Tour Guide Wanted aires to stop at and route to the italian lakes

roadwarrior

roadwarrior

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so, all things being equal, I plan to take the wife and my Cane Corso to Italy in August /Sept this year - always wanted to go to Italy, my wife has told me the motorists are nuts. I want to see the lakes, not sure what else, currently looking at the restrictions but hope sense will allow us to travel this year. So recommendations for stopping and anything else will be appreciated. I am not keen on the long tunnel i have heard, about, if only because its my definition of a boring road and im happy to go over mountains.
 
The long tunnel you heard about is probably the Saint Gottard tunnel. It is long and boring but convenient if your travelling in bad weather and don't want to go over the pass. There are so many great places enroute, it's difficult to make a recommendation. Probably better to just plan for somewhere to stop when you decided how long you want to drive that day.
You'll love the Italian lakes, my favoutite is Lake Orta. But Como Iseo and Garda are both lovely.
I hope to go down that way in May on way to Croatia and I'll be seeking out some of the smaller Italian lakes.
 
We went to the Lakes a few years ago and went Calais overnight in Metz and onto Interlaken in Switzerland for a few days then over the Simplon Pass and onto Lake Maggiore.

Coming back north we went from Lake Garda to Innsbruck and back via Germany.

There is a car train which takes motorhomes from Brig to Domodossola to say driving over the pass but the queues were too long and looked a little tight for comfort.
 
Just clicked watch on this as we are also planning a couple of months in Italy leaving Mid Sept and coming back in Dec…

Please do share your plans… 👍🏻
 
See you there we are going to Italy again this year. I intend to drive down through Germany and then through Austria.

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orridge said:
We went to the Lakes a few years ago and went Calais overnight in Metz and onto Interlaken in Switzerland for a few days then over the Simplon Pass and onto Lake Maggiore.

Coming back north we went from Lake Garda to Innsbruck and back via Germany.

There is a car train which takes motorhomes from Brig to Domodossola to say driving over the pass but the queues were too long and looked a little tight for comfort.
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A new tunnel, lower and longer than the old Lotschberg Tunnel was opened a few years ago.
The Lotschberg Base Tunnel, which mostly carries lorries, can have long queues. The second bore is not due to open until 2027.

The older and higher tunnel mostly takes cars and vans, it can take an HGV, so should be no problem for a motorhome.
 
having a look at google and ignoring tolls i note it takes us through Belgium and germany through the italian alps which is fine by me as i have had enough of the french antics this year and had decided to not give them any of my money.

 
That’s almost the exact way we go but we have travelled from Zeebrugge before, no longer available, so we went via Brussels Liege Kyllburg & down to Saarbrucken. The rest is the same.

Avoided tolls in Austria and the need to get a Go Box for over 3.5t although you must avoid the tunnel near Landecker to avoid the tolls, which your route does 😊 Done it a few times without problem, also via Innsbruck & back by different crossings over the mountains for a change of scenery
 
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roadwarrior said:
having a look at google and ignoring tolls i note it takes us through Belgium and germany through the italian alps which is fine by me as i have had enough of the french antics this year and had decided to not give them any of my money.

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That’s more or less the route we will be doing! We do have a go box so might use that through Austria, depends how we feel but basically will be doing non toll 👍
 
You don't have to take the Gottard tunnel you can go over the pass especially in August/ September and it's a lovely drive thro Switzerland if you are over 3.5t you can get a any 10 day pass instead of the year vignette to travel thro Switzerland for 25chf.

Mind you all the lakes will be really busy in August/ Sept and expect to pay North of 50€ a night for a decent site but a beautiful place to visit, Lake Maggiore is our favourite.

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Forgot to say there is a app available called Via to buy your vignette or 10 day pass saves stopping at the border and filling the forms in.
 
Ditcha said:
Forgot to say there is a app available called Via to buy your vignette or 10 day pass saves stopping at the border and filling the forms in.
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Thanks for this, we were slightly put off going through Switzerland with our 3.5 plus motorhome as last time we went we had to stop at the border to buy the vignette. Didn’t know there was an app (mind you we hadn’t planned on going to Italy but just fancied it at the last minute!) 👍
 
We did the tunnel a while ago and it terrified our dogs, who up till then we're really good travellers.
 
Did the Simplon Pass about 8 years ago on our Motorcycles. Really enjoyed the route, but at the end of May the snow was banked up about 10’ either side of the road.

We’d certainly do that route again. (y)
 
Sapper520 said:
Did the Simplon Pass about 8 years ago on our Motorcycles. Really enjoyed the route, but at the end of May the snow was banked up about 10’ either side of the road.

We’d certainly do that route again. (y)
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Is it ok for motorhomes?

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We we on motorcycles and I know there were LGV’s on the road, so I don’t see why not. We didn’t have a Van back then.

Travelling too early or too late in the year could be a problem though…..lots of snow.

I’ll try and find my old route notes. (y)
 
We did the simplon pass in our tag axle no problem fantastic scenery back in 2019 on our way home from Lake Maggiore.

IMG_20190930_100901.jpg

IMG-20191003-WA0001.jpg
 
I hope you have a lovely time we are going to italian lakes on first of october,BUT not in a motorhome on a coach trip, but never mind we stayin on lake maggiore,a motorhome trip would have been great but we havent got one now, so im on the bus with all the other blue rinses lol 11 days ,im looking forward to it cheers pampam🤗
 
Hope this is ok to ask but i’d also love a route to follow and any nice places to stop, 8.8 mtrs

Following this thread with interest 👍
 
SOS said:
Fab we will be fine in our 7.5m then 👍
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Wait until you decide on a trip to Morocco these roads are great fun in 9m vans (beats Alton Towers hands down) 😂🤣
 

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Our route (on motorcycles avoiding tolls and motorways where possible)…….

Caen, Orleans, Ruffey-Les-Echirey (Dijon), Thonon-Les-Bains, Oggebbio, Laverna Ponte Tresa.

Returned via Venayaz, Couches, Orleans, Valframbert and Caen.

Only manic place was our route took us through Geneva. :eek:
 
We have used the route through Luxembourg, picked up some cheap fuel and also overnighted near Mulhouse with motorhome services.
We were heading to Venice.
 
Last time I did was as a tugger, Ichose to go through France via the Route Napoleon, fantastic route through Provence then into northern Italy.
 

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