North Shields to Lake Garda

We have just completed a similar route, Ijmuiden to Croatia and back.  Our first night was at s' Hertogenbosch to see the Bosch exhibition, which was only an hour or so from the port.  However the journey from there through Germany was fraught with road works and traffic jams.  This was end of April.  I think getting to Stuttgart on your first day might be ambitious, but it is doable.

Our second night was at the interestingly named Waldorf Astoria, which is between Heidelberg and Karrlsruhe, 364 miles from Ijmuiden.  Given an official speed limit of 50mph when towing that is seven hours.  Even towing at 60 without holdups it is six hours.  Waldorf was a very useful site in that although there were a lot of permanent pitches, there is a large field (with hook ups, water etc,) for tourers.  There is room to stay hitched if you want a quick getaway next morning.  There is also a reasonably priced restaurant, but I cannot vouch for quality as it was closed when we were there on 27 April.

I hope it won't affect you, but we stopped at a service station just south of Stuttgart next day and had to clear the snow from the car before we could set off again!.

By the way I have to say the ferry crossing back on the night of 1 June was the roughest we have ever encountered.  I hope yours is better.  nevertheless it was interesting for me sailing down the Tyne, an area I Ilived in in the 50's.  By how it has changed.

Hi Jonathan, You don't say when you are going, but I imagine as you say 'my family' you're going during school holidays.  If so, then I would check out availability on the sort of sites you'd like at Lake Garda.  It's a very very popular area and not somewhere
you can just turn up at a site and expect to find a pitch, particularly with an eight metre long twin axle as pitches in Italy tend to be small.  

The 'Eurocampings' website shows 142 sites in the Italian Lakes, but only 87 of them accept twin axles (and yours is a very long
twin) so I would check carefully with the sites before you set off.  It's a very long way to go to find you can't find a pitch which your caravan will fit on.

{  At  The  Grave  Risk  Of  Having  My  "Giggle  Permit"  Revoked    }

I  know  DK  &  JwithaJ  are  dab  hands  at  'Moving'  things  but   I  really  do  think  Dave  has  really  truely  excelled  himself  this  time  in  Moving  North  Shields  to  Lake  Garda  !!

Sorry,  I'll  just  carry  me  coat,  I'm  Off  !

Brian

Your total mileage is around 730 miles so if you have to do this in two days thats close to 365 miles for each day I don't know how experienced you are at continental driving of what is a pretty big outfit (go on tell me your day-job is a european trucker)
but giving the likelyhood of traffic delays and also allowing for disembarking I also  think 365 miles is a lot for a first day. In fact last April we travelled from Ijmuiden through to Italy arriving at Karlsrhue (Azur Caping Turmberblick) in the early evening.
The roads were very busy in both Germany and Italy and we did encounter heavy roadworks in Italy but with a small nimble campervan and higher speed limits we could make time up. Where the roads were clear we were cruising at 75mph . Day 2 was harder work and
progress slower we arrived at Maggiore in the early evening. So unless you are prepared to have a long days driving it might be better to take three days.

Whatever you decide have a great holiday

The Brennar pass into Italy is motorway so apart from possible migrant/refugee issues is a doddle. The Ferne pass (if you go that way) is a bit twisty but nothing exceptional. What I would say is in Germany in summer the autobahns can be a car park in the holiday season, especially in a Saturday . Germans tend to drive to their holiday destinations so we always arrange our travelling to avoid Saturday driving. Italy is not much better especially the road to Garda from Austria, we drove part of it 2 summers ago on a Saturday from Seiser Alm to Garda and it was a nightmare. 

We travelled last year (Sept)  to Lake Garda via Colmar/Freiburg/Fern Pass/Brenner - the traffic was horrendous, even the Brenner pass was heavy slow moving traffic.  Some of this was no doubt caused by the closure of the Arlberg tunnel which I think is still out of action.  However this is probably not your route if you're going via the Alps.  (helpful - not!)

We are setting off from Glasgow heading to Lake Garda in July. As my wife and I both work, we need to travel in the shortest time we can. This dictates the mileage I drive per day. My 1st days travel is to Black Horse Farm, some 470 miles. Day 2 will be
a similar distance with Day 3 slightly shorter. It's a needs must situation, not ideal I know. I travelled the same route last year so I know what's ahead of me...

I would advise setting off as early as possible for the Saturday drive, if possible consider having breakfast en-route and keep any breaks short and snappy. another issue is Germany is investing in major autobahn upgrades across the country so roadworks
is another delay.