½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

[QUOTE=Stribs]We will be going to Abruzzo in January, we will need to take the car, although original thoughts are driving we are a bit apprehensive about crossing into Italy with the chances of bad weather.
Has anyone looked into the possibilty of putting the car on a train to Milan/Turin and driving the rest of the way.
I have not found anything on the forum, just wondered if anyone has looked into it.
Meanwhile I shall search the internet.
Saluti
Stribs[/QUOTE]

Friends used to regularly use this way to travel from the UK to Milan when they lived in Verona. However, I have a feeling it is only available over the summer months. Although we have thought of using it we have never actually done so, but they always used to say how easy and relaxing a way it was to travel. The website contact they gave us is -
[url]www.b-rail.be[/url]
I think the service is run by Belgian railways and you join the motorail train somewhere near Brussels (sorry I can't remember exactly where).
Hope this helps in your search.

[QUOTE=Stribs]We will be going to Abruzzo in January, we will need to take the car, although original thoughts are driving we are a bit apprehensive about crossing into Italy with the chances of bad weather.
Has anyone looked into the possibilty of putting the car on a train to Milan/Turin and driving the rest of the way.
I have not found anything on the forum, just wondered if anyone has looked into it.
Meanwhile I shall search the internet.
Saluti
Stribs[/QUOTE]

Hi there,

I haven't actually done it, but have looked into it. I found details quite easily by searching the web. I agree, I think it was run by Belgian railways and only operates in the Summer - we never used the option, as it always worked out cheaper and quicker to fly and hire a car!!

I'd be interested in your experience, if you try it.

Julie

[QUOTE=Stribs]We will be going to Abruzzo in January, we will need to take the car, although original thoughts are driving we are a bit apprehensive about crossing into Italy with the chances of bad weather.
Has anyone looked into the possibilty of putting the car on a train to Milan/Turin and driving the rest of the way.
I have not found anything on the forum, just wondered if anyone has looked into it.
Meanwhile I shall search the internet.
Saluti
Stribs[/QUOTE]

We drove up to Courmayeur last winter and the motorways were all fine. Only if there are exceptional overnight snow falls like in southern Italy last year does driving become a problem. Bear in mind they are geared up for the snow in the alps etc and keep the roads clear. if you do decide to drive you will reqiure snowchains for your car with you by law in Italy.

Thanks for your replies. Willing it do it myself, boss has second thoughts.
David and Linda, thanks for info on snow chains did'nt know that.
Saluti

Hello, for your info treni italy offer a service called travel with car on board, [url]http://www.trenitalia.com/en/servizi_per/viaggiare_con_auto/index.html[/url] i have been thinking in taking my beloved fiat 500 back to the uk, the thought of travelling across the alps with a little 500 engine is appealing but unrealistic. If anyone has done (the other way) so please let me know I will investigate further and post how expensive it is and phone treni Italia to see in witch station are most likely to arrive.

[QUOTE=Stribs]We will be going to Abruzzo in January, we will need to take the car.......Has anyone looked into the possibilty of putting the car on a train to Milan/Turin and driving the rest of the way.[/QUOTE]

At that time of year, the only Motorail service I know of that would be any use [most run in Spring to autumn period only] is Paris to Nice, and drive the rest of the way - at least its along the coast road [beautiful scenery] avoiding the mountains.

The service leaves Paris Bercy station about 2100hrs [load car by 1915hrs] and arrives at Nice about 0800hrs.

It runs on Monday Weds and Friday [returns Tues Thurs and Sat]

Cost [one way] is about £120 for the car and £90 per person sharing a 6 berth couchette. Sharing a 4 berth is £105 pp and for a 2 berth sleeper is £167.

You can book through RailEurope on 08702 415 415.

I used to visit friend at Bergamo [NE of Milan] by doing Calais-Nice [summer only unfortunately] Unless things have changed you get a breakfast at Nice as they unload the cars.

Nice to Abbruzzo should be easily achievable in a day.

Hope this helps

Hello
I would definately look into taking the train if you can.I have also heard about the train from Paris and wish we had chosen that option when we decided to drive to Genoa to catch te ferry to Sicily.The toll roads in France seem extortionate when compared to Italy,and when you work out the cost of petrol,tolls and all the mileage and stress from driving that distance the price of the train seems a bargain and is the option I would take if taking my car again.

I am now in Abruzzi . no road tax no MOT . I am not expecting a miracle but am optimistic , am hoping the police may see face of Mary reflected in the dirt on the windscreen and leave me alone ...{ no offence meant

Yes we have done this mode of transport a few years ago. We took an MG roadster across to Calais and joined the motorail at Calais which took us all the way to Rome. From Rome we drove down to the Amalfi coast and stopped a couple of nights before going on to our destination of Sicily. It was quite an experience on the Motorail! We paid a little extra for a first class cabin with 'pull down bunk beds', it even had a small hand basin in the cabin. I am not sure whether it was just old rolling stock or not but the cabins were a little tired. As far as first class!!, I wonder what the regular punters got!

The big advantage was that it ate away at the miles.

A few tips;

Don't panic as the train company staff drive your prized car away at speed when you hand over your keys at the motorail terminal in Calais. They will treat your car with the full care that you would expect from a lowly paid French employee (Yes I admit I nearly cried! and thought I would never see my car again...)

There were several car alarms set off once the cars were travelling on the rail transporter, presumably the rocking and vibrations from the track do it! so be careful in case you end up with a flat battery before you get off the train! We heard the alarms going through the night on some vehicles that had been set off...

One of the car transporters was dropped off at Livorno in Northern Italy whilst on route to Rome where several passengers disembarked, however a Brit family when getting off at Rome discovered their car was in Livorno, some 4 hrs back up the line!!
A nice way of checking is to stick your head out of the train window whilst on a long sweeping bend, this way you can see the car transporter at the rear of the train with your car still attached!

Use the toilets on board at the start of your journey (20 hrs later they are not to the same hygiene levels!)

I hope these pointers will help, treat it as part of an adventure and I am sure you will enjoy the experience.

Good luck..

Try [url]www.autozug.de[/url]

I've looked at prices for taking the car down to Italy by rail and they are EXTORTIONATE! I've looked at driving down - Mappy directed me along French motorways and then across Switzerland. By going a few km north, you can do a parallel journey on the Belgian motorways, then down the German motorways and it puts very little extra onto the journey. Belgian and German motorways are free (although Belgian motorways can be a little unkind to your tyres!). To go on Swiss motorways, you have to buy a Vignette for 40 Swiss Francs, which isn't a lot really, considering it lasts for a year. Having said this, we have driven into Switzerland before and they have never tried to sell us a vignette at the customs post! We didn't know about vignettes at the time and so just drove on. No one has stopped us yet. But we will buy one if we do it this time since we are planning to go on more motorways.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has done the journey this way.

The last 2 times we entered Switzerland through Basle from Germany, they had someone checking that you had a vignette. Didn't notice them when we entered Basle from the French motorway.

[QUOTE=alan haynes]The last 2 times we entered Switzerland through Basle from Germany, they had someone checking that you had a vignette. Didn't notice them when we entered Basle from the French motorway.[/QUOTE]

Do you use that route from England to Italy then? Do you do the French route or the Belgian/German route?

lots of previous postings on this. Route I use [usually] is

Calais - up into Belgium on motorway - on to Luxembourg [fill with petrol - cheapest around] - motorway [south] past Metz, Nancy Epinal - over the mountain to Mulhouse, then on to Switzerland [usually via German autobahn so I can get a vignette at the services before the border - then straight through Switzerland [petrol prices O\K] and on to Italy. [Only cost so far is Vignette - no charges for France Belgium Lux and Germany]

The big problem is getting back - always a 'bl00dy long queue at the first Swiss tunnel going back. [lose an hour or so]