Lake Garda advice (1 Viewer)

Carreraboy

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Thinking of a trip to Lake Garda area for a couple of weeks at end of June and although we have done a few trips to France not ventured across any other borders so a couple of questions.

Looking at taking 3 days to get there and 3 days to get back. Is that reasonable on a non toll based route?

Would we need to pre book anywhere at that time of the year (we have an ACSI card)? Any stopovers en route or campsite recommendations around Lake Garda gratefully received.

Many thanks :thumb:
 

Ridgeway

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You didn't say from where you'll be coming from ?

Why not have a lakes tour and break up the journey.

Lake Annecy to Lake Geneva 1.5hrs

Lake Geneva to Lake Majorie 4hrs

Lake Majorie to Lake Garda 3hrs

Lots of wonderful places at each to stay and no need to book in June unless you want something particular ?

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Rapide561

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Lake Garda

Hi

It's not impossible to get here (Lake Garda) toll free, but it is difficult. We are tight and so the most cost effective for us is via Switzerland. Toll free from Dunkerque to the Swiss border at Basle - choice of a few routes - have a read of this for toll free routes as far as Basle.

In Swutzerland, you will require either vignette or a paper document - read this

You can easily run toll free from Chiasso to Lake Garda - any map of Italy will help you. Toll free from the Italian border to Garda south is about four hours - a good hour longer than the motorway. The motorway will cost you about 15 euro.

High season is about 7th July onwards, so no ACSI deals then.

There are two new sostas/camperstops, presently 12 euro per night with hook up.

We come a different way every trip - this time was over the Simplon Pass

From Gloucester, three days is OK. Night stop a couple of hours from Dunkerque, another somewhere near the Swiss border.

Russ
 

jaytee74

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Thinking of a trip to Lake Garda area for a couple of weeks at end of June and although we have done a few trips to France not ventured across any other borders so a couple of questions.

Looking at taking 3 days to get there and 3 days to get back. Is that reasonable on a non toll based route?

Would we need to pre book anywhere at that time of the year (we have an ACSI card)? Any stopovers en route or campsite recommendations around Lake Garda gratefully received.

Many thanks :thumb:

hi i am going to lake garda in 2 weeks time on non toll roads you may be optimistic if you are going non motorway through france i understand why!!!!! as the french tolls are prohibitive i am travelling from north east uk so using north shields to amsterdam ferry then non toll autobahns from amsterdam through germany to austria to italy..... travelling through france on toll roads would increase my costs almost £300 there and back so if you can consider going by germany re camp sites look in your ACSI book there are loads listed or download SEARCHFORSITES.COM brilliant for finding camp sites lots of sites in the PESCHIERA area no need to pre book early june different story july and august enjoy your trip

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mentaliss

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Thinking of a trip to Lake Garda area for a couple of weeks at end of June and although we have done a few trips to France not ventured across any other borders so a couple of questions.

Looking at taking 3 days to get there and 3 days to get back. Is that reasonable on a non toll based route?

Would we need to pre book anywhere at that time of the year (we have an ACSI card)? Any stopovers en route or campsite recommendations around Lake Garda gratefully received.

Many thanks :thumb:
_________________________________________________
We have stayed at Camping Europa three times, right on the Lake Garda southern shore line, super spot for access along the Lake front to Bars and Restaurants of the town of Bardolino, its a small campsite and a JUNE stay will most probably mean booking your pitch...they don't accept ASCI which due to their location I'm not surprised:Cool:
 

magicsurfbus

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We've been a few times, have visited Europa (Theme) Park in Germany and stopped in their MH parking overnight, have camped in Matten bei Interlaken, and by the Lido at Luzern.

If you use the Gotthard Tunnel to go from Switzerland to Italy the toll is included in the cost of your Swiss motorway carnet. If you use any of the French tunnels to get into Italy you pay a hefty toll.

At Lake Garda we've used the MH only camping area at Torbole which was good, though limited to 3 nights at the time. Rive del Garda and Torbole are worth a look and are easily accessible by bikes.

Most of the time we've stopped near Lazise which has a huge market on market day that fills the town centre. There's any number of campsites along that bit of the lake so take your pick. One of them, Camping Amici di Lazise, (45.479302,10.725938) is right next to a couple of theme parks and an eat all you can 'Rock'n'Roll restaurant which is like the Hard Rock Cafe except all the featured musicians are Italian. The campsite offers the option of parking your MH on its tarmac parking area for a lower fee, but it can get bloody hot. If you stay inside the site you get some grass, a bit of shade and the use of the smallish swimming pool.

I don't know if you're after theme parks but Gardaland is the best of them, and the Aqua Paradise water park is best described as mental. If you go in there expect bruises from the rides - huge fun though. I actually overtook somebody in one of their flumes - utter madness. There are free shuttle buses that link the main campsites to the theme parks so you can take advantage of that for popping up and down that bit of the lake.

The lakeside is done out as private beaches by most of the campsites, including stuff like pedaloes and other types of boat hire. There's bike access along parts of it, but it isn't like the Lake District - it's very commercial in places.

You can get local buses to Verona fairly easily, and ferries to all sorts of lakeside spots like Malcesine and Sirminione for day trips.

I'd go back there like a shot, but I like theme parks and roller coasters. It's fair to say there's something for everyone though.
 
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Nov 13, 2013
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Lake Garda

Looks like there will be a lot of us in Italy shortly! We're off on the 10th June via Eurotunnel. The idea is to travel via Belgium, Germany then into Austria before going into Italy. I've been reading Practical Motorhome this month which has an article on Austria. Should I try to cross Austria, around the Innsbruck area without using toll roads thus avoiding getting a 'Go-Box' or is it better to pay up and use the toll roads. We want to visit Venice, it has been suggested to stay at a Lake Garda and take a train in for the day. Any thoughts?

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Rapide561

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Hi

Return fare from Peschiera to Venice is about 45 euro, standard class. However, on Saturdays, you get two seats for the price of one, and we got two of us in first class for 48 euro all told.

Book on line in advance, www.trenitalia.com and collect tickets at the station with a machine

Early June is busy as it is Pentecost holidays.

Russ
 
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have you used the michelin route planner you can set it to no tolls we did it last year but we meandered down calais luxembourg germany austria italy cheap deisel etc in luxembourg make this route worth while

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lorger

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We visited Lake Garda 4 years ago and we went via Belgium, Germany and Austria. On the way down we stopped at Bruhl on a nice wee campsite with a lake so nice and relaxing after a days drive, we then headed down to Ulm which I would recommend. We stayed on a stelplatz for the night with a tram station 50 yards away and only 10 minutes to a lovely city center.
The next morning we headed for Innsbruck where we stayed for a couple of nights on a wonderful campsite called Nattersee where you can catch the bus to the city.

We where going to head for LG non toll but after speaking to a local camper the thought the cost of the tolls wouldn't be much more than the extra fuel, so we headed for the Brennan pass and if I recall correctly it was under €20 and well worth it as it was a roasting hot day so the quicker we go there the better.

If I recall it was about 750 miles and that was the only toll we paid, our van at the time was under 3-5t.
Once in Lake Garda we stayed at camping San Francesco and again would highly recommend.
 

Ridgeway

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We want to visit Venice, it has been suggested to stay at a Lake Garda and take a train in for the day. Any thoughts?

Last year we stayed at Punta Sabioni at a free aire on the beach, from there you can take a boat in to Venice, it's about 25mins ride in. The train from Garda would be quite a long journey in total.

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magicsurfbus

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We want to visit Venice, it has been suggested to stay at a Lake Garda and take a train in for the day. Any thoughts?

You can't do Venice any justice in a day, especially in summer when the queues will slow your entry to the main attractions. When we've taken the MH we've driven round the lagoon to the Adriatic side and camped near Ca' Savio then cycled to the ferry port at Punta Sabbioni and taken the ferry in. Typically we spend 3-4 days there. Others have mentioned the MH parking near the beach at Punta Sabbioni and I think there's a privately run aire there too.

My thoughts for what they're worth is drive to somewhere close to Venice and give it more time - Garda and Verona just don't compare.

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Chris

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What's Garda like during the summer holidays?

My wife wants to go but I am reluctant thinking that it will be teeming with people.
 

lorger

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What's Garda like during the summer holidays?

My wife wants to go but I am reluctant thinking that it will be teeming with people.

Chris we went during the summer holidays, although it was busy it wasn't that busy that it felt crowded. The only place that was overcrowded was Venice where we visited for the day.

The campsites can be quite expensive during the summer so if your a member of the Caravan club have a look at their website as they have discounted pitches in a couple of sites. To give you an example we booked for 7 nights through the CC and paid around €45 a night for a lakeside pitch I know some will think this is expensive, well we arrived 2 nights early on a Saturday and tried a few sites on the way down the lake all where full so we eventually called the site we had booked and they had space on a cheaper pitch. This pitch was fine but they charged us about €60 so big saving with the CC.

I'd stay in the south as the transport links there are excellent, we got the bus to Verona for the day and the train to Venice, I think your only an hour away by train to Millan if you fancy some shopping.

I have to say its one of the better holidays we have had a stunning location and lovely weather. If you want any info just ask.
 

CJB

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Stayed here in 2012 http://www.laquercia.it/ very nice, good food, lake front location about 20 min walk to Lazise which is a nice town and has a great market although I can't remember which day.

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ukbill

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we are off in 2 weeks same route as mitzimad nothing booked at lake garda but will stay either bardalino or on the other side at sirmione pescaria del garda is also a lovely little town to stop at either camping del garda or bella italia both of these we have stayed at and they have excellent facilities if u want venice then why not stay at lido de jeselo and take the boat taxi to venice
 

Rapide561

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The train takes 1 hour 23 minutes from Peschiera to Venice. As said, two seats for the price of one on Saturdays

Russ

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acdcdave

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We are off to Italy too in a week. Dunkirque to Namur,no tolls,then to Arlon first night. Through Luxemburg for cheap diesel into Switzerland and get documents ( we are over 3.5t), Stay 2 nights then through the Gottard tunnel to nice sosta/aire outside Turin then down to Italian Riviera.
Belgium -no tolls
Switzerland -payment includes tools and tunnel
Italy- tolls are cheap( compared to France:whatthe:)

Camping Butterfly in Peschiera is always full as it ACSI. When we went we had to book the winter before with deposit 50Euros. There are plenty of other sites and two aires one in town the other new further out.

Look at www.areasostaitalia.it
Train from Garda to Venice is cheap, but slowish but still gives time to relax before sightseeing.
Lucille
Staging Lady
 

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