We will be driving from Vernazza to Venice on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008. We're trying to figure out how to spend the day. But, there is so much to see and very little time in which to do it.
The quickest route is all highway, with a zig-zag through Bologna. The most direct route is nearly a straight line, and I suspect will provide more opportunities for impromptu stops.
Any specific ideas and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
We have used viamichelin.com, but not the others. I'll check them out. We will have a GPS (assuming Sixt delivers on their promise!).
Thanks.
You'll definitely want to use the Autoroute for all but short detours. The difference in travel time between the Autoroute and the other roads is considerable. You have two options - the nothern route from LaSpezia to Parma could continue to Verona. I'd stop for a few hours in Verona and then continue on to Venice. Vicenza and Padua are also on that route. Verona is the best.
The southern route would take you past Lucca, Florence and the north through Bologna. Lucca is an easy stop-off.
We will have come to Vernazza from Florence, via a short stop-off in Pisa. So, the routes that we are considering are:
Fastest: All Autostrada - to Parma, Bologna, then to Venice.
Most direct: Autostrada to Parma, then "back roads" through Mantua, Padua, then to Venice
Combo: Autostrada to Parma, then "back roads" to Mantua, then Autostrada to Verona, through Padua, then to Venice
The other issue is that we have to drop our car off in Venice by 8:00 PM (Sixt office closes), so we're constrained on the arrival time.
I guess I'm wondering whether we'll have enough time to do much more than have a nice lunch and walk around a bit somewhere, and, if so, which town would be best for that.
Have you considered the very serious parking limitations in the CT? With rare exceptions, tourist cars are not permitted in the towns. There are several parking lots above and in some towns but they fill up during the high season. And, July is right in the middle of the high season.
Yes, we have. We are arriving in Vernazza on a Sunday afternoon. We are staying at La Mala', and they told us that they thought that we would be able to get a spot in the Vernazza lot. And, they told us to contact them that morning, and they'll call the Vernazza lot and ask them to hold a spot for us. No guarantees, but they suggested it, so it just might work.
So, we're going to chance it. Thanks for the warning, though!
