Lake Como trip
We are planning a trip to Lake Como in May with our motorhome, travelling via Hull to Rotterdam. We would appreciate any tips or advice and would love to hear from anyone who has done this drive especially if you have driven up the left hand side of the lake to Dongo with a motorhome. We intend too stay near Dongo and then use the bikes or ferry to get about. All help would be very much appreciated
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Only driven with the car but can be narrow and busy but then so can lots of places. I would head to Lugano then to Mennagio but if you can give an idea of your route that may help people to advise.
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Some years ago we stayed at Sorico at Camping La Riva at the northern end of the lake. We had a caravan then and used the eastern side of the lake to approach the campsite. This is mainly dual carriageway but mainly in tunnels. Whilst at the site we visited Villa Charlotta at Tremezzo which takes you down the western side of the lake. The road is not wide but every day it is used by small lorries and I am sure, buses. So I suppose if they can manage so could a motorhome. Unfortunately I can't comment on the road south of Tremezzo. Lovely area.
David
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We've recently driven the whole perimeter of Lake Como with a 7.4m motorhome (and with a TA caravan in previous years). Some sections of the road are narrow but none that will restrict your journey. Cycling may be challenging on some of the busier sections. May is a beautiful time of the year around Como and there will be no need to book sites ahead. It may be cold in the evenings and early morning but by 10.00am it will be very pleasant. If you intend to be there in early June the more popular sites will be busy, the Bavarian school holidays commence on 3rd June for 2 weeks. Enjoy Como and if you have time try Maggiore too.
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In 2015 we drove our Autotrail Apache up through Como and stayed near Menaggio. The road is narrow but as David says lorries and buses use this road. We then went west to Lugano, again along a road that is (very) narrow in the villages.
The Scenery is wonderful but keep your eyes on the road and take your time !
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The road that TJ mentions is indeed very narrow, we used it in 2012, but has now been bypassed by a tunnel that starts just after the Swiss/Italian border when heading East towards Mennagio.
We stayed at Piano Polezza but this would not be so good with a MH however there is a site at Porlezza right on Lake Lugano and a bus service to Mennagio where you can get the ferry to other places.
Pic 1 is the site and Pic 2 its location next to the small, nature reserve, lake.
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Thank you all so much for your replies. We intend to have a stop in Basel then via lake Lugano to Menaggio and then to Dongo then stop at camping magic lake. It sounds amazing so really looking forward to it. We intend to take it steady so I am sure we will be ok. Thanks again for the input it's very appreciated.
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We have been up the Western side of Lake Como towing a caravan from Mennagio to Sorico and yes it's tight in places but very doable but allow for an average of about 20 mph as it's a fairly busy road and you will encounter lorries en route. Lugano to Mennagio is also tight at times and again allow for an average of 30 mph at best.
The ferry goes from Dongo and that's a good day well spent and get yourself across to Ballagio on it, I'm sure you don't need me to tell you a day in Como is a must.
I wouldn't stay in Basel overnight i'd stay at Camping des trois chateaux at Eguisheim it's only 10 minutes from the motorway and is a cracking place.
Enjoy we did,
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No worries just google Eguisheim and you'll see for yourself, i heard about it on here last year just before our trip and it fitted in where we wanted to get to on our return leg and if i remember it was about 210 miles or so from the Northern end of Lake Como so a good days driving .
I'll put some pics on here but can't do it as they are all too big.
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There's an attractive site at Faido, a short distance from the St Gottard tunnel entrance. It has a good restaurant and bar with an amazing selection of home made breads. It may not be far enough away from Lake Como for you but sites further north in Switzerland are, in my opinion, excessively expensive and poor value for money.
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We've not been to Lake Como yet but have travelled along the west side of Lake Garda where we lost our nearside (offside in Italy) wing mirror courtesy of a lorry - OH recommends folding that mirror in when on narrow bits and use the rear view camera.
Equisham Trois Chateaux good, also Municipal at Riqueville, Medieval (called something else now) at Turckheim and Vallon d'Ehn at Obernai - lots of choice depending on your route.
Anyone been to Magic Lake, Dongo, is it as nice as it seems in reviews?
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We stayed at the site in Equisheim last year. It is often recommended but I must say we didn't take to it. Nothing wrong with the facilities or the location but we did not like the general "ambiance" nor the pitches. Equisheim is a pretty town but rather "twee". A bit like the Truman show. We would always go back to the municipal site at Obernai.
Seems like you are set on Como but others thinking of the lakes should seriously consider Maggiore. Very easy access via Locarno and you can stay at Cannobio which has the advantage of being quite difficult to get to other than through Switzerland by car.
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Sorry, muddled up names of two places - good campsites at Riquewihr and Ribeauville as well as the others above. Nothing wrong with Trois Chateaux (other than the water temperature in December) but it's not our favourite either. Lake Maggiore is lovely, quieter than Garda and seems to have more campsites than Como. For anyone with a disability considering the Italian Lakes, we found the staff on the lake ferries extremely helpful with wheelchairs and my mobility scooter.
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Lake Maggiore sounds nice. Any particular sites you would recommend. Originally planning on going down to Lake Garda from Innsbruck in May then across to Lake Como before coming back through Switzerland. Do you know if route to Maggiore direct from Innsbruck OK? Might just go to Maggiore for our first taste of Italy and leave out other lakes.
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I wouldn't stay in Basel overnight i'd stay at Camping des trois chateaux at Eguisheim it's only 10 minutes from the motorway and is a cracking place.
I agree JudenSteve but for over night stop NO. You need at least three days to see such a lovely village and area
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I was planning to stay at Camping Ranoccio at Carlazzo but on reading some websites its suggested the road from Lugano via Porlezza is very narrow and not suitable for large units I'm driving a Honda CRV towing a Bailey Unicorn Valencia any views would be most welcome. I'm travelling early September any need to book sites in the Italian lakes at that time?
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Andy, If you mean Camping Rannichio at PIano Porlezza that is where pics are in my post above. Also the worst part of route after Lugano now bypassed by tunnel.
Bigger site in Porlezza but we liked Rannichio. Would also agree that Maggiore is lively and we have stayed at Cannobio on Valle Romantica three times.
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Cannobio on Lake Maggiore is a nice village with access to the ferries, Valle Romantica is recommended by many, there is a path from the site to the village avoiding the main road. We stayed at Camping Riviera on the lakeside, owned, I believe by the same people as Romantica - we chose this for the easy access to the village on a mobility scooter. Like many Italian sites the pitches were small and could be difficult to access. However we enjoyed our stay there and would go again. We also stayed briefly at Camping Parisi in Baveno, again for easy access,(ferries to islands) a small more basic site on the lakeside but with reasonable facilities.
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Valle Romantica is our favourite site in Europe and we have been there many times, staying a month on one occasion. It is not cheap and like other sites in the lakes gets busy during German school holidays which can be at almost any time due to the phasing in the different regions in Germany. As meecee says, the walk into town is by a path along the river valley, about 1 mile. The site is set in former botanical gardens and very attractive.
Riviera has the same owner and is even more popular as it is by the lake and close to the town. You could stay at Camping Del Sole which is ACSI but very tight pitches.
Cannobio is one of the most attractive towns on Lake Maggiore.
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Thanks hitchglitcht and meecee really useful suggestions for Lake Maggiore will probably use Valle Romantic despite not taking ACSI card. Currently expect to get there around 20th May for a few days after travelling from Lake Garda before heading back towards Zeebrugge . Will school holidays still be problem? thought it was more June.
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Thanks for that allanandjean love the pics any comments on the site? Do you think I would need to book for early September? Any further comments from the community would be more than welcome
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We have stayed at V Romantica in May and June and it was busy but not crammed. A tip we saw, and have used, is to look at the prices of sites in the area as they are usually higher if they expect to be busy.
We have also used t'internet to research German school holiday periods and, in 2015, stopped over in Austria enroute to Garda to avoid the busiest times and then travelled on the day after the holidays ended.
We were OK heading South, but it was extremely busy North bound, and got a pitch but site was still busy.
In regard to the site itself we loved it and it has a bit of character. It has got better and the comment re it being a former botanical garden made me smile as on our first visit in 1990 we arrived to an overgrown and somewhat unkempt site in a terrible thunderstorm. My comment to my wife was "Well, this is very b----y former".
Regarding Camping Rannochio we really like the site and planning on going back in 2018.When we first visited we had been at Bella Italia in Peschiera which is huge and very busy. It may have been the contrast but we loved the site and the area.
I would not book for a September visit
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Thank You Allan and Jean
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We haven't booked a site for the last 25 years and would not book Valle Romantica, however, we arrived there in June once and the owner (Nicco) said that they were full in May (whatever that means!). It is a feature of the region that it is easy to get to from Germany and people will go there for a weekend if the weather is fine. So, it's worth checking the German school dates but if you are worried then, like anywhere, don't arrive too late in the day. We have never had a problem.
A few tips:
There is a spring water fountain 200 meters from the site on the main road to Cannobio. It used to be world famous as it is high mineral content like Vichy. Fill water bottles for drinking.
To walk into town cross over the river bridge and follow the path on the right into town. Cross the pedestrian suspension bridge.
Get a ferry timetable from the pier in Cannobio. Read it carefully and check which days the services operate.
When you arrive at the site there is a very steep hill so drive down to the bottom and park in the visitors area.
The EHU is only about 3/4 amps.
The small shop is excellent.
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We once stayed at Continental Camping but that was on Lake Megozzo which is just off Lake Maggiore and is a superb lake and very clean and we swam in it nearly every day, the site is pretty big and with a lot going on but our daughter was only about 9 at the time.
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We also stayed at Camping Vitznau on the edge of Lake Lucerne but it's on the Eastern side which is a slow windy road to travel but does have fantastic views if you are not in a hurry. We arrived after the owners had shut for the evening and they were having their dinner but they still booked us in which was so good of them.
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Will be heading back via camping Alpenblick Interlaken any views on this and any really good things to do in the area staying 5 nights love some reviews and recommendations.
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