Blackpool Belle Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) We are planning 4-5 weeks Switzerland/Italy/Austria/Germany and have the whole of May, June & July to go at - we would like to avoid crowded sites if we can, & use ACSI sites where possible. We need help with dates please! Plan A: Dunkirk ferry around 20 May, via Switz & arrive Lakes area about 25th. Move to south Austria Sun 4th, Saltzburg area after another week then to Dresden (visiting friends) for the following weekend, with return ferry 19 June. Plan B: Move everything 2 weeks later, ie. ferry 3 June, returning 3 July. I think this avoids Italian & German holidays, but will all the sites be much busier as its later in the season? All dates can be elastic, as can places - we hope to go with a plan but no fixed dates apart from the ferry. Any advice from all you experienced European travellers on the forum would be most appreciated. Edited January 22, 2014 by Blackpool Belle Quote Follow the link to read of our travels with & without the caravan :- Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not so big john Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Can't help with Switzerland I'm afraid, but we turned up at the following sites in 2012 without booking: Baia Verde, Lake Garda 16 May ACSI Natterersee Innsbruck 23 May ACSI Waldpark Hohenstadt 29 May ACSI Konigsberg, Wolfstein 2 June ACSI Kockelscheuer Luxembourg 4 June (not in a scheme but owned by Luxemburg Caravan Club, €16. 10 per night Spa D'Or, Spa 8 June ACSI Prahljust, Harz Mountains 18 July Camping Cheques Luxe-Oase Dresden 23 July not in any scheme, €26. 60 per night. The only site which filled completely was Natterersee, but there was a fair turnover. Quote Hyundai Santa Fe CRD auto + Burstner Belcanto 525 TL http://www. oldagetraveller. net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeCaravaner Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 We drove through Germany to Austria last year using ACSI sites and stayed for a week near Saltzburg so some of the information on my blog may be of help. Quote Kia Sorrento towing a Coachman VIP 575/4 Our blog: jennyandjohngocaravanning. wordpress. com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpool Belle Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thanks very much both. Jenny&John, I spent a great evening surfing your blog the other night - in fact it was a comment from you about German holiday caravanners swarming south that prompted me to look at our prospective dates. not so big John - a great list of sites, thank you very much. Do either of you have any thoughts on the earlier dates versus the later ones? Pros & cons? Thanks Quote Follow the link to read of our travels with & without the caravan :- Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeCaravaner Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I recommend this blog if you haven't seen it One of the reasons we go early is because I can't cope with the heat and Dianne mentions it frequently as being in the 30s in south Austria in May. That may be a positive or negative for you. I had expected a problem with the one long bank holiday we encountered but the site we were on wasn't full. One way of working out your dates is to check the ACSI book to see when the discount applies. If there is no discount they expect to be busy. In any case coming home by the 3rd July you should be ok as it is later in the month that the continentals seem to go on holiday. Quote Kia Sorrento towing a Coachman VIP 575/4 Our blog: jennyandjohngocaravanning. wordpress. com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpool Belle Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 The thought about the ACSI discounts is a very good idea - thank you very much! I did a search of the internet for the holidays of the various nationalities, but its not very clear exactly how long most of them are. I had a good read of Dianne's blog last week, which started me off thinking about southern Austria as a destination - low 30s is as much as we want ideally, and I can only imagine it gets hotter further into the season, so I think we'll plump for the earlier dates. Thanks very much for all your help. Quote Follow the link to read of our travels with & without the caravan :- Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapmag Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 For what it's worth. .. We stayed at Lake Garda for 3 weeks from 14/5 in 2010 and after the first week it seemed the whole of Southern Germany descended on the site for the latter two weeks. Obviously dates differ year to year but just be aware that Southern Germany have two weeks vacation around that time. ... they were very pleasant on a day to day basis. ... but arrived and left in droves!!!! HTH, G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpool Belle Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 The problem is that having spent all our working lives only being able to go away in school holidays (ex-teachers), we really look forward to a bit of peace now we're retired. Back to the calendar again. .... Quote Follow the link to read of our travels with & without the caravan :- Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericfield Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) The German late May holiday does mean they descend on places like Garda in numbers. But elsewhere we have not experienced their overwhelming presence. The country and mountain sites (as opposed to 'beach' sites) are less popular in our experience. We always go to Germany/Austria/Italy in May/June on ACSI sites and have never had to change our plans or sites due to holidays. Living opposite a school, we look forward to coming home during school holidays!! Edited January 22, 2014 by ericfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpool Belle Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 That's very reassuring, thanks. We may adjust our intended destinations, because despite living by the sea, we always seem to head for water. I've tagged this year's trip as "Lakes & Mountains". We were thinking of heading to Lucerne, then Como or Maggiore, probably not Garda, but also for L Ossiach in southern Austria - I do love a watery view! Quote Follow the link to read of our travels with & without the caravan :- Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klyne Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Been to most of the places you are visiting most of them covered in various blogs with site reports on my website, just click on the Caravan Travels link below. David Quote David - Milton Keynes Bailey Alliance 66-2 Motorhome for holidays and a Kia Venga for home. Caravan Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpool Belle Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Fantastic! I'll enjoy having a browse through your travels - reading about others' exploits is even better than planning one's own, especially when its where you're going. The only write-ups I've done have been for Tripadvisor, but I enjoyed doing them very much, especially our 2013 motorhome one in Alaska. Quote Follow the link to read of our travels with & without the caravan :- Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericfield Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 That's very reassuring, thanks. We may adjust our intended destinations, because despite living by the sea, we always seem to head for water. I've tagged this year's trip as "Lakes & Mountains". We were thinking of heading to Lucerne, then Como or Maggiore, probably not Garda, but also for L Ossiach in southern Austria - I do love a watery view! The Ossiachersee is a lovely spot. We hope to be heading back there in late May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeCaravaner Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 (edited) I recommend this blog if you haven't seen it One of the reasons we go early is because I can't cope with the heat and Dianne mentions it frequently as being in the 30s in south Austria in May. That may be a positive or negative for you. I had expected a problem with the one long bank holiday we encountered but the site we were on wasn't full. One way of working out your dates is to check the ACSI book to see when the discount applies. If there is no discount they expect to be busy. In any case coming home by the 3rd July you should be ok as it is later in the month that the continentals seem to go on holiday. How weird! I see the blog link isn't there but I swear it was when I posted it. Blackpool Belle obviously knew what I was referring to but for anyone else here it is again http://www. joysofeuropeancaravanning. co. uk/ Having posted that I see the link has come up in purple and last time it was black like the rest of the post. Edited January 23, 2014 by LongTimeCaravaner Quote Kia Sorrento towing a Coachman VIP 575/4 Our blog: jennyandjohngocaravanning. wordpress. com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KontikiKid Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I'm away from the 10th April for five weeks and won't pre book anything. The end of May is usually really busy as it is the Pentecost time and a large influx from Germany. ACSI - be a tad careful - some sites have better rates without the card and Italian sites will haggle too. Russell Quote Online blog and travels, although sometimes there is a lack of travel due to work! It's an uncharted sea, it's an unopened door but you've got to reach out and you've got to explore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpool Belle Posted January 23, 2014 Author Share Posted January 23, 2014 Thanks very much, everyone. Russell, thanks for the heads up on ACSI rates - we've never had the chance to use them before as explained above, so its a whole new minefield - I'll compare the rates before we pay. I have no Italian at all (apart from greetings & food items) so I guess haggling won't be easy but I'll give it a go. We were at the Caravan Show today, bit the bullet & booked the ferry (hooray). We've gone for the earlier dates so leave on May 20th for 5 weeks (double hooray), deciding not to bother about crowds & maybe staying in southern Germany as it sounds as though it could be empty! Angela Quote Follow the link to read of our travels with & without the caravan :- Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikal83 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 we too will be in Italy. ...........most of august. ..............crikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snooks Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Blackpool Belle, Yes agreed taking the earlier dates is a better bet. We always go to Germany and Austria leaving reply or mid April usually straight after Easter. Returning beginning to mid June. As I say on my website it can get hot in both Germany and Austria 30 deg+. Both times we have visited Holland on the way home we have had 30 to 35 deg. Quote Elddis Crusader Storm with Kia Sorento XS Joys of European Caravanning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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