Amsterdam to Milan,
across the Alps by car.
The Rhine to Basel, the Gotthard through the mountains and then the plain of Lombardy. It is the longest drive we plan from Amsterdam, and the one we most often suggest splitting over two days.
When what you are bringing matters more than the clock.
Nobody drives to Milan to save time. People do it because a collection, a prototype, a set of frames or a household cannot sensibly be flown — or because the trip has stops in it that no airline sells. The car leaves from your door with everything inside it and arrives at an address in Milan with the same things still packed the way you packed them.
The route crosses four countries and one mountain range, so we plan it properly: which pass, which night, which arrival time. Two chauffeur classes have the rear space to make the hours bearable, and the price is fixed at booking whether the boot is full of samples or a single case.
South to Basel on the A3 and A5, the Swiss A2 through the Gotthard to Chiasso, then the autostrada into Milan.
Around 650 minutes at the wheel before a single stop. That is why we quote it as two days rather than one.
The whole car, all in — fuel, tolls, vignette and taxes — fixed when the booking is confirmed.
The eastern line through Frankfurt, Munich and the Brenner is the alternative when the Gotthard is busy; it is a similar length and costs you nothing extra. Send your dates on WhatsApp and dispatch will put one price on the whole itinerary.
How we usually build it.
Straight through is possible, but eleven hours of driving makes for a poor first evening in Milan. The version below is the one we recommend.
Leave Amsterdam after breakfast and follow the Rhine south past Cologne and Frankfurt, with a proper break somewhere in between.
Stop for the night around Basel, Freiburg or Lucerne. You choose the hotel; the chauffeur's own night is inside the quote.
Into the mountains early, through the Gotthard and down past Lugano. The scenery does the work on this stretch.
Chiasso, the autostrada and your address in Milan — the Duomo quarter, Porta Nuova or a gate at the fairground in Rho.
Priced per car for the entire journey.
Whichever class you choose, the figure covers the car, the chauffeur and every road charge between the two addresses.
For a move or a fair, Van Class is the practical answer: seven seats, seven bags and headroom to stand in. For two people and two long days, the rear of a First Class saloon is worth the difference.
The exhibition centre stands north-west of the city with its own approach off the ring. During the design and fashion weeks the car is far more useful than a taxi rank at midnight.
Showrooms, fittings and dinners in the centre run late and the traffic zones are strict. Your chauffeur knows where a car may stand and where it may not.
Como, Cernobbio and the western shore sit an easy run north of the city. Guests often add a day there at the end of the drive rather than turning straight round.
If only the cargo travels by road, we can meet a flight at Malpensa and reunite you with your luggage — or drive the last leg from the terminal to the hotel.
Every long route out of Amsterdam, with the border rules for each.
The same road as far as Switzerland, four hours shorter.
The eastern line towards the Alps, by way of Bavaria.
All our point-to-point drives with one fixed price agreed in advance.
It is 1060 kilometres and about 650 minutes of driving, so roughly twelve hours door to door in one push. Almost everyone takes it over two days instead, with a night around Basel or Lucerne splitting the drive into two comfortable halves.
The chauffeur's night is included in the itinerary we quote; your own hotel is yours to book and pay for. Tell us where you would like to break the journey and the figure we confirm covers the rest.
Normally the Gotthard on the Swiss A2, which is the shortest line. When the tunnel is queuing we use the San Bernardino instead, or take the eastern route through Munich and over the Brenner. The choice is made on the day and changes nothing about your price.
All of them are in the quote: the Swiss motorway vignette, the Italian autostrada tolls and anything charged on the way. You will not be asked to pay at a barrier or shown a receipt at the end.
Yes, and it is one of the commonest reasons for this booking. We load in Amsterdam, drive to the new address in Milan and the car returns empty. The price is the same whether the boot is full or half empty.
Germany, Switzerland and Italy are all in the Schengen Area, so checks are not routine. Carry a passport or ID card regardless — Switzerland is outside the EU customs union, so the customs lane at Basel is a real stop and commercial goods may be questioned.