Alpine passes in a Gran Cabrio

[BillyBob]

Hi - I'm in the early stages of planning my summer road trip - I've got a villa booked in Tuscany and a hotel booked near Lake Como for the way back, but the rest is still up in the air. The trip will be in August. I'm strongly considering going via Austria and crossing the alps via the timmelsjoch. One thing that's been nagging at me is how a Gran Cabrio will behave on these types of road, and more specifically, am I likely to cook the brakes on the way down. I don't plan on trying to break any records, so I presume if I use sport mode and keep in lower gears I should be ok - or am I worrying about nothing.

Also - any other recommendations for an interesting route. I'd quite like to avoid Switzerland, but that's not compulsory.

 

[safrane]

Unless you drive like a loon, or have an overloaded car, the brakes will be fine.

 

[Zep]

The brakes are not a fragile as you might imagine. They fun of driving the passes is not hitting max speed between each and every corner but enjoying the balance of the car through the corners and the sound of the engine on the overrun. Use engine braking and a modicum of sympathy and you will be more than ok. On the other hand if you drive like your hair is on fire, particularly on a twisty downhill you might get some fade. Just go steady for a while and they will come back.

 

[Hurricane52]

We got over the Alps in the Ghibli and down the other side just fine. When we got to Bologna, the brakes did go spongey, so I pulled over and just as my Dad had taught me, I checked the hubs and burnt my fingers. After they had cooled down I nursed it the rest of the way. Local garagiste suspected the Bonaldi servos which he sourced and fitted while we enjoyed lying by the pool.

After the job was completed, I took him up a long climb to a typical hilltop town and bought him a beer. We sat in the town square admiring the car. It was really weird - he spoke no English and I no Italian.

I doubt you’ll have any such problems in a GranCabrio - probably the perfect car for the job. Just pack loads of suncream.

 

[gb-gta]

Driving over the alps to Tuscany in a Maserati Grancabrio in august and worried about your brakes?

That is a nailed on definition of a first world problem I would say!

 

[Mr S]

Was going to start planning mine for the same time involving similar places, be interested to know your plans. Wanted to get down to Modena and Imola also

 

[safrane]

I always go in Sept to avoid the school crowds and the camper-vans and cyclists... both of which can ruin a drive on a twisty pass.

 

[2b1ask1]

In August the brakes won't be your issue, just cyclists! In all seriousness though if you venture into Switzerland watch out for buckets of water being dropped on you in villages (Ar Tell can testify)! They don't like their peace being disturbed...

 

[Blox]

I’m doing a similar trip in my GTS at the end of August for a friends wedding at Lake Como. I was planning on heading over the Alps via Davos and then the Stelvio Pass. Early days of planning so any insight on routes and overnight stops at decent hotels along the way would be much appreciated !

 

[Zep]

Have a good look at the itinerary for the various trips we have done. Monaco or Bust and the Tuscan Tea Party will cover a lot of the areas you are looking at.

 

[BillyBob]

I agree August isn't ideal - but the timing is caused by a combination of wanting to be in Tremezzo for our 25th wedding anniversary (returning to honeymoon hotel), wanting to be back in time to ensure that youngest daughter makes it safely to University and Villa availability, which made it the only option.

My outline plan is to get on the Eurotunnel around 8:00am on a thursday and put in a solid day going via Liege, into Germany, picking up some unrestricted Autobahns, then on to Ulm or maybe as far as Sautens in Austria. I don't actually think I'm going book the hotel for this stop - just drive as far as I can be arsed and then find somewhere to sleep. Next day will be a leisurely trip over the timmelsjoch (a mountain pass with it's own website) and ending up somewhere near Lake Garda. Need to find a hotel there that doesn't have a 3 night minimum stay. Then on to Radda in Chianti for a week in a villa that we've rented. Now for the second unwise move of this trip. Not only are we going in August, we're also going to spend 3 nights in Florence, in August. Haven't figured out which hotel yet, but I am resigned to paying €40 / night just to park the car. Then it's on to Tremezzo - staying in the Hotel Villa Marie - it's not the swankiest place, and the road runs between the hotel and the lake, but it does have a definite charm and I think it warrants a return visit. 3 nights there, then heading for home. Not really planned that route yet - Switzerland is the obvious route, but I definitely won't be staying overnight there or stopping there for lunch.

We're also doing a roadtrip to Valencia in March - so I should get my fill of empty roads during that trip.

 

[BillyBob]

Have a good look at the itinerary for the various trips we have done. Monaco or Bust and the Tuscan Tea Party will cover a lot of the areas you are looking at.

Thanks - I've a quick look around the forum and couldn't easily work out where to find them - any pointers would be appreciated.

 

[Zep]

https://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/index.php?threads/mob-my-story.27311/

https://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/index.php?threads/sports-maserati-tuscan-tea-party.29171/

There are a couple to kick off with.

 

[O37]

I agree August isn't ideal - but the timing is caused by a combination of wanting to be in Tremezzo for our 25th wedding anniversary ...
... ending up somewhere near Lake Garda. Need to find a hotel there that doesn't have a 3 night minimum stay.

Great destination, can't help on the drive down as I didn't want to risk our marriage, even in the GranCab , seriously consider a day or two in Verona, our 25th anniversary - culminating at the open air Opera, less than an hour from Lake Garda, - be aware traffic will be awful if you attempt to go to Sirmino at a weekend, apart from that a fantastic experience...

 

[BillyBob]

Great destination, can't help on the drive down as I didn't want to risk our marriage, even in the GranCab , seriously consider a day or two in Verona, our 25th anniversary - culminating at the open air Opera, less than an hour from Lake Garda, - be aware traffic will be awful if you attempt to go to Sirmino at a weekend, apart from that a fantastic experience...

I've done a fair few road trips with my wife, so I am not unduly concerned. After a few disasters in our early 20s with massive flight delays (where we spend 50% of our holiday budget in the bar at Gatwick), we did about 10 years of holidays by car. The most notable of which was a trip to Puglia in a 1983 Alfasud Sprint. At the time my now wife didn't drive, so I drove the whole way there and back. We did the return journey in 2 1/2 days, including the first day on the same motorway travelling the entire length of Italy. We were away for nearly a month - the oil pressure warning light was on for the entire trip.

My approach is to go for bust day 1, and break the back of the journey. After that, things can get more relaxing as you're in interesting surroundings. A Naviplus system combined with Spotify playlists that match her musical taste are the other saving grace.