Considering a trip to Lake Como: Need advice on the route

[Billy192]

I have booked the tunnel for mid may. looking at a route Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. driving around 4hrs a day as the wife has mobility issues and needs to rest after that.

1. is this a decent route?
2. if i went this way do i need winter tyres?
3. any suggestions on a diff route?

thanks
Billy

 

[dunnah01]

Any route to Italy is decent compared to UK motoring so just check that you have Umwelt-plakette and vignettes, or if on the France route a Crit Air

 

[MisterB]

you could have gone Harwich - Hook of Holland, and then gone via Belgium, Lixembourg etc there's a 15% discount at the moment, but unless you can freely ammend your tunnel crossing then its not worth considering, cabins are reasonably priced aswell !

 

[Figaro]

Sounds like a good route to me
Saint Gottard tunnel is one of the easier routes and brings you out at Lake Magiore.
If you have time I'd recommend Lake Orta for a few days ?

 

[Jewellbags]

I have booked the tunnel for mid may. looking at a route Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. driving around 4hrs a day as the wife has mobility issues and needs to rest after that.

1. is this a decent route?
2. if i went this way do i need winter tyres?
3. any suggestions on a diff route?

thanks
Billy

Sort of the route we took earlier this year , though went the long way around via Austria and dolomites . Top tip - put iseo on your list - very pretty

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[Jewellbags]

I have booked the tunnel for mid may. looking at a route Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. driving around 4hrs a day as the wife has mobility issues and needs to rest after that.

1. is this a decent route?
2. if i went this way do i need winter tyres?
3. any suggestions on a diff route?

thanks
Billy

Inbox me if you want more details of where we stopped

 

[MR BLO]

Done the route to Como and the area a number of times in the car or a van and once in a 26t truck. Hopefully doing it in the MoHo next summer.
I have driven the route you describe, plus a couple of deviations for example via Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse. Also through France and up and over the hills via Geneva.
As dunnah01 said, they are all good driving. In the van I think that I would prefer through France just because I like the place.
You are unlikely to need winter tyres in May unless the weather is unseasonably winter like. I have made the trip in April without issue.
Have a great trip.

 

[Simon says...]

Followed similar route this spring/summer…Belgium, Lux, Germany (avoids expensive French autoroute tolls) but then crossed in to Italy via Austria. Stayed off the autoroutes so no need for any vignettes, crossed via the Brenner pass, lovely route, into Dolomites. Def spend some time there before going down to the lakes.

 

[MisterB]

Followed similar route this spring/summer…Belgium, Lux, Germany (avoids expensive French autoroute tolls) but then crossed in to Italy via Austria. Stayed off the autoroutes so no need for any vignettes, crossed via the Brenner pass, lovely route, into Dolomites. Def spend some time there before going down to the lakes.

i thought the Brenner Pass was a toll route?

 

[Simon says...]

No, so long as you stay on the A road and avoid the autoroute…it follows the same route up and over, meandering underneath the autoroute passing through some small towns and villages, a very good road!

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[MisterB]

No, so long as you stay on the A road and avoid the autoroute…it follows the same route up and over, meandering underneath the autoroute passing through some small towns and villages, a very good road!

thanks, are the roads full of hairpins and steep climbs? any idea of how much longer it adds to the journey please?

 

[Simon says...]

The Brenner pass is an easy drive on the Austrian side, not too busy as most traffic uses the autoroute, no hairpins or big drops!
Once in Italy we got on to the autoroute as you just pay for what you use and it was not too expensive. It’s a bit slower than using autoroute all the way but saves messing about and paying for the Austrian vignette. We just view the travel as part of trip and enjoy stopping off if we pass through a nice village or town, you miss so much on autoroutes!

 

[kingspeed]

I have booked the tunnel for mid may. looking at a route Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. driving around 4hrs a day as the wife has mobility issues and needs to rest after that.

1. is this a decent route?
2. if i went this way do i need winter tyres?
3. any suggestions on a diff route?

thanks
Billy

Hi Billy, I love that route. I used to do Swiss and back to the UK in one of my trucks. Luxembourg was always a stop for the cheaper diesel, and sometimes I would stay the night. It is not always a good thing to park on the service areas but the is a large filling station just after you have entered Luxembourg only about half a mile from the main road, but far enough to be safe for you both overnight. from there you can drive into France and head down to Nancy, continue down until you see the signs for Epinal. Follow the road all the way now to Switzerland via the villages heading for Thann. There are some beautiful places to drive through stress free. I would not go across to Germany as it is somewhat out of your way. You will enter Switzerland at the Basle/St Louise border, and drive straight through to the Como exit from Switzerland. You would both love it. Hope it helps, and if you need me to define the route just say. You will not need winter tyres in May.
I am considering the same trip with my motor scooter on the back, as I would love to ride all the way round Lake Como. There is an amazing site that juts out into the lake, its on the Northwest corner of the lake.
Regards, Trevor.

 

[jdk62]

Hi Billy, I love that route. I used to do Swiss and back to the UK in one of my trucks. Luxembourg was always a stop for the cheaper diesel, and sometimes I would stay the night. It is not always a good thing to park on the service areas but the is a large filling station just after you have entered Luxembourg only about half a mile from the main road, but far enough to be safe for you both overnight. from there you can drive into France and head down to Nancy, continue down until you see the signs for Epinal. Follow the road all the way now to Switzerland via the villages heading for Thann. There are some beautiful places to drive through stress free. I would not go across to Germany as it is somewhat out of your way. You will enter Switzerland at the Basle/St Louise border, and drive straight through to the Como exit from Switzerland. You would both love it. Hope it helps, and if you need me to define the route just say. You will not need winter tyres in May.
I am considering the same trip with my motor scooter on the back, as I would love to ride all the way round Lake Como. There is an amazing site that juts out into the lake, its on the Northwest corner of the lake.
Regards, Trevor.

Hi Trevor

I love the idea of travelling in/via Switzerland, Austria etc., but as our moho is 4250kg am concerned about the faff of sorting out vignettes (or whatever they are called).

 

[Brains]

you could have gone Harwich - Hook of Holland, and then gone via Belgium, Lixembourg etc there's a 15% discount at the moment, but unless you can freely ammend your tunnel crossing then its not worth considering, cabins are reasonably priced aswell !

That is what I would have done.
It would have saved you a day.

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[kingspeed]

Hi Trevor

I love the idea of travelling in/via Switzerland, Austria etc., but as our moho is 4250kg am concerned about the faff of sorting out vignettes (or whatever they are called).

Hello, I am pretty sure you can buy a vignette in advance, but I will have to check. I have done it many times in an artic, but not in a motor home. I am thinking of going in the spring. My motor home is 4350kgs so I will check it out.
Just a thought, you don't go near Austria the way I told Billy. That is unless you want to go a hell of a long way round.
I used to do Swiss round trip on and off for six and a half years. I had four trucks on Swiss, two on Holland and one on Spain. Some on UK, but that's another story.
Regards Trevor.

 

[Jewellbags]

Hi Trevor

I love the idea of travelling in/via Switzerland, Austria etc., but as our moho is 4250kg am concerned about the faff of sorting out vignettes (or whatever they are called).

It’s very easy using the via app and if only for a day very affordable