Prior to our RS BOI tour, we wanted to do a little exploring and need help with navigating. I’m getting wildly different routes with different online mapping apps.
We fly into Milan Linate on Sunday and are renting a car. We want to drive to Annecy, France and then to Breuil-Cervinia, Italy, then on to Varenna. One app says the quickest is 3.5 hours on our first leg and another says 5.5 hours. Why the difference. Both have warnings that I really didn’t understand. What am I missing?
Having driven part of this route beginning in Torino, I would say 5.5 hours is pretty accurate. You might want to check close to or on your travel date for possible road closings or detours. These can appear frequently and unexpectedly in the alps.
Are you arriving on an overnight flight?
If so- Have you driven that far in a jet lagged state?
Make sure the rental agency allows you to take the car into France
Do you have parking lined up at your locations?
Where will you drop the car?
All drivers must have an International Driving Permit- get at AAA
More advice in your previous post
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/travel-from-milan-to-chatel-france-and-back-to-varenna
Please don’t get in a car immediately after a transatlantic flight and drive 4-6 hours. If you want a beautiful town on a lake with gorgeous mountains in the background, consider Stresa on Lake Maggiore. I would encourage using public transportation, even for that distance.
The variance in times could be due to different routes, road closures, timing of the auto train through tunnels (if applicable), traffic.
