Can I drive this route in April? Basle > Ferrara (Alps)
March 10, 2010 5:09 AM Subscribe
Excuse my ignorance of just how big the Alps are, can I drive this route in April?
Basle,Swi -> Ferrara,ITA.
Exact Google Maps route: Route
My car is nothing special so no off roading in snow possible! Thanks in advance.
Response by poster: Thanks, that's great. Puts my mind at rest!
posted by tomw at 5:53 AM on March 10, 2010
posted by tomw at 5:53 AM on March 10, 2010
Should be fine, yes. Those are very well-traveled roads, and as handee says, they make quite the effort to keep them clear, even in winter.
Says this commenter who's been to that area of France and Switzerland many times in winter, and also through the Tunnel du Mont Blanc a few times. Good grief that tunnel is long.
You'll probably have to worry more about how people drive in the southern areas you'll be visiting than about weather. Keep your eyes peeled for irrational, dangerous drivers... And people in Lamborghinis who you only see for a split second in your rear view mirror before feeling your car lurch to the side from the air displacement as they pass you going god-knows-how-many-KPH.
posted by fraula at 6:11 AM on March 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Says this commenter who's been to that area of France and Switzerland many times in winter, and also through the Tunnel du Mont Blanc a few times. Good grief that tunnel is long.
You'll probably have to worry more about how people drive in the southern areas you'll be visiting than about weather. Keep your eyes peeled for irrational, dangerous drivers... And people in Lamborghinis who you only see for a split second in your rear view mirror before feeling your car lurch to the side from the air displacement as they pass you going god-knows-how-many-KPH.
posted by fraula at 6:11 AM on March 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
You'll probably have to worry more about how people drive in the southern areas you'll be visiting than about weather. Keep your eyes peeled for irrational, dangerous drivers... And people in Lamborghinis who you only see for a split second in your rear view mirror before feeling your car lurch to the side from the air displacement as they pass you going god-knows-how-many-KPH.
Seconding this. As (apparently) one of the few US drivers who subscribes to the belief that the left lane should be used solely for passing, driving in Italy was a breath of fresh air for me.
Stay out of the left lane unless you're passing someone, and if you take your time about it, expect angry flashing high beams and honking from the driver of the extremely fast car waiting to pass you.
posted by swngnmonk at 9:11 AM on March 10, 2010
I drove from Marseille to Innsbruck this past summer, which appears to be of similar distance and crosses some of the same territory in northern Italy. Aside from cliffside-highway-induced vertigo, it was very nice. I encountered no crazy driving anywhere along the route from anyone. I did learn to drive in Massachusetts, though, so I might have been the scariest driver around.
The one thing to be aware of is that it'll probably be crazy expensive in tolls. That drive ended up costing us somewhere north of 50 euro. I was very surprised, given the whole socialist europe reputation.
posted by rusty at 11:34 AM on March 10, 2010
The one thing to be aware of is that it'll probably be crazy expensive in tolls. That drive ended up costing us somewhere north of 50 euro. I was very surprised, given the whole socialist europe reputation.
posted by rusty at 11:34 AM on March 10, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'm no expert on the Italian alps, but living in Grenoble I can say a few things to reassure you... They make a LOT of effort round here to keep the roads up to the mountains clear (too much money comes from ski-season). April's not so bad - it's tail end of the snow and there probably won't be any in the valleys at all (we've not had more than a couple of inches since late Jan).
posted by handee at 5:14 AM on March 10, 2010