# travelling to Italy



## Ewanm (May 14, 2008)

Anyone travelled from Scotland to Lake Garda, Italy in a motorhome ? Thinking of trying this journey in the summer in our autotrail cheiftain. We got on very well going to Spain last year but wonder if there is anything we should know and the best route to take. Also any good campsites which take larger vans and with local transport to venice?


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Travelling to Italy*

 Buon giorno, you are in the right place here.
Our friend Russell - Rapide561, has just made this journey both ways from North Yorkshire, so a quick look at his posts from the last couple of weeks will give you most of the info you will need.
I could go on for pages and pages with routes etc but I would probably bore you, and it's a bit early in the day for me.
If you get stuck, I'll come back later.
saluti,
eddied


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Italy*

Hi

As Eddie says, I have just returned from Italy, but this was the most challenging journey to Garda I have undertaken due to persistant snow and so on in Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. I have been to Garda numerous times with a motorhome and too many times to count with a coach.

Some sites have limited access, or small pitches. What size is your motorhome?

Are you planning on a short sea crossing on the Eastern Channel or using either the new Norfolkline service from Edinburgh, or maybe the North Sea ex Hull?

How many miles per day do you like to cover?

Russell

Here are a couple of link re my journeys etc....

Garda December 2008

To Garda - March 2008

Garda toll free northbound

Russell


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## Valian (Sep 25, 2008)

Hi. We travelled from the Northeast to Sardinia last Spring, sailing from Genoa. Newcastle-Ijmuiden overnight on the ferry was the perfect start to a month away; comfortable, stylish, great food and very relaxing. Just what I need before a long drive! Left Amsterdam at 10am and stopped to overnight an hour north of Basel after a comfortable day on the autobahns. Into Switzerland at breakfast time and reached Genoa at 3pm for an 8pm sailing. If you just want to get there fairly quickly without too many stopovers en route it's a good way to go, and I'd far rather spend a comfortable night on a decent ferry than drive the length of England on motorways, having done that many times. 
Ferry terminal in Newcastle is easily accessible from the north as its in North Shields on the north bank of the Tyne, which would probably help if you're coming from Scotland.
Ian.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Overnight ferries*

Interesting comments re the overnight ferry. My own view is somewhat different though.

I have a motorhome with facilities, so I don't see the point of paying for the use of "more facilities" on a ferry - ie a bed, toilet and so on when I have these already!

If I was travelling by car though, I would probably use the overnight ferries in place of a hotel en route etc.

Russell


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Hi Russell,

Slightly OT but do you have the latest diesel prices for Germany, Switzerland & Italy. Last time I checked diesel was cheaper in Switzerland than Germany/Italy we are off on the 29th.   

Regards

Don


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Diesel*

Hi Don

Calais - 1.03 ish Euro per litre on average

Belgium motorways - the same

Swiss motorways - 1.90 SFR per litre (£1.10). Unlead was a drop in the ocean at 1.49 SFR per litre. Off the motorway, 1.75 SFR per litre for diesel.

Italy motorway - 1.13 Euro per litre

Italy off the motorway - very slightly cheaper.

Luxembourg - same price at both service areas and also "off the motorway" - 0.886 euro per litre.

When I tripped off in March, it was a lot cheaper to fill in Switzerland, not the case last week though.

Russell


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## Valian (Sep 25, 2008)

Russell. You have a perfectly valid point of view, as do I. We don't have 'right' and 'wrong' ways of doing things when it comes to holidays - each is planned the way we feel at the time. On this occasion I wanted to be fit and fresh for the continental driving, and anyway, we like travelling by ship, particularly good ones. It's a journey I can thoroughly recommend. It's a holiday, and for me it starts when we leave the house. 
We watched a fantastic April sunrise over the North Sea before breakfast, which was a symbolic way to start my retirement after 35 years of teaching...........


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

Just to throw a variation into the pot. Last June we went from Calais, through Luxembourg, 2 nights stopover in the city, via Lucerne, 1 night then St Gotthard pass to Lago Maggiore 2 nights, then on to coast south of Genoa for the Cinque Terra.

A lot of the info was gleaned from Russell's excellent feedback. You will find you can mix and match a lot of what he offers to make your own route.

One thing we had to watch out was Euro 2008 football based in Basle and Bern, making us avoid a preferred stopover at Interlaken. I like my football but the campsites were full.


Ah Hah! Now in correct time zone.


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## MissEllie (Sep 6, 2005)

we are planning to travel next july (for 2 months) from rosslare to roscoff, on to italy through south of france, find a good campsite to leave the motorhome for a week, and take the motorbike and tent by ferry to mainland greece for a week. :lol: :lol: :lol: has anyone tried this journey or have any suggestions on places to visit? we are thinking it will be best to travel/stay inland in italy, venturing to the coast on day trips on the motorbike, and keeping away from the major cities with the exception of verona. any advice/suggestions are very welcome.


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## kennyo (Mar 22, 2006)

Hi we travelled from Scotland to Italy then on to Croatia went from Dover to Calais then down Belgium to Luxemburg stayed a few days then headed towards Basil stopping of at Kaysersberg aire near Colmar then through Switzerland stopping at Luzern then Locarno. Moved on to lake Garda for 4 days checked out Verona by train while we were here well worth it then onto Lido de jesolo for our visit to Venice. We stopped on the jesolo side of Venice because we were heading that way so it worked out good for us plenty of campsites and you get the water bus to Venice it costs 11 euro return but this lets you use all the public transport in Venice and the toilets for the day . Stopped of at the Marco polo campsite near Venice on the way back its next to the airport enough said. On the way back we decided to let the sat nav decide where to take us in Switzerland ended up on one of the trains that go through the mountains must have been 2” each side spare on the train but still another experience hope you enjoy it we did


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