Hello

03/01/2010 - 12:38

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Hi to all, Apologies as it will take me a while to get used to the board and where and how to post messages! Have been 'lurking' around for several weeks and found it very interesting browsing the various topics. Will come back soon.

No need to lurk .... come on in and join the fun....... welcome. Joy

Welcome to the Community. We look forward to hearing more from you.

Hi and Welcome to the Community.

Thanks for your welcomes, I had a bit of trouble finding out how to post, the text box was missing which was odd? Anyway, I do seem able to reply to others posts so that's a start! I'm about to make my first trip to italy this summer with my family, though I am a confirmed lover of italian food and wine!# I have decided to drive, for several reasons, not least because both my wife and I hate flying! Anyway, I'm sure I will write more about that at a later date, but I must admit I'm having sleepless nights over it already, and have great concerns over the Gotthard tunnel! We'll be heading for Assissi, but it seems so far, although my Italian friend Mario regularly drives non stop to south of Rimini with two drivers and thinks I'm worrying for no reason! We shall see!

Don't worry about the journey Spirit. It's like any other you've done. We have been going back and forth from Essex to Perugia using Eurotunnel then across northern France, dropping down through the Alsace to Basle and through St. Gotthard tunnel and on into Italy. The roads are motorways and very well sign posted, good stops for lunch etc and hundreds of places to stay. It is almost impossible to go wrong. What are yourparticular worries re the tunnel? Portia

Thanks for all your reassuring words, I've done some driving on the continent before mainly around Normandy, but this will be the longest drive by far. My main worry on the St Gotthard is the terrible tales I've read on the traffic, particularly in the summer? I'm fairly hopeful on the trip down as we have arranged an overnight in Luzern, which means we can get an early start on the sunday morning. Coming back is more of a worry, as we will be travelling on a saturday and would expect to hit the tunnel about mid to late afternoon (august 1st)!! I have read about the alternative of the San Bernadino, but I'm wondering if that would put hours onto the journey, which might mean better just to risk the Gotthard? We have friends who live in Zurich, unfortunately they're back in England that weekend, so a bad trip means we could be well and truly frazzled by the time we get to our return stop over in Strasbourg!

Hey, you think you've got worries. My 20 year old son is adamant that he is riding all the way from Cambridgeshire to Le Marche on his motorbike. And he plans to do it next month. I won't be sleeping for a very long time. Grandfather very generously bought him a new motorbike when he passed his test at the end of last year but for reasons beyond me he bought it in England. We live in Italy!!

How long does he intend to take? I suggest he does no more than 300km a day and makes it into a holiday, staying at cheap Premiere Classe hotels and the like. Catching some of the sights on the way. Has he considered the weather? It could be miserable for him. (I had an awful soggy trip round Loch Ness in August when I was a student - but I'm no "Biker") I wish him all the best and I'm sure he'll be fine Ciao Billy

Hi Billy As he's been in car/van on 3 trips whilst we were moving here and we did it in two days each time stopping at Dijon for the night, he's under the illusion he can do the same. Have tried explaining not practical as Bike very different to car. Not that I've ever done more than hop on the back of his off-road bike one afternoon to travel 650m down our road. He has bought himself a sat nav and spent hours studying route but is a little concerned by the Milan to Marche element of the journey. Weather is a major issue and he won't set off until we have better weather and good forecast for the whole journey - may end up June:-) I am reluctant to let him do it alone and have pretty much made the decision to go meet him either at Dijon or Calais. Bike too big to go on the back of dad's Ford Ranger but at least he will have company and someone close by if he needs help. Mums hey!! Thanks for your best wishes and words of encouragement. Karen

If you have half an hour to spare, and the weather is not too bad - go up over the St Gotthard pass - fantastic views Driving down is a doddle - if you use the search facility on this site, you'll find plenty of info and advice on driving to Italy

Dear Spirit Well, staying in Lucerne and an early start should get you to the tunnel before any traffic can build up. August 1st is a Sunday not a saturday. I have never travelled in August, but when there is a build up of traffic there are traffic lights and the number of vehicles allowed into the tunnel at anyone time is limited for safety reasons. We once had to go through the San Bernadino tunnel when the San Got was unexpectedly closed and it took condiderably longer not least because the route took us through Zurich and we had to stop at every set of traffic lights. By the time we reached Metz we were indeed frazzled. Portia

You are of course correct, it is saturday 31st July that we travel back! I think I'm going to invest in a good satnav, the sort that gives you up to the minute traffic warnings and only detour from the Gotthard if I really have to!

If you are worried about the journey back through the tunnel on a Saturday [and it could get pretty busy then], I'd suggest you get off the motorway before the tunnel[the Faido Jcn is about 12 miles before the tunnel] and follow the 'minor' road that parallels the motorway, and go up over the pass Allow an extra hour to be on the safe side Simples