Route Suggestions to Italy

[Caroline and Dave]

Hello All

We’re planning our first overseas Exsis adventure – our son is getting married in Ancona, on the east coast of Italy, in September and we’re intending to make a three (or so) week break of it, stopping along the way and on the way back. Any advice on the route, highlights not to miss, and pitfalls to avoid would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

Caroline and Dave

[Barry & Maggie]

I’ve not gone near Italy in over 30, maybe 40 years, so I may not be the best trip advisor!

However, straight off the top of my head, and without even checking a map, I’d say hot foot to the French Alps, Italian Lakes,  Venice…  fill in the rest at your leisure!

Annecy and Aix les Bains regions in France are glorious, as are any of the Italian Lakes.  Camp on Venice Lido and take a ‘vaporetto’ (water bus/ferry boat) in to see the sights.  Just avoid Milan!

Have a great trip.

Barry

[Caroline and Dave]

Thanks, that’s really helpful – as always. Much appreciated.

[jacaldo]

Hi

We’ve done it for the last 3 years, different routes each time.  If I was doing it for the first time, I’d go train to Calais, Belgium, France, Luxenbourg (cheap fuel), France, Switzerland (Gottard Pass or tunnel).  You can comfortably do that with 3/4 nights stopover on the way.

From Switzerland into northern Italy, stay a night or two by the lakes, any will do, they’re all wonderful.  Auto-Strada all the way down to Ancona, this is the only stressful part of the journey, the Italians have crazy attitude to driving.

Enjoy.

You can mostly steer clear of toll roads until the e40 it costs to go though Switzerland,  you will pay on the Auto-Strada also.

[Caroline and Dave]

Hello,

Thanks very much for your suggestion, we’ve got ourselves a giant map so we’ll have a look at your route. I admit I feel a bit nervous about the driving. I’ve driven quite often on the other side of the road but only in a left hand drive car, and since our camper is right hand drive I’m sure that’s going to take some getting used to!

 

[Barry & Maggie]

My one big tip on “driving on the right” concerns the BIG danger moment… when you pull away from stationary (a filling station, car park, even the side of the road).   That’s the moment when it’s so easy to revert to type, as it were, and just gaily drive on the left  (it’s probably what Anne Sacoolas did before the Harry Dunn accident).

So… my recommendation is for both of you to parrot “Keep right, keep right, keep right” EVERY time you pull away.  It might seem silly but it’s saved me a few times.

Enjoy the trip!

Barry

[Barry & Maggie]

My one big tip on “driving on the right” concerns the BIG danger moment… when you pull away from stationary (a filling station, car park, even the side of the road).   That’s the moment when it’s so easy to revert to type, as it were, and just gaily drive on the left  (it’s probably what Anne Sacoolas did before the Harry Dunn accident).

So… my recommendation is for both of you to parrot “Keep right, keep right, keep right” EVERY time you pull away.  It might seem silly but it’s saved me a few times.

Enjoy the trip!

Barry

[Caroline and Dave]

Thanks for that Barry. I think that’ll work fine for Dave but I have a slightly unreliable relationship with left and right. So I think ‘keep to the curb’ might work better for me.

 

Caroline

 

[jacaldo]

Our three times have been in a rhd camper, it’s no real problem because you can see over the top of most cars and any tolls to be paid can be done by the passenger.

This year we will be in our new lhd Exsis, I am looking forward to being on the left side though, it does make life a little easier.

If we can help after you’ve looked at the map don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Alan

[Caroline and Dave]

Hi Alan, I love being able to see over the top of everything, especially the hedges, and even better to know that it comes in handy for something other than nosiness : )

Caroline

 

[paoloc]

Hi, cannot comment on what to see from UK to Italy but my small advice is: besides the standard mainstream locations (Rome, Venice, Florence-marvelous indeed ) take some some time for visiting Marche, the region where Ancona is. It has beautiful villages both on the sea and on the mountains. A real jewel is Urbino, especially this year that they are celebrating the 500 yrs from Raffaello’s – the famous renaissance painter- death.

A little bit of a detour will take you to Genoa, my hometown. I am a bit biased then, but I have to admit that camper sites in that area are usually not the best.

Enjoy

[Caroline and Dave]

Hello, thank you very much for your reply. We’ll certainly put those places on our list!

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