Driving to Piombino/Elba, Italy from Calais - tips on routes/stopovers?

[hf128219]

It's about 900 miles - no problem with the distance.

We are heading to Elba and want to take a leisurely drive over 3/4 days.

Anyone have any good ideas for routes/stopovers in lovely places?

Thanks.

We used to do calais Geneva and calais lucca regularly.

For adults, ie no demanding children., we loved Troyes on the.way back. Small mediaeval town, good hotels, factory shops.

Don't know where you intend to cross but lucca itself is also charming and unusual.

The San Bernardo Pass through the Aosta Valley is beautiful!!

We did this trip a couple of years ago. We stopped off in the Rhein valley, then Bavaria, then a night in Valpolicella at a stunning auberge type place. On the way back we stoppd in Lake Como then Lake Brienz in Switzerland with a final night in Alsace - Colmar is stunning....I can do llinks when I get on the PC later...

Agree on Lake Como as a stopping place. I'm racking my brains to remember the name of the town there my parents usually use as an overnight stop (most years they do southern Netherlands to Tuscany in two days on the way over and in one on the way back), it's lovely, but I'm drawing a blank - if I come up with it later I'll post again!

Are you driving with children? When I was little and we were doing that trip, one of the highlights of it for me was the little shop/cafe near the highest point at the St.Gotthardpass. On a clear day the view is amazing, on a misty day you're up in the clouds which is a very strange sensation for a child (especially one from a place as flat as Holland, we don't really do mountains and being high up....) and the promise of an icecream when we got to the top kept me quiet for hours. It's also got (or at least, still did when I was last there 3 years ago) a shop/little exhibit in the basement with lots of very pretty crystals and minerals. I used to love it. Word of caution though, if it's very, very misty, just take the damn tunnel. We drove it in thick mist once and even my normally completely unphaseable dad was terrified.

Thanks guys. Yes - dd will be with us. She is 4. Thankfully a really good traveller.

We stayed here on Lake Como. Lovely small family hotel. We had one of the lake view rooms in the Annex overlooking the pool and the lake, which had an extra bed for dd. Secure parking and 5 mins walk to restuarants and the ferry stop to Bellagio etc. The scenery is stunning.

And here in Valpolicella - gorgeous views over the vinyards.

and here in the Rhein Valley.

We were driving from Brussels and this was about 3 hours. About 10 minutes off the Motorway. Food was great - tables on a nice terrace and a huge wine cellar, where they give you a glass and tell you to taste as many as you like.....

Really helpful - many thanks.