Perugia, Italy to Murren, Switzerland - driving

viamichelin.com is a good place to start your car trip research.

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Leave early. With minimal stops, you're looking at close to ten hours of travel time. Whatever some mapping software indicates, it's going to be wrong. The obvious route is to get on the E35 as fast as you can. Do it, and haul tail, you're going to need the time at the end. Once you're east of Murren and get off the freeway, the first twenty-five miles is miserable driving, but scenic. It's two lanes, twisting, and has switchbacks at whatever that pass is halfway to Murren. You're going to be bleary-eyed and tired out from the freeway for the hardest part of the drive. It's been a long time since I've driven the Swiss part of the route, but there's usually a place for coffee and the top of each pass. Take advantage of it. There's really not much time for messing around along the way, but if you could make the trip in an afternoon and a morning, rather than in one day, Milan is a good stop. It's just short, but witin sight of, the mountains. Mid-summer sunset will be between nine and nine-thirty. Twilight won't be that long since it'll get dark fast in the valleys.

And you had better make sure you park the car in Lauterbrunnen in time to make the last train to Mürren. After all, you can't drive to it.

Beware of the European Route numbers. They are unheard of in most of Europe anyway, at most they are cosigned (except in Belgium). Take the SS3-bis to Cesena and from there A14 to Bologna, A1 to Milano and then A9 to Switzerland (which becomes A2 within Swiss territory). You need a highway sticker to be bought at the Swiss border, price CHF 40. The main attraction is the final stretch of the journey itself. Assuming you are travelling before October, you will use some of the mountain passes. I'd suggest you not taking the St. Gotthard tunnel, but travelling via the St. Bernard, Furka and Grimsel mountain passes. It will be the best 80km drive you'll ever see in Euope. A better suggestion, if you can afford it time-wise, splitting the journey in 1 1/2 days: day 1 - leave early, stop in RAvenna, then head all the way to BEllizona or Locarno. day 2 - keep on A2 north, and go via the mountain passes I mentioned.

Beware of the European Route numbers. They are unheard of in most of Europe anyway Surprised to hear that. When we drive I always follow E's as well as national numbers. We drive throughout western and central Europe except the Iberia. I've never noticed a lack of E signs. Where have they been removed? (none at all in the UK, BTW)