Tunnels

Driving in Europe can be be both a harrowing and exhilarating experience, and nowhere is this more true than in the many tunnels and snow sheds of the Italian autostrada or Swiss autobahn. Immediately upon leaving Genova on the A7, one comes to a series of narrow twisting tunnels. While somewhat daunting, its interesting to note that the normally reckless Italian drivers tend to slow down a bit, even in the straighter tunnels, giving the the foreign driver a slight respite before being thrown into the fray again. In both Italy and Switzerland, signs indicate upcoming tunnels and tell their length (which, in the case of a few Swiss tunnels, exceeded 6 kilometers). Additionally, highway travelers in both countries can expect through quite a few concrete snow sheds, many of which offer rather dramatic views of the Alps as columns whiz by at 110 kilometers per hour.

Clinton Riddle