Road trip in Italy with your dog, the unmissable things to discover!
Discover the incredible adventure of Anna who went on a road trip to Italy with her dog! Here is their 2300km journey and their travel anecdotes. Enough to make you want to go to Italy with your dog. We bet ?
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In the first article of the Going on a Road trip in Italy with your dog series, I introduced you to Nala and Anna, our two adventurers. In this first episode, they explained to us all the preparations and the organization necessary for their road trip. It's time to discover their journey with their different stages and their travel anecdotes!
If you missed this first article, read it before continuing your reading: Going on a road trip in Italy with your dog, organization & preparations : )
Nala, Anna, over to you...
Northern Italy in road trip mode
Going on a road trip with our dog was truly an amazing experience for us. We adhered 100% to this mode of vacation and that is why I am very happy to share our adventures with you! I hope many of you will follow in our footsteps 😉
First of all, if you are going on a road trip, I would like to tell you about a great application: Park 4 night. It indicates all the possible places to spend the night anywhere in the world: natural or equipped area, campsites, with or without water/electricity... In addition, the places are rated by travelers so there are few bad surprises... It's an app essential in my opinion for this type of holiday with your dog or without!
2300 kms in a converted van with my dog
Let's get into the thick of it ! In total we traveled 2 kms!
Day 1/ August 27 – Departure from Clermont-Ferrand until Mont Cenis Lake in Savoie, 2000m altitude, artificial lake of about 7 km². The tour of the lake is possible with a dog. Please note: presence of marmots and cows in enclosures on the site. This lake is a "soap blue" it is a splendid place very preserved! You absolutely have to discover it with your dog. The night was cool: 11 degrees. But inside our converted van it was great!
Day 2 / August 28: Departure for Sirmione, a small town on the shores of Lake Garda, town for the province of Brescia in the region Lombardie en Italy. Located at the end of a peninsula that juts out into the Garda lake, it is nowadays an important tourist center! We settled on a motorhome area which is attached to a park where dogs are accepted: Camperpark via Cantarane. Watch out for mosquitoes! 22€/day excluding electricity and showers which are extra.
Day 3 / August 29 – Visit of Sirmione, there were indeed people but the city remained trafficable at this time. In Sirmione there are beaches where dogs are allowed, we went to have a coffee in the best café in town: the Café Grande on the Piazza Giosue. Dogs are accepted there, the staff is very pleasant, it really is a magnificent spa town, with an immense fortress at the entrance.
Then direction Desenzano, via les andreis 84, to taste and buy the best olive oil in the region: Montecrocce (dogs are not allowed in the store for tasting). Lunch at Salo great welcome and delicious and very well presented local cuisine (fish, lasagna, tiramisu, breadsticks…): “Ristorante Rose” on Gasparo da salo.
After eating, departure for the dolomites (UNESCO World Heritage) which are a mountain range of the Eastern Alps and which have long belonged to theAustria. Austrian culture is still very present there. We then spent the night in an area under development near the Moseralm hotel on the banks of a small river overlooking the Dolomites.
Day 4 / August 30 – Departure for Carezza Lake, tour in 30 minutes without difficulty but it is forbidden to approach the edge of the lake (wooden barrier). This place is really pretty despite a storm that devastated the surroundings quite a bit… The best thing is to arrive before 8 a.m. in order to park in the few free places on the side of the road and also to be quiet because it is a place much visited. To see once in a lifetime! The colors of the water are amazing and you can see the Dolomites in the background.
Then depart for Brunico to take a tour of the local market to taste the specialties of mushrooms and dried meat with a small Spritz on the terrace, then head to an area located on the edge of the forest in the town of Tesido Taisten (drinking water area, picnic table) ideal!!! The forest was full of mushrooms so a little picking required! 1st test of the outdoor shower in the middle of the forest, top! Use of 100% biodegradable products purchased on the Lamazuna website.
Day 5 / August 31 – Nicolas' birthday, departure for Lake Braie also called the pearl of the dolomites. Attention access road closed between 10am and 15pm. The tour is 3,5 kms, dogs are accepted and swimming is even allowed. Beware of very cold water though. This place is also very touristy, you have to get there as soon as possible. You will discover a magnificent nature reserve famous for its turquoise green color and for the Massif de la Croda del Becco which overlooks it, a true Canadian scenery!
Afterwards, departure for Lake Léandro. Very fast tour but be careful, part of it is in "clay" and you sink a little! Then off to the Three Peaks by a single road: toll €30 for cars and €45 for camping cars. There is a huge car park at the foot of these mountains and a special one for vans and motorhomes with a breathtaking view... This relief has a very particular and imposing shape with 3 distinct peaks: the Cima Piccola 2857 meters, the Cima Ovest, 2973 meters high and finally the Cima Grande, 2999 meters. There is a shelter where you can eat, but no showers.
Day 6 /September 1 – Wake up at the Tre Cime, several hikes possible from the area, some with a little difference in altitude, others less so. Eldorado for climbers and via ferrata lovers! But ideal with a dog too (be careful though, unfenced cows).
Day 7/ September 2: We parked at the Col du Monte Croce di Comelico à Sixth, just at the start of the hike for the lake at 11am. 250 m drop, passages sometimes a little dangerous and narrow with a cable to hold on to but possible by being careful all the same (dog on a leash recommended). Then the storm arrived and we were poorly equipped with very poor quality raincoats that weren't waterproof at all. All the same, we arrived in a shelter soaked with a welcome that really chilled us. We had to stay standing in the entrance because the dog was wet… We waited for the storm to calm down a bit and we went to the lake 100m from the refuge we stayed there for 5 minutes because of the weather: big regret because the lake is a real gem at the foot of a mountain nicknamed the finger of god, it is a milky turquoise blue: fascinating! We will do it again… But this time, under the sun!
Evening at La Rochetta campsite in Cortina d'Ampezzo via campo 1, welcome at the top and in French! Under the woods 30€/night, there is a shower, hot!, and electricity included in the price. The dryer and the washing machine are extra but very practical in the middle of your stay!
Day 8/ September 3 – On the way to the venice lido, on the road, a short stop at the Vecio Piave restaurant on the edge of the national via caposile 22, a superb place with a terrace, where you can eat fish and pasta specialties! I recommend it !
Then arrived at Bau-bau Beach on the lido of Jesolo: it is a paid beach reserved for dogs! You can rent a deckchair and a parasol. You will also have the possibility of renting a small closed park for your dog. This is the first time I've tried such a place! It's very surprising and very good child 🙂 To access it, you will probably be asked for the dog's papers, we stayed 1 hour before going to the Rialto campsite via Orlanda 16: 25€/night with electricity and shower included, possibility on-site catering. Watch out for mosquitoes there too!
Day 9 /September 4 – My birthday! Direction Bergamo for a short visit to the upper town of the medieval town hung on the hill and surrounded by walls, to do!
Then arrived at Como lake on a white pebble beach Onno…deserted…very clean. shoes must be provided for going into the water. Swimming is allowed for everyone! Dogs too. We slept at the Clarke campsite on the heights of bellaggio, an old ranch, very natural and very family-friendly. No real pitches, we share a large well-mowed lawn with a superb view of the lake!
Day 10/ September 5, Visit of Ballaggio, a magnificent village, very posh, very well maintained with small streets set up on the shores of the lake, between its two branches. Strolling on the program! In the afternoon we returned to the beach of the day before, a big crush.
Then departure for the Lake Orta, much smaller than the others but with a lot of charm! The weather was not good, we settled in a bar, the skipperbar then we went to the most famous pizzeria on the lake located just behind the bar: Vecchio Forno (Via Gaetano Fara, 3, 28028 Pettenasco) , delicious… And not expensive… Afterwards, we found an area 5 min away in the heights under the woods. It rained all night….
Day 11/6 September, Stroll by the lake then departure at 11 a.m. for the return to France with a stage at Lanslebourg to eat at the restaurant “en K2 hungry” great welcome and good homemade pancakes!
Arrival at 19:45 p.m. with our dog at home!
In conclusion, I 100% recommend the road trip in Italy with a dog! If I have to give you any advice, it's to get up early in order to make the most of it and avoid the crowds. Also plan mosquito repellent, k-way, warm clothes and summer clothes!
A total overhaul of the vehicle is required before leaving. I take this opportunity to point out that petrol is much more expensive in Italy than in France… Think about it for your holiday budget…
As for my favourites, I highly recommend the Braie Lake, Three Peaks and Como lake, these are really 3 different atmospheres but all more magical than the other!
Italy, a dog-friendly country?
Italy is a very dog-friendly destination! Of all the places we went to, only one mountain refuge refused us access because the dog was wet. On the other hand, it is necessary to provide the bowl of water for your dog since in the bars and restaurants, the waiters do not offer it. As soon as I could I would go back to Italy but preferably in the spring to see the flowers, the rest of the winter snow and to take advantage of the longer days…!
The best memory of Anna and her dog in Italy
Wow! This question is difficult… I would say that our most beautiful memory was the first night when all three of us were huddled in the Jumpy in the storm and the rain! It was at this precise moment that I realized that the principal was by my side and that no matter how comfortable, I was HAPPY!
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I must admit that Nala and Anna's story touched me a lot... I completely agree with her on the fact that it's in moments like this that you realize that everything you have more expensive is actually right next to us. I love this philosophy of life and I hope you share it too! I'm sure some of you are ready to try the adventure! I am wrong ?
Did you like this article? I also invite you to read: Road trip in Swedish Lapland with my dog, Going to Croatia with your dog, in road trip mode, Going on vacation with your dog in a converted van.
In any case, as always, I loved discovering their adventures in Italy. If you want to tell us yours through an article like our 2 adventurers, leave us a little message on the account Facebook ou Instagram from EmmèneTonChien.com! Also use the #takeondog so that the whole Wouafer's community can benefit from it!