# Belluno Italy, best city in Italy



## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

Some of you know that I live in Belluno, Italy. I've been telling people it is a great place to live for years and now it is confirmed. It has been judged the city with the best quality of life in Italy. But more important it has finally been discovered by the camper crowd. The main area for campers seems to always have at least one camper parked there sometimes many more, even now on a cold and snowy day.

The facility is just a section of the big community parking lot, no power hook ups. But the price is right and there is water and dumping. It is at the foot of the city with a long escalator going up to the center. Beside it is a park and next to the park the community swimming pool. Across the road is a big park along the Piave River. 

If you come give me a call +39 339 784 2196 and I will buy you a glass of Prosecco. How about that and the city is not even paying me to do this.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

John thanks for that.

I have just looked up your city and it might well be a stop for us next Spring on the way from S. Poland to the ferry to Greece in May or on way back, but then we are probable heading for Provence.

Have noted your phone number, but would contact you well in advance with prior warning - so that you can be out:wink2:

Geoff and Basia (Barbara)


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I went to Italy once. Drove our 36ft. RV towing a car through Monaco and into Ventimglia heading to Venice.
Immediately on crossing into Italy the signs became confusing and kept pointing to the same city to left and right. I of course slowed down to try and see which was our best option. This brought frantic tooting, screaming and waving of fists from the locals in their little Fiats behind us. 
After a while of this we looked for some Italian provision shops and seeing a large lay-by with shops across the road, managed to pull the 46 ft rig in and park.
The proprietor of the booze and provisions shop had been leaning against the shop doorframe watching us intently. But as we started walking across the road towards his shop he went inside, shut the door and put 'closed' sign up.

At that point I swore I would never visit Italy again and headed back to the civilisation of France.

Ray.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Its very handy for some great places in the Alps / Dolomites as well. I Think we parked on that car park in 2012 but only for a couple of hours.


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

raynipper said:


> I went to Italy once. Drove our 36ft. RV towing a car through Monaco and into Ventimglia heading to Venice.
> Immediately on crossing into Italy the signs became confusing and kept pointing to the same city to left and right. I of course slowed down to try and see which was our best option. This brought frantic tooting, screaming and waving of fists from the locals in their little Fiats behind us.
> After a while of this we looked for some Italian provision shops and seeing a large lay-by with shops across the road, managed to pull the 46 ft rig in and park.
> The proprietor of the booze and provisions shop had been leaning against the shop doorframe watching us intently. But as we started walking across the road towards his shop he went inside, shut the door and put 'closed' sign up.
> ...


 Well that is a sad story. Lately I have seen a few big rigs like the one in your picture here in Italy. Don't know how many years ago that was but campers are very popular here now. I have had the same experience when stopped trying to figure out which way to turn. I used to give them the finger and tell them to **** off but now I just ignore them. Yes those arrows pointing two ways are confusing. You need to pay attention to the direction of the main road. I suggest you give Italy another try, we have traveled all over the country in ours, and also France, love France but it is no better than Italy for campers. And in my experience Italians are friendlier than the French. I actually got in a fight with a guy in France 3 years ago. We were there for a Scot jamboree, could not get into the Lidl parking lot so parked in the lot of a auto mechanic, I was tired from a long drive and tried to explain to the owner that we needed to get some supplies for the jamboree, he would not hear of it, when I refused to move he looked the gates and called the cops. One thing led to another. Luckily he started the pushing first and I was just defending myself. With a black belt in karate I could have destroyed the little piece of **** but restrained myself.


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

I've circumnavigated Italy a couple of times and find Italians charming........ Until they get into a vehicle when they become lunatics. 

It was on a motorway near Genoa that the guy in front realised late that he'd missed his turning, and to correct his error thought nothing of reversing towards me....

I was glad to reach the safety of the Mercantour. 

.


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

HurricaneSmith said:


> I've circumnavigated Italy a couple of times and find Italians charming........ Until they get into a vehicle when they become lunatics.
> 
> It was on a motorway near Genoa that the guy in front realised late that he'd missed his turning, and to correct his error thought nothing of reversing towards me....
> 
> ...


 I don't see the problem. :wink2:


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

It's funny about driving in Europe and Italy, I usually give a sigh of relief when coming back into Italy. I guess it is all in one's perception.


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

Here is an old post about tips for driving in Italy on my blog: http://johnandluisa.blogspot.it/2011/03/tips-for-driving-in-italy.html I should probably update it a bit. After driving here for years now I really have only one complaint and that is that Italians follow too close. When they do I give extra space between me and the car in front, so I have more time to stop and the guy behind has more time as well. And it also gives them a space to pass in front of me and stop bothering me.

It's a clear and cold day here in Belluno, with beautiful views of start of the Dolomites.


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

Loved reading your notes on Italian driving, John. It brought a few memories back. I remember that it's hard to find a car that's not dented! 

You might like to add a section on parking, as my experiences reminds me that double and even triple parking is common. There was one village on the lovely Gargano Peninsula where they'd blocked the road whilst shopping.


.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Ive never found a problem with Italian drivers. I just seemed to fit right in.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

barryd said:


> Ive never found a problem with Italian drivers. I just seemed to fit right in.


Yep, driving a 'tank' must help and with the music up loud.

Ray.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Actually to be fair I found the driving in northern Italy and mainly the Alps no different to anywhere else really. The place is full of people from all over Europe anyway. Italians friendly and great fun. Same as most places really.

I still think France has the best aires though and some of the Italian sostas I found are / or cramped and expensive but that could have just been around the lakes. Found some great ones up in the mountains


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

HurricaneSmith said:


> Loved reading your notes on Italian driving, John. It brought a few memories back. I remember that it's hard to find a car that's not dented!
> 
> You might like to add a section on parking, as my experiences reminds me that double and even triple parking is common. There was one village on the lovely Gargano Peninsula where they'd blocked the road whilst shopping.
> 
> .


Parking is kind of like desperate situations require desperate solutions. Too many cars narrow streets and too little parking. When we travel to Milan to visit my wife's parents my mother in law will sometimes lay for hours across a parking space in their enclosed area so we can park when we arrive. Well just kidding. But we do call on the way and sometimes if there is a space they will park in it until we arrive then go put their car in their parking garage, which people buy as an investment.

In Belluno most all the spaces are marked and mostly require payment, with tickets issued if not paid.


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## scouter (Dec 14, 2007)

*Driving*

We've spent a lot of time in Italy over the years, and this year visited Sicily again for 5 weeks or so on the island. I like driving in Italy, everybody drives as if everybody else is capable and wants to get on, the only problems come when you are indecisive and other drivers think you should have taken the gap etc. You must not allow yourself to be bullied but drive in the same way getting on with it. Nobody wants a bump and traffic is fair but if you leave a gap somebody will fill it especially at traffic lights, with 3 scooters squeezing into a gap.

I do admit to have a problem in readjusting to UK ways, and hence being seen as an aggressive driver, taking a space when there's one there, and going first at mini roundabouts when everybody else stops and looks at each other.

As for parking and stopping to say hello, or get a coffee, its the done thing and people will help you get through the resulting gap. Equally when we took a wrong turn coming down from Etna and couldn't get through because of parked cars, nobody batted an eyelid as 6 cars moved to allow me to reverse around a tight corner to turn and go the other way.

Our friend has an English School in Castelfranco and now lives in Fanzolo, so we have spent a lot of time visiting that area and Venice. She did Italian and Fine Art at uni and can still find new places to visit in Venice. Asolo is a favourite for Sundays whether lunch or an afternoon ice cream and coffee.We've also spent alot of time in the northern Dolomites but not for a few years.

We've probably been through Belluno but maybe we'll have a longer look next time

cheers alan and sue


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Yes, it's the Italian drivers that scare the proverbial out of me. Scared of getting a bump or 6. So that's why I haven't ventured south yet in the moho. (That said yesterday I drove 600km back from Pretoria to Durban (by car) in the rain and thick mist so I'm not really lacking in confidence.)

I've travelled several times in Italy though. In 1988, I think it was, we went to Rome airport to drop off my sons for a flight back to SA in my b-i-l's homebuilt the "Bumparossa". Now my b-i-l's surname is Alonso... nuf said! Some uppity young sprogletto with a Fiat failed to acknowledge his limitations when competing with a moho, and ripped his bumper off in a merging lane. 

Seeing Brit number plates, he proceeded to "wax lyrical" in Italian, thinking he'd have the upper hand in a slanging match. But my b-i-l speaks English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and a smattering of Italian so that wasn't too successful.

I know about the parking "code of conduct". One trip in Switzerland, I was heading south from Luzerne on the motorway and was in the wrong lane to turn off for Andermatt. Then comes the St Gotthard Tunnel 17km and no 'escape'. At the exit there was a big Agip filling station and being lunchtime, guess what, all the motorhome parking spots were filled with Fiats. So I stopped at a pump, leisurely filled with fuel, then went and leisurely filled with GPL and by then the gobble and go's had gone. Back up the tunnel and back in the road over the Furka Pass towards Visp. 

There were snow drifts well into the road, mist and rain, and streams of oncoming tourist buses. Luckily I never crossed paths with one in a narrow spot and they were on the "drop" side. Although that was Switzerland, still dominated by Italians and their ways.

I know Italians well, and speak the language although a little rusty now. I really enjoy the light-hearted mood that persists in the country, the sense of family, the love of good food and passion for their country. My first husband was Italian, and so is my brother's wife. Been close to those families since I was 15 years old ... and there are plenty of them!

So perhaps your recommendation has inspired me to take the plunge next year and take you up on your offer of a Prosecco. Maybe meet up with my b. and s-i-l who holiday in Trieste every year (her birthplace) and perhaps with the 'cousins' we spent our teen years with in Bulawayo, who holiday in Umbria. (All Australians now!)

I have toured the area west of Bolzano/Trento some years ago staying in Madonna di Campiglio (timeshare not moho) and it really is beautiful. And absolutely NO-ONE makes pizza like the Italians. Other trips included Venice and the northern lakes and down the east coast, Rome, Naples and its islands, Sorrento, Capri, right up the west coast to France. But still lots more to see. 

Prossimo anno in Belluno!


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

We went to Lucerne last week end from Belluno, the drive back was horrendous, 10.5 hours to do a 6.5 hour drive in the car. We were driving by car, lots of campers on the road. It snowed the entire time, sometimes the snow was so thick there was just one lane down the middle. We did not see a single accident, everyone gave plenty of stopping distance. I have to say I was impressed by the carefulness of most all the drivers from the Swiss to the Italians. I truly don't know any reason to fear driving in Italy. 

The only thing I fear are those Swiss speed cameras. I went with my daughter to pick up her new/used camper and she and her husband following us home both got caught doing 90 in an 80 zone, they did not see the sign soon enough. Funny thing is my daughter was afraid to tell her husband until she found out he got it too.


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Yes, the speed cameras. Caravanners I met in Le Bouveret a couple of years ago, stalled due to engine blow-up and subsequent repair, had a hire car and travelled to Zermatt. Caught speeding along that road near Brig-Visp. He wasn't concentrating, just tooling along at the same speed as everyone else. Limit drops, cop waiting. £250. Come along to the ATM the cop said. Just as well they were in the hire car which had a vignette. He didn't know about vignette and hadn't bought one for his own vehicle. That could have been expensive, very expensive. On top of the car repair? Was a very expensive trip. Shame.


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