Driving To Garda

This route has worked well for us on a couple of occasions. Very little in the way of tolls, and the roads kept moving at a good speed

From Calais follow signs towards Dunkirk then to Lille. To drive around Lille follow signs towards Brussels then towards Liege until you pick up signs for Luxembourg (after Namur). Fill up with cheap fuel in Lux. Then to Metz & Strasbourg. At Strasbourg follow signs towards Offenburg to cross boarder into Germany then head to Basel. Fill up with fuel in Germany & buy your Swiss motorway passes in service station before going into Switzerland (one for the vehicle & one for the trailer) Follow signs to Luzern then Gotthard. Carry on to Milan & then head towards Venice. At Verona head towards Brennero until you turn off at Roverto sud. Follow brown signs to Lago di Garda. As you come down the hill into Torbole (with the lake in front of you) go left for Torbole sailing club & it's on your right as you leave the town.

It is a long drive. my advice is to buy flexi returns for the return ferry. I think I got mine about 2 hours out when planning it last time and they really hammer you when you are late. I have done the drive probably 5 times and never made the ferry I am booked on....still I always book the cheap ferry.
Normally go via Germany and Austria, coming down through the Brenner pass, which is honestly beautiful but on a Friday evening, can be gridlocked with germans going for a weekend away. I have driven a star down through france as well a few times. Preferred the first option though
Toll roads add up as well. Especially if you find yourself in Switzerland. Infact no matter what route you take, no matter how conservatively you drive, it always seems to cost more.
I found that it costs about £150 more to send the boat with jubby and fly out. Well worth it if he is running the service
I try and drive with two of us and just take turns. I have stopped when on my own, but I was once robbed of 30 euros at gunpoint in a French lorry park by two people pretending to be police. I then walked to the other side of the car park where there was indeed a police van and they asked how I knew they weren't police.....I'd never stop in that s-hole of a country again.
I have a feeling google maps says its 13 hours from Calais (off the top of my head) but when I went last year it took 20.
Germany enforce very, very strict speeding laws on the autobahn of about 50mph with a trailer. I have been stopped twice. once was a 100 euro on the spot fine. the other I was escorted to a bank and ordered to pay 200 euro. Don't worry about speed cameras, i've felt like a celebrity with all the flashes i've had and never heard anything.

Mont Blanc tunnel is the quickest and easiest .... it is a two day drive.

I reccommend the france/belgium/holland/germany/austria/brenner pass/italy route as there are barely any tolls, it takes ages though, 2 full days driving. We stopped near Stuttgart in a hotel on route as it is just over halfway.