Routes to Venice

[sundance55]

We are looking to travel to Venice, leaving second week in March via Calais or Dunkerque ferry. Can anyone suggest a good route and advise which roads are likely to be closed. We would prefer not to use tolls if possible. We are not in any hurry, looking to take about a week to get there. Also the names of sites or Aires that are likely to be open. Will we need snow chains? Many thanks

[Billggski]

I tend to use the Belgium, Germany, Austria route which avoids tolls apart from Austria, and by sticking to the motorways you should avoid needing chains, although winter tyres could be needed.

The French route is longer unless you use toll roads.

[Brian Kirby]

You will have either to cross the Alps somewhere, or go round them. If going round, head for Dijon, then down the Rhone valley to Avignon, turn left and head along the Mediterranean coast into Italy and continue via Genoa, then head for Venice via Parma. It is a long way (about 1300 miles from Calais), and if avoiding motorways will be slow, especially the coast roads from NIce to La Spezia. If doing this I would use motorway for that stretch. This route would avoid most of the risk of late snow as you head south.

 

If going over the Alps, avoiding tolls, I would head for Fussen in Bavaria, then due south into Austria via Imst and the Fernpass, Landeck, Ried, Nauders and the Reschenpass into Italy and down via Merano, Bolzano and Trento to Venice (about 900 miles from Calais). This route is fine, and the part through Austria does not involve toll roads, though if using a sat-nav you will need to set it to avoid tolls. If not using sat-nav, be especially careful of the Landecker Tunnel between Zams and Fliess, as this is toll but may not be shown as such on older maps. Instead, go through Landeck on the B171 and L76.

 

The obvious risk is a late snow dump. The Austrians and the Germans are well geared up to clear roads, but clearing south of the Grenztunnel between Fussen and Pflach can take longer than usual if they get caught out. It happened to us in Mid April, and took 24 hours to clear. The two passes are a bit twisty, but generally well surfaced and graded, and both are used by 40 tonne artics, which means they can be slowish if you get behind one.

[witzend]

We went to Venice from France early May on route to Greece and all the mountain passes where still closed because of snow which is usual we had to use the Mont Blanc Tunnel very expensive toll 57 euro

came back over Mont Cenius

[daviddwight]

We used the option Brian suggested this year although we went in Sept. The route was great scenery fantastic would use it again. This was on Brian's advice.

[daviddwight]

We used the option Brian suggested this year although we went in Sept. The route was great scenery fantastic would use it again. This was on Brian's advice.

 

Oops pressed twice

[sundance55]

Thanks Brian that is very comprehensive. We would prefer to go via Alps and might use a combination of tolls and non toll roads as we are not in any hurry.

[sundance55]

Thanks for your help.