first time in Italy

[regency]

Hi Folks.

Planning to take a trip to North West Italy at the end of August. Any tips on routes and campsites. We plan to be away for about 4 weeks;

 

we are starting from dunkirk

 

regards

 

Jane

[terry1956]

hi, we drive down the midle of germany, heading for a nice little village just outside ULM called Blaubeuren, there is a stop over at the sports gound cost was 5 euros (24 hours) last time i was there, the village is a delight with lots of water and a few good eating places which over good food without breaking the bank. We then head for Innsbrunck, on the way there is a vast trading shopping estate which as cheap diesel and good food shops, we stock up there. then over the boarder to a italy small village called osolo, which is a good place to just stop for a few days, we then headed to a small site just outside castelfranco veneto, not much of a place bar castle walls, buy we used this a place to get the train to venezia for a few day trips, cost was i think around 10 euros return in total for both of us.

please take note note do not leave passports etc in the motorhome, or stop just anyplace, there a vast number of break ins of motorhomes due to aficans making their way up italy. apart from that enjoy.

michael

[silverbike]

We were there last year and found Italian campsites on the expensive side. For September the ACSI book was well worth it. Staying outside the city and using public transport makes good sense. Don't forget to validate your ticket before getting on the train.

We had a great time and hope to be back later this year.

[terry1956]

hi, just to add to the above, if you can get a copy of the camp stop book, there are a number of sites listed which cost around 5 to 6 euros. we don,t use sites as they are full of kids and footballs. ( i know odd sod and i am only 54 ) michael

 

[rupert123]

terry1956 - 2011-08-02 12:43 PM

 

hi, just to add to the above, if you can get a copy of the camp stop book, there are a number of sites listed which cost around 5 to 6 euros. we don,t use sites as they are full of kids and footballs. ( i know odd sod and i am only 54 ) michael

 

Never seen a site yet in September with any kids or footballs.

[zeddykay]

No kids /football in September. Yet another reason to be grateful for teachers and schools!!!

[alan k]

HI,

We've visited northern Italy regularly over the last 10 years or so. Our route depended on the size/weight of our van. It determined whether we go through Switzerland or Austria. 3.5t and under we went through Austria, the vignette was cheaper, over 3.5t the swiss vignette is cheaper than the go box in Austria. There's much more info elsewhere about vignettes.

 

But anyway, Dunkirk Luxembourg Saarlouis Permasens, and Dahn for the campsite then Karlsruhe Stuttgart Ulm Memingen Kempten and over the Fern Pass and down into Innsbruck, up and over the Brenner and down to Bolzano, then east to the Dolomites and possibly Venice or south west to Garda or further west to the other Lakes.

 

Alternatively after Luxembourg (for cheap fuel) Metz Strasbur and down the German side for free motorways then Basle, Luzern Andermatt and Bellinzola and pick your lake. Although I would say that campsites are relatively rare around the western lakes and plentiful around Lake Garda.

 

If you're planning to stay on campsites then get an ASCI card, Vicarious Books or the CC Club, it reduces campsite fees considerably in the off season.

 

Most campsites have small pitches, and they've never heard of the 20ft rule (C&CC), by the end of August the rush has gone and there should be space at most.

 

Do you want mountains, then try the Dolomites, Cortina has a couple of nice sites or further north at Dobbiacco, some valleys have no campsites at all eg Val Gardena although they do/used to allow vans to overnite at the ski station.

 

If you want lakes and relaxing try lake Garda, Pechierra del Garda has got lots of sites, nice enough town for meals out, good ferries around the lake, Verona is near enough for the local bus for the Romeo and Juliet moment or go by train to Venice for the day.

 

An earlier poster mentioned Asolo, a beatiful hill town overlooking the venetto plain with a nice sosta/aire down by the main road. Some beautiful villas and wonderful restaurants, grills, coffee shops and ice cream places. Its full of italians on sundays enjoying themselves.

 

Funnily enough one of our friends runs an English school in Castel Franco and yes a good spot for visiting Venice by train and also for the architecture Villa Emo by Palladio one of his wonderful villas in nearby Fanzolo.

 

Foe more Culture and possibly the beach try Pisa or the coastal resorts just north with lots of campsites or even more try Florence, there's a site right in the middle by the river or out at Fiesole overlooking the city.

 

There's lots of interesting places, just ask if you want any more info

 

alan

[regency]

thanks for all your suggestions and tips

Eric & Jane :-)

[terryW]

Hi

have a look at this old thread I posted after returning from Italy last year. It contains a list of sites we stayed at, if any are on your chosen route PM me and I will give you a detailed run down.

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=22018&posts=2

 

Enjoy your trip, we certainly did

 

Terry

 

[Hilux]

The most spectacular pass between France and Italy is at Colle D'agnello near Mt Viso. It rises to almost 3000metres. The road is good and not too twisty and there'sa decent coffee stop near the top on the French side with a large car park in front. The scenery is fantastic. From France head for Chateau Queras (5,000 ft above sea level) where there is a good campsite and a lovelly castle. Then follow the mountain road over into Italy and down towards Turin. It's OK in a campervan, just take it easy. However, on the way down on either side be prepared to get ovetaken by cyclists doing 50+mph.

 

H

[WildBill]

Hi Jane

 

Last year we headed down to the Italian lakes. We live in Devon so our first day was spent getting to Dover. The first night we stayed at the Hope Inn near Dover. We ate there that night and stayed in the pub car park. First thing we caught the ferry to Calais and made our way to Luxembourg. We stayed at Kockelshiel Campsite. Next day we headed south avoiding toll roads and passing through French villages with lots of nice small bakeries etc and into Switzerland. We stayed at Lucerne. Next day we went through the Gothard tunnel into Italy and on to lake Como. We stayed at Camping Majic Lake near Gravedone for a few days. Lovely site on the lake. Next on to Lake Garda. We were going to stay at Sanfrancesco but once we got there and were met by streaming hoards of holidaymakers etc and the tourist prices! We moved on to the West side of the lake to Manerba del Garda, Camping La Rocca. Beautiful pitch. We stayed for a few nights and then up to Limone for a night. We then moved on to the East side of the lake to Garda and Camping Serenela. Next we headed for Austria and Lake Plansee. Beautiful… Long drive to Saarburg in Germany for 1 night. Last night was at Eperlecques near Calais where they have a restaurant and bar etc before heading for the ferry in the morning.

 

For more details google The Travelling Welburys. (wifes blog). I can help with road numbers etc if required.

 

Above all else...........enjoy

 

Bill

 

[stantheman]

Hi regency

 

Just returned from Italy last weekend. We travelled as far as Orvieto, about halfway down the 'boot', for a wedding. Six days out, six days back, travelling every day (not to be recommended), so a ten day Vignette was sufficient to get us through Austria (8 euros at any service station). Started at Dunkirk, like you. Took much the same route as alan K suggests, Ypes, Luxembourg, Fussen, Innsbruck, Bolzano. Although I guess if you are going to NW Italy you will fork off through the Swiss route. Whatever, be aware of the following:-

 

1. You will get a nasty shock at the exchange rate (if you haven't already done so), practically 1 for 1. And with fuel at anything up to 1.69 euros per litre, I kissed goodbye to several hundred quid in diesel alone (petrol is still dearer over there). Good news is that it's only 1.19 euros/litre in Luxembourg, so make sure your tank's nearly empty when you get there. Took £1000 worth of euros with us (also perhaps not a practice to be recommended) and arrived back with a pocket of small change! Spent it on nothing but fuel, tolls, campsites and the occaisional pizza.

Being a bit tight, we took the route through Belgium rather than paying to use French roads (well, they don't pay to use ours!) although as 'robinhood' said in a thread last year, the A25/E42 has got to have the worst road surface of any in Europe. I thought Russia was bad but Belgium definitely gets the golden pot-hole of the year award and what's worse, it's been like it for years!

 

2. A good site to start from in Ypres - Jeugdstadion, recently refurbished with a splendid automated booking-in machine should you arrive when the office is closed. Reasonably cheap - 12 euros.

Fair site at Nennig (Mosel-Camping Dreilandereck), just over the bridge from Remich in Luxembourg, 25 euros (ablutions a bit grotty - owner speaks better English than I), but as you get further towards Italy the price seems to go up. The highest we paid was 35 euros, although there are a few well appointed Autostops alongside the Autostrada , the Italian equivalent of the German Stellplatze. The one in Orvieto cost 18 euros. Yes, there can be a few dubious characters frequenting some of the sites in Italy. At Sasso Marconi near Bologna, the site owner had to call the local Carabinieri to sort out an altercation between a couple of dusky looking gents, but it made good entertainment to brighten what had otherwise been an arduous days driving.

 

As it was high season, I prebooked where possible but found this a problem around Bolzano where the popularity of the lakes means that sites are not keen to pre-book for one night stops. Bit of a panic one day being turned away from several sites which were packed, but found one at Leifers, nr. Bolzano which, although also packed, has a large tarmac area outside reception (Camping Steiner - they have a website). The proprietor says he always does his best to accomodate overnighters even though it means stacking them two deep! (we were locked in by a couple of caravans but they left early the next morning). If you're heading west this may not be of any use to you and I guess you will be mostly out of high season by Sept.

 

3. Just to make my day, a nice Italian car threw up a stone which planted a crack in my windscreen which proceeded to grow several inches every day and now extends all the way across. Next time I go by EasyJet. But I don't suppose you want to know that!