Italy

Why you should consider a trip with a camper for your next getaway.. 

I had never been on a trip with a camper before. It's such a perfect combination of mobility, freedom, and nature. You just take off, aim for the sun and stop whenever, wherever. For me, this was the perfect break. No stress, no planning, just go with the flow.

First, we looked for a place well worth driving to. If you have a destination in mind, it becomes much easier to find cool spots along the way. For this trip we picked South-Tirol. In case of bad weather, we made ourselves a little backup plan as well. Because a good vacation comes with a fair amount of sunlight on your face. At least it does for me. Try that when planning a flight and a hotel. 😊

FIRST STOP

And so, the journey began. We started in Switzerland. Our first stop was Aareschlicht, better known as Canyon Aare Gorge. Here you can see with your own eyes how powerful water really is. The river 'Aare' eroded a path through the rock formation resulting in a gorge. Which is 1400 meters long and up to 200 meters deep. A perfect first stop to enjoy nature and get in the vacation mood.

Cost: € 8,5/pp (adults) and € 4,5/pp (kids)

Stay: 1 - 2 hours

Already Tired?: https://www.camping-aareschlucht.ch/

SECOND STOP

When you go to the canyon in the morning, you have plenty of time to explore Valle Verzasca in the afternoon. It will take you 2,5 hours to get there. Park your car in Lavertezzo, put on your bikini and enjoy the fresh (very cold) water. In this small cozy town almost all the houses were built in 1350 and made out of stone. Doesn't that sound super cute?

Cost: Nothing

Stay: Whole afternoon (bring a little picknick)

Tired?: If you're heading to Italy this is a good place to camp: https://www.lidomappo.ch/de

After an exhausting day, we parked the camper at the campsite (lidomappo), We opened up a bottle of wine and feasted on French bread and cheese we found along the road. No better way to end the first day. 

THIRD STOP

The next stop is 'Como lake'. Apart from a 1 hour horse ride, we didn't plan anything in advance. But when we passed Menaggio we were all in need of a nice and cozy terrace and an Aperol spritz. When on vacation, I need some spontaneous stops like this. Just enjoying the company, the sun and a refreshing drink. After two hours of talking, we found a guy that rented small speedboats. Yes, you hear this right. You can rent a boat and be your own captain. For one hour it only costs 70 euros. We hired ours at Ac Boats, but there's plenty of renting agencies to choose from. During high season it's necessary to book in advance.

Cost: € 70

Stay: 1 day - 1 week (Como lake is pretty big so you can stay as long as you want!)

Tired?: https://campingdomaso.com/nl

FOURTH STOP

After a good night's sleep and a powerful breakfast, we headed out for our horse ride appointment. Believe me, life is always better on the back of a horse. We took a walk to the lake and back. The surroundings are peaceful and quiet. The journey begins at the ranch. You have some time to get to know your horse and when you're inexperienced they'll teach you the do's and don'ts before they start. You might want to bring mosquito repellent, because you'll meet some hungry mosquitos on your way. All the horses were nice and calm. I definitely recommend this.

Cost: 35 euro/pp - 1 hour at the 'Ranch El Picadero' 

FIFTH STOP

SIXTH STOP

On our way over, we passed a charming winery called 'Moser Trento'. We did a wine tasting for 5 euros each and bought a couple of bottles to go with our homemade pasta that evening.

After this delightful break, we jumped back in the camper to drive all the way up to 'Lake Carezza'. This place is amazing! You can easily stare at the lake for hours and wander off into a daydream.

Tip: Book your camping place at least a couple of days in advance. We didn't manage to find a camp spot close to the lake, because those were fully booked. 

SEVENTH STOP

After a good night sleep, we woke up early in the morning to head to 'Tre Cime'. We did a challenging 10-kilometer hike and stopped at 2 drinking points. Make sure you bring enough cash. There's a couple of nice lookout places to stop for a drink, but they don't accept cards.

LAST STOP

Last but not least, we ended our trip at the beautiful 'Lago Di Braies'. You'll probably see lots of pictures of this place when searching for hotspots in South-Tirol. To be honest, it's even more beautiful in real life than it is on any of those pictures. To sum this all up, BEST trip of 2019 for sure!

The camper life suits me pretty well. 😊

Love,

Miette

PS: we hired a camper from Campaway...