We are planning on a summer driving trip to the following areas. I would like advice regarding this plan. Is it the best routing between these locations via auto (no chance for any other mode of transportation as we have our own vehicle)?
The following are the cities we desire to visit: Munich - Salzburg - Innsbruck - Venice - Zermatt - Gruyeres - Interlaken - Lucern - Zurich. Is this the best routing?
Posted by
not here anymore
631 posts
2 problems leap out before even thinking about routing. Venice - it's canals not streets, Zermatt, has streets but bans cars. You would have to park outside in huge public parking areas and use other transport to get in. Is this own vehicle rare/ valuable?
Ignoring that, I would swap Salzburg and Innsbruck around.
Then route Salzburg-Venice via the Villach area, you might want to overnight around there (but not in the city), you could do the whole run in about 7 hours of hard driving but it wouldn't be much fun.
Venice-Zermatt again is at least 7 hours of hard driving. Overnight alternative in the Bergamo-Como region and then enter Switzerland via Como, take A2 to Airolo and then the Nufennen Pass road .
Plan for rest of Switzerland is OK
Austria and Switzerland require purchase of toll stickers to use most autobahns
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Is this a hire car? If so, where are you picking it up and returning it?
One way car hire between countries is expensive.
Munich an Zürich arre big cities that really do not like cars in the centre. In both those cases you cannot use a car to visit the sites in the centre.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8141 posts
We find traveling out of Munich east to Salzburg and south through Tirol and down into Venice to be an easy and satisfying trip.
I found Switzerland much more difficult to travel through--and also very expensive. Therefore I suggest you place emphasis on Bavaria, Austria and Northern Italy and skip Switzerland. I promise you that The Alps in Austria are breathtaking in beauty.
Posted by
not here anymore
631 posts
another problem has come to mind. Central Munich, like many german cities, has an Umweltzone - only relatively low emission vehicles are allowed in. All vehicles need a green emissions test sticker. Modern german registered hire cars would have these but has your own vehicle? It is possible to have foreign cars tested and issued with stickers but you have to make an appointment and hang around, it's usually simpler to just avoid the zone. In Munich it's the green shaded area on this map
Posted by
OP
95 posts
Thank you for the advice, we will rethink portions . Appreciate the help
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32740 posts
It depends on where your driver license is from but if you are not using an EU license you will likely need to have an IDP for every driver - in addition to your license - in Italy and Austria. Germany and Switzerland do not require it.
Are you military posted in Europe?
If you want to go to Innsbruck so that you can go down into Verona via the Europabrücke, the bridge has its own high toll not covered by the mandatory Austrian toll Vignette.