Euro trip to Italy - advice?

[Neuromancer11]

Hi all, looks for some advice please, apologies for the length on this...

Basically I'm planning on doing a trip over to Italy with my wife and 2 kids (6 and 11), frankly I'm fed up of the crappy weather in the UK, we've done 2 weeks in Cornwall and both times the weather hasn't been great, we are unfortunately limited to school holidays, in fact of the dozen or som camping trips we've done in 18 months in the Cali i cant' recall one that hasn't had any rain!

Anyway, we've been inspired by ABAB's trip to northern France with Harvey and really like the look of the Sandaya type campsites (they seen decent value to compared to the UK "resorts"), our youngest is disabled - severe autism and is non verbal, plus ADHD and some other stuff Having a pool with slides, play areas, bouncy castles etc are a must to keep them both occupied (and give my wife a break!). My concern with northern France is that its not that far from the UK and could still have inclement weather even in July. My wife is really keen on Italy, its one country the we've never visited despite some Italian heritage on my side (my dads mother was Italian). There is a Sandaya resort in Tuscany right on the coast with a private beach that looks perfect, however given school holiday restrictions my choices are the late May bank holiday/half term week or middle of July - we are in Leicestershire so luckily our kids breakup slightly earlier than the rest of the country, so my thoughts are this takes the pressure of the channel crossing disruptions somewhat, however I'm concerned about the July heat and the mosi's (more so the wife on the second one, she's a magnet for them). I've be really interested on people thoughts on this? its more the nights I'm concerned about.. Option 2 is end of May, but that would mean traveling out bank holiday weekend, traveling down and then traveling back the following weekend with the kids going straight back into school on Monday, put i imagine more pleasant from a weather perspective, downside crossing is more expensive, but the site is cheaper so balances.

I'm looking for advice on logistics too, we would travel from Leicester to Dover on the Friday night, stay in the Premier inn at the dock, get an early ferry to get to Calais mid morning, the travel south with a stop over Saturday and Sunday night somewhere... i have a bucket list type desire to drive through the mountains, Monday arrive in Italy, stay 4 nights at the Sandaya resort then, travel back Friday, stop somewhere Friday night to break the journey, continue north on Saturday then get a later ferry back Saturday evening say 7pm ish and arrive back home late Saturday night, giving Sunday to recover - does that sound feasible?

Anything I'm missing? also I'm maybe thinking, do both Italy in May and then northern France in July might be a good shout...

 

[colintfcolintf]

Some of the mountain passes are likely to be closed due to snow still in may…

 

[Azteccamper]

That’s a lot of travelling for a short break. Also, it’s vital that you find a site that is suitable for your 6 yr old (I’m a retired headteacher of a primary school with an ALN Unit so I am fully aware of the issues even a simple task can sometimes bring). Sites in Italy can be extremely busy in the summer and they do like their rules (eg pools can close for a period during midday, wearing of swim caps, etc).
Would you consider the French Alps, Ardeche or similar?

 

[Neuromancer11]

Some of the mountain passes are likely to be closed due to snow still in may…

yes it will be the last week in May so I'm aware there's still a risk with that, this isn't an essential part of the trip though just a nice to do

 

[Neuromancer11]

That’s a lot of travelling for a short break. Also, it’s vital that you find a site that is suitable for your 6 yr old (I’m a retired headteacher of a primary school with an ALN Unit so I am fully aware of the issues even a simple task can sometimes bring). Sites in Italy can be extremely busy in the summer and they do like their rules (eg pools can close for a period during midday, wearing of swim caps, etc).
Would you consider the French Alps, Ardeche or similar?

Thanks, useful info i will look into that, something i hadn't considered! that's more of a reason to go for the May option to Italy as i suspect it will be less busy, traveling in the van isn't actually an issue, we think its a sensory thing with the motion

this was the site we were considering - https://www.sandaya.co.uk/our-campsites/etruria

but something similar further north would work

 

[Marco Venturi]

Thanks, useful info i will look into that, something i hadn't considered! that's more of a reason to go for the May option to Italy as i suspect it will be less busy, traveling in the van isn't actually an issue, we think its a sensory thing with the motion

this was the site we were considering - https://www.sandaya.co.uk/our-campsites/etruria

but something similar further north would work

Probably a good 20 years since we last went, but we used to tow our caravan to Lake Garda (Moniga del Garda) from the North West, taking a day to get to the France side of the Channel (St Omer Gandspette site at Eperleques), then usually head for Trier in Germany just over the border from Luxemburg (cheap fuel in Luxemburg in those days) for night 2, next stop Fussen for night 3, and after a day's travelling including the Brenner Pass we'd arrive at Lake Garda's Fontanelle site.
Astonishingly, some caravanners we'd talk to would do the whole journey in one go, sharing the driving.
We've also gone via the Mont Blanc tunnel and via the Gran St Bernard, and came back once via Nice, but whichever way it would be three nights out, three nights back.
Usually we'd go in July as the school holidays started, but we did once go in early June and it was very pleasant and warm. Mozzies never seemed a problem
Sorry, we've never headed for Tuscany, but I've hired a car around Naples and the driving and roads around there were an altogether 'different' experience. Think Strade Bianche and some of the roads were just that.......gravel tracks.
You'll enjoy Italy, however you get there

 

[Azteccamper]

We’ve stayed here (I know you’d like to visit Italy but Provence is beautiful).

Camping Domaine Du Verdon 5 stars - Alpes de Haute Provence

Make the most of your holiday at the camping Domaine du Verdon in Castellane and relax with the family at this campsite in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

www.sandaya.co.uk

It’s on the outskirts of the lovely town of Castellane alongside a river that gets rapids twice a week to enable adventure dingy trips down the Verdon gorge (stunning area) to the Lac-de-Sainte-Croix
It’s a big, well organised site (as are all Sandaya sites that we’ve been too).

We love Italy and have been there a number of times to various areas but not as far as Tuscany. If you need any help at all with other potential options ask away.

 

[Dyddi]

Crossing the Alps: cheapest route is via Switzerland - buy 12 months road tax (40CHF) which is cheaper than total autoroute and tunnel/pass tolls of other routes. Purchase on line - choose between windscreen sticker and ANPR. 2024 I used the ANPR register and had no problems.
Pass or tunnel - I always use the 16km/10 mile San Gottardo, great views on ascent and descent, unless it's raining, but this does have queues in high season so ... avoid school holiday dates - check on line for Italian school holidays ... (Also check on-line Gotthard is still free, included in road tax, as they keep talking about introducing charges, as I believe they have on Grand St Bernard)
Italian sites in high season are usually full so book well in advance. This is particularly the case with coastal sites offering games, activities and entertainments.
High alpine passes can be closed or intermittent until the end of May, at least - check weather forecast and open/closed on line as you go. Most are road-signed 'open/closed' at low level well in advance. (2024 we were turned back from the Grossglockner, Austria in June because I didn't have snow tyres and was told it was winter at the top.)
Routes - no tolls via Belgium and Germany but Italian autostrada does mount up. Avoid Milan and ring road at peak times but autostrada now by-passes almost completely. Have fun on the autostrada by counting the number of marked lanes and the number of traffic lines - sometimes they're the same.
En route - ACSI has reliable information for sites, Google maps for route planning, AA has information on fuel prices across Europe, cheapest is Luxembourg.
Regulations - If you have a bike rack you must use a striped warning of approved design. Usual need for fluorescent tabards for each person if exiting vehicle on main roads, dipped headlights and so on.
Have a great time.

 

[Corradobrit]

Also fill up in Switzerland before entering Italy. Should be about 10% cheaper (at least it used to be). You'll also be marveling at the billiard table Swiss roads vs those across the border which are 3rd world in comparison.

 

[Dyddi]

Just re-read your request and had the following thoughts, based on 40+ years of S. Europe camping and VW campervanning.
Mosquitoes: Carry a mozzy kit of 1) a spray-on or roll-on deterrent, 2) a tube of 'After-Bite' ammonia based roll-on for immediate relief, 3) a sting-relief cream to soothe and not scratch, 4) a plug-in repellant with replaceable tablets, for 1-2 hours before going to bed (For this it's best to seal the van/tent while you relax outdoors then turn it off on entry. I believe the fumes give the van or tent an unwelcome, to mozzies, aroma which hangs about afterwards.), and lastly, 5) a fly-swat and torch. If, despite all precautions, you wake to a whining sound turn on all the interior lights and go for the kill. You'll then sleep soundly. 5pm onwards wear long sleeves and trousers to reduce access and apply deterrent. Hope for wind, meteorological, as then they cannot fly. Most of the above mentioned deterrents and sting-relief are best purchased in local supermarkets, i.e. near where the mozzies thrive. Sonic devices and 'jungle' juices are not understood by European mosquitoes. And ignored.

San Gottardo/Gotthard - I should have said 'tunnel'. It's a steady 50mph and not much to look at but they do have markers every km to show progress. There is the old pass which has fantastic views but I would be wary of trying it in May.
If you need more, just ask. Bon voyage, Gute fahrt, Kalo taxidi etc.