Road trip through Italy with a camper – from Hanover to Piedmont
- Lukas Gerbing
- May 14
- 4 min read
Road trip through Italy with a camper: From Hanover to Piedmont
Our road trip started in Hanover with our rented Roadsurfer camper. The goal: a relaxing tour through Northern Italy with highlights such as the Erding Thermal Spa, Lake Braies, and Lake Garda.
Stop 1: Erding Thermal Baths
After arriving late at night around 10 p.m., we parked for free on a gravel lot north of the Erding thermal baths. The thermal baths were open until midnight, but that wouldn't have been worth it. Instead, we started refreshed the next morning at 9 a.m. and enjoyed the warm thermal waters until 11 a.m. Around noon, we continued south.
Stop 2: Lake Braies (Lago di Braies)
The route took us past Munich, Rosenheim, Kufstein, Innsbruck, and Bruneck – a scenic stretch through the Alps. In the early afternoon, we reached the camper parking lot at Lake Braies. Several campers were already parked there, including seven other Roadsurers – a popular spot!
We had planned to walk around the lake, but the path on the eastern side was closed due to landslides. We turned around and visited the idyllic chapel by the lake instead. Despite the off-season and the closed path, the atmosphere was magical. We spent the night in the parking lot. In the morning, a parking attendant came and collected a €15 parking fee per vehicle.
Stop 3: Lake Garda – Lazise
Next destination: Lake Garda. After about a three-hour drive, we reached the beautiful town of Lazise. Thanks to Park4Night, we found a campsite right on the water:
Camping Lido Lazise Address: Viale Roma, 37017 Lazise VR, Italyhttps: //www.campinglido.it
A top-notch pitch with a lake view, including showers, wastewater disposal, fresh water, Wi-Fi, and a garbage disposal station—for only €31 per night.
In the evening, we visited the Classique restaurant , right on the waterfront. The food was first-class, and the staff was super friendly. Some of the waiters and the reception staff spoke excellent German, which made communication very pleasant.
After a stroll through the atmospheric center of Lazise, we relaxed at the campsite for the evening. The night was chilly (around 12 degrees Celsius), but thanks to the parking heater in the van, we slept comfortably at 21 degrees Celsius.
Stop 4: Costigliole d'Asti – The blue villa in the heart of Piedmont
After about 3.5 hours of driving, passing four toll booths (including one for €16 and one for €4.80), we reached our very own highlight: Costigliole d'Asti – a picturesque holiday resort that we have enjoyed visiting for several years. Our destination was the Blue Villa , also known as La Casa Blue – a beautiful property in the valley belonging to our Italian friends.
The villa is set on spacious grounds with a pool, surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards. It was bookable through Airbnb for many years, but since the beginning of 2025, it has been delisted due to family reasons. It was all the more special for us to be welcomed back as guests.
We were allowed to park our camper on the almost one-hectare property and chose a spot right by the pool for our first night. Thanks to a few leveling wedges, we quickly leveled off – just in time for sunset. With a glass of the house wine in hand and a lovingly prepared Piedmontese dinner, we ended the day relaxing in the garden. This is pure dolce vita.
Stop 5: Nice Monferrato & Canelli
The next morning, we continued on to Nizza Monferrato , where we strolled through charming little boutiques and Italian delicatessens. Then we continued on to Canelli , famous for its wine cellars—and, for us, a real insider tip when it comes to high-quality meat. There, we stocked up on regional specialties.
In the evening, we went to our favorite restaurant , "Ristorante da Maddalena," in Costigliole d'Asti—a true classic for us. We've been coming here for years whenever we're in the region. The cuisine? Traditional, delicious, and highly recommended.
The rain came with full force
But the next day brought an unexpected turn: During the night, it had rained so heavily that the villa's grounds had turned into a small riverbed. Leaving on Thursday morning was out of the question—we were literally stuck.
Luckily, our host and winemaker intervened – he pulled us out of the completely soaked garden with a tractor. Despite everything, he took it all in good spirits, just like we did. The news had warned of extreme rainfall in northern Italy – now we knew why.
Return journey via Switzerland – with obstacles
Due to the weather conditions, we decided to bring our journey home forward by a day. Around 2 p.m., we set off for Switzerland. Originally, we planned to spend one last night in the Alps and capture spectacular drone footage of the San Bernardino Pass . But that didn't happen: Both the San Bernardino Pass and the Splügen Pass were closed due to the risk of landslides.
Instead, the only option left for us was the San Bernardino Tunnel – this too was about to close, but we were lucky and made it through safely. We spent two final nights in southern Germany – one of them at a special motorway rest area near Bregenz, the only one of its kind in southern Germany with a direct artistic design, and one I had known for a long time from previous trips.
Arrival in Hanover
The next morning, we set off on the final leg—a roughly five-hour drive to Hanover. Behind us lay over 3,500 kilometers full of impressions, experiences, challenges, and unique moments.
Despite rain, detours, and closed Alpine passes, it was an unforgettable trip. Even though we didn't get to experience Lake Braies in its summer glory, it was an adventure we'd repeat anytime—but definitely in summer next time.
A big compliment also goes to the Roadsurfer camper , which never let us down once along the entire route. Everything worked reliably – exactly what you'd want on a road trip.
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