Background

We are a retired couple in our early sixties who love travelling around Europe. Since we have a convertable we particularly enjoy going on road trips through beautiful countryside and mountains in weather that allows us to have the top down. My husband M does the driving and I navigate. In the past we driven to Scotland, Amsterdam, Salzburg and South West France and Northern Spain from our home in the English Midlands. Although I do not usual post reports on Fodor’s I often read those of others and gain ideas from them so this time I decided that I would try to write a complete trip report and maybe someone may find it useful.

This year we wanted to head across to the Alps and Northern Italy. I am the planner and I like to have a focus for our trips. In this case it became Como since my family research has shown that two of my great, great grandfathers came from villages around the lake. So I wanted to visit Dosso del Liro at the north of the lake and Careno on the Western leg. Füssen was chosen because we had to drop it from an previous trip and Grindelwald was my husband’s choice when we were discussing the route home. Since the most direct route from Como was via Switzerland and we were limited by family commitments to 11 nights we felt staying in Switzerland would use our time most efficiently. We have travelled through the country before but never actually stayed as prices are usually so off putting. This time we would bite the bullet.

M dislikes tours and, whilst he will walk around historic houses and castles because I like to, he prefers the grounds and surrounding countryside. I struggle to hear many guides and so we only visit places where we can walk around by ourselves; rather ironic as I act as a guide at our local museum. So this time we didn’t visit any of the villas or castles on our route but we do not feel that we lost out as it was the scenery and people that made this trip special.

Plan

Midday ferry Dover to Dunkirk, stay overnight Libin, Belgium at B&B L’Albinzia

Two nights Schwangau, Germany at Hotel Kleiner König

Overnight near Bormio at Agriturismo Chalet Caribona Località Caribona, 23030 Valdisotto, Italy

Three nights Tremezzo, Italy at Hotel Villa Marie

Three nights Grindelwald, Switzerland at the Hotel Sonnenberg

Overnight Ecot-la Combe, France at la Gentilhommière des Eaux Bleues

Evening ferry Dunkirk to Dover

This sounds so interesting- anxiously awaiting to read more!

So far, so good. Signing on...

You visited some of oir favorites, Lake Como and Grindelwald. Thanks for sharing your trip!

What have we done?

Starting early we had a smooth trip down to Dover and made the ferry with time to spare. As usual the wide variety of vehicles and their passengers were the only point of interest while waiting to be loaded. We were taking the Dunkirk crossing for the first time rather than the Calais route. The DFDS ferry itself seemed more basic than those used by the same firm on the Calais crossing and more commercially orientated. As it took 30 minutes longer we will probably only use this route again if the Calais crossing is too busy.

The drive through France and Belgium on the A25 was plagued by very heavy traffic, especially around Lille, but Google showed the alternative route around Brussels as being even more heavily congested. Not a pleasant start to our road trip.
Finally we arrived at L’Albinzia in Libin. An oasis of calm and beauty after our hectic drive.Over 600 km (375miles) driven today.

After a lovely greeting from our hosts, a welcome drink and time to relax and settle in our room we had a wander around the lovely grounds. M then decided to use the coffee machine in the dining room which our hosts had shown him before they went off to dinner. Oh dear! The coffee was very simple and successful but then he decided to make me a tea. Having got the water to flow he could not find how to stop it so we were replacing cup after cup as they filled with hot water. A lovely lady, who spoke no English, came to our rescue although she had to stop it by unplugging the entire device. We later learned that she was the mother of one of our hosts - and that there was, of course, a simple solution -press the start button again to stop it! Fortunately nothing got damaged other than our pride. We blame the mess on our tiredness ��.

Once it was all sorted out we walked down the road into Libin to La Vendetta, a pizzeria, where we sat outside and enjoyed pizza and beer. Now we felt we were on holiday.

L’Albizia is very comfortable, with lots of extras that we regret not have time to sample. The covered pool and jacuzzi looked very clean and inviting whilst the grounds with the various seating areas were delightful. Our room was spacious and had plenty of storage and the bathroom was also good. The only downside was the road was quite busy and with the window open there was a bit of noise. Rooms at the back would probably be quieter. We liked it so much that we are looking for reasons to visit again.

Next morning we had a lovely breakfast with freshly cooked omelette (we had to order the evening before) before packing up for the next long haul of our trip. Rain was teeming down. Google maps was now saying that our journey, previously estimated at 6.25 hrs, is likely to take 7.25 and we needed to be there by 6 pm since reception at the next hotel closes then.. What had we let ourselves in for?

Into Bavaria

We drove towards Luxembourg where we planned to fill the car with the cheaper fuel and perhaps find a sandwich and some water for our journey. Google was warning of traffic jams around the A6 so we took some back roads and found a petrol station where we were able to meet these goals and, even better, it had stopped raining!

Back on the main roads the drive was slow and tedious, road works were endemic. We tried to divert off to find a cafe to take a break at one point only to find the local roads also congested that we gave up and returned to the main route. Finally we saw a restaurant which was accessible from the main road and stopped for a light lunch. My goulash soup was lovely but M had a salad with shredded cold sausage which he did not particularly enjoy. There do not seem to be many service stations or rest areas on the main roads in this part of Germany and next time I will ensure that I locate some suitable stopping points before setting out. However shortly the heavily industrial area was behind us and we were heading into Bavaria. We reached our destination about 5:30 having crossed over into Austria very briefly to avoid driving through Füssen itself.

I have always been fascinated by the castles and their environs while M simply loves the Bavarian countryside. So we were not interested in actually touring the castles’ interiors but rather to see them in their landscapes and to walk around the area. Five years ago we had tried to visit Hohenschwangau for a few hours when driving from Innsbruck to Lake Constance . On that occasion it was July, the crowds of tour buses had blocked the roads and lack of time meant that we decided to give it a miss but promised ourselves that we would return and stay overnight sometime in the future. So on this trip we planned a two night stop in order to have an entire day in the area.

We chose the Hotel Kleiner König because it was placed almost midway between the castles and Füssen. It has parking, is within walking distance of both places and has good reviews. It is a short distance off the main road and the most constant sound was that of the cow bells worn by the cattle in the nearby meadow. We found it an excellent choice - comfortable, friendly, helpful staff, good breakfast and it even had a kettle in the room. We had the triple room which gave us plenty of space and there was a large terrace to which ours was the only room that had access but it also appeared to be a passageway between two blocks that could be used by staff so did not seem very private. The mirror over the bed seems more than a little out of place and some of the art work in the public areas is rather adult in nature but otherwise it is a bright, clean well run hotel and we would be happy to use it again.

Once we settled in we decided to walk to Füssen for dinner using the footpath from our front door, across the hydroelectric dam and along the river. The hotel had provided a local map which was very helpful. The walk of around 25 minutes was very pleasant except for the underpass of the main road which felt a little sketchy. The river is an amazing steel colour and the noise as it pours through the dam is thunderous. All the paths are signposted with estimated walking times to various destinations and are well maintained for walkers and cyclists.

We ended up in the old town and found a nice restaurant opposite the Monastery/Rathaus. We sat outside as usual and had some great beer and good food with very friendly service. I had the pork knuckle which was rather more than I could eat but I cannot recall what M had other than he said it was pretty tasty.

We had driven another 600+ km, crossed four borders, and were now so headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep to be ready for the next day of walking and exploring.

Excellent report so far. I hope that you were not really surprised that the roads were congested at this time of year.

I am also a fan of Lake Como. I need to return there one of these days. I really enjoyed taking the cable car to the top of the hill at night for a drink with a friend. The lights of the city and all of the places around the lake were magical.

We were not surprised that the roads were busy but the level of congestion was more than we expected from previous experience. On previous journeys we have usually found that the roads are full but flow if slowly. This was much more stop / start than we have encountered before. When we drove back through France we found the traffic more like our previous experiences. I think the number of road works were the main difference this time. Oh well, they have to be done sometime so we were probably just unlucky.
Como is beautiful isn't it? I grew up with a large C19th painting of the lake on the wall but it didn't do it justice. I certainly think another visit lies in our future.

Castles and flowers

We had a good breakfast with plenty of choices and were soon ready to explore. The path towards Hohenschwangau runs parallel to the main road but is mostly separate so it was a pleasant walk. The weather was perfect and the meadows filled with numerous wild flowers. Other than a few cyclists it was very quiet and it felt very rural. Passing an almost empty car park I wondered if, despite it being a Saturday, we had managed to miss the crowds but then we walked around the corner and reached the village! Walking past the ticket office with its long queues (including for the prebooked tickets) I was glad we had decided to forgo the tours and to lodge elsewhere. We followed the signs for Neuschwanstein up the steep road amongst the multitude of other visitors. From the languages overheard there were a few other Brits, lots of Americans, Japanese and Koreans. Also plenty of Germans I am glad to say. It was a steady climb but well sheltered by trees and only troubled by flies where the horses pulling the carriages had left their droppings. When we reached the castle we were not surprised to see one side was covered in scaffolding; the standing joke is that wherever M goes the scaffolding firms know and arrange to cover the best views before he arrives.

Dodging the queues waiting to enter we walked around the outside and followed the signs for the Marienbrüke so we could take the iconic photos. The bridge itself was so crowded that when I first walked onto it I had to retreat owing to the press of people. A couple of minutes later it cleared a little and I was able to walk over to join M taking photos of the castle and the chasm. The views from here and on the rest of our walk were beautiful but the highlights of the day were the fantastic wildflowers. We have seldom seen such a profusion of colours. One disappointment is that the photos we took of the meadows did not do them justice although photos of individual flowers came out well.

We walked down the hill on a rougher “red” track to the village and sat by the side of the Alpsee admiring the view. We decided to walk back to our hotel via the Schwansee. This lovely path took us past water lilies and more meadows. In the tranquil lake there was a swimming area and several brave souls were diving into the clear waters from a stage. It looked tempting but it was too far from the hotel for us to get back quickly and the clouds were building up. Having walked over 11 km we went for a quick nap in our room.

Suddenly it was late afternoon and we have had no lunch so we set off to walk into Füssen and have an early dinner. Taking the main road we came into old Füssen from above and wandered the cobbled streets looking at the many different restaurants (mostly closed until the evening) and shops. Finally we found ourselves outside the Monastery once more and ended up at our restaurant of the previous night. Here we had a couple of beers and a tasty flammkuchen to keep us going until the other restaurants opened. Dodging the showers we explored the town a bit further and then sat outside at a restaurant in a small square. A pleasant but not memorable meal except for the beer – this seemed to be the general pattern for our meals this holiday. Then back to the hotel to prepare for our “Top Gear” day.

Mountains and Hairpins going up

To cross the Alps to reach Como we decided take the Stelvio Pass; a road that “Top Gear” once described as the world’s greatest. Only problem - some years it does not open until mid-June and we intended to cross at the start of the month. With an alternative route through the Munt la Schera tunnel sorted, as May progressed I watched the status of the pass with great attention and was relieved to see it open the week before we were due to go. Hurrah - all is well! Then, when I was asking on Fodor’s about likely traffic on a Sunday and if we might be better taking the Umbrail pass instead, Ticino pointed out that a large bike race was scheduled and that both passes would be closed. Oh no!

I emailed the Bormio tourist office asking about the hours of closure and exactly which roads would be closed as I was concerned that we might not even be able to reach our hotel on the far side of Bormio. They replied very quickly that the roads should reopen at 4pm and that it was only the Bormio side that would be closed. Therefore we decided to go for it and planned to reach the top of the pass at about 5pm. If on the day the weather looked too bad we would change to the Munt la Schera route.

The day dawned bright and sunny but with thunderstorms possible in the afternoon – much the same as every day in this trip. We were heading for Stelvio but would reassess around Mals. Setting off from the Hotel Kleiner König our first task was to find a petrol station to fill up and buy the Austrian vignette. We were only passing through Austria but any use of the motorways requires it and I was unsure of the quality of the roads where it was not required as I couldn’t use Google street view to get an idea. This is always a problem for me when planning holidays in Germany and Austria as they don’t allow street view and I do like to use it to get a rough idea about areas and road conditions. Car full of diesel and with the vignette carefully checked and applied to the screen we set off. Five minutes later we are over the border - and in a traffic jam. A slow drive down to the junction with the A12 then a stop at the very fancy service station where M could not resist the Apple Strudel but also where we were surprised to pay to access the toilets. You get the money back if you eat at a restaurant so make sure you go before you eat, not after.

Onto the A12 and through the Landecker tunnel which is nearly 7 km in length. Now the traffic was much lighter and we were soon at the Italian border and driving along the edge of a lake in beautiful sunshine past where the bell tower of the flooded village of Alt-Graun stands rising out of the water. The Alps were starting to loom ahead of us.

We stopped at Malles Veosta at Hotel Garberhof; a bland looking hotel just off the main road. An excellent lesson in why you should not judge a book by its cover. We walked through a rather basic bar at one end onto the most beautiful terrace with a very stylish restaurant behind. When we asked if they were still serving food we were told that the kitchen had just closed but that they could serve us some bread and cold meats. This suited us so we sat down and drank up the view. The plate of “cold meats” was a fantastic collection of Parma Ham, various salami and the best Speck we had. It became clear that we had happened upon a spa hotel with excellent service and, from what we saw, excellent spa facilities too. Perhaps somewhere to stay in the future - assuming a lottery win.

We drove off heading to Stelvio and started climbing along forest roads with no traffic at all. Soon we were at the foot of the Stelvio with the 48 switchbacks ahead of us. The weather was perfect and, thanks to the bike race closing the other side of the pass, there was little traffic coming down. These are hairpins with a vengeance. Fortunately, other than some motorcyclists coming down the pass who we meet head on at one of the blind bends, we had no problems and as we rose above the tree line we saw the iconic wall of switchbacks ahead. No turning back now!

At 2757m this is the second highest paved Alpine pass and once we had reached the top we stopped to take photos and to relax. An interesting and stimulating drive. We realised that it would have been much less so in heavy traffic and would not do this again if we felt conditions were less favourable.