Driving to Italy

I would use your route and pay for the Swiss vignettes if I had time to spend in Switzerland - as we love the mountain scenery although not too keen on the solemn Swiss lifestyle.

Your alternative route would be via places marked on your map as Stuttgart, Tirol and Trento - it's actually via Innsbruck and the Brenner pass motorway.

 

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We have been to Italy many times and I have to say it has never entered my head to go via Switzerland. That may well be because we have tended to head towards Garda and Venice. We have only driven as far south a Rome once and on that occasion we went via the Fern and Brenner passes. There is a modest toll for the Brenner and you will need a Vignette for the car but you can buy them for different lengths of stay so much cheaper than the Swiss system. I suppose there should always be a health warning attached to recommendations as there will always be a debate viz a viz cost of tolls and distance so you need to do your homework as what seems to be a cost saving on tolls might mean more fuel. 

David

Have you thought of Harwich to Hook of Holland. It may be cheaper than to Calais if using the club booking service, it was last year. You can then use the free autobahns through Germany to Austria and on to Italy. It is not many miles more

Have a look at viaMichelin and it will give you an accurate costing. It also now gives a breakdown showing toll cost per section, vignettes fuel etc.

We have done most routes and last week compared prices for a Roscoff to Peschiera route and a Hook to Peschiera route.

The France route costs are very high, if you go via Switzerland even higher, and the Italian section near Milan also now costly.

As Harry suggests take a look at Harwich-I did two dats ago and got a price for June of £158 for car and van.

We will probably use the Fern/Reisa  Pass route, then via Landeck and this is toll free till Bolzano.

MAM I went to Italy using the same route as your planned one  French tolls were over £80 (one way) and Swiss vignettes were £64.  I return through Switzerland (as vignettes were valid for a year) then through Germany and Holland to Harwich

I would not use France again.  

Good evening MAM.  This subject has been discussed a few times on this forum. I will add my tupeneth.  We have been to Italy many times and our route is Calais, Belgium, Germany, Fern Pass, Reisenpasse (Landeck) or Brenner into Italy.  The first tolls you pay will be for the Brenner and then in Italy.  If you go via Landeck no Austrian Vignette needed, but Austria is such a beautiful country we like to spend a few days there.  Get an afternoon crossing and spend your first night at one of the many sites just east of Calais, you are then able to hit the roads having regained the hour lost.  Fuel is cheapest in Austria and Germany (Luxemburg of course if you go that way but not worth a massive diversion) so ensure you enter Italy with a full tank!  There have been road works in the area of Karlsrue for a number of years so you should get an update nearer your trip.  Having said that we have not been too badly held up there BUT we travel out of season and try to plan to avoid the area on a Friday to Sunday.  There are plenty of night stops on route and it is  best to stop reasonably early to ensure you can get in.

P.S. We paid over 100 euros one way in French Autoroute tolls for a trip to Provence last year!

Hi, quick look at viamichelin gives the figures below, one from Calais, as per you map, and one from the Hook via Fern/Reisa passes which also would mean no €9.20 for Austrian vignette.

Fuel costs are based on a luxury vehicle at €1.40 a litre but of course the difference would be pro-rata for any type of vehicle

CALAIS ROUTE

€364.06
Time: 19h23 (17h41 on motorways)
Distance: 1069 mi (1011 mi on motorways)
Costs: * €364.06 (toll €58.10 + consumption €232.96 + vignettes €73.00)
*The fuel costs takes into account the fuel consumption of your vehicle

HOOK ROUTE

€279.95
Time: 18h58 (14h08 on motorways)
Distance: 1027 mi (866 mi on motorways)
Costs: * €279.95 (toll €52.50 + consumption €218.25 + vignettes €9.20)
*The fuel costs takes into account the fuel consumption of your vehicle

The quickest way from Calais is to use the French autoroutes - Reims, Metz, Strasbourg- then through Switzerland at Basel. The autoroutes are better roads and have better stopping places (Aires) and are free after Strasbourg so the tolls are far less than going down to the Mont Blanc tunnel. Really though it depends what you want to do and see on the way down. A mad dash to Rome does not seem very worthwhile.

A&J

your workings out just back up what I gave said to people about the Hook of Holland route. It is often overlooked by people when planning a crossing especially to the east side and as you've shown, considerable savings can be made. Living in the Midlands, Harwich is a much easier journey thzm battling with the horrors of the M25 and much congested route to Dover.