cheapest route to italy

[stallion]

Hi, we are traveling from Dunkirk to Tuscany in July. We have 2 days to travel, can anyone suggest the quickest and cheapest route :-S

[flicka]

Try entering starting point & destination in Via Michelin, it will give you the option to choose both "fastest" & "Economy", giving the costs & travel time for each, including Toll charges

 

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes?strDepartureMerged=dunkirque&strDepartureAddress=&strStepTemplateMerged=&strStepTemplateAddress=&strStepTemplateId=&strStepTemplateProductId=&strArrivalMerged=tuscany&strArrivalAddress=&strVehicle=0&intItineraryType=1&dtmDeparture=&distance=mi&devise=0.6756757%7CGBP&itineraryCarType=0&itineraryFuelType=0&carbCost=1.3&indemnite=

[Brian Kirby]

I have assumed Florence for Tuscany. The quickest will not be the cheapest, and the cheapest not the quickest!

 

Quickest will be 850 miles on 60% toll motorway, via Lille, Namur, Metz, Mulhouse, and into Switzerland (vignette required!) at Basel, then Lucerne, Lugano, into Italy at Como, Milan, Bologna and Florence. Estimated 14 hours driving time at car average speeds. But, that is two 400+ mile days in July, crossing the Alps on a popular holiday route via Switzerland, with two frontiers to negotiate. So, just about possible in two days in a motorhome - if the Gods go with you. If they don't, it won't work. Realistically, in July, I don't think this is a viable plan. Any of these roads can develop huge tail backs. It just needs one incident and, with the holiday traffic from a lot of northern Europe adding to the usual, an incident somewhere is pretty much inevitable!

 

Cheapest will be 1000 miles on motorways where toll free, via Brussels, Kerpen (just east of Cologne), Hockenheim, Karlsruhe, Ulm, Fussen, then Fernpass (Austria) to the Inn valley and Innsbruck, Brenner pass (old Brenner road) into Italy and Bolzano, Trento, Verona, Ferrara and Florence. Estimated 18 hours driving time at car average speeds. IMO, this will not be achieveble in a motorhome, or in July, in two days! Once off the autostrada, roads in Italy are not quick!

 

Both involve driving non-stop from 09:00 'till 17:00. In practise, you will need at least one break to eat.

 

Any alternative route will be slower, so I think your two day objective is just too ambitious. Neither allow for getting to Dunkirk, but both assume you leave there at 09:00. So, my take is try it, but be prepared for it to take an extra day, and probably to use motorway at least in Italy, where the tolls are lower. I would also avoid Switzerland and that vignette, which would mean the slow road through Austria.

 

So, my route would be day one down through Belgium and Germany, as for the cheapest option above, which will give you free (though busy!) autobahn to Fussen, arriving about 19:30 and allowing one hour for lunch but nothing for hold-ups, at more realistic motorhome driving speeds. Good stellpaltze or sites at/near Fussen.

 

Day two is Fussen south via Fernpass and Reschenpass (good two lane road, not motorway, so no vignette needed) to enter Italy at Reschen (Resia), then Merano, toll free dual carriageway to Bolzano, then toll autostrada via Verona, Modena and Bologna, to Florence. That should get you to Florence about 18:00 on the same basis as day one. About 955 miles total. But, very little slack for those almost inevitable July hold ups. Then, if you do get held up, stop when you are tired, and just accept you'll need to break into day three to complete. Hope this helps.