Road trip to Italy

[Russell Holdaway]

Hello all,

I am driving to a wedding near Sienna in about 10 days, My Evora is going to get the ride of her life

Anyway I wanted to consult he accumulated wisdom of the group on my route etc.

Plan at the moment is a late ferry on Monday evening, to get the first part of the journey done and to spend the night somewhere near Calais. Years ago on a similar trip with my dad in his Integrale we stayed in some cheapo hotel Formula Une or something, is there a place anyone can recommend? I need a car park and a bed, that's it!

Day two aim is to crush through France and get into Les Alps. Could I make Chamonix in one day? Any recommendation for hotels in and around this area?

Wednesday's aim will be to cross the alps - thinking of re reading the Exige forum post of that Alpine journey but again thoughts and suggestions of route and hotels welcome.

Thursday will be the run through to Sienna and the wedding venue, probably the part of the journey I am most unsure of, anything worth seeing / roads to drive on the way down?

Anyway as you can tell not much thought has been applied to this so far, I quite like fluid plans!

thanks in advance,

R

[JAWS]

That'll be a cracking journey. I've done similar a number of times.

Best thing to do for hotels is to stick to the chains that will be on the Autoroutes i.e HotelF1, Novotel, Ibis, Premiere Classe, Kyriad, Campanile etc. they generally all have the basics plus parking, use google earth to verify. Although you have left it late for the best prices. Use these to check hotels on route (ticking them all)..

http://www.premiereclasse.com/en/map-search

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/booking/map-search.shtml

Chamonix is achievable, but a trek in one day, with pretty boring roads until you get past Dijon. Personally I'd look at getting to somewhere like Annecy (which is lovely) or Geneva. Then get up early ready for a good run through the Alps.

Edited August 22, 2014 by JAWS

[TBD]

Try to avoid Switzerland. The speed limit enforcement is incredible, at best incredibly expensive, at worst they impound the car. 

[Andy Esprit SE]

Ive stayed in the campanile on the out skirts of belgium on the way there and back two years on the trot, very cheap on an industrial area, no trouble and well lit car park.

We went around france to avoid toll roads through belgium, luxmbourg and on to switzerland rhen into italy via lake como.

I would reccomend this site for a viganet to get through switzerland and order a telepass for italy.

http://www.tolltickets.com/country/italy/telepass.aspx?lang=en-GB

Theres lots of toll roads in italy and its satisfying to whiz through them automatically, you dont pay any more or less reallt and takes the hassle of finding cash to pay every five mins.

Sienna is a lovely place, are you going to the il palio horse race? The landscape views of the vine yards are amazing around the whole area, worth a run to san gimigano for a day trip from sienna too.

Oh and if the gottard tunnel is closed on the way back the road over the mountains is fantastic (i was in a Vito van and it was exciting so your evora will be brilliant)

[The Pits]

Fantastic trip for the Evora.

 

Futa and Raticosa passes were the best roads that I found in Italy, they are a famous part of the Mille Miglia route. Stunning.

 

The Grimsel and Furka Passes in Switzerland won't disappoint but the Stelvio might.

 

That's the short version, a fuller account here:

 

http://www.thelotusforums.com/media/video/blog-exige-v6-cup-a-lap-of-the-alps/

 

Let us know how you got on!

[Arregueti]

For the Swiss part (if going through Switzerland) I would go through Grimsel, the Rhone valley and then get into Italy through Simplon.

 

Enjoy!

[Russell Holdaway]

Wow thanks all! Lots to consider. I think the plan will be to then make the second stop not quite as far as Chamomix then and plan a route through to hit the passes mentioned above. I got a gopro back in July still getting to grips with it, but aim is to take some decent vids of the journey, will post on YouTube and paste links on here, can't wait

currently in Chester for the weekend, did Evo triangle yesterday - now having read about it so many times, I was prepared to be underwhelmed but it was actually amazing! Great mix of ups and downs mid corner bumps and fast open sections, def worth it if you are in the area.

Also saw an Exige V6 cruising in the Betws-y-coed traffic, hope they made it to Evo triangle also!

Exige in Betws-y-coed

[The Pits]

You can't really go far wrong in the Alps - wherever you end up, videos will be very welcome!

 

Enjoy!

[JAWS]

LogicSnap, I'd be interested in knowing what or if you did any other roads in Wales whilst there (open question to others to), as I'm heading there in a couple of weeks and am looking for options.

My preliminary route so far is - http://goo.gl/maps/vHM45

[anubis1]

I remind you the fuel: there is no 98 octane in Siena. 

Try the chianti region (right of Siena city) with its wonderfull roads throu the wineyards. No controlos, no triffic... nice scenery.

But just to drive throu... 

[Frimley111R]

Book marking this thread. I'd love to do it next year. 

[Russell Holdaway]

LogicSnap, I'd be interested in knowing what or if you did any other roads in Wales whilst there (open question to others to), as I'm heading there in a couple of weeks and am looking for options.

My preliminary route so far is - http://goo.gl/maps/vHM45

 

 

Jaws sorry, not really, other than getting from A-B.  Last weekend was ostensibly a romantic getaway to Chester, but seemed rude not to do Evo triangle as we were so close!  Your route looks great and there is a Shell garage just outside Betws-y-coed for a splash of Optimax if you want it.  BetwsYC gets very busy in my experience so depending on time of day can expect traffic between Capel Curig and there.  The road before after that has decent over taking spots if you are behind a caravan.

 

Quick video of me going the other way to your route (Betws to Anglesey) last September as a taster.

 

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

R

[CaptainSlow]

Book marking this thread. I'd love to do it next year. 

 

Ditto, we plan to go to the Alps and northern Italy 28 July to 8 August 2015. Following this thread with great interest for now 

[Bibs]

This is worth a read/watch too...

 

http://www.thelotusforums.com/media/video/blog-exige-v6-cup-a-lap-of-the-alps/

[EvoraG]

This is worth a read/watch too...

http://www.thelotusforums.com/media/video/blog-exige-v6-cup-a-lap-of-the-alps/

Thanks for that, really great read. Looking forward to a euro trip in a year or two. I have done plenty of euro trackdays but my dream is an Alps tour.

[anubis1]

Avoid in case the Stelvio in Italy on the weekend. It is floaded with bicycleriders, often 3 in a row and mixed up with dutch caravans in first gear. The combination is leading you to madness. 

[Russell Holdaway]

Ok so on the basis that no plan survives first contact with the enemy, the approx route is getting fleshed out - hotels are booked so I hope this will play out! 

 

Day 1 Central London to Calais (arrive around midnight into hotel) - 90 miles

Day 2 Calais to Bourg-en-Bresse - think I am going Autoroute at the moment and just sucking up the cost. 444 miles.

Day 3 Bourg-en-Bresse to Andermatt  273 (alpine) Miles - this might be madness but plan is to drive into Geneva (GF has never seen fountain and wants to) then staying south of the lake through Evian, then cross into Switzerland south to Martigny, east along Furka pass to Andermatt.

Day 4 Andermatt to wedding venue just north of Sienna 344 miles.  From Andermatt, south though Como and collect autostrada around Milan, and stay on that though Modena (save for way back) to Bologna then south (futa pass) towards Florence and continue down to Ponte a Bozzone.

 

Hoping for early ~7am starts each day for a mid afternoon arrival and relaxing beverage... 

 

Way back is totally up in the air - thinking of 

 

Day-1 Sienna to near Turin - not going into city - was bad enough dads Integrale with police outriders for Lancia 100 year celebration a few years ago!

Day-2 Turin - Bourg-en-Bresse via St Bernard pass and Chamonx

Day-3 B-en-B to Calais and home - LONG day

 

approx ~ 2200 miles all in - crumbs!

 

Ah well if Evo drivers can crush those journeys in super cars I am sure the Evora will walk it

R

 

PS - Do I need headlight things?  I already have high vis jackets and triangle and extinguisher

Edited August 28, 2014 by LogicSnap

[TBD]

I would exchange Bourg-en-Bresse with Beaune, an absolute must. Andermatt may be a challenge. 

[Stubox]

As you're booked up already then one mini detour on the way back would be, on the autostrada after Turin at oulx turn off and head to briancon then head towards Grenoble via col du lautaret, bourg d oisans past alp d huez (Ice racing and Tour de France killer climb).Or off at Susa and cut via col du mont cenis (nice coffee stop at the lake) then to geneva.

You've stacks of time so enjoy the moment in the area. It's a Lotus playground!

We re in the area every year in cars or on the bikes and we find new routes to play with each time

[softlips]

Great journey,enjoy - and post many pics.

[pete]

breathalysers?

[Arregueti]

breathalysers?

If my recollection is correct French Gendarmes do not require you to have them, actually. They decided not to enforce it when the rule was about to enter into force.

[The Pits]

Looks like a great itinerary to me. Evora is perfect car for the job. Enjoy.

[pete]

If my recollection is correct French Gendarmes do not require you to have them, actually. They decided not to enforce it when the rule was about to enter into force.

thought it was still law to carry one but they dropped the fine

[Bibs]

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/driving-abroad-whats-new-2012.html

 

Nope, don't need them at all.