Calais to Lake Garda and back via central France to St Malo
However, we are relatively new to morohoming and have never taken a van to Europe. We are taking 5 days to get from Calais to Garda and I am struggling to plan the actual route and find/select good places to stop over both in terms of interesting visits but good campsites. Need help.
Also we are taking 8 days to get home via central France to the ferry at St Malo and would welcome advice on a scenic route with interesting stops and good campsites. As newbies to this we have little idea about what booking apps/guides we need or good route planning apps for Europe.
A lot to ask but any advice and hellp much appreciated. We leave 18 June in our Pegaso 590
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Campercontact is, in my opinion, the most comprehensive app for campsites Aires/stellplatz in Europe nd the UK. It’s not free but it’s worth the small annual payment. I tend to use Via Michelin for route planning but Google Maps are good too. Our SatNav is Garmin based but I invariably have to resort to Google Maps for the last few miles when trying to find a site. Via Michelin will give you route options between your start and finish destination. Five days Calais to Garda will give you a relaxed journey. We use the Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Austria route each year to get to Italy. Depending on when you arrive in Calais will decide your first night stop. Our first O/N stop is normally in Remich. There’s an excellent Aire, run by the local council, on the banks of the Mosel. Its a short walk into Remich. If you’re taking 5 days to get to Garda then the Romantik Straza in Bavaria is worth visiting. Fussen, just north of the Fern Pass is a beautiful stopover. We often stop at Imst (Camping Fink) before heading for the Brenner Pass. You will need a motorway Vignette for Austria. You can buy these at various outlets. Motorhoming in Europe is in a different league to the UK and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Get back to the forum if you need more info. There’s no need to pre-book sites in June but if you’re staying on Garda for long it may be worth pre-booking a site there.0
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Good answer from Dave but here’s what I would do if I were in your shoes and if you prefer sites to Aires.
Day 1. Get to Calais by mid afternoon and book in to Camping Fort Lapin - not the best site in the world but right by the beach, so walk over the dunes, then dinner at Cote d’Argent restaurant in town.
Day2. Via Lille and Namur to Luxembourg (toll free that way) . Overnight at Camping Kockelscheur . Bus from the gate into town for dinner. Or all next day in the town if you have time.
Day 3 easy journey to Strasbourg - city Kamp.
Day 4 Definitely a second night there to spend a day in tne city. Walk about. Eat tarte flambee. Drink local Riesling.
Day 5 Skip across Germany because I don’t like that country or its people - to Bregenz in Austria at the far end of Lake Constance - several lakeside sites to choose from. Use google or other searches for sites. A smart, stylish city though little known to Brits.
Day 6 into Italy and I would choose the Resia Pass rather than the Brenner - prettier and less traffic. Overnight at Bolzano to go to museum see the mummified Ice Man they found in a glacier. Camping Moosbauer is close and has bus at the gate.
Day 7 To destination - but I have overstayed your five day limit. Sorry.
Verdict? You can stop anywhere you wish. And choose any route you wish. Good wishes.
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@Pegaso590 if you put the word "Italy" in the search box on the home page this will bring up pages and pages of posts about travel to Italy. Reading them all will keep you very busy. Tolls in Austria depend on the weight of your motorhome and its emissions and if you are over 3.5 tons it can be expensive (50cents per mile) but these can be avoided with careful choice of route through Austria. Use of the Fern Pass in combination with the Resia or old Brenner Passes will avoid the tolls. I have never tried the Resia Pass but from Fussen the Fern Pass, the B179 and the old Brenner Pass, the B182 are not at all arduous routes. However, if you are under 3.5 tons, I would pay the tolls for the much faster and easier drive. In Italy tolls are cheap no matter what the weight of the vehicle.
peedee
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And for the return route from Garda to StMalo I would just do as Via Michelin.com tells me - through the Mont Blanc tunnel into France and straight across country. - and mark that route on my road atlas with a felt pen .
Campsites we have happily used on that route at Aosta, Chamonix, Macon, Bourges, Azay le Rideau (near Tours) and Rennes, but diversions are allowed because there’s a splendid garden at Apremont sur Allier between Macon and Bourges. Are you into gardens?
I hope your great adventure goes well.
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My preference is to use aires, rather than sites when I am en route to a destination, as I rarely book night stops in advance. This means I can choose when to stop instead of having to "press on regardless" when running behind schedule. I also dislike the checking-in and pitch allocation process for sites, much preferring the less regimented arrival and departure routine when using aires.
I mainly use 2 apps - Search for Sites and Camping Car-Park - to select where to stay, although I sometimes also look at Campercontact if I'm short of options.
As for routes to Garda, I have travelled via the St Gothard Tunnel, the Fern & Reschen Passes, Mont Blanc Tunnel and the old Brenner Pass. All these routes have their attractions and it entirely depends on how long you want to spend getting there (both in time & money) and what sights you want to take in on the way.
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