Driving UK to Itlay

Hi Stuart. I have done it, albeit Norfolk to Tuscany, not Manchester. You will not be able to do it in one go. You need to factor in ferry prices, motorway tolls (France and Italy), a night in a hotel/b and b, and the fact that the fuel alone will cost 2-3 times the air fare. Good luck if you decide to go through with it.

We flew into Pisa from Gatwick in 2 hours on EasyJet.
Purchase the tickets early, and EasyJet's prices are very favorable vs driving. Needless to say that petrol prices are out of sight in the U.K., and even higher in Italy. It's just so much cheaper to fly it when you consider you're saving one nights hotel coming and going.

If you can do that in 19 hours you must move pretty quick... I regularly drive from the Midlands to Europe but I take it much more gently. Let's assume you will use the fastest crossing - Eurotunnel. Can you do Manchester to Folkestone quicker than 5 hours? Or Coquelles to Pisa inside 13 and a half hours? With no rest stops? Don't forget to allow for traffic around the M25, day or night. The 35 minutes that Eurotunnel advertises is the amount of time buffers to buffers. With the mandatory 30 minutes check in (very much needed these days due to much stricter Border controls and security checks - most times now I see either a dog or a swab test or both) 30 minutes is cutting it very fine, say 15 to 30 minutes earlier arrival and off loading time, the whole process before you are on the autoroute in Coquelles is closer to 90 minutes. Plus you jump forward an hour. So, to answer your questions - mad? Probably not. 19 hours? Doubt it. Cheaper? No way. One shot each way no rest? Mad. And a hazard to other drivers.

Stuart, As the others have said, I very much doubt that you'll be able to do this in one stretch and it's going to be exceptionally tiring. Although I haven't driven that route, I did have a chance to chat with some people who had driven from the U.K. to the Berner Oberland without rest in September. In that case, the primary driver was a professional Lorry driver and he had two "backup" drivers to help out when he needed a break. They drove through the night, but had to sleep all day after they arrived. That's not something I'd ever attempt. A budget flight to Pisa would be my preference. Good luck and happy travels!

Stuart I had to laugh when I saw the title of your post. Here in the US there is a Fiat commercial where they show Fiat 500's driving off cliffs in Italy and then surfacing on the US shores. So I could imagine you running off the cliffs at Dover! The really funny thing is during the commercial there is printed disclaimer warning you not try this. It is such a litigious society here they are afraid someone may actually try it and then sue!

OK thanks everybody for your useful comments, Jet2 is is then, return, 2 hours in the air sounds like just the ticket! Stuart