Our first big drive during a school holiday weekend and we are headed to the triangle between Florence, Pisa, and Siena. Due to a work commitment, the earliest we can leave the Nyon area is about 10:30 AM on Thursday.
Via Michelin, google maps, and the cars navi system are all saying to take the Mt. Blanc Tunnel route. I've checked the https://www.tunnelmb.net/en-US/closures-and-forecasts forecast and it says that the tunnel will be moving well that day.
Dare I believe them? The St. Bernard Tunnel says it will be slammed the entire day pretty much http://www.letunnel.com/homepage.asp?l=3
We are hoping to arrive near Pisa around 8PM. Are we too ambitious? Would the passes take the same amount of time? I know that there's no accounting for accidents and such, but having never done this drive before... just wondering how bad it will be.
Also is there anything to know regarding the tunnel tolls? Planning on getting a round trip one. Can we just pay with a local credit card at a toll booth or is there another way that this works?
Finally... the horror of the Sunday return - estimated to be "yellow at the MB tunnel by noon (30 minute wait) and red by 3PM (one hour wait)" ... I'm going to try to hit the tunnel by 2PM latest... or should we just buy a one way toll and head over the mountains instead... or will that be just as awful in other ways. Also, what is the waiting like? Is there a parking lot that they let you out through? Do you just slowly move along the road? Is it orderly or are there a thousand other drivers just making each other more miserable?
I looked at other threads, however the Mt. Blanc ones are from 2012, and the others don't give too much detail other than leave early, take the train, or stay home.
Edited to add: what sort of services can I expect along the highways in Italy (and France for that matter), will I find petrol stations, convenience stores, and cleanish toilets at rest areas that are on the major highways (I'm thinking similar to the one at La Cote near Rolle)? Any that I should absolutely avoid?
Mt Blanc is never too bad, it does not suffer the horrors of the Gotthard or even the St Bernhard as it avoids all the Germans flowing through.
So my advice to you is to go in peace and don't over stress it and enjoy and worse comes to worse wait a bit.
The Mt Blanc is still the fastest way.
The highway down to Genova has a lot of roadwoklrks which may slow you down a bit on both directions.
K
I hope you're right! Makes me feel a bit better...
At that hour on Thursday you will have likely missed the worst which will be Wed. pm. That being said, half of CH and others to the north head south over these long weekend holidays so it will never be easy. The return on Sunday will be the worst nightmare though.
The road turns into a parking lot. Total standstill, then creeps along from time to time. Lots get out of their cars to have a stretch and a break from time to time.
I may be totally wrong but its what I would do - Gotthard is a different story and there I plan obsessively.
Similar but different in that I am going from next Monday to Lake Como for one day then Lugano to the following Monday.
Seems a return ticket valid 7 days will work well but pity you cannot buy the ticket online before, unless I am mistaken.
I still think I am going to set out early morning both ways - not sure if it is going to help.
Seems everyone tells me just don't go -via- any of the Swiss routes
The SMTB website for the tunnel has a good guide for the busy hours, it's generally useful. The
local press in France says it'll be busy from Wednesday to Thursday too, on Wednesday from midday to midnight and Thursday from 6am to 3pm.
If you want cheaper fuel, stop in Chamonix for the Carrefour supermarket, a 2km detour but cheaper as fuel is more expensive in Italy. But once in Italy the roadside rest stops have good food and often local produce (still not a Michi No Eki). All the toll booths take cards.
Well. Three hours in line to leave France today. Best conversations I’ve had with the wife in months.
Count yourself lucky you still married
Left Zurich Thursday morning at 7am, got to chiasso about 3h later, which is actually very good.
Then we took almost 1 hour to do the last 8km to the town of Como
I was just checking the trains and to Lugano on an early train for Monday it goes to Zurich then change there, something telling me I live in the wrong part of the country
Just considering to go by train rather than road trip - will see as I hurt my ankle
Return was much quicker. About thirty five minutes wait at the tunnel.