Driving down and camping Italian Lakes - anyone done it?

[sarahhal]

DH had his first ever holiday inspiration today and suggested we do Dover-Calais then drive down to Lake Garda to camp around that area. We love Lake garda and have camped there before the DSes (think train, two man tent one ring camping gas)but wondered if anyone has done this and could suggest a good route, stop offs etc.

Whilst I'm here, was in our local Go Outdoors yesterday and they had some very good tent deals

Bump as I am interested too but we are flying in and looking for a site that rents bungalows or caravans.

sounds amazing, I am very jealous.

Ryanair and a freezing caravan in April, not all that glamourous .

no, you have spolit my vision.I have just been deacribing my imagined version of your holiday in glorious, romantic sumptuous detail to dp.

Sorry the veiws should still be good though, imagine me in my secluded villa on the shores of the lake with the mountains in the background, all on the terrace, sun just warm enough and we are all sitting enjoying a meal that last forever while the kids potter (v quietly) nearby. Is that better? Oh and lots and lots of wine!!!!

were you listening?

THat is it exactly - except we love camping so it was a tent on the shore of the lake.

No ideas then?

Anyone looking for a villa/appartment then i can recommend a company called Autoplan holidays - useless at links. We stayed in one of their villas out of season and it was really reasonably priced but can't even afford that now! Cheap ryan air flight to Brescia and car hire even too much now we are four!

no suggestions I'm afraid, but would love to do it ourselves sometime! Which site are you going to?

I am looking at camping San Fransesco, booking it through hoseasons.

That would be san francesco

God that is a LONG drive.

Out of interest, how many miles would it be to travel down and how long would it take?

I once got a coach from London to Pisa and it took 2 days.

Never ever again.

Sorry I am not driving OP is we are flying to bergamo

We're flying to Bergamo also. If you can get budget flights they are not too bad at present. Ours were about £300 for 4 of us in July. 4 adults that is, as DSs now teens.

If you factor in food, petrol, and overnight stay etc, driving may not be as cheap as it at first seems.

We once drove down through England (we live in Scotland) to catch the ferry for France...interminable. Never again. We always fly now and hire a car once there. We generally use air miles to pay for car hire, though.

Scotland too, cost a fortune to drive plus ferry and we are only going for a week so no chance, MIL drive down to france through the summer but they go for a total of 3 weeks. They used to go further south but the last couple of times they just went as far as Brittany.

Our flights are £400 in total included bags and insurance for 4 people. Must book accomodation now .