Has anyone driven Dunkirk - Switzerland??

christyjade

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Hi, looking at booking our ferry & first nights stay in Switzerland, but we are unsure about the drive down there as never driven such long distance before! Staying at a friends house in Canterbury the Saturday night before we head off to get the ferry to Dunkirk. Our final destination is Interlaken, Switzerland. We have been told it would be best to go via Brussells, Luxembourg and skirt down the edge of France into Basel to avoid tolls.

Is it best to split the journey in 2, and have a night stop over in Luxembourg or somewhere, or is it doable in a day? We will be in a car with tent so won't be in the slow camper!! Just unsure whether to book first night in Interlaken for Sunday, or Monday, or whether to leave first thing Sunday, or leave afternoon for a night stop over half way somewhere....

Any advice appreciated :D

:banana:
 
527 miles 10:30 hrs in a car according to Google Maps non Toll route.

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Thats a hell of a drive in one day. You will only shave a couple of hours going the toll route as well. Personally in a car I would split it. In the van it would probably take me a week or two. :D
 
Avoiding tolls seems to add about 3 hours giving a 11 hour journey and the possibilty of needing an overnight stop. Personally, I'd pay the tolls and save the cost of overnight accommodation as I would expect you to be able to do the journey in one go with an early start.

We've driven the Brussels/Luxembourg route a few times and it can be very, very slow in places (round the cities and at motorway junctions/crossovers)

Things to consider - roads will be quieter on Sunday (less trucks); staying with friends - will you be carousing into the early hours and so not get an early start ;),

Using viaMichelin as a route planner gives some idea of the tolls (you can input your car type and fuel consumption etc. )

Dunkirk - Interlaken route planner - distance, time and costs ? ViaMichelin
 
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I drove back from south of Switzerland in a fast car but still had a night in beautiful Saarlois, Germany. AirBnB entire apartment for £30! Then Luxembourg Belgium.

Could do it in a whole day and there are few if any tolls that way.

The quickest route via France would probably incur £30 worth of tolls anyway
 
Just back from Switzerland, we did Calais to Bern. As we where in no hurry we drove through France, avoiding toll roads and stopping on free Aires. We did it with 3 overnight stops, arriving in Bern on the 4th day.
We had a total of 10 nights in Switzerland and had to pay for 9 of them, averaging over 30SF a night. Also popped into northern Italy around lake Maggiore, well worth the visit we'll be back, didn't pay a penny for parking, the beer and ice cream was half the price of Switzerland's. :)

In Interlaken we stayed on the campsite across the river from the Railway station, handy for the Jungfrau and a train trip to Lucerne.
 
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Have an overnight stop or two and enjoy.Its all part of the holiday.
 
christyjade said:
Hi, looking at booking our ferry & first nights stay in Switzerland, but we are unsure about the drive down there as never driven such long distance before! Staying at a friends house in Canterbury the Saturday night before we head off to get the ferry to Dunkirk. Our final destination is Interlaken, Switzerland. We have been told it would be best to go via Brussells, Luxembourg and skirt down the edge of France into Basel to avoid tolls.

Is it best to split the journey in 2, and have a night stop over in Luxembourg or somewhere, or is it doable in a day? We will be in a car with tent so won't be in the slow camper!! Just unsure whether to book first night in Interlaken for Sunday, or Monday, or whether to leave first thing Sunday, or leave afternoon for a night stop over half way somewhere....

Any advice appreciated :D

:banana:
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We have just done the route you are talking about today. A few roadworks but no real delays driven for 6&7 hrs good decent breaks. Now on a little aire 3 vans, free services in St Hubert Luxenberg. I would advise take 2 days and not put yourself under any pressure to do it in one day. Then if you want to stop off to see something you can like we did.
 
No I haven't done that but did do Aosta to Calais in one hit on a motorbike, that was a bit sore on the behind, but We were young then. In a van I would just wend my way down keeping the scenic routes and filling up in Luxemburg. but I am a cheapskate git and I would do it in two at least if not three parts.
 
Thanks everyone, yes considering a stop over in Luxembourg now to fill up and spend an evening in the city :D Just worried about getting stuck in Monday morning traffic en-route to Switzerland from there! :drive:

Only 1 driver, although my boyfriend is willing to attempt the long drive in 1 go, I don't want him to be a zombie first couple of days of the holiday!!
 
Your right to be concerned about Luxembourg traffic. Gets very busy there.
 
Metz may be worth considering for a stop over too. The town centre area near the cathedral is a very nice area to spend a few hours. I wouldn't say it's nicer than Luxembourg, but a bit further south and probably far less traffic on the Monday morning. The campsite is right on the Moselle and only five minutes walk from centre of town too, if you'd prefer tent to B&B.
 
Used to drive from Calais to Switzerland in 2 days, but coming home did it in 12 hours, mind that was with an artic, govener said how comes it takes 2 days to get there and only 12 hours to get back we used to say all uphill going but down hill coming back..
Did go through Luxembourg some times the deisl was cheaper, instead of leaving Dover Monday morning we used to go from Dover to Zeebrugg down through Luxembourg fill up with fuel wait till midnight then drive to Switzerland, because you were unable to go through France on a Sunday with HGV'S, mind that was 40 odd years ago.
 
Just done another 6hrs driving now on a stellplatz at Schuchsee Germany nice big area near lake and village 1 euro for 8 hrs ehu. Very similar journey to what you propose to do I would really recommend doing it in 2 days
 
Thanks Fazerloz - I think we will leave as early as we can on the Sunday and get as far as we feel comfortable with and mark off a few decent sites on the way that we can stop off at when we need to :) Lux, Metz, Nancy/Strasbourg maybe. Thanks :D

:banana:
 
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