As a Brit with a holiday home in Northern Italy, its been over a year since I have been able to visit it.Ìý Last time was in February 2020, when the highlight was a meal out with ½ûÂþÌìÌà friends in a crowded restaurant in Bergamo!Ìý Luckily, no ill
My house has a semi-underground store room that was nice and cool during the recent very hot weather - the dog and I spent a lot of time in it - me reading and him asleep on the floor.Floor is just old concrete slab - lots of dust, and the walls a
Car Driving to [and in] Italy on a UK Licence- post BrexitÌý IF No Deal reached.ÌýI am driving down in March, and have had to plan for a 'No Deal' Brexit, just in case.If No Deal - all UK Driving Licence holders
Holiday InnI joined their 'frequent flyer' type scheme - you earn points each stay.ÌýAND Ìý- on the two stays since joining we have received vouchers [at the hotel] giving, in one case a free pudding each at the evening meal, and on the second occasion a free drink each in the bar [much better!!!]
Fuel prices - check the AA Fuel ReportÌý Compare these with the diesel prices on the L'Eclerc site to see if they are lower.Ìý [They should be - it seems to be about 7 Cents lower than the AA 'average, but each L'Eclerc shop has its own fuel prices].Ìý Diesel is shown as 'Gazole' on the french site.ÌýSwitzerland is more expensive than France or Germany [but Luxembourg is cheapest], so fill up before Switzerland, and just top up the tankÌýjust before you leave Switzerland, as Italy is more expensive than Switzerland.ÌýIf driving through the GotthardÌýTunnel/Pass, don't fill up on the motorway, take the turning to Locarno and there are plenty of cheaper fuel stations within about a mile of the motorway junction
It can be a very enjoyable drive if you take your time doing it.Ìý We do 2 overnight stops on the way down- the first is close to the Channel Ports - we have used the holiday Inn at Englos near Lille the last couple of trips- the second is usually around Colmar [or Besancon depending on the route taken]Highlights - not blasting down the motorways, but taking [still major] roads that are less frantic.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý - crossing the Vosges on more minor roads [i.e. - not dual carriageways]ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý - Swiss scenery [of course] - especially the Gotthard pass
Strasbourg Route".......... think we'll definitely be taking the route through Belgium on down to Strasbourg.Ìý"Try via Nancy to Colmar, rather than via Strasbourg.ÌýPlenty of places at Nancy for the overnight stop - we use the Novotel at Nancy Ouest [Laxou], as its close to the Motorway - but there are lots to choose from.ÌýRoute from Nancy to Colmar is not too bad at all, but some single carriageway.Ìý [Did it last week]
Chrisnotton - Basel BypassFrom Milhouse cross the border, [on the motorway]Ìýto GermanyÌý and head down the autoahn towards Basel.Ìý Take the motoray exit to Lorrach & Rheinfelden and follow the dual carrriageway all the way to the Swiss borderÌý Cross the border and take the motorway towards Basel for about 1Km [stay in the inside lane] and then take the turning toÌýLucerne.Ìý SimplesÌýChris8Ìý- Avoiding toll roadsI did a quick check , on Via Michelin,on going from Stresa to Pisa on and off the autoroutes - the travel time doubled
Paid the IMU last week on our ½ûÂþÌìÌà house , from the UKGot the F24 through the Comune website - already filled in from the details I gave last year, so no calculations to makePhoned my italian Bank, who agreed that they could pay the bill, from my accountÌý [Last year I could pay by bank transfer from the UK, but not an option this year]Emailed the F24 to the bankReceipt for payment received back, by email, the next dayÌý"Simples"Ìý .................................... [I hope]
Comments posted
Holiday InnI joined their 'frequent flyer' type scheme - you earn points each stay.ÌýAND Ìý- on the two stays since joining we have received vouchers [at the hotel] giving, in one case a free pudding each at the evening meal, and on the second occasion a free drink each in the bar [much better!!!]
Fuel prices - check the AA Fuel ReportÌý Compare these with the diesel prices on the L'Eclerc site to see if they are lower.Ìý [They should be - it seems to be about 7 Cents lower than the AA 'average, but each L'Eclerc shop has its own fuel prices].Ìý Diesel is shown as 'Gazole' on the french site.ÌýSwitzerland is more expensive than France or Germany [but Luxembourg is cheapest], so fill up before Switzerland, and just top up the tankÌýjust before you leave Switzerland, as Italy is more expensive than Switzerland.ÌýIf driving through the GotthardÌýTunnel/Pass, don't fill up on the motorway, take the turning to Locarno and there are plenty of cheaper fuel stations within about a mile of the motorway junction
It can be a very enjoyable drive if you take your time doing it.Ìý We do 2 overnight stops on the way down- the first is close to the Channel Ports - we have used the holiday Inn at Englos near Lille the last couple of trips- the second is usually around Colmar [or Besancon depending on the route taken]Highlights - not blasting down the motorways, but taking [still major] roads that are less frantic.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý - crossing the Vosges on more minor roads [i.e. - not dual carriageways]ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý - Swiss scenery [of course] - especially the Gotthard pass
Strasbourg Route".......... think we'll definitely be taking the route through Belgium on down to Strasbourg.Ìý"Try via Nancy to Colmar, rather than via Strasbourg.ÌýPlenty of places at Nancy for the overnight stop - we use the Novotel at Nancy Ouest [Laxou], as its close to the Motorway - but there are lots to choose from.ÌýRoute from Nancy to Colmar is not too bad at all, but some single carriageway.Ìý [Did it last week]
RoadworksThere is a short section of two way working over one of the bridges - apart from that, it was all clear earlier this week when we came back
Chrisnotton - Basel BypassFrom Milhouse cross the border, [on the motorway]Ìýto GermanyÌý and head down the autoahn towards Basel.Ìý Take the motoray exit to Lorrach & Rheinfelden and follow the dual carrriageway all the way to the Swiss borderÌý Cross the border and take the motorway towards Basel for about 1Km [stay in the inside lane] and then take the turning toÌýLucerne.Ìý SimplesÌýChris8Ìý- Avoiding toll roadsI did a quick check , on Via Michelin,on going from Stresa to Pisa on and off the autoroutes - the travel time doubled
"ÌýEthylene is a funny thing to add to petrol, do you mean ethanol?"I think you are right
If you know what type of toilet it is - try 'Googling' it to see if there is a maintenance manual on-line for the cistern [tank] etc
The FineI think it is 3% on the whole amount plus 2.5% annual rate calculated on the amount of days passed between the 17th June and the day you pay
Paid the IMU last week on our ½ûÂþÌìÌà house , from the UKGot the F24 through the Comune website - already filled in from the details I gave last year, so no calculations to makePhoned my italian Bank, who agreed that they could pay the bill, from my accountÌý [Last year I could pay by bank transfer from the UK, but not an option this year]Emailed the F24 to the bankReceipt for payment received back, by email, the next dayÌý"Simples"Ìý .................................... [I hope]