Driving from Munich to Italy - where to visit?
Sep 19th, 2015, 01:58 PM
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Driving from Munich to Italy - where to visit?
My husband and I will be picking up our BMW in Munich and heading to Italy. We will leave Italy and drive to Nice where we will drop the car and fly back to the U.S. We have been to Germany before and would love to see a little of Italy during our week trip. I have been reading and reading but can't decide where to go. Some thoughts are Venice and/or Forence, Bologna, Lake Garda or Lake Como and driving through Dolomites. I know we can't do it all. Any thoughts would be appreciated. We are going in October so I need to stop researching and make reservations! The only definite part of this trip is flying into Munichto pick up the car and flying out of Nice. We did BMW Eurpean delivery 3 years ago and drove from Munich to Betlin and then to Prague which was a fabulous trip! We had no problems driving and parking the car in those cities.
Thank you for your help!
Thank you for your help!
Sep 19th, 2015, 04:32 PM
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Well a car is useless in either Venice (no streets) or Florence (the historic center is primarily a pedestrian zone).
If you are headed to Nice (and have enough time allocated to see things there) I think I would stop in Innsbruck and someplace in the Italian lakes. Or you might decide to spend several days exploring the hill towns of Tuscany, where cars make a lot more sense. You still park outside the walls and walk or tram in - but it's much more convenient to travel from town to town by car.
Don't misunderstand - I love both Venice and Florence - but would be hesitant to put a brand new car in a garage out of the center for several nights in order to see the towns.
If you are headed to Nice (and have enough time allocated to see things there) I think I would stop in Innsbruck and someplace in the Italian lakes. Or you might decide to spend several days exploring the hill towns of Tuscany, where cars make a lot more sense. You still park outside the walls and walk or tram in - but it's much more convenient to travel from town to town by car.
Don't misunderstand - I love both Venice and Florence - but would be hesitant to put a brand new car in a garage out of the center for several nights in order to see the towns.
Sep 20th, 2015, 08:32 AM
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All will depend on the weather. The Dolomites are beautiful in October if the weather is fine and awful by bad weather. October is low season and you would probably find accommodation outside the big towns without reservation.
You may check itineraries like
Munich - Brenner - Bruneck - Alta Badia (Corvara etc.) - Val Gardena - Bolzano/Bozen - Lago Caldaro - Wine route - Trento - Rovereto - Riva del Garda - Lake Garda - Brescia - Lake Iseo - Bergamo - Cremona - Parma - Cisa Pass - La Spezia - 5Terre - Portofino - Genova - San Remo - Nice...
May be you google for these places.
Skip the mountain valleys and Lake Garda/Lake Iseo if the weather is bad and visit bigger towns instead, like Verona, Padova, Venice.....
You may check itineraries like
Munich - Brenner - Bruneck - Alta Badia (Corvara etc.) - Val Gardena - Bolzano/Bozen - Lago Caldaro - Wine route - Trento - Rovereto - Riva del Garda - Lake Garda - Brescia - Lake Iseo - Bergamo - Cremona - Parma - Cisa Pass - La Spezia - 5Terre - Portofino - Genova - San Remo - Nice...
May be you google for these places.
Skip the mountain valleys and Lake Garda/Lake Iseo if the weather is bad and visit bigger towns instead, like Verona, Padova, Venice.....
Sep 20th, 2015, 02:24 PM
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First of all, you don't need reservations in October.
Second, you have many options. The fastest route from München to Nice leads through Switzerland via Lugano, Como and Milano. You can choose this route and make little detours over Alpine passes, along Lake Como and/or Lago Maggiore, visit Milan, Piemonte, Torino etc. Many attractions along the road.
A slightly longer route would go via Innsbruck and Bolzano through the Dolomites to Lake Garda and Verona, also very interesting. From Lake Garda, you can drive via Milona or make a greater detour including Tuscany. It is right that the center of Florence is pedestrian, but there are so many other interesting sites in Tuscany: Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano, Volterra - driving through Tuscany is beautiful.
A longer detour would be the route via Salzburg, Villach, Udine to Venice. Venice is outstanding, absolutely unique and worth a stay of three or four days - with your car either parked in a garage or on the Lido.
All three options are fine. Nobody can give you advice which one you should choose - it is up to your preferences.
Second, you have many options. The fastest route from München to Nice leads through Switzerland via Lugano, Como and Milano. You can choose this route and make little detours over Alpine passes, along Lake Como and/or Lago Maggiore, visit Milan, Piemonte, Torino etc. Many attractions along the road.
A slightly longer route would go via Innsbruck and Bolzano through the Dolomites to Lake Garda and Verona, also very interesting. From Lake Garda, you can drive via Milona or make a greater detour including Tuscany. It is right that the center of Florence is pedestrian, but there are so many other interesting sites in Tuscany: Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano, Volterra - driving through Tuscany is beautiful.
A longer detour would be the route via Salzburg, Villach, Udine to Venice. Venice is outstanding, absolutely unique and worth a stay of three or four days - with your car either parked in a garage or on the Lido.
All three options are fine. Nobody can give you advice which one you should choose - it is up to your preferences.
Sep 21st, 2015, 01:03 AM
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Kareiq asked for a itinerary via the Eastern Alps.
Otherwise (IMO), the most scenic itinerary (if the weather is fine) would be:
Munich - Garmisch - Ehrwald - Fernpass - Imst - Knoten Oberinntal - Scuol (alpine thermal spa) - St. Moritz - Maloja Pass - Gravedona/Lake Como - Menaggio/Lake Como - Porlezza/Lake Lugano - Locarno/Lake Maggiore - Verbania Pallanza (boat trip to Isola Bella castle and botanical gardens) - Domodossola - Simplon Pass - Brig (side trip to Riederalp/Aletsch Glacier) - Sierre - Crans-Montana - Sion - Martigny - Chamonix (side trip to Aiguille du Midi) - Mont Blanc Tunnel - Courmayeur - Bourg St. Maurice - Val d'Isere - Col de l'Iseran - Lanslebourg - Col du Mont Cenis - Susa Ovest - Oulx - Col du Montgenevre - Briancon - Guillestre - Vars - Ste Etienne de Tinee - Nice.
Otherwise (IMO), the most scenic itinerary (if the weather is fine) would be:
Munich - Garmisch - Ehrwald - Fernpass - Imst - Knoten Oberinntal - Scuol (alpine thermal spa) - St. Moritz - Maloja Pass - Gravedona/Lake Como - Menaggio/Lake Como - Porlezza/Lake Lugano - Locarno/Lake Maggiore - Verbania Pallanza (boat trip to Isola Bella castle and botanical gardens) - Domodossola - Simplon Pass - Brig (side trip to Riederalp/Aletsch Glacier) - Sierre - Crans-Montana - Sion - Martigny - Chamonix (side trip to Aiguille du Midi) - Mont Blanc Tunnel - Courmayeur - Bourg St. Maurice - Val d'Isere - Col de l'Iseran - Lanslebourg - Col du Mont Cenis - Susa Ovest - Oulx - Col du Montgenevre - Briancon - Guillestre - Vars - Ste Etienne de Tinee - Nice.
