There’s a mood of trepidation as we close the front door. The teenager, my wife and I are setting off on a 1,000-mile drive to Italy’s Lake District. The car is amply stocked with food, drink, CDs and a lilac teddy bear appears to have snuck on to the back seat.
We climb in, turn the key in the ignition and we’re off. Venue Holidays have invited us to spend 10 days at Sirmione, a picturesque Italian town that juts into the southern end of Lake Garda. We’re staying in a mobile home, which we’ve never done before, on the vast Camping San Francesco holiday park.
The journey is a blast. We’re at Dover before we know it, full of holiday cheer. After a 90-minute ferry crossing, we speed through France, along the wonderfully-quick but surprisingly expensive toll roads, before becoming marooned on choked Swiss roads on our final descent to Lake Garda.
The mobile home that we are allocated is fitted with a kitchen, shower, dining room and two bedrooms. It’s bijou and we spend most of our time outside, cooking barbecues, enjoying the large pool or reading on the shores of Garda. But the accommodation is a secondary concern. We’re staunch Italiaphiles and are thrilled to be within a 90-minute drive of Venice, not to mention Milan, Verona and a clutch of pretty lakeside villages.
Our first trip is to Verona and it is a sheer delight. The medieval buildings, narrow streets and easy-going atmosphere are bliss. It’s not overwhelmed by tourists and oozes character.
Osterias sell local delicacies like horse and donkey, but the teenager forbids our entry to those and instead we enjoy a delightful meal of baked sea bass, pasta and the ubiquitous pizza. We wander through the balmy streets, passing a balcony in Casa di Giulietta — Juliet’s balcony from Romeo and Juliet — and feasting on different flavoured gelati as we walk.
A few days later, we head for Venice and cruise into the centre by water taxi. We arrive with a heavy freight of expectations, all of which appear to be well founded. It is an extraordinary city. We weave through narrow streets en route to the Basilica di San Marco, a preposterously exotic cathedral with golden walls and riotously colourful treasures. Later, we find a gondola rank and watch in amusement as the muscular gondoliers serenade their customers. We enjoy a quick lunch before it’s time to head back.
The site that we’re staying on is functional, rather than grand. It is equipped with a restaurant, shop, plenty of showers and washing machines and other essentials. There are sports facilities, outrageously helpful reps called Gill and Ian and great views across Lake Garda. We spent several hazy evenings skimming stones as the sun set, feeding the balletic swans or gazing in amusement as dipper birds dash beneath the surface and emerge miles away.
Our trip to Milan is eagerly awaited and we take advantage of the low-cost park and ride, leaving our car on the edge of the city and taking the underground to Piazza Duomo. We emerge from the underground into bright sunshine as the busy metropolis throngs with life. There are models on every street corner, photo shoots taking place outside expensive boutiques and bustling Milanese rushing to and fro.
The Duomo itself is astounding, similar to York Minster. We enjoy our trip around it then head to the Quadrilatero d’Oro, home to the shops of big designer names like Prada, Gucci and Dior. It’s a blast and when we leave the city we have shopping bags filled with sophisticated treats.
Thankfully, we make time to travel around the vast Lake Garda before returning home. It’s an exceptional day and we make sure we visit plenty of lakeside towns, like Desenzano, Limone, Garda Riva and Lazis. The Lake seems to dwarf its UK equivalent, Lake Windermere.
It’s surprisingly unspoiled and there are fewer windsurfers, pleasure boaters and yachters than we’d anticipated. We stop off for lunch at Garda Riva and enjoy soaking up the mellow vibes. It’s reminiscent of a chic town on the south of France, with plenty of streetside cafes and statuesque sights.
All too soon it’s time to head home. We’ve enjoyed the sights we’ve seen and been pleasantly surprised by Venue Holidays standards. The company offers low-cost, no-frills family holidays for people who fancy something a little more exotic than a week in the British Isles.
We pack the car and begin our day-long trek, having to make a 250-mile detour through Zurich and the snowily beautiful Alps when a mountain road is closed by a rock fall. We stop off in Colmare, near Strasbourg, where we enjoy delicious French pastries, cheese and an an exquisite onion tart. We’re delighted when we finally pull up in Shrewsbury. We’ve arrived home tired but happy. Even the lilac teddy bear seems to have a smile on his face.
- Venue Holidays offers breaks to a host of destinations in Italy, France and Spain with accommodation in supersize family tents or mobile homes. Prices vary according to the time of year. Forthcoming deals include a 14-night break at Castiglione della Pecaia, in Tuscany, during the Italian high season. From August 1-15 costs just £678.
- For further details, telephone 01233 629950, email info@venueholidays.com
- or visit www.venueholidays.com
- If you fancy Tuscany, £407 (saving £174) is the total cost of a 12-night stay at Camping Le Marze at Castiglione with Venue Holidays. Price, which is for two adults and up to four children, includes return midweek saver fare with P&O or SeaFrance, and accommodation in a fully-equipped tent. In a mobile home, the same break costs £605, saving £259.
By Andy Richardson
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