Best route to Italy

TFord
TFord Forum Participant Posts: 2

We are visiting Italy in May/June, taking our van as far down as Naples.  Can anyone recommend a route (Travelling from Calais.) that avoids the motorway tolls in Switzerland or is better to pay up and be done with it? Happy to pay the tolls
in Italy and France but for such a brief time in Switzerland it seems a bit pricey! 

Comments

  • Speck
    Speck Forum Participant Posts: 12
    edited April 2016 #2

    We went from Dover to Dunkerque, through Belgium, stayed the 1st stop at Prümtal-Camping Oberweis for a few nights so we could visit Trier. 2nd stop one night at Camping Waldpark Hohenstadt. Into Austria and a few nights at Ferienparadies
    Natterer See just outside Innsbruck + free bus. Over The Brenner Pass and down to Lake Garda and stayed at Le Palme Camping at Lazise. We only went as far as Venice, Venezia Camping Village, bus outside campsite gate and 10 mins into Venice. You
    will need Vignettes for the Austrian motorways, buy on line or at the services at the border.

  • Speck
    Speck Forum Participant Posts: 12
    edited April 2016 #3

    We did  eight weeks in France last year and used Sanef with a windscreen tag, worked really well, Direct Debit on a monthly basis.

     

  • JimE
    JimE Club Member Posts: 353
    100 Comments Photogenic
    edited April 2016 #4

    Sorry - I was going to post a link to a suggested toll-free route to Italy, but have just realised it has a section where caravans are excluded.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #5

    Happy to pay the tolls in Italy and France but for such a brief time in Switzerland it seems a bit pricey! 

    I personally  would do it the other way round - going toll free in France and paying through Switzerland. Is that contrary? 

    Toll free to the Swiss border at Basel for me would be via Lille, Luxembourg, Metz and Nancy - not a bad road at all, and after all the Swiss tax is valid for the return journey as well.  Take care.

     

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #6

    Or go via Belgium, Germany, Fern Pass into Austria and  entering Italy via Landeck and Reisepasse.  No tolls at all until Bolzano and Austrian Vignette not needed but it would be a shame not to spend a few days in beautiful Austria..  Old Brenner Pass closed
    to caravans!  Join ACSI and we may see you en route as doing similar trip in May/June but not going as far south as Naples.  Have you thought of going to the Gargano Peninsular on the Adriatic opposite Naples (almost); still fairly unspoilt.

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Club Member Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #7

    Would second the route posted by comeryas above.

    Did very similar last year, but from Hook of Holland, and it was one of our best trips. We tow but our friends have a mortorhome and wanted to avoid using a Go Box so chose this route after asking for advice on CT. 

    One word of caution, you must go via Landeck town and NOT the Landecker Tunnelas that is part of the 'toll' network. We found both passes easy going and really enjoyed the change from our normal, mainly autoroute, journeys. 

    We used ACSI sites and stayed for four nights at Camping Aktiv in Prutz, rather than the planned one, and had a trip up the Kaunertal to 9000 ft on the private toll road.

  • ScaniaMan69
    ScaniaMan69 Forum Participant Posts: 75
    edited April 2016 #8

    The Swiss toll/tax costs 40 euro for the car and likewise for the caravan. 

    Where are you heading in Italy? The actual destination would affect my route, although as a motorhome, it's via Switzerland regardless. 

    If it helps, and in total agreement with the post above - we go toll free to Basle - another advantage is of course the cheap fags and fuel in Luxembourg. 

    Toll free routes to Basle - tried and tested. 

    Russ

  • Tigi
    Tigi Forum Participant Posts: 1,038
    500 Comments
    edited April 2016 #9

    The cheapest though around 90` longer is via Belguim, Germany and Austria, going via Switzerland you have to pay their more expensve vignette as you know and via France you pay the Mont Blanc or Frejus Tunnel Toll around 57 Eur each way. 

  • DianneT
    DianneT Forum Participant Posts: 521
    100 Comments
    edited April 2016 #10

    We went from Dover to Dunkerque, through Belgium, stayed the 1st stop at Prümtal-Camping Oberweis for a few nights so we could visit Trier. 2nd stop one night at Camping Waldpark Hohenstadt. Into Austria and a few nights at Ferienparadies
    Natterer See just outside Innsbruck + free bus. Over The Brenner Pass and down to Lake Garda and stayed at Le Palme Camping at Lazise. We only went as far as Venice, Venezia Camping Village, bus outside campsite gate and 10 mins into Venice. You
    will need Vignettes for the Austrian motorways, buy on line or at the services at the border.

    Write your comments here...This is the route we always do.  Very pleasant and good campsite.  Look
    here