Thinking of going to Italy this August

[deleted-member02]

Another possibility is across Germany into Austria then through the Brenner Pass. However, your vehicle size would probably mean you'd need a 'Go Box' to use the Austrian Autobahns.

There are tons of sites around the Eastern side of Lake Garda, although some might impose a minimum stay period in the high season. It's a relatively short hop to Venice from there.

For Venice, consider sites along the Adriatic coast east of Punta Sabbioni and commuting into the city via ferries. We've done that.

Four weeks is the perfect duration to visit Italy.
We've visited several times in late July / August, it's perfectly doable and possible to have a relaxing holiday.
@magicsurfbus suggestion is a good one.
Yes, there will inevitable be some traffic jams, it will be hot and expensive but that's the price you pay.

The route below is a bit of a whirlwind tour and certainly won't be cheap (tolls, campsites and daytrips will inevitably be expensive) but it's an amazing tour if you're up for it.
I've started at Rotterdam and ended at Calais (don't know what your plans are).
We stayed west side of Garda, at Camping Fornella. Spacious pitches, on a lovely site.
Punta Sabbioni is a good shout for visiting Venice, there's a huge selection of campings available.
All the other stops are at places worth visiting for a few days.
Trip duration is 25 days, so there's even room for maneuver if you wanted to vary plans.
Distance is 2050miles, so less than 100miles a day, I don't think that's too bad...
Hope this helps!

 

[WillinFrance]

We have a trip planned to Italy Lake Garda in August. No choice really, my daughter and family are flying out and want us to meet them on the Camp site, we know it will be busy, and trying to pick a route not too close to the Mediterranean as we know that will be crazy in August with the French!!
We have booked, to make sure they have room, most are not open yet, and some replied already full!!!!
Things you do for the kids and grandkids
It is a beautiful area, but expecting it to be very, very busy!!

 

[peterc10]

We have a trip planned to Italy Lake Garda in August. No choice really, my daughter and family are flying out and want us to meet them on the Camp site, we know it will be busy, and trying to pick a route not too close to the Mediterranean as we know that will be crazy in August with the French!!
We have booked, to make sure they have room, most are not open yet, and some replied already full!!!!
Things you do for the kids and grandkids
It is a beautiful area, but expecting it to be very, very busy!!

For Garda I reckon your best bet it to follow the route I gave in post #29 then head towards Milan and turn onto the A4 towards Verona. Well away from the Med.

 

[magicsurfbus]

We have a trip planned to Italy Lake Garda in August. No choice really, my daughter and family are flying out and want us to meet them on the Camp site, we know it will be busy, and trying to pick a route not too close to the Mediterranean as we know that will be crazy in August with the French!!

A route we've used a few times from Eastern France to Italy is to head for Briancon (the one near Grenoble) then cross into Italy at Montgenevre, drive down to Oulx then take the Autostrade across Northern Italy, roughly west to east.

Advantages? Nice scenery, no tunnel fees, aires at Briancon and Montgenevre if required, new well-built roads for the downhill bit on the Italian side, not an especially busy route, and avoids the 1980s video arcade game experience of driving along the med coast.

Disadvantages? Some stretches of the route have hairpin bends, long drops at the side and steep bits to test your gearbox, but the road is used by large trucks so we're not talking goat tracks. Also less direct than going through some of the tunnels.

 

[magicsurfbus]

As a footnote if anyone's interested in prehistory, Otzi the Iceman has his own museum at Bolzano, in S Tyrol, where he lies in state in a freezer and all his 5,300 year old belongings are on display.

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[Chris]

We have a trip planned to Italy Lake Garda in August. No choice really, my daughter and family are flying out and want us to meet them on the Camp site, we know it will be busy, and trying to pick a route not too close to the Mediterranean as we know that will be crazy in August with the French!!
We have booked, to make sure they have room, most are not open yet, and some replied already full!!!!
Things you do for the kids and grandkids
It is a beautiful area, but expecting it to be very, very busy!!

The second two weeks of August seems to be much busier than the first two weeks.

We were there late July last year for 2 weeks and it was crowded, but in the last few days of our stay all the Italians seemed to arrive and it was heaving.

 

[busby]

I worked in high school for thirty years and thoroughly enjoyed the European holidays we took in July and August because we didn't know any different. Ignore all the doom mongers and nay sayers and retirees - just apply some common sense when visiting places that are likely to get busy at certain times of the day. Arriving in good time is half the battle won in Mediterranean climes.

I can assure you that September in Italy is not hugely different to August - fewer kids yes, but hordes of Americans.

Thats not good,,was looking at heading slowly down to Sicily in mid Sept and returning early nov,,,BUSBY,

 

[WillinFrance]

A route we've used a few times from Eastern France to Italy is to head for Briancon (the one near Grenoble) then cross into Italy at Montgenevre, drive down to Oulx then take the Autostrade across Northern Italy, roughly west to east.

Advantages? Nice scenery, no tunnel fees, aires at Briancon and Montgenevre if required, new well-built roads for the downhill bit on the Italian side, not an especially busy route, and avoids the 1980s video arcade game experience of driving along the med coast.

Disadvantages? Some stretches of the route have hairpin bends, long drops at the side and steep bits to test your gearbox, but the road is used by large trucks so we're not talking goat tracks. Also less direct than going through some of the tunnels.

Thanks for the info, I was looking at the route using Briançon as point for crossing the border. Have been that route before to a small ski village in Saint-Véran. Beautiful area, and stunning scenery. Living in the Pyrenees we are used to the small mountain roads and hairpin bends, its why we chose a PVC / Fourgon.
Day 1 & 2
Toulouse, Albi, Rodez, Alès, Nyons, Gap, Briançon. 800 km not using the tolls, think that would be two days with a stop around Arlès.
Day 3.
Briançon, Pinerolo SP23R, E70 (Toll) South of Milan. 5/6 hours / 400 km to lake Garda, cost of Toll 26€
Looks an interesting route and avoids the dreaded high French Tolls and Mediterranean August Madness!!!

 

[WillinFrance]

For Garda I reckon your best bet it to follow the route I gave in post #29 then head towards Milan and turn onto the A4 towards Verona. Well away from the Med.

We are travelling from the French Pyrenees, so West to East France, crossing into Italy. Sorry didn't mention that in the post!!
Thanks anyway.

 

[Franck]

If you are travelling via Rotterdam then I would travel down Germany to avoid any toll roads. You can cross Austria via the old Brenner Pass for free. However we are planning on purchasing a Go-Box at the border and handing it in when we leave Austria just in case we accidentally stray onto any toll roads, it'll be cheaper than a fine.

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[michpiggy]

Hi

Spent hours today again looking on where to go what to do.
We have a site booked for Venice, which we have not paid the deposit yet so we can change if we need to
So we still need a site for lake Como and Lake Garda 4 nights each or maybe somewhere else in that area for 8 nights. As I said before we are over 8 metres and a tag axel so we need a large pitch, most I have seen at are only 6.5 metres by 6.5 metres or over £50 per night.

 

[michpiggy]

The less popular lakes are much quieter, cheaper and just as spectacular. The eastern end of Lake Lugano (western end is in Switzerland) or Lake Maggiore the western side is the quiet side are great places to visit.

Thanks I will take a look

We stayed west side of Garda, at Camping Fornella. Spacious pitches, on a lovely site.

Will the pitches be big enough for us, I noticed this is a caravan club site.

 

[michpiggy]

If you are travelling via Rotterdam then I would travel down Germany to avoid any toll roads. You can cross Austria via the old Brenner Pass for free. However we are planning on purchasing a Go-Box at the border and handing it in when we leave Austria just in case we accidentally stray onto any toll roads, it'll be cheaper than a fine.

.

We spent some time in Germany last year so we will stop there again on route to and from the boat.

How does this Go-box work?

 

[deleted-member02]

Will the pitches be big enough for us, I noticed this is a caravan club site.

Yes, the super pitches (120sqm)will easily accommodate an 8m+ van.
They're around 12m x 10m and will comfortably fit a twin axle caravan, awning and 4x4, to give you some idea of size.
Last year was cheaper to book through CC rather than direct with the site (due to currency fluctuations).

 

[michpiggy]

Yes, the super pitches (120sqm)will easily accommodate an 8m+ van.
They're around 12m x 10m and will comfortably fit a twin axle caravan, awning and 4x4, to give you some idea of size.
Last year was cheaper to book through CC rather than direct with the site (due to currency fluctuations).

just got a price over £50 per night with caravan club

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[magicsurfbus]

Thats not good,,was looking at heading slowly down to Sicily in mid Sept and returning early nov,,,BUSBY,

So they'll be Sicilian Americans looking for their roots then - be careful to show them respect

 

[peterc10]

As others have said, it is expensive in the high season!

 

[PORKSTER]

Pitches can be very tight I had a bum clenching moment on a site at Como fitted the pitch ok but getting out the site was a bit tense. http://www.camp-cappuccini.com/en/ in Garda is nice and has some pitches big enuff garda also has a camperstop. for Venice I stayed on Link Removed 5 star site an absolute gem I extended our stay here its all inclusive and facilitys are 1st class not cheap though. At the restaraunt I had a steak that was best I have ever tasted in my life,across the road you can take a daily boat into Venice a nice trip for the day.

 

[michpiggy]

Thanks everyone for the advice

 

[magicsurfbus]

Hi

Spent hours today again looking on where to go what to do.
We have a site booked for Venice, which we have not paid the deposit yet so we can change if we need to
So we still need a site for lake Como and Lake Garda 4 nights each or maybe somewhere else in that area for 8 nights. As I said before we are over 8 metres and a tag axel so we need a large pitch, most I have seen at are only 6.5 metres by 6.5 metres or over £50 per night.

At the top end of Garda there's the camper stop at Torbole, which is basically a MH only campsite. Not sure if they have a limited duration of stay though.

There is no shortage of large campsites with big pitches south of Lazise in the general vicinity of the Gardaland and Caneva theme parks, but you will be paying for the extras.

A favourite of ours is the relatively low key Camping Amici di Lazise, simply for its convenient location. Pitch sizes vary there - I'd suggest some advance research. You can park on the tarmac hard standing for less, but in August it could get bloody hot. A bit of shade is worth the extra pennies.

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[deleted-member02]

just got a price over £50 per night with caravan club

That sounds reasonable, I think we paid just under £70 per night, early August, family of four.
Although pitches are expensive, food and drink on-site and in the local area is very good value which goes some way to offsetting the costs.

 

[Franck]

We spent some time in Germany last year so we will stop there again on route to and from the boat.

How does this Go-box work?

I've pinched this from Practical Motorhome because it explains it better than me.

"it is obligatory to purchase a ‘Vignette’ sticker for Austrian motorways and main roads. This can be purchased for up to 10 days, two months or a year. Vignettes are available at all major border crossings and at petrol stations. However, all motorhomes above 3.5 tonnes must have a small device – called a GO-BOX - attached to the windscreen. (If your vehicle is close to the weight limit you should carry proof of the maximum permitted laden weight). If your registration documents don’t clearly state this, you will need to produce alternative certification, for example, from a weighbridge. The GO-BOX uses the high frequency range to communicate with toll points, making it possible to effect an automatic toll deduction without slowing down or stopping. It can be obtained for a one-off fee of €5 at sales centres in Austria and neighbouring countries, or online. Based upon the distance travelled, this toll can add a significant amount onto the cost of a trip to Austria for ‘vans more than 3.5 tonnes.
Read more at http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/m...31564-germany-and-austria#efCrILRdEcp3vosS.99"

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[Deleted member 29692]

I work in a high school so I have no choice but to go in August.

What is so bad about it?

Nothing. We've always been to Italy in August and love it there.

Many of the people on here can't seem to get it into their heads that we aren't all retired and those of us with jobs and/or school age kids don't have any option other than to travel in the school holidays.