London to Venice - Advice and suggestions

[Mordiglio]

Hello and happy new year to all the riders on the forum   

I'm starting to plan a trip riding to Italy from London at the end of June and, being my first long trip, I need some advice on a few things. 
I'll be riding with pillion (wife)
I'm thinking 3 days to get there, 3 days staying (with family), 3 days ride back

Any suggestion on route, miles per day, costs, equipment needed/suggested, hotels on the way, and anything else that comes to mind?

As I mention, this is my first European trip, although I've been riding touring bikes for the last 10 years (embarrassing  ), but I know some of you have done this several times and might be able to help preparing and planning.

Many thanks in advance

[Berber]

Allocate each of you a bag for a pannier and roll each days teeshirt, socks separately. Use the top box for other items (will mostly be taken up by your missus).

I used the tank bag for camera and other to hand items.

[Chaos]

A good start is google maps. Put in a start point and a destination and it will give you a route. Then break it down into mileage you would like to cover each day and look for accommodation for the end of each day. Then you can always tweak if you have the time to call at other points of interest along the way.
Another tip is to build up some saddle time for you and the missis  You don't want to be going into 300+ mile days if you're only used to doing small weekend trips once a week.
Most of all enjoy it don't over do it and make plans that you can both realistically achieve REMEMBER there are two of you to consider.
Sat navs come in very handy also but dont become solely reliant on them  Get a map also then you have a chance of getting there and back if like in my case last year in Spain "it fails".

Any further help just shout up or PM me and I'll be more than willing to help when I can.

Chaos

[johnbut]

I have been going to Italy for a few years from yorkshire. We usually use the tunnel, no tying down the bike and Mr tesco pays for it. If you don't mind motorways the route I use is from tunnel to Lille, then pick up Belgium motorways to Luxembourg.
Then on to Karlsruhe, Stuttgart and Ulm turn right towards Austria. Over the Brenner pass into Italy then choose your route to Venice. We do it from yorkshire to the south tyrol in two and a half to three days.

[Coconut]

Hey Johnbut,

We usually use the tunnel, no tying down the bike and Mr tesco pays for it.

That sounds like a canny Yorkshiremans deal !

Is it tied in with a minimum spend on "the other side" at Mr. Tesco's place ? - Any more info ? 

[johnbut]

Tesco loyalty points can be changed into vouchers for the channel tunnel. You  get 3 pounds worth of tunnel vouchers for each pounds worth of tesco voucher. So a return crossing costs about 20 pounds of the vouchers that I get by shopping at tesco. I also cross with the car each year this costs about 40 pounds in vouchers. Must find the pound sign on my kindle

[Coconut]

Thanks - will look into that 

Meanwhile, on your Kindle :

Bottom left key marked wth "?123"
then the key above "ABC" marked with "~\<"
The "£" symbol is then on the middle row furthest to the right ! 

[johnbut]

Easy when you know how thanks ££££