French and Italian Alps - June/July 2012

[AndyCook]

11 days to go and we are off to the Alps

Newcastle-Amsterdam Ferry - then 2 days via Germany, Switzerland and Italy -down to Tende - "la tete de alps" for a day of lanes along the mountain border ridge, with lots of forts to look at

then to the Cote d'Azur, Menton, Nice, Cannes, followed by 6-8 days of mountain trails North from Nice to Val'disere in the Alps

Hope the high passes are clear of snow!

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[Beau]

I've done a similar trip to you last year.

I would recommend going to this lake. Its called Oeschinen Lake and its near Kanderstag.You can drive up there depending on how well the weather is, if you have a suitable 4x4, in which case I'm sure you do If not, its a good Hike!

Also worth popping down Monaco since you'l be close by. Very nice down there.

Have a good trip!

 

[SpinDrift]

Looks like a great trip Andy. Interesting part of the world. Looking forward to your photos and report.

But more importantly, enjoy.

 

[AndyCook]

Thanks for recommendation Beau - I will see if it fits with my itinerary

i suspect the "pistes" / trails won't have any challenging bits compared with the harder bits on the Pyrenees last year.
But the mountain biking will still be good

May be linking up with a couple in a Hilux who we met in Pyrenees last summer.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Looks great Andy - safe travels, and hoping for some sunshine, somewhere, for you guys

 

[AndyCook]

1 day to go and we are off tomorrow- via Inverness to drop the dogs off at my folks

had a slow puncture on one of landcruiser tyres - it turned out it was leaking around the valve, so local garage cleaned up the hole the valve goes through and fitted a new one.
I was going to carry mountain bikes in trailer to Inverness and leave trailer there, to give dogs more room in back, but small trailer also has a flat and trailer spare also flat...and i am not taking the big heavy trailer - so will squeeze the dogs in with the bikes somehow for the short journey to Inverness

Ferry crossing on Thursday
then planned this route on map, via Germany and Switzerland, entering Italy via Grand St Bernard pass and Val 'Aosta rather than going via Milan which most route planners suggest.
Hope to be near Limone Piemonte or Tende "C" on map after 2 days, and will be doing a day on the trails in La Tete D'Alpes seeing lots of mountain top border fortifcations
before heading to Nice/Cannes D/E on map - then 8 days traveling north to "G" i.e. Tignes, which will involve a lot of trails
Finally a diversion to Rhone Valley - Tain-D'Hermitage to pick up some "red stuff" !
And then 2 more days drive north to Amsterdam, via Nancy (or Troyes/Reims)

Just hope all trails are clear of snow...
wasnt going to take waffle boards as trails arent meant to be too hard, but put them in - just in case...
same for landachor and handwinch -
will be joined by a Hilux for a few days though, so wont all be solo


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[Gav Peter]

Have a good trip Andy - looking forward to the updates

 

[chadr]

Have a great trip Andy - look forward to some pics and updates!

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Are you stopping at all in Switzerland Andy? We have a stop over in Switzerland on our way down to Pompeii later in the year and have a site in mind but I'll be interested to hear any recomendations you might have when you get back

 

[AndyCook]

Are you stopping at all in Switzerland Andy? We have a stop over in Switzerland on our way down to Pompeii later in the year and have a site in mind but I'll be interested to hear any recomendations you might have when you get back

Not intentionally overnight Jon - maybe for lunch on the 2nd day, dug out my swiss francs for that.

we will probably stop 1/2 way between Amsterdam and Tende on the 2 day road trip down (which is about 1400km) , as i doubt we would get as far as Switzerland in a day - so our stop over will be around Strasbourg area ~700km, got a campsite in Germany in mind or one across border in france near a place called Colmar in the Alsace wine region

wont be crawling at 55-60mph this time, saved lots of diesel last year on run through France, but the extra hour or more in the car made it a much more tiring day...

but if we see anywhere i will let you know - how many days do youi plan to take to drive to Naples? camping trip? any offroading?

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

how many days do youi plan to take to drive to Naples? camping trip? any offroading?

Family camping trip, no intentional offroading We are stopping off a bit on the way down so 6 days to get down to Sorrento, originally taking the caravan but probably tenting now so there's a bit more flexibility. If I pull this off I might even get them doing something more adventurous next time Have a good trip, looking forward to the report(s) already

 

[AndyCook]

Just discovered you need to buy a "Motorway Vignette" - about 40 CF to drive on motorways in Switerland, you can order online - to get the sticker, but too late for me now to get it posted
so i will have to get at or near border and hope no queues

also discovered too late you can get E-dongles for the french peage (again to late to get one ordered and posted now), allowing you to drive straight through the peage "t" booths..

never had queues at the peage really last year, as quieter time of year, so hope the same this year

sounds like a good trip Jon and hope the family enjoys it, i have been the sorrento and Naples a couple times - once a geology field trip - Vesuvius and pompeii great.

plan to do less "reporting" during the trip this year as hope to do more wildcamps, and also spend less time struggling with slow wifi in evenings and more time chilling and enjoying the local beer and wines!

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

don't forget some breathalisers for France I am in two minds about Switzerland, what with needing a bit of currency just in case and having to buy a vignette for the motorway but it seemed like a good idea when we were planning our trip. Could still end up missing it out and having an extra day in France somewhere.

 

[AndyCook]

"don't forget some breathalisers for France"

yup got 4 of them the other day took about 5 weeks for them to come in post... due to demand

already have a reasonable amont of currency as i usually get to Geneva once or twice a year on work trips

 

[Graham]

You actually don't need the breathalyzers until December.

Just if you are stopped they may remind you.

Gra.

 

[Graham]

Hi all,

Hauled this 2000kg down through Dover, Dunkirk, France, Germany, Austria, Italy (Anconna, Naples, Roma) then Pisa, back through Monte Carlo and Spain.
Up again via Millau ect to Dunkirk

The LC was a diligent as ever, nothing to report.
Just 22 mpg.

Gra.

 

[AndyCook]

was that recently Graham ? big road trip
not surpised it was 22mpg with that huge caravan

i will be lucky to get 22mpg in my LC mind you... with all the mods

 

[SpinDrift]

Are you stopping at all in Switzerland Andy? We have a stop over in Switzerland on our way down to Pompeii later in the year and have a site in mind but I'll be interested to hear any recomendations you might have when you get back

Jon,

beware the bag snatchers on scooters in the Pompeii/Naples area. My mum had her handbag snatched off her shoulder there a few years back. A couple of lads on a scooter drove up behind her on the pavement in a busy street and cut through the straps with scissors. They were gone before she realised what happened.

Also, beware hands coming in through open windows from the same. It is normally a two scooter operation. One hits the car on the side and while everyone is distracted the accomplice puts his hand through a window on the opposite side to grab what he can. Then off they go.

Obviouly it could happen anywhere but ...

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Thanks for the warning(s), I'll try not to run over any scooter riders that bang into the cruiser We're aiming for a small site on the coast about 40.582978, 14.354770 and just day trip to Pompeii etc.

Sorry for the hijack Andy

 

[AndyCook]

Sorry for the hijack Andy

no probs - i jumped in on your pyrenees trip thread a lot last year
and you will be going through the Alps too