First time visit to italy

[kevandali]

Hi Everyone

 

We are hoping to travel to Italy via Calais or Dunkirk and only have maybe just over two weeks.

There is loads of information on other posts on the differing routes to get there but I think because of the time limit we will be aiming for northern Italy.

 

My question is:- What sort of coastal area should we head for?

Thought about the coastal area just over the border from Monaco but really have no clue what it is like or where to head for as we have only tried France so far.

 

We are really looking for wild camping or the Italian version of Aires or possibly even a few campsites where we have easy access to beaches.

 

I will continue to try and work out a prefered route but intend to get down there as quick as poss and leave the sightseeing until we arrive.

 

As always, any help welcomed.

 

 

[catinou]

Good choice - we went to Lake Garda last year - our first time to Italy and picked up the route from this forum - roughly:

 

France, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Italy. Tom Tom gave us this route which was more cost effective than all the Tolls in France. No tolls in Belgium and the Swiss vignette covered all motorways and tunnels in Switzerland (there are a lot of tunnels!) We allowed 3 days to get there as it looked a long way on the map, but using toll roads - clear and fast except major cities such as Milan - but this year will only allow 2 days as we "kicked our heels" in Switzerland for an extra day as we were booked on to a site. 2 stops on the way back were more than enough and gave us an extra day in Italy. (Cold and windy in Switzerland, pop through the Gothard tunnel and hey presto! brilliant sunshine for 10 days) B-)

 

Fuel costs are cheaper in Belgium but the best are in Luxembourg by far (last year we paid less than a Euro per litre when the Euro was at 1.42 euros to the pound)

 

We didn't get to the coast last year as we spent the time exploring the Dolomites and the Lake area but this year intend using the "Aires" in Tuscany - Vicarious books have a brilliant pair of books for sale listing, and showing on a map, the various stopovers with details of facilities. The 2nd book is equivalent to the France Passion sites but on farms - we will be ordering shortly.

 

Have a great time wherever you end up and the wealth of information in previous posts are brilliant to help plan. :-)

[Guest JudgeMental]

 

concur with catinou,

 

The favorite route to Italy is via: Belgium/Luxembourg/metz/Strasbourg/colmar/basle/gottard tunnel -Italy.....

 

when heading down towards Basle best to cross over Rhine to A5 -A98 and avoid city.

 

cheaper fuel in Luxembourg, no tolls, and the municipal site at "Obernai" is a popular stop on this route. we will be heading this way in 3 weeks to Lake Garda again :-D

 

I would not go near the Italian med without booking sites in advance July/August

 

Not my idea of a holiday being jam packed on an Aire ( if you can get on one*-) ) lucky if you can even open your doors - as the Italians love getting up close and personal lol

 

 

[handyman]

campsites were expensive when we were there in may, normally 30-35 euro a night.

[catinou]

Camping cheques accepted on loads of sites in Italy (eg Bella Italia last year on Lake shore) and cost £10-30 per night - worth looking at. B-)

[kevandali]

Thanks for all the info so far, lake garda sounds good.(Enjoy, judge)

 

Will try and add the route into my sat nav.

 

Anyone know where I can get poi's for the aree di sosta in Italy?

 

May help us make up our mind where exactly we will be heading in Italy

[Ventoux]

I'm a bit of a tight ar$e and have noticed a lot of Italian Aires are being upgraded (landscaped, modern service-point) and fitted with pay barriers. 10€ per day + 2-3€ for service facilities. 2 weeks is ok but a month or more eats into the wine and cakes budget.

That Monaco - Italy Autoroute ..... hill,tunnel,descent ..... hill,tunnel,descent.....hill,tunnel,descent ....... Who needs roller coasters?

8-)

[Guest JudgeMental]

catinou - 2008-06-26 2:52 PM

 

Camping cheques accepted on loads of sites in Italy (eg Bella Italia last year on Lake shore) and cost £10-30 per night - worth looking at. B-)

 

I like the look of Bella Italia, but elec only 4 amps and need at least 6 amps for habitation a/c.....So we go to Camping fornella also directly on lake and a great site! we don't normally go to same place twice :-D

 

http://www.fornella.it/

[alan k]

Yes we use variations of the Luxembourg route to get to northern Italy, we like the mountains, the Dolomites especially but have also visited the coast just north of Pisa and also near Venice.

 

There are a number of resorts along the coast just above Pisa, very italian, very busy, with lots of campsites and we just took pot luck for a week. No other English people on the site, but most of the Italians appeared to come to set up home for 3 weeks or so and as others have said they like to get up close.

 

We spent another week around Lake Maggiore, but real difficulty in finding somewhere to stop, eventually got a place on Lago di Orta behind Stresa, again very Italian, super little place.

 

There's lots of places on the Venetian Lido, but it can get very hot and sticky,

 

We like Lago di Garda and have stayed at at Camping Rocca between Garda and Bardolini, on the lakeside good lakeside paths to both for walking and cycling, and 15/20 mins walk to the ferries at Garda.

 

If you google area di sosta there's lots of sites and lists with commentaries etc,

 

alan

[Brian Kirby]

You don't really have much time, when the travelling time is taken into account.  My experience of the Italian coast is a bit limited, but from that experience, any decent bit of beach has been claimed by a campsite, hotel, or private villa, and will charge you for access, or exclude you.  The "public" beaches are thus, it seemed to us, less attractive, less clean, and very crowded.  They were also covered in rentable sunshades, so that, if you didn't wish to rent one of those, the remaining area was the size of a postage stamp.  Inveterate Italian beachnicks may wish to comment.  Verily, the Italians do not do seaside as we in Britain do it!  Not trying to put you off, but just to alert you to what you may find after your long, expensive, journey.  If you really want beach, for my money, somewhere around Canet or Argeles in France does it better.  Alternatively, if you're going to Italy for the culture, select a site with a decent pool near whatever town has the cultural goodies you crave, and settle for that.  If none of these possibilities appeals, somewhere at the South end of lake Garda (lots of sites, many with "private" beaches) may give you what you're after.  The compensation for lack of Italian beach access, however, is Italian ice cream!  :-)

[BrianR]

You can find the POIs for the aree de sosta at http://archiescampings.eu/

 

If you do try the Ligurean coast, the sostas at Imperia and San Remo are ok, but as has been said already, they will be very crowded. The coast is very hilly/rocky, very beautiful where it hasn't been overdeveloped.