The fastest way to do the trip to my parents by car normally is max 12 hours. With kids and “ I need to go ~ stops “ it’s there for that we do it with an overnight stay in a hotel. Fun fact is that we have a relaxed trip and won’t be wasted when we arrive at the house but start the holiday of well rested. This time with the Covid rules and regulations AND the turbulent weather of the last few day in the south of Holland and Germany, traffic was awfull.
Not complaining but just awfull. So we decided to go across the border of Switzerland into Italy and sleep in a hotel at Lake Como. The lake we visited last year and gorgeous wherever you stay. The routes to Lake Como are different but all come together via one of the three passages called the Gotthard tunnel, it’s the quickest way at least if there is no big traffic jam there aswell. This tunnel is used every year by many tourists from all over Western Europe to travel into Italy, or Hungary etc. or who are on their way to Italy like we are.
To source and reference :
for travelling Italy and information we used https://www.comomeeritalie.nl/het-comomeer/bereikbaarheid/gotthardtunnel
In this season there are always changes in availability and in passage times.
But we also have a subscription to the Dutch ANWB, the Dutch association that also comes when you have car trouble. It’s also provided with the latest European updates on roads, travel and nowadays rules and regulations for covid19.
sources read before travel : Anwb.nl
Information about the Gotthard tunnel is always needed because during the summer there is so many maintenance needed that traffic jams and delays need to be calculated in your travel times. Ofcourse we have the covid19 test deadline and with all that happened today it’s even more exciting. We had hoped we didn’t get any checks by the police. But it was to busy so I guess we were in luck. Well we are lucky anyway to be able to travel and not have Covid and a negative test result qr code to show when we do get pulled aside by police. That was all pre arranged and on the pocket.
The Gotthard tunnel is almost 17 km long and when I was young and we went to Italy with my parents in the summer it always made me anxious because I was afraid that the tunnel would collapse.
In Wikipedia its says : The tunnel is 16,942 km to be precise and you have to drive on normal minimum speed. With its length, the Gotthard tunnel is the number 3 tunnel on the list of the longest tunnels in the world! The tunnel was built between 1970 and after ten years in 1980 and was first opened.
In September it has his birthday. So this 42 year old tunnel has been a passage place to millions. Every year there is maintenance and improvements. Nowadays when you enter the tunnel you have a special radio frequency that gives information in case of am emergency. In three languages.
You are obliged to drive with low beamed lights in a tunnel (daytime running light is insufficient). In the event of a traffic jam, you are obliged to keep a rescue lane (Rettungsgasse) free for emergency services. Imagine that there are only two lanes and 17 kilometers longs so in an event of an emergency I wouldn’t be able to drive just of my bodies reaction. I don’t know it’s a thing, that will be in my head for always. In addition, you must switch on your hazard lights and keep a distance of at least 5 m from the vehicle in front of you. We keep 10 just in case. The traffic jams are also caused by a special precaution rule which enholds a macimum number of cars through the tunnel at a certain time. But when there is a caulision it’s because the brakes of the care in front were seen to late and than problems start. My sigh is big when I am out the gotthard again.
The Gotthard Tunnel starts in Switzerland. The tunnel connects the towns of Göschenen Switzerland and Airolo. Como is 30 kilometers out and part of the A2 between Basel and Chiasso for us the part of the Italian border where we cross, and drive to lake Vomo first and than Lake Garda.
Freight traffic is only allowed through the tunnel gradually. That’s for me even better I hate being next to a huge lorry or truck in such a little space. In addition, there must always be a minimum distance of 150 meters between 2 trucks. 1000 cars are allowed to drive through the tunnel per hour (per direction). A truck counts for 3 cars, so the number is quickly reached.
We had to wait 25 minutes untill it was our turn to go and do the 17 kilometres inside this huge mountain. When the maximum amount of cats is reached, no cars are temporarily allowed into the tunnel, which increases the waiting time at the Gotthard tunnel.
Despite the increase in the number of cars, the tunnel itself has not been expanded. The Gotthard tunnel still only has 1 lane in each direction. This causes major congestion during the holiday periods. The waiting time at the tunnel can sometimes be up to 5 hours! It is therefore best to avoid the tunnel at these times! We went over the mountain many times. That will take three hours and is better than the wait. And will give a great opportunity to do some #amazingnature blogs.
There is a possibility to escape because there is a special route in case of calamities. If something happens in the tunnel, traffic is stopped and the tunnel is closed until the situation is resolved. This can also cause major delays!
I have to say again I would freak out if it happened to me.
There will be another tunnel in the future. However, the current tunnel will then have to be renovated. It remains to be seen whether this will solve the delay at the Gotthard tunnel. The capacity of the tunnel may not be increased, in order to protect the Alpine area. Yes this part of Switzerland and Italy is also a hot spot for skiing tourists. We have been once, but for a few days of skiing and the possible delays and busy traffic this is not the best option for us in the winter. Austria is nearer by and less jams. But the mountains here I must say are faboulous and gorgeous.
again source : https://www.comomeeritalie.nl/het-comomeer/bereikbaarheid/gotthardtunnel
Ok back to me in the car. This time the tunnel was open and no extra Covid rules to enter. But I looked up on the site there are alternatives to taking the Gotthard tunnel. If you want to go to Italy, but don't want to be stuck in traffic at the Gotthard tunnel, there are several that you can use to avoid the tunnel:
- Gotthard Pass (closed in winter)
- Splügenpas (note: not suitable for caravans and trailers!)
- San Bernardino Tunnel
That one is ( only ) about 7 km long. Runs to the A13 and the second biggest passing to go through the alps.
For more information you can go to
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_Tunnel and read more about this passage.
The nature here as said before is amazing in the mountains the green is greener and the air is so pure I love it. We are having cloudy skies and fog but that makes it even more fairy tail like. Hiking is also possible in this area and ofcourse skiing on the glechers. Switzerland is a great country to go skiing but again for us a bit to far if we only go skiing for a few days, and even a week is just a little to far.
We had a smooth transition and we’re in Como late but who care it’s a holiday.
It is till #thursday , #toiletthursday so here is mine for tonight:
We stayed at the Ibis hotel and had breakfast at 8 oclock. We met a reporter from the daily Telegraaf from Holland and he asked us some questions for a story about travelling from Holland, who is now in code Red to Italy. So maybe we will be quoted in the paper , according to the boys : Very Cool. The journey here was due to all the rules and the weather in the beginning was actually quite alright. And that is also the message for now, that a holiday in covid 19 times is possible. Ofcourse with all the test results , QR codes and forms for the italian government. So if you have plans, go for it!
Maybe our story will be here in the coming hours or day :
https://www.telegraaf.nl/lifestyle / https://www.telegraaf.nl/travel
WE STAYED IN IBIS , BOOK HERE :
https://all.accor.com/nederland/index.nl.shtml
Now its 145 kilometers till home, I hope all of you will have a great friday and I will blog soon.
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Date : 16 july 2021