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Italy and Switzerland 2025

mai – juin 2025
  • Philip Songhurst
  • Gill Songhurst
Une aventure de 31 jours par Philip & Gill En savoir plus
  • Philip Songhurst
  • Gill Songhurst

Liste des pays

  • Suisse Suisse
  • Italie Italie
  • France France
  • Angleterre Angleterre
Catégories
Plage, Camping-car, Camping, Excursion en ville, Couple, Culture, Randonnée, Visites touristiques, Excursions, Vacances
  • 3,7kmiles parcourus
Moyens de transport
  • Campeur3 744kilomètres
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  • Randonnée-kilomètres
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  • Pieds nus-kilomètres
  • 34empreintes
  • 31jours
  • 577photos
  • 13j’aime
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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025

    Painters Farm campsite

    11 mai, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Day One – Setting Off
    We left Nottingham heading south down the M1 for the start of our trip. A cheeky, not-so-healthy McDonald’s at Watford Gap - hopefully not a sign of meals to come. The M25 delivered its usual share of traffic, but we still made good time to Painter’s Farm campsite, just outside Faversham.

    With the evening sun casting a golden light over the neighbouring apple orchards, we set up the table and tucked into pork sandwiches, crisps and a glass of wine—simple but perfect. A gentle stroll around the village helped settle us before bed. Sleep was a bit elusive, but waking to sunshine at 7am felt like a fresh start and a promising sign of what’s to come.    En savoir plus

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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025

    Day 2..crossing the channel and Dijon

    12 mai, France ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    EuroTour 2025 – Day 2: From Kent to Côte-d'Or

    We were up and away just after half seven, leaving Painter’s Farm campsite behind us for the 35-minute run down to Dover. The port was blissfully clear—no queues, no delays—so we rolled straight onto the ferry and set off early across La Manche. From Calais, it was a long but scenic seven-hour drive south to Dijon, punctuated by plenty of roadside stops for coffee, food, and the occasional snooze.

    We arrived in Dijon just after 7pm and treated ourselves to a well-earned dinner at La Grande Café. I had a warming, delicious beef bourguignon, while Gill opted for the regional chicken speciality—cold at first, but even after a reheating, still packed with flavour. Puddings didn’t disappoint either: crème brûlée caramel for Jill and a decadent profiterole for me.

    Our only hiccup came back at the car, where someone had boxed us in. I had to unload the bike to manoeuvre out, scraping both our van and theirs in the process—not our fault, mind. Then it was a final 20-mile drive to the campsite, where we found ourselves one of only two vans on a spacious, peaceful pitch. A quiet night ahead, and tomorrow: five hours through the mountains to Turin.    En savoir plus

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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025

    Day 3: Dijon to Turin via Annecy and the

    13 mai, France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    EuroTour 2025 – Day 3: From Dijon to Turin, via the Alps and Annecy

    We left Dijon behind and headed south, winding our way through the Alps and eventually into the mighty Fréjus Tunnel—€70 for the privilege, and a staggering 12 kilometres long. According to Gill, it’s been around since 1871, which made the engineering feat all the more impressive. On the other side, the landscape levelled out, giving way to flatter country as we neared Turin.

    En route, we detoured to Annecy—the so-called Venice of the Alps. At first, we found ourselves wandering a little too far uphill, nearly missing the charm entirely, but eventually stumbled upon the picturesque canals and the heart of the old town. It was well worth the diversion—cool, vibrant, and full of character.

    Our stop for the night was Camping Bella Torino on the outskirts of the city, which was perfectly adequate. After a rapid change, we drove across Turin (not the most relaxing of drives in the pouring rain) to the flat of our evening hosts—Sarah and her husband Alessio. We were half an hour late, but they’d kindly waited, and the welcome was warm. We spent a delightful evening in their company, making fresh pasta, sipping vermouth, and nibbling served with a sausage and tomato sauce and Alessio’s homecured pork and beef, chicken salad, eggs with tuna and finishing with homemade biscuits, with their inquisitive cat keeping an eye on proceedings.

    Later that night, back at the campsite, we were treated to a thunderous storm—so loud it was dubbed a ‘water bomb’—but despite the dramatic end, it had been a full, rich and memorable day.    En savoir plus

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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025

    Day 4: Genoa

    14 mai, Italie ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Travelogue: Day 4 From Turin to Genoa – Thunderstorms, Tunnels and a Taste of Liguria

    We left the campsite in Turin yesterday under brooding skies, after a night punctuated by thunderstorms, lightning, and relentless rain. The road to Genoa—two hours through flat plains, rising hills, and a ribbon of tunnels—eventually delivered us to the campsite at Villa Doria, perched above the city.

    Setting up the awning took longer than planned (a good hour of faffing), leaving us just enough time—or so we thought—to make our 2:30pm walking tour. Genoa had other ideas. The city was further off than expected, and we arrived late. Thankfully, the wonderfully accommodating Lorenzo shifted us to the 5pm slot, giving us time to drizzle (quite literally) around the area.

    Lorenzo’s tour was a joy: part theatre, part history, full of local charm. Genoa revealed itself through its showy facades—attempts at grandeur masking threadbare pockets—and its intoxicating street food: pesto, olive pâté, fried seafood with chickpea chips, and warm, oily focaccia. A visit to the legendary 80-year-old gelato maestro sealed our happiness with scoops of artisanal delight.

    We ended the tour in a tucked-away wine bar, sipping local red and white wines, before setting off (on foot, bravely) up what felt like a thousand steps to the Castello viewpoint. The view over Genoa’s port, with the city lights flickering below, was stunning. Only afterwards did we discover there was a lift. We took it down.

    Back at street level, the city fountains danced in the evening light, and we wrapped up the day with a pizza, a beer, and a wild (but oddly joyful) taxi ride back to the campsite with a brilliant female driver who navigated Genoa’s chaos better than we ever could have. Worth every cent of the €40 fare.

    Sleep was... mixed. I started in the tent, only to be serenaded all night by the neighbour’s heroic catarrh. Back into the van I went, rejoining Gill, and we finally drifted off for a better rest, waking around 8.30am—ready for another adventure.

    Today: Santa Margherita Ligure and a boat to Portofino. But that’s a story for tomorrow.    En savoir plus

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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025

    Day 5 Portofino

    15 mai, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Travelogue: Day 5 – From Genoa to Portofino: Stars, Scenic Trails, and Sleepless Tents

    We woke up in Villa Doria, or as we now fondly call it, Villa Bella Zoo—not just because of the wildlife around us, but because, well, we were camped next to an actual zoo. After a much quieter second night, we set off in a leisurely, stress-free fashion, strolling down to Genoa Pegli station and hopping on the train to Santa Margherita Ligure. The journey took about an hour and a quarter, winding along the coastline—beautiful and relaxed.

    Once in Santa Margherita, we paused for a cheeky coffee and croissant (as all civilised travel days should begin), before boarding the ferry to Portofino. Under glorious skies, we glided into the iconic harbour, where pastel buildings spill down the hillside and money seems to drip from every yacht.

    We spent a good few hours in Portofino, exploring its charming alleyways, enjoying foccacia piled high with tomatoes and onions, and walking up to the castle. There, in the sunlit rooms of Castello Brown—once bought by an Englishman, naturally—we discovered a brilliant exhibition of black-and-white photography featuring the film stars of the '40s to '60s who had filmed in the area: Greta Garbo, Liz Taylor, Orson Welles, Burt Reynolds. Glamour and nostalgia on every wall.

    After soaking up the views and the stories, we made our way back down along a shaded park path and enjoyed a well-earned beer with more foccacia , before wandering further—right round the curve of the town to gaze back across at Portofino from the opposite side. The view was something else: almost too perfect to be real, a living postcard.

    We caught the 4pm ferry back to Santa Margherita and enjoyed a gentle uphill wander to a striking church and villa, before making our way back down into the town’s quieter backstreets. Dinner was delicious: sea bream for Gill and traditional fried fish and chips for me. We rounded it off with another essential gelato and caught the evening train back to Genoa Pegli

    Back at the campsite, I valiantly attempted another night in the tent. Between the chorus of chirping bugs, 4am birdsong, cold feet, and a trail of ants with far too much confidence, I gave up around 5am and snuck back into the van. A proper nap followed until 8.30am, when another day of Ligurian exploration beckoned.    En savoir plus

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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025
    11

    Day 6.. Road to La Spezia

    16–17 mai, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Day 6 – From Ants to Aperitivo: Goodbye Genoa, Hello La Spezia

    We began the day with a full pack-up at the Genoa campsite—tent, awning, and a healthy colony of ants shaken out before anything made it back into the van. The end of our time in Genoa is approaching, but not without a hiccup—I forgot to pay for the camping and had to sheepishly sort it later. Naughty boy.

    With everything loaded, we followed the coast and made a spontaneous stop, at Camogli, parking in an underground car park before wandering down to the small fishing village. A picture-perfect spot to enjoy a croissant and coffee, chatting with an American family also soaking up the Italian seaside charm. Then it was back on the motorway and eastward.
    And hour or so on Borgorena Beach but the next proper stop was La Spezia, where we found our Airbnb—our new base for the next two nights. The van just about squeezed into a hedge-hugging parking spot, and we lugged our belongings (and sizeable dirty laundry bag) up to the flat. Gill was immediately smitten with the sight of a washing machine. After a little trial and error with the Italian settings, we eventually mastered both washer and dryer. By bedtime, our clothes and linen were on their way to a full refresh.

    Dinner was a real highlight—thanks to a brilliant local recommendation from our host, we enjoyed a meal in a top-notch seafood restaurant, Antica Osteria dei Camalli with warm, welcoming staff. Afterwards, we strolled through the buzzing streets of La Spezia, soaking up the late-night energy and finishing the evening with the ritual gelato. We ambled back to the flat just before midnight, the last of the laundry whirring away, ready for tomorrow’s boat trip along the Cinque Terre.    En savoir plus

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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025

    Day 7: Taking in the Cinque Terre

    17 mai, Italie ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Day 7 began with cappuccinos and apricot croissants at the café below the Airbnb (£5.50 for 2 cappuccino and 2 croissants!) , before a small ferry tour of three Cinque Terre villages. First stop: Porto Venere, where light drizzle set the scene for a walk to the castle and churches, passing a local fisherwoman selling her fresh catch directly to locals—an inspiring glimpse of sustainable fishing. After coffee and a browse through the charming shopping streets, the boat took you to Monterosso, where, by happy coincidence, the lemon festival was in full swing—lemons everywhere, from cake to spritz. You indulged in a lemon-themed shopping spree, including a new cup and table runner, and enjoyed bruschetta at a local restaurant. The final stop was Vernazza: under the railway bridge, up to the terraced gardens, and into the square to the sound of a violinist—an echo of the harpist in Porto Venere. Returning to La Spezia, you strolled through lively streets, visited the Oyster Festival, and dined at D.A.I. Pescatori—a canteen-style seafood place by the port. The day ended with the thoughtful purchase of a leather jacket for Harry and a contented walk home.En savoir plus

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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025

    Day 8: Pisa and then north p

    18–19 mai, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Day 8 – Pisa, Mountains & a Taste of Bologna

    We began the day with a short drive into Pisa, parking up for a 15-minute walk to the famous Leaning Tower and cathedral. Despite the drizzle, we spent a couple of hours wandering the site—admiring the grandeur of the cathedral and then climbing the 251 spiralling steps to the top of the tower, rewarded with sweeping views over the city.

    From Pisa, we took the scenic mountain route towards Bologna, stopping first at Bagni di Lucca for a pizza lunch and a gentle stroll down to the river. Our next stop was Abetone, a quiet ski resort still in its off-season slumber, but worth a wander and a few photos in the crisp mountain air.

    En route, we were briefly pulled over by the police for a routine paperwork check—all in order—so with friendly holiday wishes, we continued down into the foothills around Formica, passing cherry orchards and fruit farms. We couldn’t resist stopping for some fresh strawberries and tomatoes.

    A sat nav hiccup took us straight through the centre of Bologna, but we eventually made it to camp, tucked in for the night with a plate of Bologna Bolognese, and called it a day.    En savoir plus

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  • Italy and Switzerland 2025

    Day 9 – Bologna to Modena and Parma

    19 mai, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We left our Bologna campsite in the morning and took the scenic route, avoiding motorways, to reach the elegant city of Modena—birthplace of Pavarotti and home to Enzo Ferrari. We parked in an underground car park, then wandered through a lively clothes market toward the main piazza, where the grand Duomo stood beside yet another proud leaning tower.

    A mid-morning coffee gave us pause: Gill went for a delicate single pancake with a drizzle of syrup, while I couldn’t resist a cheeky croissant. Strolling through Modena’s portico-lined streets, we ducked into the cathedral before discovering the vibrant indoor market—a glorious mix of fresh cheeses, pasta, fruit, vegetables, balsamic vinegars, and more. We gathered supplies for the day: sliced bread (not to be touched, as I was sharply reminded by the baker!), cheese, spring onions, basil, and balsamic for lunch; and ravioli for our evening meal.

    From there, we drove on to Parma and headed straight to a leafy park on the edge of town. We weren’t quite sure if picnicking was allowed, but we set up anyway and enjoyed open sandwiches in the sunshine—crusty bread layered with our fresh market produce.

    After a relaxed couple of hours, we made our way to our Airbnb—an unassuming little apartment in what looked like a rough area, but turned out to be quiet and comfortable. Gill, of course, put a wash on first thing, and then we headed into town to scope out parking and meeting spots for the following day’s plans.

    Dinner was our market ravioli with salad and a homemade dressing—simple, fresh, and perfect. Some of us slept well that night. Others… were kept awake by snoring. Still, it was another full and satisfying day on the road.    En savoir plus

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