Has anyone any experience of travelling from Germany via Austria and onto Italy via the Fern Pass or Brenner Pass, any comments or experiences would be appreciated.
Getting from Germany to Austria
- Thread starter peter_374410740
- Start date
Hi Peter
Not been that route exactly. I did go to Italy (Venice) in 2008 which involved towing through Germany and Austria into North Eastern Italy. This is via the road that goes around Vilach. I went this route for a number of reasons.
1. No need to go through Switzerland or France.
2. Same distance give or take 1 or 2 miles from Dunkerke
3. Only a small vignette to pay in Audtria for the whole journey.
4. Seemed to be more motorway this route.
5. Less driving in Italy as when I enter Italy I'm on the 'right' side for Venice.
Depending on where you are going to/from I'd recomend this route.
Alps are tough though. Some very steep climbs. If you get caught in the slow lane going up, it can get very slow.
Ian
Not been that route exactly. I did go to Italy (Venice) in 2008 which involved towing through Germany and Austria into North Eastern Italy. This is via the road that goes around Vilach. I went this route for a number of reasons.
1. No need to go through Switzerland or France.
2. Same distance give or take 1 or 2 miles from Dunkerke
3. Only a small vignette to pay in Audtria for the whole journey.
4. Seemed to be more motorway this route.
5. Less driving in Italy as when I enter Italy I'm on the 'right' side for Venice.
Depending on where you are going to/from I'd recomend this route.
Alps are tough though. Some very steep climbs. If you get caught in the slow lane going up, it can get very slow.
Ian
Hi Peter
We regularly go to Italy and I prefer the Germany/Austrian route to the Swiss one. The Brenner motorway from Innsbruck to Bolzano is quite a spectacular route. There are a few long pulls, which if in heavy traffic is not pleasant but I have done this route in 5th and 6th gears. From Innsbruck there is a pull up for about 4 miles with escape routes on the downhill section. You then cross the Europabruck Bridge which I think is the highest road bridge (in Europe) at about 625 feet above the river. You then go through a pay booth ( about 8 Euros) then down and around a huge motorway hairpin bend. To be fair it is not an hairpin but you do need to slow and take is steady. The road then undulates to the top of the Brenner and then gradually drops as you enter Italy. The Brenner can be very busy at weekends with Germans and Dutch but by mid week it has been fine for us. From the main German A8 autobahn you would head south near Ulm to Kempten where the motorway ends. From here it is very pretty alpine scenary and an easy tow. Fussen and Neuschwanstein (mad King Ludvigs castle on biscuits tins and jigsaws) is worth a look if time permits. The Fern Pass is not difficult or long but can be slow. It consits of twist and turns and not steep climbs. At Nassereith DO NOT go over the Holzleitner pass but continue to Imst and join motorway there.
To be fair we now continue on the main A8 at Ulm to Muinich, go around the Munich ring road and turn for Austria near Rosenheim entering Austria at Kufstein. This route is a little longer than the Fern Pass but it is quicker as it is motorway all the way. To travel through Austria you need to buy a motorway vignette at about 8 Euro and it last for 10 days.
This is one of the easiest routes/passes into Italy. The route via Salzburg and Villach is also easy motorway run. I hope this is of use to you.
Happy Travels BarryB
We regularly go to Italy and I prefer the Germany/Austrian route to the Swiss one. The Brenner motorway from Innsbruck to Bolzano is quite a spectacular route. There are a few long pulls, which if in heavy traffic is not pleasant but I have done this route in 5th and 6th gears. From Innsbruck there is a pull up for about 4 miles with escape routes on the downhill section. You then cross the Europabruck Bridge which I think is the highest road bridge (in Europe) at about 625 feet above the river. You then go through a pay booth ( about 8 Euros) then down and around a huge motorway hairpin bend. To be fair it is not an hairpin but you do need to slow and take is steady. The road then undulates to the top of the Brenner and then gradually drops as you enter Italy. The Brenner can be very busy at weekends with Germans and Dutch but by mid week it has been fine for us. From the main German A8 autobahn you would head south near Ulm to Kempten where the motorway ends. From here it is very pretty alpine scenary and an easy tow. Fussen and Neuschwanstein (mad King Ludvigs castle on biscuits tins and jigsaws) is worth a look if time permits. The Fern Pass is not difficult or long but can be slow. It consits of twist and turns and not steep climbs. At Nassereith DO NOT go over the Holzleitner pass but continue to Imst and join motorway there.
To be fair we now continue on the main A8 at Ulm to Muinich, go around the Munich ring road and turn for Austria near Rosenheim entering Austria at Kufstein. This route is a little longer than the Fern Pass but it is quicker as it is motorway all the way. To travel through Austria you need to buy a motorway vignette at about 8 Euro and it last for 10 days.
This is one of the easiest routes/passes into Italy. The route via Salzburg and Villach is also easy motorway run. I hope this is of use to you.
Happy Travels BarryB
BarryB said:
I was reading Barry's very good description of the various routes when I realised that I had done something he said we shouldn't
The conventional wisdom is that if you cross the Fern Pass from north to south at Nassereith you should head for Imst and then onto the Inntel Motorway. However in 2009 on our way back from Italy we stayed at Stams for a few days. When we left I headed up to the Nassereith/Telfts road via Molz which is the most direct route from Stams. I had no idea I had towed over the Holzleitner Pass! Did not seem too bad to me but perhaps it was the direction we were going in?
David
Hi David
The reason I said not to go over the Holzleitner Pass is that it is NOT recommended by The Caravan Club. I think it might be due to the width of the road. However, I know that you have a great deal of experience and it is good to know that the pass is OK should I, or others, end up on it as I have not done it.
Thanks for your website, it is a great read.
Happy travels BarryB
The reason I said not to go over the Holzleitner Pass is that it is NOT recommended by The Caravan Club. I think it might be due to the width of the road. However, I know that you have a great deal of experience and it is good to know that the pass is OK should I, or others, end up on it as I have not done it.
Thanks for your website, it is a great read.
Happy travels BarryB
Hi BarryBarryB said:
Just a bit more to add to the story. When we were at Stams we drove to Telfs in the car solo and then along to Imst on the 189. I was puzzled at the fuss made about the road. If I recall correctly the Holzleitner Pass is 3 lane, 2 up 1 down and towing a 7.3mts caravan did not seem to cause a problem. Initally I thought the problem was at the Telfs end as it be quite tight to get throught the town although HGV's must do it. Had I not investigated the route first I probably would have followed the recommeded instuctions as given by the CC. Like with all these things doing something yourself is different from recommending it to others!
David
Dear All
Thank you very much for all your comments to my question, this information has been useful to us, thank you.
Peter
Thank you very much for all your comments to my question, this information has been useful to us, thank you.
Peter
We too are planning to travel through Austria to Italy in May and are considering entering Italy from the NorthEast. Are the roads over any high passes and is there likely to be snow around in that area at that time? Saltzburg is on my wife's "bucket list" and so we plan to be there around the 14th May for a few days, before moving on to Venice and points South.
Michael_374349176 said:
The first time we went to Italy we went via Villach in the south and I was surprised how little there was in the way of 'high passes' If you are heading to Salzburg from Germany via Munich again the road is not mountainous. Entering Austria via the Fern and Brenner passes is a little steeper but neither have 'bragging rights' in terms of steep passes! The only major route I have not done is the Grossglockner but that involves a couple of tunnels which will lessen the steepness. When we stayed in Salzburg we used a campsite called Nord Sam which is handy for the bus into the this lovely city.
David
- Apr 1, 2010
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Having been over the Grossglockner many times by car don't think we would tackle it with the caravan on the back. By car it is wonderful , scenery as all of Austria, is stupendous. Two sites en-route via the Fern is Nattersee at Innsbruck whichever way you are going to Italy. For the Villach route Winkle Landthal on outskirts of Berchtesgaden is a useful stop if you need to stop at that point of the journey. We tend to stay at least 2 or 3 nights en-route to investigate the area and have found some gems. Michael stopping at Berchtesgaden you can do Salzburg easily it is very close and Winkle Landthal at Bishopswiesen is so handy for the road down to Villach. Both sites mentioned are ACSI Camping Card sites the latter 13 euro's a night but 4 star and Nattersee is 15 euro's 5 star. We will be making this journey down to Southern Austria, where we will stop for 6 weeks at Jodl Camping on the Ossiachersee from 21st April. Always travel down at this time of year and in 7 years have only seen snow once at Innsbruck and party down the Brenner Motorway, but roads absolutely kept clear.
Thanks for that David. I'll check out that site near Salzburg, it sound suitable for what we want.
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