# Malcesine, Lake Garda - Advice Required



## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

My youngest boy has just made his father proud by graduating from his PhD and has decided to marry his fiancee, another young Doctor, in Malcesine on Lake Garda in May 2014.

Most of his guests are flying out and staying in hotels, but I'm really tempted to drive the motorhome across and use that as our base.

I've never been to Italy before and have absolutely no idea about the area around Malcesine, whether there are any nearby sites, whether there is suitable day parking if we drive to the venue on the wedding day etc etc.

We only have 9 days with the girls out of school and they will both be bridesmaids, which will leave us with a few long drives, which I'm sure we can all cope with.

I know it's a long way off and at the moment I'm in the minority, the general consensus of opinion being that we should fly out.

Have we any regular visitors to the area, or ex-pats that can offer some advice on siting and parking a 7.8 metre MH in the Malcesine area.


Ken.


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## Spiritofherald (May 18, 2012)

I haven't stayed there and can't remember the site name (I stayed in a hotel) but there is a camp site somewhere between Riva del Garda and Malcesine. These two places are only about 10 miles apart and I know the site is withing walking distance of Riva del Garda, so I would guess about 8 miles tops from Malcesine.

Fantastic place, you'll love it!


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

Malcesine can be a right bugger to get parked in a car never mind the van! There are numerous campsites dotted along Lake Garda - sorry don't have my CC book handy to list them.
Campsite and taxi on the big day might be best idea.


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## Hydrocell (Jan 29, 2011)

Just to give some idea of stops route and campsites here’s the route we take, you can park on a camp site and get a water taxi to most places around the lake or road taxi and buses cover the same area.

We have travelled to Venice the last three years running we found this route was the best for us and apart for the toll on the Swiss Boarder and the toll on the A4 in Italy.
We try Austria the toll there was 32 euros and 8 euros for the Burner past each way the Austria toll only lasts for 10 day and the Swiss lasts for twelve months from January to December. 
Our route is as follows.
From Calais to Dunkerque on the A16 then onto the A25/E42 to Lille then onto the A7 Towards Namur on the A15 then pickup the A4/E411 to Luxemburg for our first stopover at Luxemburg at Alzingen Camp site good site good facilities and easy to get a bus just outside the camp in to the city. Best to fill up with fuel as it’s cheaper here; this campsite is in the 2012 ACSI book page 219 item 475, last year we only paid 11 euros per night with electric.
From Luxemburg we A3 down to the A8/E29 towards Saarbrucken onto the A620 to junction 3 then turn onto the N61 towards Strasbourg just after Molsheim there is a very good Aire at a town called Obernai this one is not in the Franch Aire’s book we always stop here going down or coming back, you can fill up with fresh water and dump waste, very safe free stop right in the town, Parking des Ramparts the GPS is 48.27.35N 7.29.89E.
After Obernai pickup the A35/E25 towards Basel where you will come to the boarder were you will need a Vignette you can pay the attendant at the boarder all other camps they charge 28 euros but for us Brits they charge 40 euros I complained bitterly last year about this and nearly got arrested but ended up paying 40 euros but I’ve since fund that you can bye one online for 28.50 euros.
Anyway back to the route A2/E25/E35 towards Luzern for our next stopover at camping Horw it’s a flat site mostly grass idle for a the odd night or two, you can catch a bus up to the main town of Luzern from just outside the camp or in the village five minutes walk well worth a go, 2012 ACSI book page 325 item 757.
Continue on the A2/E35 to the Italy Boarder and onto the A9 towards Milan from the A9 you’ll A8 follow this road around Milan to the A4/E66 towards Venice our next stop was at Lake Garda just off the A4 We stopped Perchiera de Garda at a camp called Bella Italia at 16 euros per night good camp right on the lake in the ACSI book on page 432 Item 2151, you can also stopover in the car park outside Bella for around 7 euros but there is fresh water in the bottom left hand corner and toilet waste dump. From here just follow the A4 to Venice however we followed the A4 around to the air port and followed the N14 to portegrand and followed the road to Lido de Jesolo and on to Cavallino to Camping Cavallino this camp site is highly recommended in the ACSI Book page 434 Item 2157 16 euros per night right on the beach short bus ride to port Sabbioni for the ferry the Venice. There are around 28 camp sites in this area so plenty of choice.

I hope this helps
Regards
Ray


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Thanks for your all your replies so far.


Ray, 

That's excellent and thanks for taking the time to post that. I've not had a chance to have a proper look at potential routes yet, so that has given me a starter.

A colleague regularly drives across from the NE, albeit in a Mercedes soft top and he's suggested North Shields - Ijmuiden, Cologne, Milan, Frankfurt, Basel, Como, Garda.

I don't know how suitable that route would be for a MH and as I say, I haven't had a proper look yet.



Ken.


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

We too are Venice " regulars ".

Whatever you do, avoid Camping San Francesco at the bottom end of Lake Garda.


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## ac45 (Jun 28, 2011)

Our Daughter got married in Malcesine Castle a year last April. what a wedding it was fantastic, there is a family run campsite right behind the castle we stayed there, great site, central in Malcesine as you come out of the site your right bang in the middle of it all, wonderful, other campsites are a good few miles away and taxi's are very very expensive.


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

Calais - Lille - Tournai - Mons - Namur - Arlon - Luxembourg - Thionville - Metz - Strasbourg - Obernai - Basel - Luzern - Gothard Tunnel - Chiasso - Como - Milano - A4 to Brescia - Garda :

www.campingcampagnola.it
www.campingbellavistamalcesine.com
www.campingtonini.com

Enjoy,
eddied


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## CandA (May 1, 2005)

Malcesine is a fantastic spot and we discovered a truly lovely small site in the heart of it in June 2009:

http://www.appartement-prioriantonio.it/homeE.aspx

Look under rates to see the camping tariff. The only question might be the size of your van - ours is 5.4m but we are sure there was a big Hymer there. Perhaps ask the owners advice?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Has the venue not got space for you? I would have thought they would find you somewhere to park. This seems the norm in uk even so I imagine in Italy even easier!

Had a look at the two sostas up rive Garda the other week. Pretty dire and expensive but might be ok in May.

If it were me. I would park at the venue for a couple if nights then leave Garda and head up into the dolomites which are fantastic! 

Garda was horid in august but i dare say it might be completely different in May


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## pomme1 (May 19, 2005)

Ken,

We've stayed at Malcesine on a couple of occasions and it's my favorite spot on the lake, far better than the overcrowded south.

There are a number of campsites along the edge of the lake at Malcesine. In my view, the best is Camping Tonini, a very tidy site with well kept pitches, superb views and good facilities. All the sites are along the lake shore road and invariably have tight access. My 'van is 7.4m, however, and I had no problem accessing the pitches and there were a couple of large tag axle 'vans there at the same time.

I've seen the site nearer the centre of Malcesine mentioned by others, and that looks ok as well, albeit a little more crowded.

There is a lakeside walk all the way from Tonini into the village and I would guess it's about 1k.

There is also a large car park just north of the village on the lake shore and many 'vans use it during the day, although I'm not sure about overnight.

Go for it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Roger


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

barryd said:


> Has the venue not got space for you?


That's always a possibility, but I'm still waiting for word back from the boy on where the venue is.


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

ac45 said:


> Our Daughter got married in Malcesine Castle a year last April. what a wedding it was fantastic, there is a family run campsite right behind the castle we stayed there, great site, central in Malcesine as you come out of the site your right bang in the middle of it all, wonderful, other campsites are a good few miles away and taxi's are very very expensive.


The venue is confirmed as Malcesine Castle, but they won't take a firm booking for 2014 until later next year.

ac45 - You have PM waiting


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

We 'did' a wedding in Sorrento this April. We were going to take the van, but decided the drive was too long and the weather too hot for us to take the dog.

The hotel venue wouldn't let us park there, and wouldn't let the dog in the hotel (only small dogs allowed - discounted our ridgeback cross).

We stayed on the nearby campsite, which we would have stayed on if we had taken the van, because my husband wanted to - has a things about nice hotels, wants to cook for himself - blah, blah, blah!

The campsite was fine. We stayed in a bungalow/garden shed, which was not as nice as our van BUT... I so wish we'd stayed in the hotel with the rest of the wedding party.

I really feel we missed out - not on the posh hotel, that doesn't bother me - but on being with our family and the other guests at breakfast, round the pool, for that last drink by the bar. 

We met up for meals etc in the town, and had a fantastic time, but in retrospect I wish we'd gone for the hotel option.

Just my view on it. :wink: 

Lesley


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## pomme1 (May 19, 2005)

Ken,

One thing I should have mentioned earlier, is that in late May/early June, the whole Riva/Torbole/Malcesine area becomes very busy with German windsurfers and paragliders down from Munich for the Pentecost holiday.

Generally they're a friendly bunch and great fun to watch, but you may wish to think about booking a site in advance if you're going at that time.

Roger


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

pomme1 said:


> Ken,
> 
> One thing I should have mentioned earlier, is that in late May/early June, the whole Riva/Torbole/Malcesine area becomes very busy with German windsurfers and paragliders down from Munich for the Pentecost holiday.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the heads up Roger,

It's the equivalent of our 'Whit Week' 24th - 31st !!

Ken.


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

The note about missing the action at the hotel made me think. I would give the hotel where everyone is staying a call and ask if you can park the camper there a couple of nights since the wedding party is giving them business and you will probably eat a few meals there they just might let you do it more or less unofficially. We did this in Tuscany returning 10 years later to the place we stayed on our honeymoon and have done it a few times at restaurants.


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