Verne

07/24/2013 - 06:53

Am going to get the 8.00 pm Dover/Calais ferry, then drive from Calais to Genoa to get ferry to Palermo. Should arrive Calais 11.00 pm local time, ferry from Genoa is 11.00 pm next day. Best route across France please, allowing a couple of comfort breaks.How long does this journey actually take ?

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About 750 miles - 11 or 12 hours driving time [excluding all stops] So you could, in theory, have a kip in a hotel [just] before the Mont Blanc tunnel [depending on your route] and have about 3 hrs [or so] driving left the next morningI'd probably go into Italy and leave a shorter drive [say 60 - 90 mins] in the morning

I tend to go via Switzerland as it avoids french toll roads, and road tunnel charges.   I recommend cutting up to Belgium [via Lille] and on to Luxemburg, then down to Metz, Nancy and then Colmar and Basle bypass into Switzerland.It is a wee bit further than blasting down to Metz on the french autoroute, but is totally toll free and Luxembourg petrol is cheap [motorway petrol price is the same as off the motorway]You do need a Swiss Vignette [buy it at the German services at Bad Bellingen], but you have saved on French road toll charges - and it lasts until the end of Jan next yearNo further charges in switzerland [fill up with fuel before getting to Italy, on the Locarno road, just off the motorway - motrway petrol prices are high]Only toll charges will be on the Italian autostrada