Calais to Venice

[njthake]

I am travelling down to Venice next week via Luxembourg ,Stuttgart and Insbruck, ( keeping off the expensive French and Swiss route).
Please can anyone recommend a reasonable midway stop, for a good meal and bed?
Nick

 

[tri39]

I have used Ulm, and Augsburg.
But then I continue to Salzburg and cross the Alps to Villach and Udine via the Tauern and Katschberg tunnels on good roads on my way to Trieste.
But I'm going to return via Bolzano and Innsbruck at end of May. Which entails crossing the Dolomites and the Tirol, which must be the scenic route!

 

[PlanB]

The Dolomites certainly is the scenic route - Merino worth an overnight.

 

[nimbusgb]

The whole journey is between 1300 and 1400 km depending on your route. Innsbruck is beyond 1/2 way on the way down but worth getting to. The Venice ferries leave at 12:00 or 14:00 so you need to be able to get to Venice before then so there's that to consider. Innsbruck to Venice via the Brenner is only 400 km even going the long way round via tolla all the way. Allow 5 hours - 1 coffee / petrol stop but only 1 toll stop now.

I did the trip last weekend ( thread ) - Other way round though - and managed to avoid all of the European toll and vignette chages apart from €9.40!

 

[RichardS]

We find that it is a lot longer if you avoid the tolls.

On our regular trips to Split I clock up 2000 km from Calais but can guarantee that we will arrive in Split 24 hours after we dock in Calais.

We cross the Rhine from France to Germany at Baden Baden so not too long on French tolls, then free until the Austrian crossing at Salzburg. £20 vignette return for Austria then £15 vignette return for Slovenia at Villach and £15 return in tolls for Croatia from Zagreb.

Admittedly, the tolls do mount up but, at least until I retire, I'm time-poor and cash-rich!

Richard

 

[njthake]

Thanks for your comments. I think I will search for a hotel and head for Ulm.
Nick

 

[jimbaerselman]

Jeez, you guys certainly rush through Europe. I take these trips as holidays, with a minimum of four stops en route each way, spending two nights at each stop. And changes to the route each year.

This year its Arromanches, to see the Mulberry harbours; Blois to sip some Loire wines, visit a Chateau and see the museum of magic; Beaune for a Burgundy wine tasting and a meal at our favourite European restaurant, Modena for it's beautiful square and cafes, Ancona (rather than Venice; been there, and more ferry flexiblity this year), Katakolon to visit Olympia . . .

We'll return via the Dolomites (Chiusa), Bavarian beer gardens, Mosel rieslings, Cap Gris Nez Sunday French lunch, Calais shopping.

Inland cruising adds another dimension to exploring by boat around the coasts.

 

[binch]

Venice

It being our 60th wedding anniversary, we went last month by Orient Express. Worth all that saving up.