Driving to Italy
The journey from London to Rome is a somewhat grueling 1,800km, which normally involves about 20 hours of driving. It is best spread over two days as the quickest route, on the motorways, is really monotonous. Unless you are sharing the cost between four passengers, travelling by car is more expensive than flying, as on top of the basic fuel cost there is also the cross-channel ferry or train to pay for, motorway tolls in both France and Italy, as well as accommodation and other general travel expenses.
The most direct and quickest route is by taking the Euro Tunnel (eurotunnel.com) or the short ferry crossing from Dover or Folkestone to Calais or Boulogne, then driving through France to Base1 in Switzerland. P & 0 Stena Line (www.posl.com) operates regular crossings from Dover to Calais and offers plenty to do for children and adults en route with a range of shops and activity areas. For information or reservations call 0870 6000600 - remember to check out bargain crossings, if you intend to use this ferry route on a regular basis.
At the Swiss border you will be requested to pay a tax which is levied on all Swiss road users and be presented with a sticker to display in your window, which permits you to use the Swiss road system until the end of the year in which it is issued. Finally, from Switzerland head through the Alps via the Gotthard Tunnel to Milan. Otherwise you can avoid Switzerland by crossing the Alps via the Mont Blanc tunnel. An alternative route is to take the longer ferry crossing to Ostend or Zeebrugge, and travel through Belgium and Germany where the motorways are free, although you will have to pay for the Brenner Autobahn in Austria.
