alan h's activity

Questions Asked

I'm planning my route down for a months visit in July.

Mon, 06/04/2012 - 08:13

I logged on this morning to my local webcam, to look at the snow on the ski slopes.

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 04:47

Loved the note about changing the locks!

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 09:20

I have just got back from my latest trip to Italy, and thought some of you might be interested to hear about a Swiss hotel that we stayed in on the way down.It is the Hotel Engel in Stans [near to Lake Lucerne, a few minutes from the motorway

Mon, 07/25/2011 - 05:21

For many years now I have used the likes of 'mappy', 'via michelin' etc for calculating different routes down to Italy - for us its a part of our holiday, so we don't always want to take the quickest/shortest route down.  We prefer to vary the rou

Wed, 06/01/2011 - 09:25

Today I received an email from the Swiss Travel Centre.  The relevant portion is;- "The GBP price for a Vignette will increase from 01 June 2011 and we wanted to give you the opportunity to purchase this years’ Vignette before the pric

Mon, 05/23/2011 - 09:45

I've just driven down and back for a [much too] short holiday, and feel that an update on how fuel prices look on the way down would be useful to fellow travellers The following is a good site for seeing what prices have been like  

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 05:02

P&O have introduced a new ferry on the Dover - Calais route - its called the Spirit of Britain. They seem to have a special offer on at the moment [on this ship only] I've just booked a return crossing [car + 2] for £60 - significantly less th

Sat, 01/29/2011 - 06:08

Does Tomato soup exist in Italy? We were feeling a bit under the weather when we went out to Italy 2 weeks ago.  As part of the R&R process, I fancied some soup, and looked around the supermarket.  There were lots of different soups, but I rea

Mon, 01/24/2011 - 08:29

The route/timings for next years Giro d'Italia have been posted   My son rang me up to inform me that the route passes about 100m away from

Sat, 11/06/2010 - 07:04

Comments posted

Sun, 11/24/2019 - 06:42

What we did when we bought our holiday home in Italy was:-
1. Decide on area - we did this visiting places we thought would do, with ½ûÂþÌìÌà friends, who gave us a overview of the area
2. Using ½ûÂþÌìÌà Yellow Pages (Pagine Gialle?) We got names of estate agents in the area, and by googling them got their website and email details.
3. Booked a weeks holiday in the area and arranged, by email (in ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ- Google translate if all else fails) meetings with half a dozen agents - max 2 a day. They were all given via email our requirements - location, no of bedrooms, land etc etc, and price - so in theory they would take us to appropriate places. (Worked pretty well).
4. Found the one we liked and offered 40% below asking price . Was accepted and we've enjoyed the ace for over 15 years.

Good luck

Thu, 11/21/2019 - 15:29

If you copy the web address in stevemonkseatons post and put it into 'Google Translate " you might get a fair(ish) English version of the page.

Wed, 11/20/2019 - 11:18

These sites may help  [I don't know how accurate they are]http://english.controleradar.org/  https://radars.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/#/https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/french-super-speed-camera/ Good luck  

Sat, 11/09/2019 - 05:07

GeoffAnnn,I'm sure youve already tried this, but I Googled "Italy earthquake insurance" and it threw out some possible insurers, who say they do it.  [but caveat "ubject to the area that the property is in"] 

Tue, 10/15/2019 - 10:07

Try Googling something like   "Lucca  expats  forum"  -  should throw something up

Fri, 08/09/2019 - 11:30

If you want 'cheap' hotel - don't stay in Venice.
We stayed in Padova and went into Venice on the train. Saved a fortune.

Tue, 07/16/2019 - 07:03

Toll free route through France [motorwys passing by the following];-

  • Calais - Dunkirk - Lille - Mons - Luxembourg [Fill up with fuel at motorway services just before leaving Luxembourg - cheapest petrol on route] - Metz - Nancy.  All motorway with no tolls
  • Nancy - Mulhouse [or Nancy - Colmar - Mulhouse] much dual carriage way, except when going over the 'hills'.
  • Mulhouse into Germany and down autobahn towards Basel [not Mulhouse - Basel direct]
  • Turn off onto autobahn to Lorrach and Rheinfelden and into Switzerland ...............Note - pick up Swiss Motorway Vignette at Bad Bellingham services on first Autiobahn
  • On to Lucerne and Gotthard Tunnel.  [Thus avoiding risk of traffic/customs problems in Basle]
  • on to Italy, paying as necessary on ½ûÂþÌìÌà Autostradas.

Journey time from Calais to Pisa - approx 16 hoursStops to suit what time you started from UK -mprobably after 3 hrs on day 1, 8 hrs on day 2 and leavibng approx 5 hrs into PisaSuggest the Eurotunnel rather than the Ferries - will save about 2 hrs [minimum] on journey time [unless you need a decent break and a meal -motherwise the Tunnel is so much simpler] Good luck

Thu, 07/04/2019 - 07:45

My comune did 'revalue' my property, causing the IMU paymrnt to increase. But if they did that to you they should have told you, or your accountant.

Thu, 07/04/2019 - 07:43

Thanks - that's what I thought was the case, but its good to get feedback from you

Wed, 05/22/2019 - 15:26

Don't know the legal rquirements, but whenever I've seen bombola used, they have always been placed outside the building [on balcony or ground level].  Having them inside the building is a recipe for disasterTalk to a Geometra, he/she would know the legalities.