Motorhome stopover Lake Garda (1 Viewer)

[IanStreten]

Good Day. New to Motorhoming & the Forum. Would like to get advice on the best possible stopover location for maybe one or two nights on Lake Garda on our travels from U.K. to Ancona for ferry crossing to Greece mid March 2017. Internet searches seems to highlight long stay options rather than stopovers. Any observations or imput would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Brains]

Hi, I thought I'd start my first ever post on this site by replying to you.

My sister, who had a T3 VW Camper van, and later a Transit Eddis has 3 kids, lives in the UK but had an ex husband in Greece.
She used to drive that route twice a year, every year for about 12 years whilst the kids were growing up (The youngest would have been about 3 or 4 the first time she did it!)

After a while she perfected the route for the lowest mileage, cheapest costs on Ferries, tolls, fuel, camp fees, easiest border crossings, best route through the Alps with a big van, with timing to make the Ancona ferry (which I seem to remember was overnight)

Her route was:

• Dover
• Calais
• Turn left for Belgium
  
• On towards Bonn/Cologne on the Rhine where she would spend the first night in a campsite by the river
• Head south on the German autobahns (no tolls!) toward Munich
• She would then spend the second night at a campsite right on the German/Austrian border at Keefersfelden/Kufstein which was by a lake that was open for swimming
• (Kufstein is a real chocolate box pretty town)
  
• Then drive down via Innsbruck, the route takes you via the Brenner Pass which is relatively low, has no tunnel so no tolls
  
• Down to Trento, Lake Garda and then onto the night ferry at Ancona
• Arrive in Patras the following morning

Patras was always a bit of a nightmare, like any port it is full of the lowlife of the country, but it also has as big a refugee problem as Calais used to before they emptied the Jungle.
On the way back do not stop within 20 miles of the port, you need to ensure every external locker is locked, all doors are locked, bikes are either locked to the rack or better still, inside the van.
Block access to your roof if you have a ladder (she used to wrap the rungs with brambles and hawthorns!)

Route home was the same in reverse, again avoiding the Alpine tunnels where motorhomes often pay the same fee as a lorry to drive through (wrong side of £25) and avoiding the French motorway system with it's tolls which can add up considerably.

 

[magicsurfbus]

Camping Amici di Lazise is a favourite of ours, by virtue of its convenient location and it not being overblown with unwanted features like most of the others along that stretch of the lake. You even have the option of parking aire-style at a lower cost in their parking area.

Another option at the top end of the lake in Torbole is a MH only camper stop (Area da Sosta) with grass pitches. Last time we were there I think it had a 48 hour limit.

Bikes would be handy at both sites if you want to explore, but buses are available.

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[IanStreten]

Thank you for your interesting reply. My wife & I have also driven a similar route many times to get to our Boat in Lefkás but in our car with hotel stops, but this trip will be the first in our Motorhome. Our route is as follow So:-

• Dover to Dunkerque
• Luxembourg for fuel top up
• Stuttgart first night stop.
• South of Innsbruck for second night stop.
• Rimini for third night.
• From Ancona to Igouminitsa. As yet no refugee problems there.

We have planned our trip to be very relaxed & will take five days so thought a short stay at Lake Garda
would be rather nice hence our enquiring stopover sites in the Garda area. Again thank you.
Ian

 

[Kingham]

Stayed at a nice site at Malcesine for just over a week in 2014. It was close to the lake and was really handy for the village, being only a few minutes walk from the shops and restaurants.

The site was Villaggio Turistico Priori, run by Antonio Priori and his sister.

As well as hard standing touring pitches, they also had a few apartments on site, but a quick search online only turned up a link to the apartments.

This was us nearest the camera....

 

[Theonlysue]

Camping butterfly is lovely, but you may have to prebook.

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[IanStreten]

Stayed at a nice site at Malcesine for just over a week in 2014. It was close to the lake and was really handy for the village, being only a few minutes walk from the shops and restaurants.

The site was Villaggio Turistico Priori, run by Antonio Priori and his sister.

As well as hard standing touring pitches, they also had a few apartments on site, but a quick search online only turned up a link to the apartments.

This was us nearest the camera....

View attachment 148663

Thank you for this. Will investigate further. Looks very nice, thank you. Ian Streten

 

[IanStreten]

Camping butterfly is lovely, but you may have to prebook.

Thank you. Ian Streten

 

[IanStreten]

Camping Amici di Lazise is a favourite of ours, by virtue of its convenient location and it not being overblown with unwanted features like most of the others along that stretch of the lake. You even have the option of parking aire-style at a lower cost in their parking area.

Another option at the top end of the lake in Torbole is a MH only camper stop (Area da Sosta) with grass pitches. Last time we were there I think it had a 48 hour limit.

Bikes would be handy at both sites if you want to explore, but buses are available.

Have pencilled in the Torbole site. Researching Google seems to be a good possibility. Thank you for help. Ian Streten

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[Deleted member 29692]

If you just want a night or two why bother with a campsite. Try the Sosta in Peschiera del Garda instead.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.4392091,10.6841552,311m/data=!3m1!1e3


I think it's about €15 per night and has water waste and some electric.

 

[Rob Turner]

Load the campercontact app on your phone and stop in aires or sostas for free or a small charge.
You'll pay to go through Austria so need to look at that. You could go down through Swiss but again you'll need a vignette €40 for a year if you're under 3.5t.
If over 3.5t you can sort at the border in both countries but in Austria you'll need a go box. (Google)
Belgium Luxembourg back into France and then Switzerland via Basel into Italy at the lakes via Gotthard tunnel (over the top of you've got time)
This is the route I take and find it's good for me.