# Circular route, Calais - Sestri Levante - Calais



## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

I am happy with the route back, via Aosta Valley, M/Blanc etc as we are aiming for Samois sue Seine at end of June for the Django festival there. However I am looking for an interesting route like touching into Belgium, Luxembourg, Lucerne, over a pass to Lake Maggiore.

Whilst I can sort the route in general, anyone got any must sees, campsite recommendations, not aires as we don't have "own sans ess".

We are taking about a month (June) over this so have time and we are retracing some steps taken about 35 years ago. Part of this is seeing the alps where we have skied so many times, in summertime and revisiting the lake and maybe doing some opera at Verona which is a must from our friends.


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Route to Italy*

Ciao Hampshire man,
some of the routes I take :
Calais - Lille - Tournai - Mons - Charleroi - Namur - Arlon - Luxembourg - Thionville - Metz - Strasbourg - Obernai - Basel - Luzern - GOTHARD TUNNEL)or to make it more exciting in June - Gothard pass) - Lugano - Chiasso/Como - Italy. As a variant, when you've negotiated the St.Gothard, just before Chiasso turn off towards Varese and Lake Maggiore, or you can also do this at Lugano and go towards Locarno and Lake Maggiore.

Calais - Reims - St. Dizier - Lac du Der - Nancy - Epinal - Vosges (Col du Bonhomme or Col de Bussang) - Mulhouse - Basel, and then as above.

On both these routes campsites open in June are too many to mention here, but you'll easily find them as you cruise along. Or look them up in the database here or on one of the camper car sites e.g.
www.lemondeducampingcar.com
or
www.campingfrance.com
or
www.campingcars-infos.com

enjoy your trip
saluti,
eddied


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

Thanks eddied. 
That first route sounds fine. 
When we went to Levante 30 odd years back I think I did the Gotthard pass and I remember Wassen as one place we holed up for the night in a hotel as thats what we did for the journey, there and back. 
Carole and I, two kids and me mum in a Cortina Mk2 company car.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

If you are going to the Verona opera then you could do worse than one of the campsites along the edge of Lake Garda. There is a regular bus goes past the sites and it gets you to the centre of Verona.

We stopped twice at Camping Serennella between Bardolino and Garda. It's a pleasant, well-organised site . We found it empty in March but second time, in early September, was quite crowded. I'd advise booking to be on the safe side. It takes ACSI cards ( 14 euros) but for an extra 5 euros you can have a lakeside pitch.

G


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

Thanks G for the local tip for Verona. I have to research the opera and if everything goes well will try that site.


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## strathspey (Oct 30, 2005)

When you come over the pass to Lake Maggiore, there is a decent site at Baveno. Also, a short drive from there, is the tiny Lake Orta - very pretty.

On the Eastern side of Lake Garda, there is a decent municipal site at Lazise, although the market on Wednesdays makes the site inaccessible during most of that day. 
Buying a 'Rover' ticket on Lake Garda enables you to visit any of the towns on the lake, and to 'hop on and off' the various boats during the course of the day.
Enjoy your travels!
Strathspey


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

Thanks Strathspey, that little lake sounds nice. Nothing firmed up yet of course but notes going into the book.


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