Driving from France into Italy - avoiding tunnels!

RedBern

had a quick look at this yesterday. We travel to the French Alps each summer and stay in Guillestre. You can get to Guillestre without tunnels - we go to Lyon - Grenoble and turn left! Once in the Guillestre area, you head to (I think) col de Vars - Col de Larche across the mountains. That will take you into Italy. There's a (very) small tunnel along the route once you get over the other side, but nothing like the Mont Blanc tunnel or the others (and I can sympathise with your friend not wanting to travel in the very long tunnels). Fabulous area - but hope she's not afraid of heights as well!

Quasar

RedBern wrote: »

had a quick look at this yesterday. We travel to the French Alps each summer and stay in Guillestre. You can get to Guillestre without tunnels - we go to Lyon - Grenoble and turn left! Once in the Guillestre area, you head to (I think) col de Vars - Col de Larche across the mountains. That will take you into Italy. There's a (very) small tunnel along the route once you get over the other side, but nothing like the Mont Blanc tunnel or the others (and I can sympathise with your friend not wanting to travel in the very long tunnels). Fabulous area - but hope she's not afraid of heights as well!

Yes quite, I forgot about that - going through mountain passes to avoid tunnels. However it is a long winded way to go, and as you say the heights are scary, but the views amazing. Horses for courses I suppose.

knightstyle

Agree the Riviera Motorway is a good bet plus the St Bernards Pass is another option, some short tunnels on the way down through Northern Italy though. We used it and took the opportunity to go up Mt Blanc from the Italian side, well worth it!

jackieblack

I've printed up all you advice and passed it to my colleague, she is very grateful :j and would like to say a big ' :T THANK YOU :T' to everyone who has contributed.

Cabamaru

Hello,

I know this is quite an old thread but thought I can give it a try...

In 2 weeks time I will drive from London to France, a quick day to Bruges, then down the east part of France, then Italy (Tuscanny and maybe Venice), then south of France to Dordogne and up the west part of France and back to the UK.

This is the first time I will be driving through France an Italy and don't know much about the crossings at the Alps. I understand you can either take a tunnel or a mountain pass.

Is there a particular route which is more beautiful than others? Time is not a huge issue, within reason. I have 5-6 days to reach Florence from Bruges.

Many thanks in advance! :T

bcl999

You might find this helpful https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3002030

peachyprice

If you are going in just 2 weeks time it would be wiser to plan your trip using tunnels rather than mountain passes, many do not open until May/Jun and as they are still having snow in the Alps there's a likelihood that those that are operational could be closed.

Cabamaru

Thank you, I have now re-posted in the Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning section.

Rachie_B

Cabamaru wrote: »

Hello,

I know this is quite an old thread but thought I can give it a try...

In 2 weeks time I will drive from London to France, a quick day to Bruges, then down the east part of France, then Italy (Tuscanny and maybe Venice), then south of France to Dordogne and up the west part of France and back to the UK.

This is the first time I will be driving through France an Italy and don't know much about the crossings at the Alps. I understand you can either take a tunnel or a mountain pass.

Is there a particular route which is more beautiful than others? Time is not a huge issue, within reason. I have 5-6 days to reach Florence from Bruges.

Many thanks in advance! :T

try asking here http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_forum_topics.asp?ForumID=7

Neil_Taylor

I posted this on the other string:

Our favourite route has been via the Hull - Zeebrugge ferry overnight, we live in the North west, so it saves us a long drive to Dover. You leave Zeebrugge early morning, only a short distance from Bruges.

edit: Dunkirk crossings are not that far from Bruges.


The route follows the Belgian Motorways to Luxembourg, then into France - Metz, Nancy, Mulhouse.
No Tolls so far! Fill up in Luxembourg with cheap petrol or diesel.


Colmar is nice for a couple of nights stopover. Mulhouse has lots of the cheaper end hotels.


From Mulhouse, Cross the Rhine into Germany, and cross into Switzerland several miles to the West of Basle, to avoid long delays for traffic and Customs.


Take the St Gotthard route through Switzerland. You need to buy a Swiss Motorway Pass to transit Switzerland from:


http://rail.stc.co.uk/


costs about £25 and they get them to you fairly quickly


Route then comes down to Como and Milan.


Again, many places to stop around Como.


Go over the St Gotthard Pass rather than the tunnel if the weather is half decent.


I think that there's very little distance in it, the route is picturesqe all the way, its dual carriageway until the last 30 miles or so to Colmar, but very pretty here (Alsace wine region) theres no road tolls until switzerland, and you fill up with cheaper fuel - No Contest!