road trip from paris to venice
 

Hi everyone
, we are thinking of traveling from paris to venice in car and i want to see towns and some nature along the way what do you recommend for me to visit? one option for us was to visit geneve and zermatt to do some skiing but the problem is we dont have much time so its not enough to learn how to ski, is the zermatt's town worth visiting? i would like some place with a lake or something we would be there in the easter break.f
also if i take the car in france and leave it in italy is there an extra charge?
and do either mexicans or argentinians need visa to enter any of this countries?
thank you
were kind of doubting wether to go to london the problem is we only got two weeks which one of london or paris is better?

Way too vague of a request. You're all over the place. Unfortunately, it's typical of a first time poster.

You've narrowed it down to Western Europe. You need to narrow it down some more before you make a query.

Read a tour book or three. Read Fodors links to various cities and countryside and then you can make an intelligent choice.

Read the old posts on this forum for trip reports.

Research is the key. Remember, you only have a finite time and it takes time to get from one place to another.

>> . . . we dont have much time . . .<<

OK -- I'll play. How much time DO you have?

Yes, there's a huge fee to rent a car in France and drop off in Italy. This sounds very scatterbrained. How much time DO you have and have you reviewed maps and a guidebook or two or three?

The poster indicates s/he has 2 weeks. That being the case, I would consider no more than 2 countries/cities. You indicate an interest in London, Paris, Switzerland and Italy. For most of these destinations, you will not want a car. Since it is very expensive to rent a car in one country and drop it off in another, consider traveling by plane or train instead.

Think about London and Paris with day trips; Paris and Switzerland; Venice and Switzerland; Paris and Venice or Switzerland alone where you might take ski lessons if it is not too late in the year . Do some research and narrow things down. Decide on a couple of places and come back with specific questions. Start with an open mind about transportation as a car is not the way to go in this case.

Even if you're planning your drive during the ski season (December-March) it is virtually certain Mexicans and Argentines will not be able to drive to a functioning ski resort without previous experience of driving in snow.

And it's impossible for people with no knowledge of skiing to squeeze enough time on the slopes to become proficient into a two-week holiday starting elsewhere.

As a general rule, Mexicans and Argentines do not need visas for holidays in France, Italy Switzerland or the UK.

>>The poster indicates s/he has 2 weeks.<<

Yes, they have 2 weeks -- but I understood that to mean the entire trip. My question was how many days they planned for the road trip portion. (In any case, it isn't a great or cost-effective idea)

Assuming this is next year, Easter is late - Easter Day is 20th April.

You could fly into London spend 4-5 days there, take the train from London to Paris ( not a long trip at all) spend another 4 days in Paris then fly on Easy Jet to Venice( very affordable and only about 2 hrs if I remember right?) spend last few days in Venice then fly home from Venice.

I like Brenkjtravel's plan -- except I'd do it in reverse. US-bound flights out if Venice leave VERY early in the AM making it a PITA getting to the airport.

I don't think this is a US based traveler.

No,it's not. It's a Mexican/Argentine-based traveler.

oops -- but I'd guess most flights to the Americas would be in the same boat. Not sure though.

From Paris - being you like lakes - go to the Lavaux Terrasse region of Switzerland. It's approx 5 hours. If you enjoy wine, it is the most magnificent wine region around, with spectacular wines at a fraction of the cost for something comparable elsewhere in Europe. Overlooking Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), views of the French Alps, it is magnificent! I'll be happy to recommend a great place to stay w/breakfast & privacy. Beautiful towns dot the lake such as St-Saphorin, Lutry, Morges, Epesses, & of course the larger towns/small cities of Lausanne, Montreux & Geneva (you'll pass through Geneva first along the lake).
From there, you can do Zermatt en route to Italy - very easy & pretty drive on 9/E62. The road ends 1 train stop from Zermatt (it is a carless village), so have a smaller second luggage for your day or 2 rather than drag your large bag - keep the rest in your trunk. The garage is perfectly safe.
Continue & take the Furka Passe (very beautiful, but check to be certain it is open & if not (due to weather) go via E62 down through Brig & onto SS337 taking through the Centovalli region - one of the most picturesque rides with little grottos along the way serving food & homemade wines. I would stop in the "Lakes" region - somewhere on Lago di Como (Lake Como) such as Griante, Tremezzo where you may hop the ferry to go to Bellagio, Varenna & Menaggio with ease. Do visit Cernobbio as well; my favourite gelatto place is there on Via Regina. I can give you suggestions where to stay here as well.
If you like to shop, it is a short drive to Mendrisio where Foxtown is located - amazing deals on designer labels!
En route to Venice, do stop & spend time in Verona; even if just a day. One of my favorite cities in Italy without the crazy crowds. From there, you are only a little over an hour from Venice.
So for a recap:
Paris to St-Saphorin, Switzerland
St-Saphorin - Zermatt
Zermatt - Tremezzo, Italy (on Lake Como)
Tremezzo - Verona
Verona - Venice
Voila! Let me know if you need places to stay - I go to all these areas frequently, and can recommend a place for any budget. Good luck & enjoy!