Tulips

I'm looking at 2 routes to drive from Freiburg to Turin this weekend.
One is via Luzern, Bellinzona, Milan.
The other option is via Bern, Lausanne,
We're driving in one day, with a stop for lunch. Looking for the fastest route.
Via Michelin says option 1 is more kilometres, but faster.

Restaurant recommendations for Freiburg and Torino would also be appreciated!

MyriamC

Do you mean Freiburg in Germany or Fribourg in Switzerland?
In Case of Freiburg (D), google maps' first option is via Bern and Lausanne.
I can hardly believe that option 1 from Via Michelin is faster.
The last years we find google maps more accurate than Via Michelin.

neckervd

Never drive via Lausanne, it would be a big detour, but via Bulle:
Freiburg - A5 - Weil am Rhein - A98 - A 861 - Rheinfelden - A3 - Augst - A2 - Haerkingen - A1 - Bern Weiermannshaus - A12 - La Veyre - A9 - 22 Echangeur du Grand Saint Bernard - Sembrancher - Orsieres - Tunnel du Grand Saint Bernard (toll road) - Gignod - Variney - Aosta Est - A55 - Torino.
Thre are usually much less traffic jams along this (extremely scenic) itinerary than along the truck itinerary via San Gottardo - Milano.

Tulips

Thanks Myriam and neckervd!

Different times and distances on Mappy, Google, Viamichelin.

We'll go with the route you describe, neckervd.

MyriamC

When in Freiburg, you can see what your GPS suggests.

nochblad

neckervd mentions that the Tunnel du Grand Saint Bernard is a toll road. But also all the motorways in Switzerland are toll which involves buying a vignette/sticker to stick on the inside of your windscreen. This costs 40 Swiss Francs and this years sticker remains valid until January 31 of next year.

Also remember the Swiss are VERY strict about speeding so follow the speed indications and be very careful of lower speed limits on the motorways as the love to trap people out. In Italy speeding has dramatically reduced since the introduction of the "Tutor" system which is an automatic electronic system.

Tulips

Thank nochblad, I know about that. A friend of mine recently had a 2000 euro fine for speeding in Switzerland. So we'll be extra careful!

It's a last minute trip, so I'll buy the vignette at the border I suppose.

nochblad

If you cross at any border on the motorway (presume you might cross at Basel) say to the customs you need to pay for the vignette if they haven't already noticed and have indicated you where to go. If crossing by normal road most of the garages either side of the border sell the vignette.

A notorious speed trap is in the final stretch before the Chiasso/Como border. I read a few weeks ago that in 6 months there were fines for 8 million Swiss francs!

Tulips

Thank you for the warning, we'll be extra vigilant.

Tulips

Buying the vignette at the border was easy; they sell it right there, no need to get out of the car. 40 francs or 40 euro, cash.

It was a lovely drive through the St Bernard tunnel; not a lot of traffic and very scenic. The GPS kept wanting to return us to the St Gothard.

After Turin we continued to Nice via Cuneo - Tende - Sospel. Beautiful drive, but I imagine in summer there will be queues at the tunnel (tunnel Col de Tende) at the border, since it's one way with traffic lights. A lot of construction going on there. No border control whatsoever, but we were stopped by Gendarmerie some kilometres into France. They checked the back and boot of the car.

Thank you again for the tips!

nochblad

They checked the back and boot of the car.

Just to be sure you were not trying to help some migrants get into France.

Tulips

That's what I thought. Unless they were trying to get their hands on my goodies from Eataly in Turin

neckervd

You took the most scenic itinerary. Congratulations!

There is always less traffic (and less trucks!) along the Gd St-Bernard itinerary than via St. Gotthard.

Tulips

Even the stop at a gas station was beautiful, along the Lac de la Gruyere. And very little traffic.