Has anyone driven this route in a car? We are going to rent a car in Paris and hope to get to Stresa, Italy that evening. Do you think this is possible?
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
I've done it to Torino, which is just about the same distance. Eight hours of actual driving time as I recall, but we made a few stops and spent twelve hours or so enroute. The difference, however, would be that we already had the car and thus did not have to rent one on the day of the trip.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
I have, in fact. Only with about four overnight stops in between.
Viamichelin says a straight shot should take you just over 8 hours - consistent with Ed's estimate. But consider some other issues.
Picking up a rental car in Europe takes much longer than you're used to in the U.S. I've picked up from several Paris locations (not airports) and it typically takes at least an hour for the paperwork and the car delivery.
Once you're on the Autoroute and on your way to Italy driving is fast and easy. But once off in Italy, it can be slow depending on the time of day and traffic.
So if you're determined to get to Stresa that night, reserve your rental car for the earliest pick-up you can and plan your time from there.