whitelawsig

Never driven in Italy before. Are there likely to be weather problems driving from Marseille to Assisi in late December? I'm not crazy about mountain driving in snow or ice.

StCirq

Well, no matter how you slice it, you're going to have to go over mountains, and it's winter, so...yes, you could encounter some bad weather.

Is this in a rental car? If so, and if you're planning to pick it up in France and drop it off in Italy, you're going to pay a whopping big fee for that.

Pvoyageuse

It is difficult to predict the weather but you'll be on the motorway all the way and you won't have to drive through mountain passes. It will be a long drive though.

Jean

No mountain driving unless you choose to detour from the shortest, most direct route, but no one can tell you what the weather will be like. There could be snow as you head inland. Ice? Maybe.

Where do you head after Assisi? If you're not returning to France, and assuming you're driving a rented car, have you investigated the charge for renting in one country and returning in another?

FYI, in late December, sunrise will be shortly after 8:00 a.m. and sunset at about 4:45 p.m. If you want to drive entirely in daylight, you'll want to plan an overnight stop somewhere.

flanneruk

The corniche-style motorway from the Italian border to about Viareggio is mountainous, but very, very, rarely affected by snow. Even that close to the sea, however, the likelihood of some icy patches on the road overnight in late December is very high.

Once you turn inland around Viareggio, the likelihood of more severe weather grows. We had to take immense detours off the A11 on December 28 four years ago because snow made most roads impassable, though it only took about a day to clear the main roads. From Florence to Sinalunga, the A1 is central Italy's top priority road for snow clearance, but it's very, very busy and really not that pleasant IF there's snow or serious ice. From Sinalunga to Assisi, you're in wilder terrain that is mountainous in parts, the road's sub-motorway standard - and it can snow

Which said: snow rarely sticks for long on the motorways and main roads. But snow isn't frequent enough in central Italy for Swiss-style clearing resources to be available. It CAN cause chaos, but doesn't do so every year.

Nonetheless, we're flying to Rome and getting public transport to Assisi this December. Virtually my entire winter experience of inland Tuscany and Umbria is of extreme (by my standards) cold and universally icy streets.

nytraveler

Is there some reason that you have to drive - versus taking a train most of the way and then renting a car - perhaps in Florence - to tour the countryside. Although, why you would want to do so in winter I don't etc.

Where are you going besides Assisi? Will you need the car for several day trip?

In any case - I think you need to accept that you may get snow - or more likely ice - and realize that the roads between the various hill towns are NOT major highways.

flanneruk

"why you would want to do so in winter I don't "

... Because Umbria is beautiful in winter, ESPECIALLY if it's snowing.

Because Assisi has got a cathedral AND a Papal Basilica, both with the resources for a properly sung Midnight Mass.

And because walking in the area, even in snow, can be fabulous.

nytraveler

Agree that Assisi is a charming town with a beautiful cathedral - we've visited it twice - both in spring, when the countryside is lovely.

I don;t know that any countryside is lovely in winter except covered in snow - which can be an issue, especially if you are not used to driving in winter conditions.

(Yes, we do driving trips in winter - even in the mountains. But we always use/rent an appropriate vehicle and are experienced driving in winter conditions. We get a LOT of snow here some years - and even more upstate and in New England where we go some weekends.)

I just think the OP should understand what they are getting into - and not be surprised by conditions they encounter.