Thought this might be of interest to anyone thinking of driving to Italy before the middle of December. Norfolkline (now part of DFDS) are offering a special fare on all Dover - Dunquerque sailings up to 15th December this year. Car plus 4 people
Have only just noticed that I should probably have put an introduction in first, but there we are. If all else fails, read the instructions... Glad to have found this site and joined the community. We have a small apartment in the city of Como a
We're driving down in September, so I went straight onto the Swiss Travel Centre site after reading your message, Alan. The vignette is still £25.50, but then there's a booking fee of £3.50. I didn't go any futher with the form and couldn't find information about the credit card fee and delivery fee. So, it seems to me it has to still be cheaper to buy the vignette at the last petrol station before Basle, as we always do. Or, am I missing something...?
I agree with Alan in that you don't need residency to open a bank account. We did exactly the same thing - opened a bank account with a local Italian bank, transferred the money from England for our apartment and now use it for direct debits to pay the gas and electricity bills. I have to say, this was in 2005, so not completely up to date...
We would agree with the comments above - lovely as Switzerland is, it is also pricey and you can't expect everywhere to take euros. We have been using the following Gasthaus in the southern Black Forest in Germany, just to the east of Basel, for many years and can highly recommend it. http://www.loewen-schopfheim.de/ I don't know where you are starting from in the UK, but it's a full day's drive from us in Kent (I think it's about 550 miles) and we are ready to stop when you get there at around 6.30-7pm. The following day is a shorter journey for us and we really enjoy taking our time crossing the Alps. One year we went the way you intend, via Luzern and over the Furka and Grimsel passes and then the St. Gotthard, which were all terrific. Whichever way you go, have a good trip!
We have been using Norfolk Line since they started their service from Dover to Dunkerque a few years ago and their prices are generally quite keen. We usually add the VIP extra for the return crossing, which gives access to the VIP lounge (great on a crowded Saturday night ferry), but most of all, priority boarding and off-loading. You are off the ferry ahead of the crowd, through the Customs, out the dock gates and away. I agree with the comment above that P & O's new ship is huge, but that means more cars to get on and off and longer queues at the Customs, which can be a real bottleneck in Dover.
After reading your post we were interested in timing a visit to our apartment to coincide with one of the stages of the Giro. The Tour de France came through Kent in 2007 and it was great fun to watch. Having never seen the Giro d'Italia before, I wanted to know wondered whether it is also preceeded by all the sponsors' floats, cars with spare bikes etc, what the French call the "caravane". It really built up the excitement before the riders flashed past and were gone in seconds! Any other comments about the Giro gratefully received!
We drive down every year from Kent to the city of Como at the end of the western arm of Lake Como. I totally agree with Alan H regarding routes across Germany and missing Basel by going via Loerrach and Bad Saeckingen. We have come back over the Furka and the Grimsel Pass route, and both are spectacular although time consuming... Part of the reason for going that way was to miss Zurich, which at the time did not have a by-pass. Since last summer, however, this is not the case and there is a new tunnel, the Uetliberg, which makes it very easy and fast to miss Zurich. You then sweep up via Chur towards the San Bernardinoa and then we veer off and go over a great old route, the Splugapass, which is very spectacular and which drops down to the wonderful old city of Chiavenna. From there you can either go down the eastern arm of Lake Como to Lecco, which is dual carriageway and largely in tunnels or we go down the western arm, which is extremely scenic and takes longer. But, it depends where you intend to stay the night. Once we get that far, we're on the home run, of course. Having said all the above, we came back last September over the Albula Pass, which would have been very scenic were it not for the low cloud! It has a railway line going through it, which is one of the great Swiss routes and there's some very interesting information on Wikipedia about it and the Bernina Pass, so we intend to go that way next time. Everything depends on the weather, so whichever way you plan to go, you may have to revise your route on the day.
They've changed the artwork since I last looked, too. Interestingly, once you get past the home page, you can select the little Union Jack in the top righthand corner, but it's not there before that. On the home page, if you look over to the right in the box halfway down under the blue buttons (Famiglie, Aziende, Condomini) you will see "My Enel" and a blue button "Accedi", which gets you to the log in page, then follow the directions of the other comment above.
Enjoyed your blog and agree with all the other comments from other readers. What a joy to read witty, well written, good English. Have simply had to bookmark you, Phil. MONICA
We heartily agree with the other two replies to this post that stone is far better than wood for worktops. My husband's business sells woodworking cutting tools and over the years he has had endless carpenters and joiners moaning about having to fit or replace wooden worktops and how short a time they last. Wood is not the material to put in close proximity to water, because of course it will cause it to swell and I wonder whether your local kitchen supplier means "dampness" rather than humidity of the air. There are also other man-made stone materials, Corian being one brand, which are widely used as an alternative and which can be worked with specialised woodworking cutting tools, whereas stone is more difficult to work. Some of the solid surface materials are liable to stain, however, but so also is marble. All in all, if we were doing our kitchen at home (which we are not!), I would choose granite any day. Hope this helps.
Thanks for your reply and how interesting that you have an apartment, presumably in Nesso... Such great views and I would imagine you are slightly more fit when you leave, with all those stone staircases! There are so many great walks around, but we have found many from these websites: www.greenwaydellago.it (This is over on the western shore and runs from Colonno to Cadenabbia - well signed and really interesting, can be done in small bits.) http://www.bellagiolakecomo.com/Italiano/______Informazioni_generali/__Itinerari_a_piedi/index.php (There are three walks from Bellagio, all of which are worth doing, particularly the one to the eastern hamlets which takes in Visgnola) You probably know about the ancient ways which run along both sides of the lake and the western side of the triangolo lariano: the Strada della Regina, the Strada del Viandante and the Strada Regia. An author, Albano Marcarini, has written up the walks in stages in a series of lovely little books, which he has illustrated in watercolours and photos. We are doing the Strada Regia from Brunate to Bellagio, which is in five parts. We have done Brunate - Torno, Torno - Pognana and this summer did Pognana - Nesso. Have a look at Marcarini's website www.vasentiero.it where there are other walks, some in Switzerland and near Como, which can be downloaded. Finally, you also probably know about the Sacro Monte di Ossuccio with its 14 chapels. We walked up the Via Crucis this summer from Ossuccio to the sanctuary at the top, slightly strenuous it has to be said in late June temperatures, but a great view of the lake from the top. And the bar behind the sanctuary was MOST welcome and their homemade pear and chocolate tart fantastic! Hope this is useful and would be nice to hear from you again.
Comments posted
We're driving down in September, so I went straight onto the Swiss Travel Centre site after reading your message, Alan. The vignette is still £25.50, but then there's a booking fee of £3.50. I didn't go any futher with the form and couldn't find information about the credit card fee and delivery fee. So, it seems to me it has to still be cheaper to buy the vignette at the last petrol station before Basle, as we always do. Or, am I missing something...?
I agree with Alan in that you don't need residency to open a bank account. We did exactly the same thing - opened a bank account with a local Italian bank, transferred the money from England for our apartment and now use it for direct debits to pay the gas and electricity bills. I have to say, this was in 2005, so not completely up to date...
We would agree with the comments above - lovely as Switzerland is, it is also pricey and you can't expect everywhere to take euros. We have been using the following Gasthaus in the southern Black Forest in Germany, just to the east of Basel, for many years and can highly recommend it. http://www.loewen-schopfheim.de/ I don't know where you are starting from in the UK, but it's a full day's drive from us in Kent (I think it's about 550 miles) and we are ready to stop when you get there at around 6.30-7pm. The following day is a shorter journey for us and we really enjoy taking our time crossing the Alps. One year we went the way you intend, via Luzern and over the Furka and Grimsel passes and then the St. Gotthard, which were all terrific. Whichever way you go, have a good trip!
We have been using Norfolk Line since they started their service from Dover to Dunkerque a few years ago and their prices are generally quite keen. We usually add the VIP extra for the return crossing, which gives access to the VIP lounge (great on a crowded Saturday night ferry), but most of all, priority boarding and off-loading. You are off the ferry ahead of the crowd, through the Customs, out the dock gates and away. I agree with the comment above that P & O's new ship is huge, but that means more cars to get on and off and longer queues at the Customs, which can be a real bottleneck in Dover.
After reading your post we were interested in timing a visit to our apartment to coincide with one of the stages of the Giro. The Tour de France came through Kent in 2007 and it was great fun to watch. Having never seen the Giro d'Italia before, I wanted to know wondered whether it is also preceeded by all the sponsors' floats, cars with spare bikes etc, what the French call the "caravane". It really built up the excitement before the riders flashed past and were gone in seconds! Any other comments about the Giro gratefully received!
We drive down every year from Kent to the city of Como at the end of the western arm of Lake Como. I totally agree with Alan H regarding routes across Germany and missing Basel by going via Loerrach and Bad Saeckingen. We have come back over the Furka and the Grimsel Pass route, and both are spectacular although time consuming... Part of the reason for going that way was to miss Zurich, which at the time did not have a by-pass. Since last summer, however, this is not the case and there is a new tunnel, the Uetliberg, which makes it very easy and fast to miss Zurich. You then sweep up via Chur towards the San Bernardinoa and then we veer off and go over a great old route, the Splugapass, which is very spectacular and which drops down to the wonderful old city of Chiavenna. From there you can either go down the eastern arm of Lake Como to Lecco, which is dual carriageway and largely in tunnels or we go down the western arm, which is extremely scenic and takes longer. But, it depends where you intend to stay the night. Once we get that far, we're on the home run, of course. Having said all the above, we came back last September over the Albula Pass, which would have been very scenic were it not for the low cloud! It has a railway line going through it, which is one of the great Swiss routes and there's some very interesting information on Wikipedia about it and the Bernina Pass, so we intend to go that way next time. Everything depends on the weather, so whichever way you plan to go, you may have to revise your route on the day.
They've changed the artwork since I last looked, too. Interestingly, once you get past the home page, you can select the little Union Jack in the top righthand corner, but it's not there before that. On the home page, if you look over to the right in the box halfway down under the blue buttons (Famiglie, Aziende, Condomini) you will see "My Enel" and a blue button "Accedi", which gets you to the log in page, then follow the directions of the other comment above.
Enjoyed your blog and agree with all the other comments from other readers. What a joy to read witty, well written, good English. Have simply had to bookmark you, Phil. MONICA
We heartily agree with the other two replies to this post that stone is far better than wood for worktops. My husband's business sells woodworking cutting tools and over the years he has had endless carpenters and joiners moaning about having to fit or replace wooden worktops and how short a time they last. Wood is not the material to put in close proximity to water, because of course it will cause it to swell and I wonder whether your local kitchen supplier means "dampness" rather than humidity of the air. There are also other man-made stone materials, Corian being one brand, which are widely used as an alternative and which can be worked with specialised woodworking cutting tools, whereas stone is more difficult to work. Some of the solid surface materials are liable to stain, however, but so also is marble. All in all, if we were doing our kitchen at home (which we are not!), I would choose granite any day. Hope this helps.
Thanks for your reply and how interesting that you have an apartment, presumably in Nesso... Such great views and I would imagine you are slightly more fit when you leave, with all those stone staircases! There are so many great walks around, but we have found many from these websites: www.greenwaydellago.it (This is over on the western shore and runs from Colonno to Cadenabbia - well signed and really interesting, can be done in small bits.) http://www.bellagiolakecomo.com/Italiano/______Informazioni_generali/__Itinerari_a_piedi/index.php (There are three walks from Bellagio, all of which are worth doing, particularly the one to the eastern hamlets which takes in Visgnola) You probably know about the ancient ways which run along both sides of the lake and the western side of the triangolo lariano: the Strada della Regina, the Strada del Viandante and the Strada Regia. An author, Albano Marcarini, has written up the walks in stages in a series of lovely little books, which he has illustrated in watercolours and photos. We are doing the Strada Regia from Brunate to Bellagio, which is in five parts. We have done Brunate - Torno, Torno - Pognana and this summer did Pognana - Nesso. Have a look at Marcarini's website www.vasentiero.it where there are other walks, some in Switzerland and near Como, which can be downloaded. Finally, you also probably know about the Sacro Monte di Ossuccio with its 14 chapels. We walked up the Via Crucis this summer from Ossuccio to the sanctuary at the top, slightly strenuous it has to be said in late June temperatures, but a great view of the lake from the top. And the bar behind the sanctuary was MOST welcome and their homemade pear and chocolate tart fantastic! Hope this is useful and would be nice to hear from you again.