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I don't use Calais, preferring to use Speed Ferries or Maersk (Norfolk Lines) but we begin in roughly the same area.

To Bari from Calais is 1200 miles, and you'd be insane if you tried to do it in anything under three days. Our route takes us to Abruzzo, and it takes us two days to get to our home in Italy, starting at 5AM on the first day in england (we live on the south coast in the UK so getting to the ferry doesn't take long).

The shortest route is via Switzerland where you will have to pay for a vignette at the border to permit you to drive on the motorway.

Roughly our itineray is to drive Dunkerque, Metz, Strasbourg, Basel, Como, Milan, Bologna, then onto the Bologna/Bari autostrada (A14).

On the first day we can get as far as Strasbourg by 17:00. On the second day if we start early we can get all the way home to Abruzzo by 19:00. Since you're intending to go further I suggest stopping no further south than Ancona for your second day, then continuing to Puglia on the third, i.e. driving about 400 miles a day.

If you have more stamina than I do, you may get into Germany at the end of your first day but I can't recommend it. The hotels in Germany aren't as good as the hotels around Strasbourg.

I don't know what sort of car you have, but again, I can't recommend this drive in a bog standard saloon car. You need a car with armchairs rather than seats. If you have never driven 1200 miles before, then think very carefully before you undertake the drive. If you've never driven on the left or in Italy before think several times before setting out.

We bought a house last October south of Gallipoli which is about 2.25 hrs drive from Bari. We sometimes fly into Bari with Ryanair. We are thinking of driving out there in June, leaving the car for the summer and then driving back in September.

According to [url]www.theAA.com[/url] route planner it is 1375 miles from Calais to our house with a non-stop driving time of 20 hrs and 15 mins which is an average of 68 mph. With 2 of us driving we would plan on 680 miles a day cruising at 85 to 90 mph which allowing for stops would take about 10 hrs a day and do it in 2 days. Plan to take the evening ferry to Calais, have a good nights sleep and go for it.

Back in the sixties, my father-in-law would make the same journey from Llanelli in South Wales with 4 up in a Ford Cortina MkII or whatever in 3.5 days. This was before the M4 was built and certainly there were no dual carriageways in Southern Italy.

Good luck

Martin

[QUOTE=Vicarym]According to [url]www.theAA.com[/url] route planner it is 1375 miles from Calais to our house with a non-stop driving time of 20 hrs and 15 mins which is an average of 68 mph. With 2 of us driving we would plan on 680 miles a day cruising at 85 to 90 mph which allowing for stops would take about 10 hrs a day and do it in 2 days. Plan to take the evening ferry to Calais, have a good nights sleep and go for it.[/QUOTE]

And given the current anger in France over high speed Brits heading to and from ports, any attempt to drive at the sort of speed you need to average to get an average of 68 mph on the journey will put you in risk of a huge fine. There have been radar, laser and Truvelo sped traps on every route that I have used through France recently with squads of motorcycle cops to pick up the speeders. Switzerland is also quite keen, and although the autobahn is unrestricted, the two lane section from Strasbourg to Basel isn't the best in the world for high speeds. Then there's the queue for a vignette at the border.

It's possible to make the trip in two days, I can certainly make it to Pescara in two days. But I doubt that it's possible to get south of Bari in two days without putting the driver(s) at risk of a speeding fine or an accident.

Dep 10pm day one. Drive London to Dusseldorf. AutoZug Dusseldorf to Munich Dep 6am Arr 1pm. Spend afternoon in Munich. Overnight AutoZug Munich to Naples Dep evening arrive late following morning. Drive Naples to Puglia Takes about 40 hours total and costs only a little bit more than petrol, tolls and hotels.

Have you done it by autozug then? Is it easy and hassle free?

Very easy and hassle free. German efficiency. Proper restaurant cars on trains too. Can also do French Motor Rail Calais - Nice and if, and it is a BIG IF, you can get a space ½ûÂþÌìÌà Motor Rail Torino - Bari. Latter is Friday only and you must book three months ahead for June/July.

All in all for a straight through journet Detsch AutoZug is best

Regards