valaspden Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Hi. We are planning to go over the Stelvio Pass to Italy in June. We have an Autotrail Cheyenne on a Mercedes ,3.8tonnes. Could any one adivise us please. Is it ok for a motorcaravan to use this pass and what will we be paying on road tax etc Which country would you suggest we travel through. I understand there is a GO box in Austria and a sticker for the window in Switzerland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eljay Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Hi, I believe that just taking a vehicle in excess of 3.5 tonnes into Switzerland requires form-filling at the border crossing and incurring a fee of, I think, 35 Swiss francs. This is for a maximum stay of 10 days. The vignette is for motorway use in Switzerland. In Austria you can drive your vehicle on normal roads and free motorways without having to get a "Go-Box". The box is only required on toll roads. Sorry, but I can't answer your question about the suitability of your Cheyenne for the Stelvio pass. Regards, J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valaspden Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 Many thanks J for that info. Looks as if Austria is the best bet though I think it is longer. Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi there, we stayed in Bormio in August and returned over the Stelvio and into Austria, its a long way up and down the Stelvio, i think 37 hairpins one way and 42 the other. No not sad enough to count! they are numbered. There were lots of vans at the top at midday, and service buses run to the top from both sides. One tunnel coming up from Bormio did make we wince tho! I use 3.0m as the height for a bit of clearance, this particular tunnel had a bend or two and I was happy nothing was coming the other way especially the bus. On the way down heading n/east in the early afternoon, we kept meeting cars which just seemed to stop when they saw us, rh drive is a bonus on the passes cos the driver is on the edge and the wife can't see the drop as easily! I'll try and load some pictures but as they'll need to be made smaller it'll be on another visit. All vehicles over 3.5 tonnes need a Go box in Austria. You get a double penalty tho as those under 3.5tonnes can avoid the roads needing the sticker as we did on our way back. We were wandering back and meandered along lots of byways thro old villages as the bypasses often required a sticker its not just toll roads but many bypasses and motorways. Not sure about Switzerland as we're under 3.5 and just have to get a vignette/sticker alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valaspden Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Alan Many thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, it's the driver who has problems with heights!! Mind you, I can't say i really enjoy these passes. Hopefully, it wont be as busy in June. I think I understand from your reply thst we will need a Go box, whatever. We would like to meander the by roads as well. Do you know if one box will do for the return journey or do we need one for each way? We are going to Milan initially as our friends are Alfa Romeo 'enthusiasts and want to visit the factory and museum. They also want to do the Stelvio Pass. They are travelling in their AR Juliette and have never been abroard before so asked us to go with them. Did you stay on a site in Bormio that you would recommend? Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi, We took our MH to Lake Garda in September 2007 and will hopefully go to Tuscany this year. When we are on a holiday outside the UK we tow a Smart car on a trailer to help us really explore some quite inaccessible (with any MH anyway) areas. We purchased 2 Swiss vignettes from the web site (London) last year to be ready for the Swiss motorways (I think it was 30 Swiss francs each) although we didn't know how long that covered us for. One was for the MH and one for the trailer. Although we thought this was an expensive option, we found that when we passed through Switzerland (stopping off at one of their excellent sites en route, that the vignette covers use of all motorways and tunnels, including the Gottard tunnel, for a period from January to January (pity we purchased in September!) French tolls to get to the same area would have cost us a huge amount more. The vignettes are also available at the border control from France and are not necessary at all if you do not venture on the motorways. We found all the roads excellent to Italy - a bit congested near Milan, but no real bother - and also diesel to be cheaper in Belgium and REALLY cheap in Luxembourg (I think the motorway service station in Luxembourg charged less than a Euro per litre.....) Whichever way you go - enjoy! We certainly did! B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Highe Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Try this for comprehensive data on Austria: http://www.austria.info/xxl/_site/dk/_area/420055/_subArea/420095/_subArea2/420153/home.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I know your van is 3800kg but if not twin rear wheel or double axle you may well get away with 3500kg vignette in Switzerland.......as in my experience border police have a quick look at rear wheels and wave you on to pay for your sticker which is good value in my opinion as it is valid for that year and includes motorway and tunnel tolls as well. French mount blanc tunnel toll I believe is more then swiss vignette on its own.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi there, sorry I failed with the photos and I seem to have broken the search on the forum as well, I can't remember how to add photos and I'm sure someone gave the info in the autumn but search won't work. Anyway back to your question, I understand you hire the go box for the time you're in the country and have to put some money on it as well, and hand it back as you leave. So you will need to hire one each time you pass thro the country. We used a campsite about 5 miles south of Bormio on the old road. The old road is important!! The new one is nearly all in tunnel!! The campsite is at Cepina, might have been Camping Cepina, quite small for vans, nice facilities and a super restaurant that people came to from miles around. There a sosta in Bormio next to the big cabin lift just out of the town, just part of the car park but with water and dump facilities. There'a super sosta / campsite for vans at Santa Caterina, just keep going up the valley by the river after the town centre don't head up the Passo Garvie. This is meadow land by the river, some trees for shade, water and dump station etc and I think elec as well. There were spaces for tents at the campsite but they were up the hill in the trees a little away from vans, alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I'll try again with the piccies, is it a size problem ? How small do they need to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 If you're worried by the vignette, go-box, gradients, hairpins, drops etc, why not look up the route I posted in the following link? http://tinyurl.com/3bwsurI've used it a couple of times, and I know one other contributor has also used it. It isn't the Stelvio, but you don't need vignette or go-box, it is sensibly graded on good roads, while still providing some excellent mountain scenery, it is bendy, but the bends are not extreme, and the drops are not too hair raising. It drops you into Bolzano, so with a little adaptation of routes thereafter, you can head for the lakes and Milan, east to Venice/Trieste, or south towards Bologna and on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valaspden Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 Many thanks to you all for your replies which I have noted. I now have the Michelin Atlas for Italy and the Caravan Club's site book. Does anyone know if the camp sites will be busy in June. We shall be using the motor caravan with a stand alone tent. Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Inevitably, it will depend on where you are, and which end of June you visit. The real "hit" will be from the beginning of July, and will afflict the coastal sites and the "honeypot" tourist areas the most. Check local internet sites for places you intend visiting for any major cultural events, which tend to put pressure on campsites and aree di sosta as well as on hotels and guest houses. Based on our own experience, however, I don't think you should generally have problems until the weekend of June 28/29. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.