Cliffy Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 We are planning our spring trip in to Europe we are thinking about travelling through Luxemburg, Germany and Switzerland to Lake Como then on to Monaco, Nice then back through eastern France to Calais. Any advice, recommendations or warnings would be appreciated, particularly what would the weather/road conditions likely to be over the mountains the first week in May? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Hi Be interested in the replies as we are planning a very similar route in June through Luxembourg, Germany, etc to Lake Garda and back up Eastern France.. Would recommend stopping at Annecy on the way back as this is a beautiful town on the Lake, we have been there 3 times and cannot wait to see it again. Lots of sites on west side of the Lake and has a fantastic cycle route free of traffic for over 30 miles ... Derek& Pauline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 why don't you use the forum "search" function, lots of info on there.... if you are over 3500kg maybe better to go via Austria but avoid motorways and "go box" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-02-27 10:35 AM why don't you use the forum "search" function, lots of info on there.... if you are over 3500kg maybe better to go via Austria but avoid motorways and "go box" Hi Judge, Why the warning? we are over 3500kg and were thinking of through Germany, Switzerland to Italy and then back through Austria and a different section of Germany. Would be interested and grateful for any tips. cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike B. Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Cliffy - 2012-02-26 11:29 PM We are planning our spring trip in to Europe we are thinking about travelling through Luxemburg, Germany and Switzerland to Lake Como then on to Monaco, Nice then back through eastern France to Calais. Any advice, recommendations or warnings would be appreciated, particularly what would the weather/road conditions likely to be over the mountains the first week in May? I think the St Gotthard pass will still be closed 1st week in May but the tunnel will be open-Depends if you want to get there fast or meander down but fastest route (depending on your ferry crossing) would be Via Belgium Ardennes, Brussels ring road, Arlon, Luxembourg (fill up) Strassburg, then the Karlsrhu/Basle motorway Via the black forest (Schwarzwald) to Basle and on toward Luzern pick up St Gotthard Motorway, SG tunnel, Airolo and on to Como. Roads should be fine as nearly all motorway and weather should be nice apart from possible snow on high ground. From Como, head down to Genova/Savona and the Med and then pick up the Riviera die Fiori Motorway which will take you all the way to Monaco or come off at Ventimiglia (Massive Market on a Friday LOADS of traffic!!) and go down coast road via Menton & Cap Martin to Monte Carlo (Basse Corniche) From Monaco it's up to you if you rush back or meander! You can do A8 Motorway all the way via Cannes, Aix, Avignon, Orange, Lyon, then via either Reims or Paris to Calais if you want-it takes 16 hours! Hope this helps Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 derek pringle - 2012-02-27 2:01 PM JudgeMental - 2012-02-27 10:35 AM why don't you use the forum "search" function, lots of info on there.... if you are over 3500kg maybe better to go via Austria but avoid motorways and "go box" Hi Judge, Why the warning? we are over 3500kg and were thinking of through Germany, Switzerland to Italy and then back through Austria and a different section of Germany. Would be interested and grateful for any tips. cheers derek Hi Derek, no warning really but from my perspective as under 3500kg if paying the 35 € vignette valid for that year, I may as well use it both ways....... but you can easily avoid any tolls going via austria but maybe not as direct if heading for Como.... I am not sure of cost if over 3500kg through Switzerland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 Thanks for the replies so far, on the way down from Calais we plan to maybe stop 3 or 4 times for 2 or 3 nights each stop. So we would prefer a liesurely route with interesting/nice stop overs. We then plan to have 3 or 4 stop overs for 5 nights each between lake Como and Nice then come back north up the east of Franc. We are under 3500 kgms so what is the best thing to do crossing through Switzerland or Austria regarding a Vignette. Do we buy before we go wait till we get there or avoid autoroutes and not bother buying at all. Also what are the tunnel charges like and will we need to pay cash in the appropriate currency? We have a Euro prepaid card which works in the Eurozone OK. Sorry for so many questions but this will be our first Motorhome trip outside France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-02-27 6:15 PM derek pringle - 2012-02-27 2:01 PM JudgeMental - 2012-02-27 10:35 AM why don't you use the forum "search" function, lots of info on there.... if you are over 3500kg maybe better to go via Austria but avoid motorways and "go box" Hi Judge, Why the warning? we are over 3500kg and were thinking of through Germany, Switzerland to Italy and then back through Austria and a different section of Germany. Would be interested and grateful for any tips. cheers derek Hi Derek, no warning really but from my perspective as under 3500kg if paying the 35 € vignette valid for that year, I may as well use it both ways....... but you can easily avoid any tolls going via austria but maybe not as direct if heading for Como.... I am not sure of cost if over 3500kg through Switzerland Hi again, did not think of this but it is worth looking at . Never used to even think about French tolls until wife informed me what we had been spending on them, so scenic routes wherever possible now cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 If you want to miss the Gotthard tunnel, and the tolls, you could consider going via Zurich to Chur, then south over the San Bernadino pass then to Lugano and Como. This route is about 50 miles longer than taking the tunnel, but is easy - I had to use it a couple of years ago when I drove my Citroen 2CV down to the Historic Grand Prix at Monaco via Mulhouse & Menaggio on Como. If she can make it - your Motorhome will breeze it! I am repeating this route again this May but in a 20 year old Saab, and we hope we will be able to cut the corner and go over the Splugen Pass down to the North tip of Como. Not for a motorhome though I don't think> One other thing to note: if you are planning to get to Como via Lugano, make sure you miss the rush hour period. Lugano is a real bottleneck, we sat in it for about an hour at about 6pm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Logically, for Como, following your general route, you will have to cross through Switzerland (or make a very long easterly hook via Garda [because I doubt the Stelvio via Sondrio to Lecco will be open]) and this will mean getting a vignette. There have been quite heavy snow dumps in the Alps this year, so I would guess the minor roads and passes will not reliably have been cleared by May. Some years ago we were driving past 8' snow banks on minor passes in June! The roads were clear, but given the quantity of snow to either side, I'd guess may not have been clear in May. The Swiss vignette is valid for 14 months, from December to January inclusive so, once you have bought one - which includes (or did!) the St Gottard tunnel - you may as well get your money's worth and use again within its period of validity. However, even on a single pass through, if using the autobahn continually from Basel to Como, the cost is not unfavourable compared to the French Autoroute tolls over similar distances - and you get a hell of a lot of engineering for your money!! Turn gas off before entering tunnels, though! If you are going to stop at altitude, expect the nights still to be very cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Hi, Any idea of the charges for vignette in Switzerland for a 4oo5kg van anybody please? cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 vignette only for 3500kg and under. Over 3500kg requirements explained on this thread... http://www.motorhomefacts.com/forum-printtopic-1-118273-10-0-asc-viewresult-1.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-02-28 12:18 PM Logically, for Como, following your general route, you will have to cross through Switzerland (or make a very long easterly hook via Garda [because I doubt the Stelvio via Sondrio to Lecco will be open]) and this will mean getting a vignette. Brian or others - do you reckon the Stelvio is OK for motorhomes? Anyone done it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Almost unanswerable, in reality, and I don't know what weight, length, height, or width restrictions may be in place. I believe it is one of the higher passes, so is probably fun, but...........................! With a PVC probably no problem, with a tag-axle Niesmann, probably not, but always depending on conditions! :-D Splugen is a real hoot - but not for any but the more compact PVCs - plus you do need a certain amount of faith in civil engineering, and a fair head for heights!! While going down on the Como side (car, not van), we passed a Dutchman towing a caravan up, as they do, and he looked just a mite tense! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 it really has been all discussed before and all in search option.. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=15734&posts=13 reading this old thread from 2007 the mount blanc then was 44 € one way!...then you have to add price of toll roads, dread to think what is now. .......Switzerland a real bargain in comparison! another reason for giving france and the french a wide berth, not that I need one *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 The reason I asked was as far as Stelvio is concerned I have done it South to North in an old Jaguar XJ6 and we had to do 3 point turns going down on some of the hairpins on the Northern side. We also had to stop regularly to let the brakes cool, but the pads still got glazed. I therefore imagine with any size van it could be hairy! I am going to try the Splugen in May if its open, but in an old Saab, but will then be back in June/July in my Benimar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We came back over the Stelvio in 2007 from Bormio The view at the top, service busues go up both sides to the top but the tunnels on the Bormio side felt a bit tight, we were in our La Strada, the one with the purple bike cover. We watched an old Transit struggling up from the other side up all those hairpins. I hope the photos appear alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We came back over the Stelvio in 2007 from Bormio The view at the top, service busues go up both sides to the top but the tunnels on the Bormio side felt a bit tight, we were in our La Strada, the one with the purple bike cover. We watched an old Transit struggling up from the other side up all those hairpins. I hope the photos appear alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I've been trying to add photos following the thread started by Mel B and I've failed miserably even after reducing the photos in size as reccomended by Chris :'( I might try again later alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Alan some of your pictures are in the link I posted...... *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Thanks Judge, Yes it was those that I was trying to relist, I must have been able to do it once upon a time cheers alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 its not that easy these days the site throws up error messages all the time even though the photos have been posted.... :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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