Navigation to Messolonghi

[DrBob]

....by road. We are driving down to the boat via the Venice - Patras ferry and looking for the best route from Calais down to Venice. We have done the trip a couple of times but mainly using France. Given the hassle there, are there any other suggestions? We did the trip earlier in the year through Switzerland so have paid for the motorway toll for the year already.

We'll probably stop at least twice on the way down- any good suggestions on places to stop.

......hope the showers are working!!!! (no that's not an invitation to slag the place off!!!!!!)

 

[Tranona]

When I did the trip a couple of years ago (to Brindisi but the early part is the same) I took the Michelin recommended route from Dunkirk via Brussels, Basel, St Gotthard, Milan - turn left for Venice - straight on for Brindisi!

Think this route has minimum time in France. Made it to Swiss/Italian border in one day (midnight ferry) and Brindisi next day.

Hope this helps

 

[Caladh]

I'd also be intersted in road routes to Venice and will be doing the same in 2011. The facilities at Messolonghi marina are clean, working and hot ! We have just got back from laying our yacht up there last week.

 

[Eurydice]

Dr Bob

We have tried several routes from UK to Greece mainly trying to avoid the tolls but have always been clobbered for a years road tax in Switzerland. Friends of ours advised us the quickest and easiest route is as follows but we personally have not tried it out as yet:-

From Calais head for Germany skirting the Swiss boarder and down to Venice.
(Don't forget that from Patra you can hop on one of the little ferries from Patra to the other side for just 9.60 euro instead of 11 euros over the bridge and it only take a little over quarter hour)

Hope it helps

 

[duncan99210]

Try going to http://www.theaa.com and using their route planner. If you put in Calais as start point and Venice as end point and put in Frankfurt am Main as a via, it'll give you a route via Belgium, Germany and Austria. It adds about 150 mile to the route but time is about the same as via France and Switzerland and avoids tolls and Swiss taxes.

Not doen the route for some years myself but we reveresed it going to the Netherlands some years ago and it's a nice route through some spectacular scenery in southern Germany, Austria and Italy.

I'd have suggested going to Oberamagau en route but it's Passion Play year so there's no point in going anywhere near the place.

 

[vyv_cox]

A few comments. We have driven to Greece and back for the past three years.

1. Always plan your route to pass through Luxembourg. Fuel costs less there than anywhere else in Europe. In August diesel was €0.99 per litre. You can very easily go through Belgium, into Luxembourg, out down free motorways into France and hence to Basel.

2. There are charges to use Austrian motorways, all users should stop at a service station to buy a permit. You will be fined if found not to have one. There is an additional charge for the Brenner pass. When these are taken into account it costs less to pass through Switzerland than Austria. €30 for a Swiss vignette for a year doesn't seem extortionate when you see what you get for it, e.g. use of the St Gotthard tunnel 14 km long.

3. This summer the Rion ferry cost exactly the same as the bridge, €11.

 

[DrBob]

Duncan 99......

the AA route looks interesting. Which tunnel does it use from Insbruck south over the Alps? This route avoids going round Milan which is a big bonus.

We have already paid our Swiss motorway tax so going through Switzerland is not a problem. Anyone stayed near Lake Como on the way down?

 

[vyv_cox]

Brenner Pass. Tolls start at €8.

From http://www.austria.info/us/practical-information/driving-regulations-in-austria-1084578.html
Toll stickers are required on all vehicles on Austria's motorways and highways!
Stickers can be obtained from the Austrian Automobile Clubs as well as post offices, sundries and gasoline stations. Please note that stickers are also available in Austria's neighboring countries at gasoline stations, at borders as well as Automobile clubs.

The following fees apply:
•A twelve-months sticker for private cars amd motorhomes weighing up to 3.5 tons is EURO 76.20 (2011: EURO 76.50) and for motorcycles EURO 30.40 (2011: EURO 30.50)


•A two-months sticker for travel to and through Austria is EURO 22.90 (2011: EURO 23.00) for private cars and motorhomes up to 3.5 t


•A 10-day sticker for cars and vehicles up to and incl. 3.5t is EURO 7.90
These stickers must be applied on the upper middle or left side of the windshield. Motorists who do not possess the appropriate sticker will have to pay a fine of EURO 300 (up to EURO 3,000). Cars rented in neighboring countries may or may not be equipped with the sticker. Please obtain one from your car rental agency.

We have stayed near Lake Como, but in a camper van, not accommodation.

 

[tri39]

I drive to Monfalcone about two hours east of Venice every May.
I was advised by an Italian ex-trucker to stay north of the Alps E52 all the way to Salzburg.
Then cross Austria via the Tauern and Katschberg tunnels E55 (about 10e toll), and similar for a 10 day Austrian road tax. From Villach turn right to Udine and down to the coast and right again to Venice.
This route is all modern motorway and an easy Alps crossing.
When I first tried driving west east through northern Italy I found it very slow.
Large traffic jams build up at the toll booths and the autostradas are old and narrow.

 

[nimbusgb]

I'm with Vyv here. Done the trip several times.

Cross channel ferries - I prefer Norfolk direct to Dunkerque but you pays your money

Ferries in Greece / Italy - book via www.greekferries.gr

Calais, Dunkerque, Brussels, Namur, Metz, Luxemborg, Basel, Luzern, Milan, Verona, Venice. Stay away from French Tolls!

There is little to be gained by driving the length of Italy, either to Ancona, Bari or Brindisi.

Venice to Igonomitsa is a pleasure on the ferry, get a cabin and relax for 24 hours. Drive to Messolonghi in about 3 hours. Venice Patras will get you to within 45 minutes drive of Messolonghi. Take € cash for the Toll bridge at Rio. They didn't accept C/Cards last time I crossed.

 

[Chris_Robb]

I'm with Vyv here. Done the trip several times.

Cross channel ferries - I prefer Norfolk direct to Dunkerque but you pays your money

Ferries in Greece / Italy - book via www.greekferries.gr

Calais, Dunkerque, Brussels, Namur, Metz, Luxemborg, Basel, Luzern, Milan, Verona, Venice. Stay away from French Tolls!

There is little to be gained by driving the length of Italy, either to Ancona, Bari or Brindisi.

Venice to Igonomitsa is a pleasure on the ferry, get a cabin and relax for 24 hours. Drive to Messolonghi in about 3 hours. Venice Patras will get you to within 45 minutes drive of Messolonghi. Take € cash for the Toll bridge at Rio. They didn't accept C/Cards last time I crossed.

Hi - I have looked at that website, but I cannot get past the wealth of accommodation types that mean absolutely nothing to me and come up - class not available..... despite the green flag on the item

 

[vyv_cox]

Hi - I have looked at that website, but I cannot get past the wealth of accommodation types that mean absolutely nothing to me and come up - class not available..... despite the green flag on the item

I have not looked at these ferry sites recently but I agree with you totally based on last year's experience. We particularly wanted to travel Minoan, Venice to Igoumenitsa. Their website proved to be a nightmare, with a requirement that everything is entered before it tells you that what you want is not available, even though it seemed earlier that it was. We spent more than two hours on it and didn't reach a conclusion. We then looked at Superfast and booked within 10 minutes.

 

[Chris_Robb]

I have not looked at these ferry sites recently but I agree with you totally based on last year's experience. We particularly wanted to travel Minoan, Venice to Igoumenitsa. Their website proved to be a nightmare, with a requirement that everything is entered before it tells you that what you want is not available, even though it seemed earlier that it was. We spent more than two hours on it and didn't reach a conclusion. We then looked at Superfast and booked within 10 minutes.

Great booking site - Superfast- dead easy. I cannot believe the difference between the two. How do they do any business at all!

 

[Philthy]

I'm with Vyv here. Done the trip several times.

Cross channel ferries - I prefer Norfolk direct to Dunkerque but you pays your money

Ferries in Greece / Italy - book via www.greekferries.gr

Calais, Dunkerque, Brussels, Namur, Metz, Luxemborg, Basel, Luzern, Milan, Verona, Venice. Stay away from French Tolls!

There is little to be gained by driving the length of Italy, either to Ancona, Bari or Brindisi.

Venice to Igonomitsa is a pleasure on the ferry, get a cabin and relax for 24 hours. Drive to Messolonghi in about 3 hours. Venice Patras will get you to within 45 minutes drive of Messolonghi. Take € cash for the Toll bridge at Rio. They didn't accept C/Cards last time I crossed.

Driving a truck is considerably more expensive than driving a car, and this is the route I used to take. From Calais to Milan, via Brussels ring road, Luxembourg (fill your tanks to the brim), Nancy, over the col de bussang, and down into Basel, cross Switzerland (DO NOT SPEED they will hang you!), through the Gotthard tunnel, and arrive at Milano. Decide whether to ferry down the Adriatic, or drive down Italy, your choice. I'm with Nimbus on this, driving is a slog, peppered with Italian drivers
The section from Luxembourg to Metz/Nancy used to be free, not sure if it still is? Don't be put off by the mountain pass "col de bussang" it is a very good road, fit for me in an artic! It used to take me 8 hours in a heavy from Calais to Basel, and that was loaded, and restricted to 56mph.
Some more tips:
Avoid Brussels ring road during peak times, ditto Milano, they're just crazy, plain and simple. Buy fuel in Luxembourg, as much as you can. If you take the mickey by using jerry cans, expect a fine for importing if the gendarmes collar you south of the border. One can is ok, two might attract attention (only if you're stopped of course). The control freakery that is Switzerland, will nail you to the nearest tree, if they catch you breaking any traffic law. Milano, while a beautiful place, is not best viewed through a windscreen. Try to cross it when it is quiet, or better yet, at night.
Here's a google map link:
Calais to Messalonghi

 

[vyv_cox]

That's almost exactly the route we have used twice now. The motorway section south of Luxembourg towards Nancy was free this year. We took the N59 road from Nancy to Basel via the new tunnel that brings you out a little north of Colmar. Perhaps slightly further but very pleasant.

From Milan we have always gone to Ancona, which is as close to a straight line as you will get on any road.

 

[Philthy]

That's almost exactly the route we have used twice now. The motorway section south of Luxembourg towards Nancy was free this year. We took the N59 road from Nancy to Basel via the new tunnel that brings you out a little north of Colmar. Perhaps slightly further but very pleasant.

Slightly faster as well, but I'm a cheapskate,and didn't like paying for the tunnel plus I used to trigger the safe height sensors if I didn't let the air suspension down an inch or two.
Nice to know the Metz/Nancy section is still free.