Planning to drive to the Italian Lakes at end of this month and after the benefit of your experience to find the most scenic route and/or best roads for those who enjoy driving.

Plan so far is to stop somewhere mid France en route to Lake Geneva, overnight there then tack across top of alps westwards and enter italy via Lake Como – others have advised this is a nice way of doing it.

I have seen good advice here in similar threads in the past but can’t find anything now. 😕

Go via lake genera (motorway right along the top, with a service station and viewing platform at highest point) . Then over the Simplon pass into Italy, between the lakes. An amazing view, feat of engineering and did I mention the view?

Cheaper way with no tolls and AMAZING driving roads: Calais – Lille – Belgium – Luxemborg(cheap fuel) – Germany (down to Fussen) – Austria (no mways to Nauders) – Italy (Stelvio Pass to Bormio, then Gavia Pass, then Tonale Pass, then to the Lakes. I did that route earlier this year for the Val Di Sole WC and it was awesome.

Assuming you’ll be sticking with the Geneva stop – I’d suggest either dropping down through Champagne (Eperney), Chablis, Parc Morvan, Burgundy and staying somewhere either in the parc or northern Burgandy, plenty of Chambre d’hote (B and B). Have a look at this site, we’ve stayed at some nice places via it Alastair Sawday Guide

The wine regions will have their autumn colours by early October and the wine harvest starts soon.

Alternatively you could get over to Alsasc for a stop and then via Jura to Geneva. Bit more mileage I think as you are heading East for a bit.

All possible with minimal Payage

I second what Geforce Junky suggests; my wife and I did similar on our honey moon to get to Lake Garda, fantastic driving – take a car that’s a fun to drive.

Thanks peop’s. Whetting my appetite. 🙂

Going via Versailles now so will then be heading south-east across France to Lake Geneva. Then likely across top of Alps and picking the right point to head south across Alps to the Lakes.

Geoforce route sounds fantastic but not an option getting there. Maybe an option getting back? Did you do it in one hit? We’re planning to do all the return journey in one.

We’re planning to do all the return journey in one.

Ambitious………….

We did from the top of Lake Maggiore to Bethune in one go, by pretty much the shortest route with the exception of the Gotthard Pass because the tunnel was traffic jammed (which was brilliant – lots of nice snow at the top). That was too much for one day in hindsight, although only one driver which makes a difference I guess.

It’s dirt cheap to stay at Formule type places by the motorway, worth paying the extra 30 quid so you don’t have to do such a silly drive. If I did it again, that’s what I’d do.

Also, when do the passes have a chance of being closed by snow – that is worth knowing if you’re relying on any high passes and would have a long way round otherwise.

Gde St. Bernard was shut in the middle of June this year as was the stelvio. I did stelvio a few years ago on the KTM at the end of September and only just to through the snow. ADAC and OAMC both have phone apps that will tell you if the passes are shut.

We’re planning to do all the return journey in one.
Ambitious………….

^exactly this^
I can just do Molini in one hit. But really that’s pushing it beyond the realms of acceptability. You’ll have a far better holiday by giving in around Frederischaven or Munich and bedding down for the night. There are a couple of fantastic, cheap hotels on the shore of lake resia on the way up to stelvio.

No rush version: St Malo, Mt San Michel, Millau Viaduct, Pont de Gard, Italy, and anywhere in between that looked interesting.

I took 1.5 days. Did the London – Nauders part in a fairly casual but long day, slept in the car overnight and then spent the next day going over all the mountains which is so fun but does take a while, especially if you stop regularly to take photos and let the poor car cool a bit.