We would like to go to Lake Como next year but although our caravan is very light our tow car is only a 1.5 engine. Have been to Italy by coach and always gone through the pass which we are not too sure our car & caravan could cope with. Has anyone gone by a route that skirts round rather than goes up the mountains? Geography not our strong point and looking at maps does not show the width, windyness etc of roads or the extra distance it would take.
Carol.
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The St Gotthard Tunnel is not too steep - as long as don't mind 11 mile tunnels it is a good route to Lake Como. We've been that way twice towing. We got there via free autoroute through France, Belguim, Luxembourg and then along N66 before crossing into Germany to approach Switzerland from that direction. The latter maneouvre means that one by-passes the centre of Basle. The Swiss route does involve buying annual autoroute vignettes for car AND caravann.
An even easier alternative which we used in 2006 after car problems is the Brenner motorway into Austria - again this is a good route for Como and the northern lakes. The Brenner motorway is a toll road and it is necessary to buy an vignette for other Austrian autoroutes. However the Austrian version can be bought for shorter periods and one only needs one for the car.
The route provided by Tim via Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland would be my route. I have towed it with a variety of cars from 1.6 to 2.7.
For towns from port, it would be Lille, Charleroi, Namur, Arlon, Luxembourg, Thionville. Then make a choice of toll or free roads.
Toll Road, Metz, Strasboug, Basle. (17.50 euro)
Free Road, Nancy, Epinal, Mulhouse, Basle.
If you check the map or even use a route planner, I can more or less guarantee the route shown from Switzerland would be through Lugano along the shores of Lake Lugano to Mennagio on Lake Como.
I used this route from Como to Switzerland and advise against using it whilst towing. In one section it is very narrow and twisty. It's a pity I didn't take my own advise because I did use it again in the opposite direction. The result was half a dozen Italians unhitching the van and pushing it into a garden to allow a coach to pass. The road was not wide enough to take the two vehicles on a bend.
Travel through Switzerland to the Italian border which is at the southern end of Como, then head north up the lake.
Incidently, I have always advised crossing into Germany and then using the A5 to bypass Basle.
This year I crossed the border into Switzerland from France. I found the new road system through Basle now to be dual carriageway motorways and therefore would advocate either way.
My wife and I went to Lake Como earlier this year - staying hotels mind you!! I cannot agree more that Lake Como is not the place to tow. We have been to Lake Garda and Lake Magiore a number of times so believe we now the area pretty well and Lake Como is by far the narrowest. There even sections where it has traffic lights to let just single traffic thorough yet alone.
On another slightly different point - we dont even think that Como is all that its cracked up to be - in our opinion Lake Garda is much better - and nearer the Vinyards!
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Quote: Originally posted by bobnbrens on 10/9/2008
We have been to Lake Garda and Lake Magiore a number of times so believe we now the area pretty well ........ we dont even think that Como is all that its cracked up to be - in our opinion Lake Garda is much better
We also have visited all three lake on numerous occasions and would go back to any of them again and again. All three lakes are different. All have their own attractions.
Our favourite is Maggiore.
Like I always say, If everyone liked the same, everything would be the same. Wouldn't that be awful
Towing on the east side of the lake is easy. It is a dual carriageway SS (Super Strada) Then round the top of the lake and down as far as Menaggio is no problem. Beyond that towards Como, I wouldn't know.
In response to Bobnbrens comments on towing near Lake Como I presume that they are talking about the west side of the Lake and I would agree with the. The road is very narrow in places, especially in the villages. I would NOT recommending towing there. We only drove solo whilst sightseeing and I agree not a good tow road.
HOWEVER there is no need to tow there. As Rostrevor has said the road along the east side of Lake Como is a very high quality super strada dual carraigeway. We towed our 7.2 metre 'van the length of the Lake to Camping La Riva at the northern end of the Lake in 2006. This route connect easily with the A2 motorway from the St Gotthard tunnel route I mentioned earlier. Whilst I have not yet visited Lake Garda I found Lake Como to be a beautiful lake, the views from Bellagio are outstanding. In 2007 we visited Lake Iseo and stayed at Campeggio Riva di San Pietro in Marone this site had stupendous lake and mountain views and we were able to get a pitch near the lakeside which gave these views from 'van window - I still have my photo of the view as my computer screensave!
I've put reviews of both these sites in the campsite section of ukcampsite.co.uk
Thank you all for the very helpful and detailed advice given. There is a lot to digest and mull over. Initially I am apprehensive as we have not gone to France yet in our van (newbies) but it sounds so nice to be able to camp in the Italian Lakes area. I certainly don't want to tow along narrow roads and as we have been to Lake Garda by air and had various trips in a coach I should know they can be narrow but I hoped that thravel there could be mainly on duel carriageways to some sites, as I am now informed in the posts. Naive really to think that it would be easy as when in England the nearer the coast or litle villages you get the windy and narrower are the roads.
We thought Lake Garda was wonderful, prior to that it had been Sorrento, but I just love Italy. Will cerainly look at the reviews (pity they don't have a place for photos)
Cheers
Carol
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Yes the breakdown near Rome in 2007 was rather stressful. At least Red Pennant Travel insurance provided us with a replacement tow car. We had broken down in Belgium on the way home in 2006 too and had had to have the car and caravan transported home. We thought(???) that we had got everything sorted on the car for 2007!!!!???? We HAVE now though a new Kia Sorento was purchased before our 2008 hols and that performed perfectly on 5 week holiday which took us down to the Pyrenees and then back up the west coast of France stopping at Il de Re and Puy Du Fou. There are so many wonderful places to visit on the Continent my advice would be to go for it. We started in 1994 in Brittany as tent campers with our 5 kids and we love our annual 'vanning holidays.
We love Italy but it is a long way to travel but we go for 5 weeks of our teachers' summer holidays. At least the route I recommended is free auroroutes as far as Switzerland, of course it is then toll autoroutes in Switzerland and Italy. The drive through Switzerland is breathtakingly beautiful. In 2006 we, also, visited Camping Cavallino on the Jesolo Peninsula near Venice. Another highly recommended site which we have reviewed in the campsite section.
My advice would be try Continental caravanning, even if you don't get as far as Italy for your first time.
Please post again if you have any specific queries and I'll try to answer.
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Topic: Lake Como route info please
