Driving Tour with Family roundtrip Frankfurt through Italy and back...

Posted by wbliesner on 01/22/15 08:08 PM

We are planning our first trip to Europe with the family (two teenagers) and have two definite stops we have arranged through home exchange in Gstadt, germany on Lake Cheimsee and La Spezia in Cinque Terra area. We fly in and out of Frankfurt and we have 17 nights total in Europe with a rental car.

Our current plan is to stay one night in Rothenburg on our first night in Germany, tour the town(yes quickly) and then head down to Lake Cheimsee for 4 nights. We then plan to drive through Austria to Northern Italy and stay 2 nights in the Dolomite/Verona/Lake Garda area which we are still trying to narrow down. We then head south to the Cinque Terre to stay 5 nights and take day trips to Florence and some small Tuscan towns. From there our trip is less defined as we need to make it back up to Frankfurt in 4 nights.

I am aware that we are cramming a lot in so I am looking for some input as to whether we should go the quickest route back or if we have time to stay 2 nights in the less quick route through Chamonix/Mt. Blanc area. Helpful kind advice is appreciated. Thank you!

Posted by Laura

Rick Steves' Europe

01/22/15 11:07 PM

16895 posts

According to www.viamichelin.com, the driving route from Monterosso to Chamonix takes under 5 hours, so I think you can make it work. That's a little faster than getting to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, for example, at 6.5 hours.

Posted by dagmar

01/23/15 02:52 AM

17 posts

From Rothenburg I would highly recommend travel south on the Romantic Highway. That was originally recommended by Rick, and we followed it and absolutely loved it. Also, I am not sure Rothenburg can be visited in just a short time, you would miss a lot if you do, leading to regrets later. - As far as rental car, be very careful about the speed they local drive, and also the limited parking spaces in older towns. When we drove we also had difficulties with the signs, but I assume you will have a GPS to help you navigate, which is highly recommended for driving tours.

Posted by Gordon

Portland, Oregon, United States

01/23/15 06:03 AM

907 posts

I am worried about your La Spezia plans to see Florence and small Tuscan towns. It is an awkward train ride from La Spezia to Florence and takes a couple of hours. You are also quite a ways north in Tuscany. Lucca is certainly one town you will want to visit. Visiting 5 Terre from La Spezia is no problem.

Also, check out Sirmione on Lake Garda if you want a place to stay. Cute town, great castle, fun place.

Posted by Susan and Monte

Granite Bay, CA

01/23/15 06:32 AM

1951 posts

One thing to be aware of is how small the European cars are. I watched a family of four with four large pieces of luggage try to get their luggage into their rental car, as well as themselves. I really tried to not laugh so hard, but it was hysterical! They worked on it for about 30 and found the only way to make things fit was to put two bags in the truck and two inside the car on their laps. The two in the back seat couldn't see a thing out the window as the bags were on their laps covering their faces!

So, please keep in the mind how big or small the car is and the size of your luggage.....you want to see out while you drive!!

Posted by Ken

Vernon, Canada

01/23/15 06:36 AM

32405 posts

There are a few things you'll need to be aware of for travelling that route with a rental car. A few points.....

For driving in Austria, you MUST buy a highway tax vignette or face fines of between €300 - 3000! That applies in Switzerland also (although I don't believe the fines are as high).
For driving in Italy, EACH driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are easily obtainable at any AAA office for a small fee, and are valid for one year.
You'll need to be extremely careful to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas which exist in many Italian towns and cities. Passing through these areas (even by mistake) will result in hefty fines which you won't know about in some cases until several months after you return home. Florence is extensively covered by automated ZTL cameras so do not drive into the city!
You'll have to budget for tolls on the motorways and of course parking.
If you happen to stop at an unattended fuel station, many of these will ONLY accept "Chip & PIN" credit cards.

Trains will be a quicker and more efficient option for some of the places you're visiting.

When is this trip taking place? It would be a really good idea to get hotel reservations in place, especially in the Cinque Terre.