or car
Verona spent 4 full days at Marmomacc the Verona marble & Granite exhibition (work !)
..drove north to Merano
..did the Stelvio into Switzerland..this just has to be done at least once...stunning road & scenery.
..drove back through Austria, Switzerland & into the Black Forest...went to Triborg to get a cuckoo clock
then back through Strasborg to Calais...
all done at a leisurely pace...its holiday - no rushing....except for
The XK was nicely run in...max speed was cruising at 130mph in Germany
The only thing we will do this year is get a Telpass for the tools....the Jag is very low & SWMBO isnt that tall so reaching out to deposit card or cash & get ticket wasnt her favorite task.
Almost the same trip this Sept but basing ourselves in Florence region...have stone sawing machinery to see !BREXIT - done properly.
Right now ...We need Government - not Politics
Save the Dipstick Flagbearer-keep it simple, less likely to fail campaign-agenda items:Starting Handles, Acetylene Lamps.
Founder: Dipsticks-R-Us Inc
D3 HSE-perfectly formed, passenger friendly...has real DIPSTICK
Jag XK-but sadly no DIPSTICK...HUGE design fault
FL2 has DIPSTICK..."real comfort in rear seats"
VW Golf wondermobile (?)..has real DIPSTICK
Morris Minor..original DIPSTICK technology..and a real KEY.
15th Mar 2013 11:43 am
paulmeryan
Member Since: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 742
Car trains don't make sense, for my journey at least; London - Garda. It's currently quoting Euros 1300 for a return on Autozug in Jul/Aug to basically turn an 8 hr drive from Dusseldorf to Bolzano, if that's actually where I wanted to go, into a 20 hour stretch.
Or in my case heading for Lake Garda I would pay this in order to take 23 hours to complete my journey instead of driving another 9 and a half hours and staying at a nice hotel somewhere in the Alps for a couple hundred Euros with a good nights sleep and decent breakfast followed by a relatively short drive on day 2.
Motorail/Autozug don't look like the Orient Express much, on reflection I think I'd prefer be in my Disco all that time. I drive to Scotland several times a year and if it weren't for my two passengers and my ageing bladder I would happily do it in one 6 hr stretch. D3 is the only car I've owned that I can say that for and I've had some good tourers.VR6 > 330D Touring > D3 HSE > !?XC90?!
15th Mar 2013 12:14 pm
projectsalop
Member Since: 27 Nov 2012
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 96
A quick note to thank you all for some excellent suggestions. More detailed investigation on those options to do over the weekend.
Thanks too for the links to previous threads as well. I did do a search, but I narrowed it to the Camping, Caravanning and Touring thread, and so missed the Off Topics, etc
Will post further as plans progress. Any new intelligence always welcome in the meantime, of course.
Cheers I love the smell of FBH in the morning... The smell, you know that gasoline smell... Smells like...victory!
(With apologies to Apocalypse Now!)
15th Mar 2013 2:07 pm
Dixie Dean
Member Since: 06 May 2006
Location: Halewood
Posts: 298
My wife and I have taken the tintent to Italy numerous times, but usually have 4 to 6 weeks to do the trip. We drive a different way each time and have variously done Brugge, Luxenbourg, Black Forest, Lake Constance, over the Alps to Bolzano in Italy (2 x 2800 metre passes), Lake Garda, then back through Switzerland, Luxembourg etc., the reverse down to Lake Garda then Florence, Rome, Tuscan coast, Mont Blanc, Annecy and straight across France to Calais.
This year we are going via Ypres, Paris, Chambery, Provence, the Rivera, the Cinque Terres (La Specia) into Tuscany, and then return via the Valais (Switzerland), Geneva and up through Luxembourg and Brugge.
If you need any info, please ask.2008 D3 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather, towing a Coachman VIP 575
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)
It is not cheap though, but for us it was a lot more relaxing to sit on the train than drive all the way down in the BMW. This obviously is not such a problem in a Disco.
