Planning a great road trip - from London to Athens by road - recommendations for campsites needed and general tips please

[lisalisa]

No - i am not mad!!!! Dh and I just inspired by a fabulous trip we have just done to the Loire ( 6 hours on french soil plus ferry plus 2 hours in england to get to ferry ) which all went without a hitch. We took our 5 dcs aged between 3.5 and 12. All were great - the youngest is a particularly good traveller and probided we stop regularly for poos for our 8 yr old who has a spectacular ability to poo 3 or 4 times per journey (!) and pump 12 yr old wiht quells ( travel sickness) we reckon it would be great.

Google route is through west of france and then down through switzerland and along the lenght of italy to brindisi in the south.

From there we take a ferry to greece ( not sure where yt - any advice would be amazing on that score ) and then along the coastline to athens.

I would love some recommednations for campsites - not our own tent - we will stay in mobile homes- for campsites along that route as well as tips on timescales/rest points/things to bring/avoid and general tips.

Thanks

[Eve]

We drive to southern Italy each summer,

On way down go ghent/ Bruges , lux, friberg/Mulhouse , Lucerne, gothard tunnel into Italy ( go over the pass not via the tunnel). Venice, Como, Bologna, pescara , vasto are all paces we have stopped.

Note, to drive in switerzland as soon as you cross the border you have to pay a 1 off car tax of 45 euros.

We don't camp but book enough in advance via hotels.com and get good deals.

We also do the trip sometimes via mount blanc tunnel and stay a few days at chamonix, which is beautiful.

[zumo]

This is the best way to see Athens
www.athenshappytrain.com/
Nearest Port is Piraeus
www.piraeus-greece.org/

Taxis etc at the port are very expensive, station is 20 mins walk away depending which dock yopu dock in.

If you ask on the VWT4 forum an few people have done Athens on the way to Croatia, I have done most of it but went in a boat not a car!

[dibbletribble]

You might find it useful to have ur own tent as pre erected tents and mobile homes can be hard to book for less than 1 week. There are some, but bit hard to find? Or just use hotels till u get to ur destination? With ur own tent there's a bit more freedom.

[WallyBantersJunkBox]

If you are camping in Switzerland I would heartily recommend the Interlaken area, particularly Brienz.

aaregg.ch/en/Offers/Family_camping

There are also some amazing sites around Lugano, but then you'd be better placed in Italy around Lake Maggiore if you are heading towards Italy and want a lakeside stop.