Driving Down - How to bypass Basel

[alan h]

Drove back from Italy over the weekend.

I have always found getting through Basel a bit of a pain - but this time I took a route around Basel that cut the delays to under 15 minutes. [I have spent over 2 hours getting through the traffic and Customs/immigration checks in Basel, and never less than 30 minutes queueing in the car]

The route is very simple, and only adds about 5 miles or so to the route. Coming down the German autobahn [easy connection from France at Mulhouse] - take the turn off just before Basel to Lorrach and continue into Switzerland that way. Its a good road all the way - mainly dual carriageway - and it only took 10 minutes to 'do the checks' to enter Switzerland and 15 to leave. You end up on the Swiss motorway about 1km East of the turn to Lucerne.

Hope this helps someone.



.

[jepsonclough]

Setting off tomorrow for le marche so will give this a try.

Chris

[Neil T]

Interesting and useful route.

Does anyone Know if it's practical to by pass the St Gotthard tunnel, over the pass, in September.
Is it easy to spot the Motorway junction?
Is there a big time penalty?

I've been this route several times, but in coaches, not driving myself.

[Charles Phillips]

You should be fine using the pass is September. It is very well signed, and easy to get on and off the motorway. (The motorway signs also tell you when the pass is closed). It's a lovely drive, and (from memory) adds about one and a half hours to the journey.

[alan h]

Originally Posted by Charles Phillips

......... It's a lovely drive, and (from memory) adds about one and a half hours to the journey.

It does if you stop to admire the view and have a delicious coffee and cake in the cafe by the museum at the top -

Otherwise it adds about 30 - 45 minutes or so [unless you get stuck behind a Dutchman towing a caravan full of 'sprinkles']


.

[juliancoll]

Alan, we too found that route in reverse after passing through Basel, that's what you get for letting the better half navigate. She noticed something wasn't right when the police uniforms changed at the service stations.
I have now traded her in for sat nav., It still answers back but you don't have to buy it shoes!!!

[Romano]

Alan - do you ever use the tunnel through the Vosges? Any idea if it's re-opened yet?

[alan h]

Used it once - but I much prefer the route down past Epinal and over the Vosges to Mulhouse. [great scenery]

Articles I've found on the net give various opening dates between 'for the 2007/2008 winter' to 'open August 2008'.

I assume that its not open and probably won't be so until 2009 [if they're lucky].