San Gottard tunnel 😲

 

Thursday 19th September 2024

We left our beautiful parkup overlooking Lake Como with my head spinning with options for getting over the Alps in one piece.

The obvious choice was the nearby Splügen-Pass directly north from where we we're on Como, and the shortest route, but looking on Google maps streetview and it's quite narrow and one of the lesser used passes, perhaps for a reason ?

The alternatives were the San Bernardino tunnel or the San Gottard tunnel which I'm familiar with.

The only problem is the Mont Blanc tunnel is presently closed, so directing more traffic onto the San Gottard tunnel.

They have a traffic light system that regulates the quantity and flow of traffic in the tunnel for safety reasons and there are usually lengthy daytime delays.

No problem though I, we'll use the pass over the mountain, as we did on our way south.

So we set off for the San Gottard pass which is a longer route but more familiar and less hairpin bends.

What is not realised is there are roadworks as well, closing the slip road to the pass.

So we were committed to using the tunnel and enduring the delays.

I think it added about an hour to the journey so I was feeling pretty frazzled by the time we emerged from the tunnel into daylight.

It's about 16 kilometers but feels like forever.

I didn't feel up to driving much more today, so after a quick groceries shop in Aldi, we headed to Camping Remo in Altdorf, on the southern tip of lake Lucerne.

It's a bit of a quirky campsite, complete with model village, model railway and even a model quarry with conveyor belt transporting gravel to the railway.

All the model buildings light up at night.

Camping Remo model village

Model quarry

Model railway

I had a walk down to the lake after tea and it's quite an attractive waterfront.

Also, next door to the campsite is a cable car going up the adjacent mountain behind us, I think I might take a look in the morning.

Fred Flintstones new model ?

This reminds me of Cocoon