AIRES IN EUROPE 2005

Arees di Sosta used for overnight stays

BARGA Toscana (LU) 40km N of Lucca
N44 04 22, E10 28 55
Large aire signposted with banners in town. Situated below old walled town. Free water and electricity; small covered drain for waste water. Used for car parking and a few unoccupied caravans and motorhomes parked there (locals?). Short walk to pleasant old town with very large church. Near Garfagnana National Park

BARGA free aire with good facilities including electricity points

GAVIRATE Lombardia (VA) 10km WNW of Varese
N45 50 22, E08 43 17
Small aire at Lake Varese picnic and pleasure gardens. Parking and services 6€ +2.50€ electricity shady gravel area fenced and guarded but open to public with wc nearby . Also children’s fairground rides which closed for tea but re-opened until about 10.30pm with usual music and teenagers around. Walks along lakeside.

MONTEFALCO Umbria (PG) 10km SW of Foligno
N42 53 32, E12 38 53
Aire signposted next to main car/bus parking. Large flat gridded concrete area with several grey waste drains and black waste drain with water tap. Three bornes (but 2 broken) for fresh water and electricity coins needed but complicated and not evident how much to pay for each service. Also change machine (empty). Put in several coins for water but none delivered! Public wc with sinks and fresh water tap (free) adjacent. Local band used nearby car park for drum practice in evening but we saw fireflies! Short uphill walk to interesting walled town.

MONTEFALCO aree on edge of walled town with public toilets inc disabled facilities View from aire

PIANO GRANDE Umbria (PG) 25km E of Norcia
N42 48 19, E13 11 44
Car parking field in middle of large flat grassy treeless plain surrounded by mountains with one road across to village of Castellucia. Free overnight parking. No services but possibly a water tap nearby. Many motorhomes parked overnight, also a few along rough tracks. Horse riding and paragliding adjacent. A magical place especially the wild flowers and the early morning mist. Long winding climb up to 1520m alt from Norcia

PIANO GRANDE parking area in middle of plain other motorhomes parked along track

POGGIO SAN ROMUALDO Marche (AN) 20km E of Fabriano
N43 21 53,E13 01 29
Aire/campsite in meadow by small village at 960m altitude. Free parking and service point with water and drain also wc and sinks with cold water. Several picnic shelters. About 8 motorhomes parked overnight (Saturday) but on our own Sunday night. Meadow also used as daytime picnic place by locals (and another picnic/bbq place nearby). Restaurant in village and walking paths map at site. Steep narrow road with about 18 hairpins if approached from west, road to north east, which we used when leaving gives much easier access. (Italian Aree di Sosta book states access difficult in winter!)

POGGIO SAN ROMUALDO aree in meadow service point has raised drain and foot levers for water taps

PUNTA SABBIONI Veneto (VE) 23km W of Jesolo
N45 26 24, E12 25 18
Parking Dante Alghieri: private motorhome aire in high-walled and guarded field, gates shut at night. Overnight parking 16€ (+elec 2.50€). Grass/firm sand with some shady trees. Waste drain, separate fresh water taps also wc and showers block. 500m from ferry terminus for Venice and Burano. 24 hour ticket for ferries and waterbuses 10.50€ a bargain. Next to small beach but new breakwaters being built in lagoon so some daytime noise. About 1.5km walk to larger beach with café and lighthouse with about 50 motorhomes parked along sandy track (despite mh parking prohibited sign). Long drive through Jesolo very busy and slow Saturday am (a bank holiday weekend).

punta sabbioni entrance to parking

PUNTA SABBIONI Secure entrance to motorhome parking

SAN QUIRICO D’ORCIA Toscana (SI) 22km W of Montepulciano
N43 03 22, E11 36 24
Aire signposted on edge of small town tarmac parking area also used for coaches during day. Free water tap (very slow) and waste drain. New park and children’s play area adjacent. Short walk to old town with market (Tuesday am)

SANTORSO Veneto (VI) 7km NE of Schio
N45 44 13, E11 23 35
Laid out aire signposted in car park for Villa Rosi children’s’ play park and garden centre. concrete gridded surface. Free parking and services but fresh water tap broken. Also amazing waste drain consisting of two large metal covers with handles which have to be moved aside then reverse over large 3ft x 2ft manhole for direct waste dump; built-in flushing around concrete area operated by electrical switch inside borne switch box. Several Italian motorhomes called in to use waste dump. We were the only motorhome to stay overnight.

SANTORSO complicated waste drain (flushing but no fresh water)

TREVISO Veneto 28km N of Venice
N45 40 12, E12 15 29
Aire for 14 motorhomes laid out in car park behind football stadium NE of town centre. Signposted Dell’ex Foro Boario on overhead signs on ring road. Free parking and services with long narrow drive over waste drain with flush (used by several passing motorhomes and a bit smelly) but only a single water tap. Portakabin wc (didn’t investigate). About 10 motorhomes parked and more parked in car park adjacent. Near busy railway line and children’s play park. Short walk to town centre with lots of cyclists in morning when we left. Possibly trains to Venice.

TREVISO service point is by sign

Arees visited but not used for overnight stays

BAVENO N of Stresa Lake Maggiore
N45 54 35, E08 30 09
Aire with overnight parking and services in front of railway station in town centre Initially signposted on edge of town but not at final roundabout to station. Probably noisy from trains and buses.

CAMPIONE DEL GARDA Lombardia W side of Lake Garda 18km S of Riva del Garda
N45 45 21, E10 45 03
Aire/motorhome parking in lakeside village reached by turn off in middle of tunnel popular for windsurfing. Attendant wanted 5€ just to park for any length of time so we didn’t stay. Narrow access roads through village.

CASAL BORSETTI Emilia-Romagna 15km N of Ravenna
N44 33 00, E12 16 48
Organised aire with about 240 places well signposted from road. Virtually a campsite with services wc showers etc. Some shade from trees and near beach and small harbour fees 8€ overnight until 8am then another 8€ for daytime parking

CASTIGLIONE DEL LAGO Umbria W side of Lake Trasimeno
N43 07 25, E12 03 00
Aire on grass area next to lake near leisure park and sailing club. No signs to indicate overnight parking costs or services available but about 10 motorhomes parked during daytime (free). Short walk to pleasant old town with castle.

FERMIGNANO Marche 4km S of Urbino
N43 41 03, E12 38 32 ??
Aire in back street of small town in car park outside school. Water tap and waste drain free. No shade only parked for lunch stop.

FINALE LIGURE Liguria 19km SW of Savona
N44 09 56, E08 20 15
Aire with 100 places listed in guidebook next to Piaggio factory. Drove around several times but could not find it (Found on Google Earth)!

MATELICA Marche 18km SE of Fabriano
N43 15 32, E13 00 39
Aire signposted on N edge of town by walls. Untidy with rubbish, graffiti and old cars and motorhomes parked so didn’t stay Old walled town possibly interesting.

MONTALCINO Toscana 41km SE of Siena
??
Aire signposted from roundabout in town centre up very steep hill but appeared to be a building site when we got there. So we continued to San Querico d’Orcia

PASSIGNANO Umbria 28km W of Perugia
N43 11 05, E12 08 38
Aire and coach park on northern edge of Lake Trasimeno. Service area with borne (coins), parking fee only payable at weekends and bank holidays. Pleasant lakeside walk to town centre for boat trips in high season.

PIEVEBOVIGLIANA Marche 45km ENE of Fabriano
??
Aire listed in village but diversion in town centre with roads dug up so couldn’t find it.

RIVA DEL GARDA Trentino-Alto Adige
N45 52 47, E10 51 31
Aire at east of town behind police station, 41 places. In Via Brione, not signposted from main road but opposite Porto Turistico San Nicolo. Parking 50c per hour day and night. Hedged gridded concrete hardstanding, service point free but open waste drain in bad condition with broken tiles and puddles. Short walk through lakeside pleasure gardens to pleasant bustling town. Boat trips etc.

RIVA DEL GARDA aree in town whose bright idea was it to tile the waste point?

SAN SEVERINO Marche 36km W of Macerata
N43 13 37, E13 11 17 ??
Aire behind Palazzetto dello Sport signposted on SE edge of town but was car park behind scruffy sports centre next to railway with graffiti, broken glass and rubbish. Used open drain for waste water dump but chose not to stay. Town mostly industrial.

SERREPETRONA Marche 30km WSW of Macerata
N43 08 48, E13 12 12
Aire signposted on N E side of Lake Borgiano. Small gravel area broken borne, no water. Next to bypass road. Didn’t stay. Campsite and motorhomes parked on opposite side of lake. (Michelin map shows it as L Borgiano, Italian TC map as L di Pievefavira). Village of Serrepetrona is 4km N of lake.

SIENA Toscana
N43 20 01, E11 18 59
Motorhome and coach parking signposted on ring road near railway station. Parking (free) for visiting city but 35 min walk to centre. About 12 motorhomes parked during day. Area untidy with rubbish and graffiti and used by local youths for driving practice. WC vandalised, water tap and drain useable (we chose not to!) but locals filling up water containers in their cars.

STRESA Piemonte W side of Lake Maggiore
N45 53 25, E08 31 25
Unlisted motorhome parking behind Motterone cable car/Isola Bella ferries coach park. Seen from cable car (circled) but we had parked in street. Free parking but no services. Other MH parking in streets nearby at N end of Stresa promenade, motorhome parking banned elsewhere in town.

STRESA motorhome parking area circled

URBINO Marche 34km SW of Pesaro
??
Car Park No 1 but car parks no longer numbered so couldn’t find it. Parked by city walls in evening but not overnight (we were already booked in at campsite (25€ ouch!). Lively city centre lots of university students. Interesting old city.

VALLI DEL PASUBIO Veneto 12km W of Schio
N45 45 23, E11 11 14 ??
Aire listed at St Antonio del Pasubio with water and waste point. We passed it (signposted) just after 1000m alt marker after long climb from Schio towards Rovereto. Situated in woods with good views into valley.

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