Coal to Newcastle

Mr K

Mr K

Member
Messages
321
We're off to Italy in the QP shortly. Five-up - three children in the back - little one in the middle on one of those small inflatable booster cushions. Going via Belgium, Germany & Switzerland to Tuscany. Leaving Thurs am. Should be fun - what these cars are for. Got my Italian toll tag from Tolltickets. Just got to survive 1 more day at work and get away in time to pack. All car prep done - it's very shiny!
 
Mr K

Mr K

Member
Messages
321
Thanks all. Final packing now. Next post will be from somewhere on the continent.

safrane said:
Have a great trip...have you got euro recovery? Not at all wishing a misshap.
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Of course. But last needed in 1985 (Golf clutch replacement in Munich).
 
Caldy999

Caldy999

Junior Member
Messages
445
We're planning a trip to Milan next summer. Any recommendations on route? I've read all the EVO tests that incorporate traversing the continent and there seem to be numerous options re mountain passes etc but we've never done this before so it's all new.

Also, is it worth buying Tollticket in advance?
 
MrMickS

MrMickS

Member
Messages
3,960
Caldy999 said:
We're planning a trip to Milan next summer. Any recommendations on route? I've read all the EVO tests that incorporate traversing the continent and there seem to be numerous options re mountain passes etc but we've never done this before so it's all new.

Also, is it worth buying Tollticket in advance?
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Its well worth the getting the toll gadgets before you travel. We drove down through France and being able to just drive through the tolls makes a big difference.

As for route I guess that depends on which of the many passes you want to take in. We drove down through France and took the Route de Napoleon from Grenoble to Cannes before heading into Italy. That was a fun road but not one of the higher passes and a real pain getting into Grasse during the rush hour. If I'd not being going to work near Cannes for a few days I'd probably have gone through Switzerland on the way down and the St Bernard pass, just for the Italian Job implications.

Going back we went via the St Bernardino pass which I'd heartily recommend doing one way or the other. There are many other options though, so many that we have at least two years of trips plans to take some of the others in.

Some good advice that I was given was not to plan to drive too many miles a day other than your initial blast down and last day back. I planned for no more than 2-3 hours per day which gave us plenty of time to stop along the way and detour as we liked.

When are you planning on going? We are intending to head down to Milan, and then northern Italy, after next years Le Mans. Plans are still tentative yet but after this year's fun we can't not go again.
 
MrMickS

MrMickS

Member
Messages
3,960
Caldy999 said:
We're planning a trip to Milan next summer. Any recommendations on route? I've read all the EVO tests that incorporate traversing the continent and there seem to be numerous options re mountain passes etc but we've never done this before so it's all new.

Also, is it worth buying Tollticket in advance?
Click to expand...

Its well worth the getting the toll gadgets before you travel. We drove down through France and being able to just drive through the tolls makes a big difference.

As for route I guess that depends on which of the many passes you want to take in. We drove down through France and took the Route de Napoleon from Grenoble to Cannes before heading into Italy. That was a fun road but not one of the higher passes and a real pain getting into Grasse during the rush hour. If I'd not being going to work near Cannes for a few days I'd probably have gone through Switzerland on the way down and the St Bernard pass, just for the Italian Job implications.

Going back we went via the St Bernardino pass which I'd heartily recommend doing one way or the other. There are many other options though, so many that we have at least two years of trips plans to take some of the others in.

Some good advice that I was given was not to plan to drive too many miles a day other than your initial blast down and last day back. I planned for no more than 2-3 hours per day which gave us plenty of time to stop along the way and detour as we liked.

When are you planning on going? We are intending to head down to Milan, and then northern Italy, after next years Le Mans. Plans are still tentative yet but after this year's fun we can't not go again.
 
Caldy999

Caldy999

Junior Member
Messages
445
The trip is to meander down through Europe to the Teatro Alla Scala Milan and we would like to book tickets for performances between June 7th and 14th July. Pretty flexible really.
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,836
Well *I* would stop at Reims for the track and Champagne. Then Hotel Val Moret just outside Troyes. The hotel is so so but the food is nothing short of stunning

C
 
drewf

drewf

Member
Messages
7,159
:) It's almost exactly halfway between my house and Calais, which is handy.

Glad to hear you still think it's worth the stop for food C! Last couple of journeys this summer though I've been passing at the wrong time, so have blatted straight past. Upsetting.
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,836
drewf said:
:) It's almost exactly halfway between my house and Calais, which is handy.

Glad to hear you still think it's worth the stop for food C! Last couple of journeys this summer though I've been passing at the wrong time, so have blatted straight past. Upsetting.
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I'd always had you as better organised, OB ;)

C
 
drewf

drewf

Member
Messages
7,159
CatmanV2 said:
I'd always had you as better organised, OB ;)

C
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No need to stop for a looong lunch when I'm driving on my own to make a crossing. Last time going UK to France had to suffer the grim DFDS nonsense, which meant it was 1430 passing the restaurant, instead of 1230 heading south. Won't be making that mistake again. A couple of pork pies whilst driving isn't the same as the VM menu.
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,836
drewf said:
No need to stop for a looong lunch when I'm driving on my own to make a crossing. Last time going UK to France had to suffer the grim DFDS nonsense, which meant it was 1430 passing the restaurant, instead of 1230 heading south. Won't be making that mistake again. A couple of pork pies whilst driving isn't the same as the VM menu.
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Good god, no.

Not that a pork pie may not be a fine fine thing

C
 
Mr K

Mr K

Member
Messages
321
France is the most obvious route, but it's not much further through Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg & Belgium. Any route involving Germany is good, as it's the one place you can stretch the legs of these cars, and put in practice the concept of slowing down to overtake. Then there are the other advantages; cheap fuel in Luxembourg, minimal tolls (just the Swiss vignette) and of course variety.

I have a French motorway toll tag from APRR (buy from SANEF if you don't speak French), which I've enjoyed using in previous years. I've also got an Italian tag hired from Tolltickets, which is great - no queuing so far. Probably not worth it for Switzerland-Milan, though (only 2 entries and 2 exits I think).
 
allandwf

allandwf

Member
Messages
10,995
Mr K said:
France is the most obvious route, but it's not much further through Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg & Belgium. Any route involving Germany is good, as it's the one place you can stretch the legs of these cars, and put in practice the concept of slowing down to overtake. Then there are the other advantages; cheap fuel in Luxembourg, minimal tolls (just the Swiss vignette) and of course variety.

I have a French motorway toll tag from APRR (buy from SANEF if you don't speak French), which I've enjoyed using in previous years. I've also got an Italian tag hired from Tolltickets, which is great - no queuing so far. Probably not worth it for Switzerland-Milan, though (only 2 entries and 2 exits I think).
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I went down via France, and back via the above countries, great fun, just watch for pot holes on Belgian roads, they seemed worse than here!
 
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