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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To drive to italy in one day?

172 replies

Whattheuh · 13/06/2015 22:02

Most of the threads I be seen people plan to do it in a few days,but we don't have that much time and money to stop overnight a lot.we were thinking of leaving very early and hopefully arrive by that evening.anyone done that?

OP posts:
Annunziata · 13/06/2015 22:03

YABU.

Where are you going?

AlternativeTentacles · 13/06/2015 22:03

From where?

pasturesgreen · 13/06/2015 22:05

It will partly depend where you're travelling from. I'd not recommend it, though.

If nothing else, you'll be knackered and unable to do much on your first day.

Just pick a place you'd like to visit en route and turn your stopover into something fun!

MrsLeighHalfpenny · 13/06/2015 22:07

Nice is doable from Swindon in a day, and Ventimiglia in Italy isn't much further. Rome would be pushing it though.

poorbuthappy · 13/06/2015 22:07

Member of my family always drives home from Italy or South of France in 1 day.
It can be done. Without kids though.

Edna1969 · 13/06/2015 22:08

Well from my house to Rome will take you 18 hours 19 minutes...but thats with no stops and you'd need more than 1 driver or it wouldn't be safe.

Hassled · 13/06/2015 22:09

Way too far and you'd be so knackered and miserable that it would bugger up the start of your holiday - assuming it's a holiday. You need at least one night stop.

Original poster
Whattheuh · 13/06/2015 22:09

We have young kids.:-/ we ll stop every few hours obv.we ll stop overnight in Milan, DP has a friend there

OP posts:
Original poster
Whattheuh · 13/06/2015 22:10

Should be 11 h from calis .plus time for stops obv.

OP posts:
DancingDinosaur · 13/06/2015 22:11

If you're sharing driving then its possible I guess. I wouldn't fancy it personally.

iwantgin · 13/06/2015 22:11

yabu.

It's too far. When we do our summer trips to France me and DH share the driving and iy is very tiring.

Two hours at a time is enough for me. 8hours max per day total.

I have been so tired previously that I was nodding off at the wheel. NOT to be recommended.

undoubtedly · 13/06/2015 22:11

I've driven from Dover to Milan in a single trip.

It was very, very long and tiring. I wouldn't do it with kids.

CarbeDiem · 13/06/2015 22:12

Amsterdam to Warsaw takes around 12 hours in good traffic and that is a hard slog. My ex has only done it straight through once and normally stops overnight half way - 18 hours straight would be hell.

undoubtedly · 13/06/2015 22:14

If you were sharing the driving it wouldn't be as bad obviously. Still think it's a hell of a long time for the kids to be sat in the car.

I think it took me about 15 hours from Calais and I was hammering it.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/06/2015 22:14

Could you get the train?

SwedishEdith · 13/06/2015 22:16

No, there are loads of cheap hotels in Europe. Would be hell with kids.

Annunziata · 13/06/2015 22:16

11 hours from Calais?

I'm guessing still north of Rome?

You'll need to let the kids out of the car every couple of hours. Unless you can sleep while your DH drives and leave the kids to it, it won't be safe to swap drivers.

TwinkieTwinkle · 13/06/2015 22:16

We get the ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, drive from when we get off the boat at 10am (with needed toilet stops) until about 6/7pm, stoat service station near Freiburg in Germany. Have a good rest, food, showers, naps etc and then get back on the road late at night/early hours of the morning. That way we avoid the traffic at the St Gottard, make it to Italy by early morning and where we stay by mid afternoon.

liger · 13/06/2015 22:17

ibis budget hotels or even F1 hotels if you are on a budget. Well worth it. Stopping with young kids takes time and will add to the length of your drive considerably.

We drove to Italy with our four kids. Youngest is two. We stopped twice overnight and each driving day was no longer than 6 hours. We could have pushed more but it would have meant we were all very tired once we arrived / returned. As it was it was very manageable

TwinkieTwinkle · 13/06/2015 22:18

*stop at, not stoat!

CocktailQueen · 13/06/2015 22:20

God! We took 2 days to get to the vendee! Yabu and unrealistic. You need to swap round drivers and let the kids get out. Plus there will be traffic... Bloody long way to drive.

Fiddlerontheroof · 13/06/2015 22:21

My dad did it in a day when my mum was injured and had to fly back. My sister flew out and travelled back with him. Don't do it unless you have two drivers! ...and they didn't have kids with them, I'm not sure I'd attempt it with mine! It is also absolutely knackering. I wouldn't recommend it either, there are plenty of budget hotels that do family rooms, I'd have a nice stopover somewhere. X

Original poster
Whattheuh · 13/06/2015 22:21

Annunziata,yes Milan is north of Rome.Twinkie that's a good idea.we would get to Calais around 8am,stop at lunchtime for about 1 hour to let driver sleep and kids run around a bit,and add few more stops along the way obv.we all leave home very early morning,so hoping the kids might sleep a lot?and planning to bring DVD player,snacks,activity books etc etc.train way too expensive,already looked.

OP posts:
Original poster
Whattheuh · 13/06/2015 22:23

We would share driving.Twinkie,st Gottard? Is that the tunnel thru the alps?

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Branleuse · 13/06/2015 22:23

I think it will be hideous and You should look for a stopover after about 7 or 8 hours.

Ours are pretty good at long car journeys, but this is our limit, and even thats enough.

Saying that, if you have stuff like dvd players in the car and nintendos, it might be not as bad