pknaster

After getting feedback on my intentions for a Turin to Levanto trip, I may want to reconsider my plan.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a scenic drive from Turino to Levanto (1 day) that will include great food/wine stops (3-4) as well?
Thank you all,
PK

sandralist

Hope this link works

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&client=safari

If you want to visit wineries then you generally need to make appointments

Jean

The National Geographic drive (linked above) is great, and I think it's one that I used in my research. I know we didn't reach everything in the NG drive, and we were there a week. (Disclaimer: We were visiting friends living in Bra, so we weren't tourists all day, every day.) Obviously, if you only have a day and are starting in Torino and ending in Levanto, you'd be lucky to visit even a couple of sights and wineries along the way. In my experience, visiting wineries is not a quick in/out even with an appointment, so if that's a priority you should organize your drive around that stop (or stops). Keep in mind that lots of things in most towns close for a couple of hours in the middle of the day.

Acknowledging that everyone has their own preferences, from the NG drive, I would choose Bra over Alba, stop in Barolo and Bossolasco but not Dogliani. We went to the Cantina di Barolo because our friends had connections there, but I would have preferred a smaller one. We also went to the Cantina Communale in La Morra. We most enjoyed sampling wines that are less available where we live which by default are the smaller wineries.

FYI, more towns of all sizes throughout Italy are instituting ZTLs, so be on the lookout for the signs.

pknaster

Sandralist, thaks for the link

Jen, what is ZTL?

Jean

ZTL = Zona Traffico Limitato = areas of cities/towns with access restricted to those with permits (usually residents, business owners, etc.). If you drive into a ZTL, even by mistake, you risk receiving a fairly expensive ticket in the mail after you get home. When contacted by local authorities, the rental car company will provide them with your identification and contact info, and you'll be charged a fee for this on top of the citation.

This article refers to driving in Florence and Chianti, but the ZTL system is similar throughout Italy.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/drivin...s_speeding.htm

Each driver will also need an International Driving Permit to carry along with his/her regular driver license. If you live in the U.S., these are easy to get at AAA offices. Or you can look online for mail-in application options.

sandralist

ZTL stands for Zona Traffico Limitato and it refers to a section or zone of a town where it is absolutely forbidden to drive during some hours of the day or all the time unless you have special permission from the town (meaning you are an ambulance driver, a resident of the neighborhood, etc.)

You need to read up on how to recognize the signs for them and avoid entering them because many are policed by video cameras that will photograph your license place and send you a ticket via your car rental agency in the mail. The fines are draconian and designed to put fear into drivers so they won't be tempted in anyway to flaut the law.

They are particularly common in small, picturesque, antique towns that attract tourists where residents do not want a lot a vehicles and clueless drivers roaming their streets. The upside is that if you park your car at the edge of town it is usually a short walk from there to the historic streets, and you have the pleasure of walking around a car-free zone.

sandralist

Sorry for repeating pretty much everything Jean wrote but were apparently typing at the same time. I was concerned she might not return to answer you before you left on this excursion!

pknaster

Thank you both for the worning. Leaving Sept 18