azziedriver Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Intend to travel down to Italy for the first time this Spring in our 6m van conversion and have read some horror stories about using the Gotthard Tunnel. Would appreciate advice about that tunnel and alternative routes; we are initially heading for Venice. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 timing is everything..avoid weekends and try and hit it as early as possible or even during the night. have used it 7-8 times over last 10 years and only had a serous hold up once on return leg on an august saturday.... you can avoid it completely by going via Austria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 My experience mirrors Eddie's only been held up once likewise on the return leg in August, it was a long holdup about 2 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overdrive Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 We always go through Chamonix up the valley through St.Bernard Tunnel down through Aosta . The veiws are great and mostly tourist traffic enroute, few hairpin bends, no lorries few coaches - never had a hold up in last 20 years even when snow on ground. Done the Gotthard once no hold up, but very hot and stuffy. Went back to Venice last year (first time in 5 Years) M/h parking very easy now on edge of lagoon near coach park, 5 mins away from 'The people Mover' 1 euro takes you right to the edge of the main canals for waterbus into centre, or you walk to the waterbus and go up main canal but a bit choppy. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Cup Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 azziedriver - 2014-02-13 3:37 PM Intend to travel down to Italy for the first time this Spring in our 6m van conversion and have read some horror stories about using the Gotthard Tunnel. Would appreciate advice about that tunnel and alternative routes; we are initially heading for Venice. Cheers We are planning the same thing in, hopefully, early Spring (depending on how long this bad weather spell that most of Europe is suffering lasts). We haven't crossed the Alps for some years so this information is very useful. We did the Austria route a few years ago, but I thought it was a overly long. Mind you, we did discover our all time favourite airee de rosta (aires) on the route. But now it's more of a campsite - 12 euros!! Even so, wouldn't mind going back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Only about 15 Euros and very exciting it can be done by largish vans, plenty of coaches do it. Camping Otzal lies just in Austria at the foot of the mountains. Oh, did I remember to say my wife was terrified and wont do it again,women! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Go over the top instead of the tunnel its absolutely stunning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike B. Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Depending where you are crossing I would head for Luxembourg, Germany, Austria ( Innsbruck & over the Brenner) and down to Italy that way. Cost is I think about €15 or so for vignette and bridge and about €12 down to Verona and then you decide from there. Nice views and easy roads. Belgium,Luxembourg, Germany all toll free Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 lots of previous threads on topic.....I like swiss route but austria can be OK albeit a little longer and risk of HEAVY traffic delays during high summer.... can be done without any cost, look for Brian Kirbys route. but again timing critical.... http://tinyurl.com/qdv92qy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 A few years ago we entered Italy via the Mont Blonc tunnel en route for MIlan and Venice for Greece,stunning trip.coming home from Italy last year we entered France near BRIANCON,we used the Italian motorway pay but cheap enough again a stunning trip through and over the mountains,all depends how time rich y ou are I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-02-13 9:24 PM lots of previous threads on topic.....I like swiss route but austria can be OK albeit a little longer and risk of HEAVY traffic delays during high summer.... can be done without any cost, look for Brian Kirbys route. but again timing critical.... http://tinyurl.com/qdv92qy As the whole site is running slowly, and the search even slower, here's the route. If you go down to Fussen in Bavaria and then south into Austria, and take the Fern pass to Reutte and Imst, and then the B171 to Landeck (avoiding the A12 for which a maut/vignette is required), you can take the Reschenpass into Italy at Resia, and then south via Merano and Bolzano. The first toll motorway you will hit will be at Bolzano. You can then do Trento, Verona, Padua, Venice by autostrada, or go via "state" roads to Trento, Primolano, Bassano del Grappa, and Castelfranco Veneto. The Italian tolls are well worthwhile, as driving any distance off motorway can be slow and frustrating, but you do get to see more of the country as you go. The Fern and Reschen passes are not dual carriageways, and are fairly busy, so will be slower than the Brenner, but you avoid the tolls, so it depends on your cost vs time preferences which way you go. Easy gradients, good roads, generally free flowing, pretty scenery, some scope to overtake, and only becomes tediously slow if caught behind a truck. Once to Merano you hit the SS38 "Mebo", which is fast dual to Bolzano. A good sat-nav should route you through easily if you set it to avoid tolls until you get to Resia (good car park stop by lake), then allow tolls from then on. The spaghetti junction where the Mebo hits the A22 Brenner motorway at Bolzano needs a good sat-nav! That is about the only complicated bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 There is another alternative, not particularly quick, but scenic & relatively free of the jams on the Tunnel routes. The basic route goes to Chur, then a choice of 3 routes. I've done them all in the last 3 years, when friends were stuck in jams in the tunnels we sailed through. Go towards Mulhouse, cross into Germany, onto the E35 then bypass Basel on the E54, coming out at Reinfelden into Switzerland. Then onto the Swiss Autoroute 3 to Chur. Then there is a choice dedending on the weather & snow conditions in the mountains. A) Onto Route 3 out of Chur, into the mountains through Churwalden over the Julier pass down to Silvaplana, Chiavenna, Lecco & Bergamo then across to Venice. B) Or a tweak on the above - leave Chur on the route 13 to Splugen, if the pass is open, then over the Splugen Pass to Chiavenna etc C) Or from Chur take route 13 to Belinzona over the San Bernadino pass, then route 2 to Como, the across to Venice. (Note it gets very busy around Lugano) The Julier pass is easy & is kept open. The Splugen pass is great scenery, but not quick & not for the nervous, but is very short. The San Bernadino is not a real pass - I took my Citroen 2CV over it 3 years ago with no problems - (Even got up to 75mph on the way down the other side - scary!) You can check the state of the Swiss motorways using this Swiss Government site http://www.truckinfo.ch/index.php5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 But, you will need a Swiss motorway vignette for Jeremy's route. The splugen is great fun, if Butlin had built it he'd have made a fortune! :-) However, it is closed to caravans, so check whether a van conversion would be restricted. There is a rock-cut tunnel on the Italian side that has some fairly "snug" dimensions from memory, so I'd also suggest checking whether there are weight or size limits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Brian Kirby - 2014-02-14 11:53 PM But, you will need a Swiss motorway vignette for Jeremy's route. The splugen is great fun, if Butlin had built it he'd have made a fortune! :-) However, it is closed to caravans, so check whether a van conversion would be restricted. There is a rock-cut tunnel on the Italian side that has some fairly "snug" dimensions from memory, so I'd also suggest checking whether there are weight or size limits. Brian, you are correct but there are two roads down on the Italian side, one through the tunnels, one without tunnels. We went over there in 2012 in my Benima with no problems. It is all well signed with length restrictions of 5 metres for the route through the tunnels and no restrictions on the detour . (Basically it is a short detour around Lake Isola on the SP41, rather than staying on the SS36 down to Campodolcina) The photos are taken from the same spot on lake Isola, one looking back up the pass, one over the lake. Look at the lake one just below the skyline and you can see the tunnels! As far as the Vignette goes, we are 3850 Kg, thus HGV and we bought a 7 day vignette pass at Rheinfelden for £16.79 (about 20ChF). No problems at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 laimeduck - 2014-02-15 10:14 AM..............Brian, you are correct but there are two roads down on the Italian side, one through the tunnels, one without tunnels. We went over there in 2012 in my Benima with no problems. It is all well signed with length restrictions of 5 metres for the route through the tunnels and no restrictions on the detour . .............. Then I think you missed the best bit, though probbaly wise in your Benimar! We did the Butlins big dipper route in a car, and I laughed all the way town. Simply brilliant! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean.clarke Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Thanks for the links and info - thoroughly enjoyed going through this one. Dreaming of the summer when I hope the dream happens..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 If you are time restricted I think swiss route quicker and offers good value, as tunnels and motorways covered for 12 months. We stay overnight in Como at the port (always a hand full of vans there) and leave early in morning, reach tunnel and straight though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wills Wagon Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 A few years ago we used the Frejus Tunnel, via Lyon, Chambrey, stayed at Challes Les Eaux then via Modane through the tunnel and down to Turin and the motorway network to Lake Garda. I believe tunnel may now use a convoy system. This avoids the steep cold bits!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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