Lake Garda (2 Viewers)

[panner]

Thinking of a spur of the moment trip to lake Garda 8-10 days any tips on route and places to stay,thanks in advance as always.

 

[Puddleduck]

Can't help but will watch the thread as I have a secret plan to visit the Italian Lakes - maybe Spring next year

 

[Deleted member 29692]

We're going there in July. I had the same question about routes and had some answers in this thread http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/italian-lakes.101628/

We're back to Plan A of Chamonix and Mont Blanc tunnel.

The route through Switzerland via Basel was the one we were going to go for with a stop of 2 or 3 days at Lake Lucerne but the cost of the campsite at Lucerne (CHF180 for 3 nights - 2 adults, 1 child, 2 dogs) has prompted a rethink.

If you are going to be getting there as quickly as you can then Switzerland is probably the way to go. If you're under 3.5t you need to buy a "vignette" for your van before you go. If you're over 3.5t you pay the Heavy Vehicle Fee which for a short trip works out cheaper. You get this at the border.

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[tjay]

Butterfly camping at Pecheria del Garda is a nice campsite, c/w swimming pool, good facilities and a short walk into town where there is lots of shops and good eateries (best are by the river)
You can also go on ferries and short trips from the harbour.

 

[etap]

Just come back from a trip down through Italy, and stopped at Garda for a couple of days, stayed at camping Cisano di Bardolino very nice site with walks and cycling along the lake side. As the season moves on and I don't know when high season starts the minimum stay is 5 days and the sites do get busy, so a phone call might be useful, we stayed in May so did not book.
Good luck
Etap

 

[Judge Mental]

We're going there in July. I had the same question about routes and had some answers in this thread http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/italian-lakes.101628/

We're back to Plan A of Chamonix and Mont Blanc tunnel.

The route through Switzerland via Basel was the one we were going to go for with a stop of 2 or 3 days at Lake Lucerne but the cost of the campsite at Lucerne (CHF180 for 3 nights - 2 adults, 1 child, 2 dogs) has prompted a rethink.

If you are going to be getting there as quickly as you can then Switzerland is probably the way to go. If you're under 3.5t you need to buy a "vignette" for your van before you go. If you're over 3.5t you pay the Heavy Vehicle Fee which for a short trip works out cheaper. You get this at the border.

have stayed at many sites in Switzerland and dont remember ever paying more then £30. Lucern is an expensive town and site plays on that. have stayed there ourselves when it was more resonable. Switzerland is the cheapest fastest route...You check out price of going via France and its tunnels!lol

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[Forestboy]

We've just got back in a 5 tonne tag. Done the trip to Italy a few times and the route through Switzerland (Basel) is by far the cheapest. We left Florence about 8am stayed the 1st night at an Aire just over French border about 4pm and reached Calais by 3pm after leaving the Aire at 8am. Could have made it home but too expensive to change ferry booking.
Swiss border toll 5ton tag minimum 7 days 35 euro.
Cheaper than French tolls and 75 plus euro for Mont Blanc tunnel and a hell of a lot cheaper than Austrisa

 

[Deleted member 29692]

have stayed at many sites in Switzerland and dont remember ever paying more then £30. Lucern is an expensive town and site plays on that. have stayed there ourselves when it was more resonable. Switzerland is the cheapest fastest route...You check out price of going via France and its tunnels!lol

I know the tunnel is going to be dear Eddie but not as dear as staying at Lake Lucerne for three nights. We were intending to stay at Camping Lido International. This is an email I got from them when I queried the rates last week...

Good Morning,

We are very happy you choose our campsite for your holiday.

Below you find the prices for one night;

2 Erwachsene (adults) 20.00 CHF

1 Jugendlicher (child) 5.00 CHF

1 Stellplatz (pitch) 20.00 CHF

2 Hunde (dogs) 8.00 CHF

1 Strom-Pauschale 4.00 CHF

(electricity, just if you need)

2 Müllgebühr (garbage) 1.00 CHF

Kurtaxe:

2 Erwachsene Kurtaxe (taxes) 4.80 CHF

--------------------------------------------------

Gesamtkosten: 62.80 CHF

We look forward to your visit.

All further information can be found on www.camping-international.ch

Best regards

Camping-Team Lido Luzern

It's a shame as I was looking forward to Switzerland but I'm not spending that much to stay on any campsite.

€70 for the Mont Blanc tunnel seems reasonable in comparison.

If you have any other ideas for Switzerland I'm always open to suggestions.....

 

[panner]

Thanks for all the replies really helpful looks like the swizerland route it is just a bit concerned about the short notice for sites as we plan to go at end of July stuck on times as we run a small business and getting away is a nightmare is it correct in thinking that most sites around the lake is a min 5 night stay.

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[Deleted member 29692]

we plan to go at end of July

School summer holidays for almost all of Europe so I would say you definitely need to book.

We're staying at Camping Cappuccini in Peschiera del Garda. They seem quite helpful if you email them.

 

[Hydrocell]

Hi Panner
Send my your email address and i will send you a route with safe stops some free some paying with coordinates on one spreadsheet if you are interested.
Regards
ray

 

[panner]

Hi ray ,thanks that would be great how do I pm you not that good at these things.

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[panner]

Hi ray this is my business email stevebullcars@live.co.uk

 

[Hydrocell]

Hi Steve
Sent You That Route

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Can't help but will watch the thread as I have a secret plan to visit the Italian Lakes - maybe Spring next year

We are also looking at this thanks to @Judgemental today!

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[Hydrocell]

Very nice trip dun it several times, Lake Garda is stunning not for from Venice & Verona brill.

 

[magicsurfbus]

Lake Garda should definitely be classed as a FAQ in this forum

Previous answers can be found here: http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/forums/italy.280/

 

[Jaws]

There is an aires at the football stadium at Rovereto which is 12 miles east of Riva Del Garda ( the north end of Garda )
We would never go through Switzerland.. There are plenty of free to use passes from Austria to Italy ..
In Austria, get a Go Box for about 15 € ( you have to add money to it but you get that back ) and avoid motorways.. We put 80 € deposit on one and got back 75 € ..

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[lorger]

We did lake Garda a few years ago and went via Germany and Austria, stayed at Ulm and Innsbruck on the way down. I can't remeber all the costs and road names, the only toll we had to pay was the Brennan (Spelling) pass

 

[Judge Mental]

you have to remember Lake Garda the Italian equivalent of Beverley hills..Its popular and busy in season and good sites booked up well in advance. we book our favorite site in December every year as if we don't we would not get in area we prefer. That does not mean you wont get in somewhere if prepared to drive around and not be picky as lots of sites.

Switzerland: fastest cheapest route if your time poor and lovely scenery, have stayed there many times on route, these days we stop in Alsace and drive straight through as have done Luzern, Interlaken and the like. Main thing is to remember timing getting through Gothard tunnel to avoid delays. avoid weekends and you should be fine. we aim to get through early morning.

Yes you can go toll free through Austria and route fine...but its slower and traffic through Germany in high summer I have always found atrocious.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Yes you can go toll free through Austria and route fine...but its slower and traffic through Germany in high summer I have always found atrocious.

Oh dear. We're planning on coming back that way

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[Judge Mental]

Oh dear. We're planning on coming back that way

http://tinyurl.com/pgmoqxd

looks OK at the moment. not so much road works going on. Dont leave Garda on a Saturday heading north! (july/august)

austria route 23 hrs/2171 Km : http://tinyurl.com/o9lnpz6

Swiss route 13 hrs/ 1325 Km : http://tinyurl.com/p78eb2r

 

[Deleted member 29692]

http://tinyurl.com/pgmoqxd

looks OK at the moment. not so much road works going on. Dont leave Garda on a Saturday heading north! (july/august)

We're leaving Garda on a Wednesday heading North across Austria hopefully via non toll roads. Stopping at Garmisch overnight, maybe for a couple of nights if we like it then meandering back across Germany and Belgium probably back into France in the Ardennes. The tunnel home is booked for the following Wednesday so we'll be in no great hurry.

 

[hilldweller]

We would never go through Switzerland..

You miss a treat, Switzerland only charges a little compared to French tolls, and it has some mind blowing sights.

Luzern is worth a holiday in it's own right, more so if you take in the other prime sights like Bern, Zermatt, Sas Fee, Trummelbach.

However these days we do sneak though Austria and are rewarded with some real stunners too. We drove most of a day in Austria going from Garda to the Bodensee without touching a motorway.

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[Jaws]

Mate.. we did Switzerland several times.. And compared to travelling in France I have no doubt it might be cheaper, IF we used toll roads.. But as we don't it is a bit of a mute point

 

[Hotelman]

Why not stay on lake Annecy, a Great Lake , it's nearer and a great cycle route around the lake, shhhh, our secret !!!

 

[Road Runner]

I live here villa garuti very nice stayed there 2 months last summer

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[Road Runner]

www.villagaruti.it

I live here now but stayed villa garuti 2 months last year

Lots of wild camping here by my doctors earlier today.

 

[Road Runner]

 

[Road Runner]

There's lots of cheaper lakeside parking like this.

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