Tolls to Italy Please help.
Hi, Thank you for all your help on tolls in France. We have changed our minds on the South of France as we have found it to much money with the tolls. We now going to plan to go to Italy so need to find how much it will cost, if there are any tolls and how much they are and if there is anything else we will need to pay for. This is our first trip to Europe with a caravan so if anyone can help with this trip it would be truly appreciated. We are looking at going to Lake Garda going from Calais.
Thank you.
Jed
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Hi, we have been near Garda (Seiser Alm in Sud Tyrol, fabulous) and drove from Calais through Germany and Austria staying at Rudesheim and Innsbruck on the way down. Return journey we stayed near Augsburg and Saarburg. I do not think you cannot sensibly drive that distance from Calais with only one stop, and we are happy driving upto 400 miles between sites. I cannot recall the toll costs in Italy other than they were not much, after all you are not far from the border however I am sure there will be a website which calculates the costs. You will need a tag for Austria (only a few Euros) - which can be bought at autobahn service stations in Germany on the way. However fuel (diesel) in Italy is just about the most expensive in Europe so fill up in Austria (and not on the motorway!) and try and return to Austria with a near empty tank so you can benefit from the cheaper fuel (Luxembourg is cheapest of all). As an aside we are going to France (Pyranees) this year and have found the cheaper site costs (than we are used to paying in Germany/Austria) are offsetting much of the toll costs.
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The tolls to Lake Garda are likely to be as much, if not more, than going to the south of France and on some routes through Switzerland you will need to buy a Vignette for the car and the caravan
Here are the routes suggested by Viamichelin:
1. A26/A3
Distance: 1151 km including 1020 km on motorways
Time: 13h40 including 11h11 on motorways
13h42 including 2 mn traffic impact for departure at 12h44
Costs: 196.04 € including Toll 63.40 €, Consumption 95.12 €, Road tax 37.52 €2. A26/A4
Distance: 1212 km including 1048 km on motorways
Time: 14h00 including 10h27 on motorways
14h02 including 1 mn traffic impact for departure at 12h45
Costs: 343.29 € including Toll 206.60 €, Consumption 99.17 €, Road tax 37.52 €3. A6/A4
Distance: 1318 km including 1235 km on motorways
Time: 14h18 including 12h32 on motorways
14h20 including 1 mn traffic impact for departure at 12h46
Costs: 324.02 € including Toll 217.70 €, Consumption 106.32 €If cost is so important than why go so far? Why not pick a destination in France where you pay a minimal amount in tolls or none at all. Stay in the Normandie area and you could get there toll free. You could get to the Vendee, which is a popular beach area on the west coast of France, for far less in fuel and tolls for example.
Calais to St Jean de Monts:
Distance: 714 km including 665 km on motorways
Time: 08h07 including 06h59 on motorways
No traffic impact for departure at 12h51
Costs: 96.99 € including Toll 38.30 €, Consumption 58.69 €As I said previously, we holiday in the south of France a lot, and have a house there. We will be crossing the channel shortly and driving down to the house, without paying anything in tolls. We shall probably do the route Calais, Abbeville, Rouen, Evreux, Dreux, Chartres, Orleans, Gien, Moulins, Clermont Ferrand, and then down the free A75. We may vary this depending on our mood at the time, and go one or other of the also free alternative routes - via the free stretch of the A20, perhaps, then across from Martel to Millau, and then down the A75.
Because we're not taking the caravan we will have just one overnight stop, but with an early start from Calais you could get well down that route before staying overnight - and if need be have one more overnight stop around Millau area before arriving on the Mediterranean. We have done the journey with just one overnight stop in the past.
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Both Flatcoat's and Val's advice are good. You can easily go to Lake Garda without paying tolls on the German autobahn - that way you will save. But it's about 150 miles further that way to Lake Garda than it is across France to Agde or Sete - that way you will lose. And by and large campsites in Germany and Italy are dearer than campsites in France. Roundabouts and swings! Just go somewhere you would really like to visit. Good luck.
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When, and for how long will your trip be?
If this is your first European towing trip it's inevitably going to be a learning curve even though there's nothing particularly difficult or mysterious to be anxious about. I honestly think that you risk having a disappointing and strenuous trip by going so far and missing out on the pleasures to be found en route. Why not begin with a leisurely non-toll road trip to the fabulous Loire Valley which is only 300 miles from Calais, or the adjoining Dordogne, Lot, Charente, which have the most wonderful sites, scenery, towns and villages? Far less traffic to cope with than in the U.K. and no absolute need to book ahead unless you go in high season; end July and August.
2p
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Thank you for all your help but we have our hearts set on Italy. Can anybody tell if there is a tunnel from Switzerland to Italy and how much is the vignettes. We have found a nice camp site on the caravan site ok its not lake garda but it looks nice. San Felice del Benaco is our choice. We have 2 weeks so we may stay there for 5 days so the other days we can work out other places to stop on our way there and back.
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If you choose to cross Switzerland you will need one Swiss vignette for car and one for Caravan. They cost CHF40 each - that is £32 each.
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When we go to Italy our usual route is Calais/Chalons/Metz on toll autoroutes and then onto the free German autobahns into Austria and over the Fern and Brenner Passes. As Flatcoat mentioned you will need a vignette and you will pay an extra toll to use the Brenner but they don't amount to much. Tolls in Italy are not as expensive as France. You could go through Belgium as the motorways are free albeit much busier than France.
Swiss vignettes are CHF 40 each and you will need one for the car and another for the caravan.
David
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I went to Italy last September, outward journey, France, Switzerland into Italy, very expensive 80 euros in French tolls, £64 for a car and caravan for Switzerland, tolls within Italy not much. Return to UK via Switzerland (vignette valid from outward trip) and Germany so no toll. If I go this year I'll go Germany through Austria where a 10 vignette is about 10 euros.
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Hi David can do you know of any good sites we can stay on your routes you suggested. I'm going try to break it up into 4 days travelling to get to Italy and the same again coming back. How long do you normally go away for.
Manny thanks
Jed
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I went to Pavia last Seprember, my total time spent in Italy was 8 days and the rest of the 14 days was spent in the Black Forest and Saxony in Northern Germany. I was by myself so had to do all the driving, but no problem. Only you can decide if it's right for you
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"We have changed our minds on the South of France as we have found it too much money with the tolls. We now going to plan to go to Italy".
No offence, but I find it illogical that you seem to be basing your decision on the cost of tolls...........
As you've said, it's your first foreign tour, so it's going to be a fun adventure wherever you go.
It might be helpful if you said when you're going.
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I'm glad it's just not me who's puzzled by the OP's change of heart!
I really thought the OP had decided on France, as a post two days ago about French tolls suggested that he was heading for Le Bacares and that sites had already been booked and paid for (Quote: Thank you everybody big shock for us its going to cost us £260 in tolls nearly as much as we paid for the site and ferry. DAMM)!!
When we went to Lake Garda camping years ago we had an overnight stop in Calais (or nearby) and then another in Germany at Staufen. From there it was an easy journey to Lake Garda the following day and we did go through Switzerland, but weren't towing at the time, so the vignette cost was half what it would be for a car and caravan. Going that way would cost the OP just 42.20 in tolls but still the two Swiss vignettes at 38.50 euros each - so not much saving over the tolls to southern France especially if the 'western' route and free A75 are used instead of the more expensive Rhone Valley route.
Interestingly I think Viamichelin gives only one vignette for travel through Switzerland even if you select the car and caravan option - has anyone else noticed this so the OP needs to recalculate the costs on the routes I quoes, adding on an additional 38.50 euros for a vignette for the caravan on the routes which go via Switzerland!
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I'm glad it's just not me who's puzzled by the OP's change of heart!
I really thought the OP had decided on France, as a post two days ago about French tolls suggested that he was heading for Le Bacares and that sites had already been booked and paid for (Quote: Thank you everybody big shock for us its going to cost us £260 in tolls nearly as much as we paid for the site and ferry. DAMM)!!
When we went to Lake Garda camping years ago we had an overnight stop in Calais (or nearby) and then another in Germany at Staufen. From there it was an easy journey to Lake Garda the following day and we did go through Switzerland, but weren't towing at the time, so the vignette cost was half what it would be for a car and caravan. Going that way would cost the OP just 42.20 in tolls but still the two Swiss vignettes at 38.50 euros each - so not much saving over the tolls to southern France especially if the 'western' route and free A75 are used instead of the more expensive Rhone Valley route.
Interestingly I think Viamichelin gives only one vignette for travel through Switzerland even if you select the car and caravan option - has anyone else noticed this so the OP needs to recalculate the costs on the routes I quoes, adding on an additional 38.50 euros for a vignette for the caravan on the routes which go via Switzerland!
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Two weeks for a trip from Essex to Garda will be fine. Depending on what time of the year you're going you will not need to book ahead for overnight stops. Drive until you've had enough for one day then look for an overnight stopover, there are plenty on the route. The quickest route is the one DK advises: Calais, Metz, Ulm, Fern Pass, Brenner. The route through Switzerland may look quicker but I've found it less so and certainly more expensive. Even though you're going to San Felice del Benaco I suggest you use the Brenner Pass, drive to the south end of Garda then up the east coast of the lake to your destination.
Enjoy your holiday to Italy, I'm confident you will not be disappointed.
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Tolls / No Tolls / Some tolls.
You have to decide your priorities.
We are retired, so, time is not too much of an issue, and, we use Toll roads, only occasionally, usually to bypass bottlenecks etc.
On this basis, we did the route shown, almost toll free, including Italy, but, it did take three months!
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Hi Jed,Having responded to your posting re tolls to the South of France I was, like others, surprised by this post but, as others have said, the main thing is to have a great time wherever you go.
To that end I would limlt my first trip to a maximum of one days drive from the port as, with just two weeks, you are in danger of having a long trip and short holiday rather than the other way around.
Its also been asked when you are going as that can make a massive difference to what is feasible not least that many sites on Garda get full in peak season and/or have minimum stays. They can also be eye wateringly expensive, as can sites in France,which I only mention due to your comments on toll costs.
If you can clarify your travel details that would help.
If you are still intent on Garda then my route would be via the Fern and Reisa passes to Bolzano, down to Peschiera Del Garda and then to your site. As ValDa and others have said travelling via Switzerland will require two vignettes but with only two weeks you are going to have to decide if you want the quickest, and likely most expensive, route or the slightly slower but much cheaper route.
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Jed
We generally don't have a restriction of time as we are retired but our trips usually last about two months so we don't have the same pressure as yourself. If you wanted to stay longer at your destination I would have thought that you could do it in three days each way. As far as campsites en route are concerned have a look at this link and you can scroll through the countries you are interested in and click on the links of the sites that might interest you.
David
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Living in Essex why not use harwich to hook then travel down thru Germany? I would say you should do either hook or calais with 1 over night stop setting off reasonably early so on a 2 week holiday should give you 10 days at least on site . Bit confused by your 9 days travelling comment?
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We went to Garda many times and always used the same route (despite the cost of tolls!). We now go to Maggiore which we find quieter and more attractive and has the advantage that Locarno (at the top of the lake) is much nearer than Garda.
So, by far the simplest route from Calais is Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Basel then Locarno for Maggiore or around the North of Milan for Garda. Switzerland is incredibly expensive and one site that we use is 60 Euros per night. There are some cheap sites but few and far between, however, from Alsace (say, Colmar) you can easily be through Switzerland in a day and get to Maggiore quite comfortably or well on the way to Garda.
I love the drive through Switzerland and there is the long tunnel through the St Gottard (avoid busy times). The new St Gottard pass is an easy drive if you wish to avoid the tunnel.
As stated above, you will need two Swiss vignettes and you can check the French autoroute tolls using ViaMichelin. Italian tolls are not excessive.
Many people use the Germany/Austria route to avoid tolls although it is further.
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