Italy - Have you driven there?

[Cheekster]

We are planning on driving to Italy for our summer holiday next year and our plan is to make the drive part of the holiday by staying at different locations on the way there. (Our children will be aged 4, 3 and 1). So, has anybody been to Northern France and can recommend something we could do/see there? We've contemplated Disney, Paris etc, but we are looking for somewhere less commercial. Any suggestions? Anywhere from the North of France, Central France, through Switzerland and into Italy, are places we can visit. So if you know any hidden gems in those places, please let me know :-)

[Longcol]

We drove to Italy in September - I'd recommend the Mont Blanc tunnel rather than going via Switzerland as the queues aren't anything like as bad as for the Gotthard in Switzerland.

 

Our route was Calais - Reims - Troyes - Beaune - Macon - Geneva (I'd avoid Paris if I were you). We overnighted at Beaune in a Campanile then had a couple of nights staying in a chalet on a campsite in Val Veny in Italy at the foot of Mont Blanc / Monte Bianco which was pretty spectacular looking up at snow capped peaks, glaciers, waterfalls. Then on to Florence and Venice which were both unbelievably gorgeous.

 

When our kids were that age (20 years ago now) we used to do 300/400 mile stages as they slept in the car most of the time. I'd tend towards getting down to Italy in 2 or 3 drives. There isn't a lot of young kid friendly stuff on the way that I can think of.

 

ps If you haven't booked your channel crossing I'd recommend the tunnel rather than a ferry - so much easier with small kids and a lot quicker.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Longcol

[DT Ralge]

As an alternative, we went via Hull to Rotterdam (overnight).

Day1 took us down through Germany to an overnight stop in the Black Forest (beautiful).

Day2 into Switzerland (spectacular), Gotthard tunnel, Italy (Milan) and across to Venice.

A long drive whichever way you go, probably unsuited to young ones but you could break it up into smaller bites.

[mlfc]

Personally I'd fly to Nice and hire a car. France is very big and you spend 2 days just getting to the South and into Italy.

 

We once spent a week in Northern France then a week in Northern Italy and it was cheaper and much quicker for the two of us to drive to Paris after the first week then fly to Nice than drive all the way there & back. If you are filling the car with people though then it's probably more cost effective than flying

 

I guess for some people the drive is part of the holiday. Driving there can be fun but on the way home it doesn't quite feel as good.

[Nagel]

Driving in Italy is a bit of an eye opener. The Italian style of driving is unbelievably competitive and macho, and that includes the women too. They're maniacs behind the wheel and will take huge risks for a tiny bit of advantage on the road.

 

The best policy is to let it all wash over you and let them get on with it. If they want to slot themselves into the 10 foot space between you and the car in front, then just let them and then have a laugh about it.

[Jim Hardie]

I can recommend Futuroscope just outside Poitiers but it's probably too far west if you are heading for Italy.

[biotechpete]

Furthest I've been is Grenoble. I did it via ferry then through Reims, Dijon etc. Early start and pretty late finish for the day. I'd love to drive all the way to Italy but i'd break the journey up.

[Longcol]

Driving in Italy is a bit of an eye opener. The Italian style of driving is unbelievably competitive and macho, and that includes the women too. They're maniacs behind the wheel and will take huge risks for a tiny bit of advantage on the road.

 

The best policy is to let it all wash over you and let them get on with it. If they want to slot themselves into the 10 foot space between you and the car in front, then just let them and then have a laugh about it.

 

I didn't find it too bad - although I'm told it gets worse the further south you go. I read on a website somewhere that in Milan a red light means stop, in Rome it means slow down and in Naples - what light?

 

On the motorways I found the Italians tended to dawdle between 60 and 70 - I kept to the 80mph limit, overtook 90% of traffic and was only overtaken a couple of times. In France a much higher proportion will travel over 80. In Florence I found the kids on scooters were far more of a menace than cars.

 

Italy was certainly far less scary than the Paris peripherique.

 

One other thing - vast numbers of roads in cities are one way - more or less any road that isn't on a bus route in Florence is one way - even out in the suburbs. I sure this would cause apoplexy among a good number of SF users, but it seemed to work very effectively in keeping the main roads flowing.

[Cycleracer]

Driving in Italy is a bit of an eye opener. The Italian style of driving is unbelievably competitive and macho, and that includes the women too. They're maniacs behind the wheel and will take huge risks for a tiny bit of advantage on the road.

 

No change there then you' ll feel right at home...

I'm going on a coach to Monaco in May but the hotel is in Italy I will make it part of the holiday...I know its not the same of driving but still same applies

[davyboy]

I've driven in sicily.

It was fine in town,crowded but a steady speed but they are very relaxed about parking and just stopping on the side of the road.

I wanted directions to the hotel so did what everyone else did.....just stopped alongside the policeman directing the traffic and asked him.

The scooterist don't wear helmets, they hang them on the handle bars.

They even have young kids standing on the floor behind the handlebars.

Out of town on a coastal road, I have never been so scared.

They are MAD. Two cars passed me at speed on a blind bend, presumably they trusted their St Christopher medallions that nothing was coming the other way.

 

By contrast the peripherique round Paris was a doddle ..just crowded and stop start.