Caravan trip in Germany, Austria, and Northern Italy

So, we set off, two families with children aged 5-13.

A fly-and-drive package from the company Motorhome to Europe for two weeks in August.

We landed in Munich around 6:00 in the morning. The Munich airport looks like an Israeli mall on a Saturday. Everything is closed except for one café where we managed to buy coffee and a bagel until things started to wake up here.

We managed to find a taxi driver and requested taxis large enough to transport 10 people with all the luggage to the motorhome rental company Drm-Reisemobile.

In the end, a large transit taxi and one regular taxi, and we’re on our way (about an hour’s drive).

We arrived at the rental company even before it opened. Although we were supposed to pick up the caravans in the afternoon, they agreed to give them to us earlier. The men went inside to handle all the paperwork and received a long and detailed briefing on how to operate the caravan. We, the women, stayed outside with the kids. I must admit that despite the fatigue after the night flight, they were patient.

When the briefing was over and everything was signed, we, the women, took charge of organizing the caravan. Unpacking suitcases and arranging everything. Locking all the cabinets (otherwise, everything would fly around during the drive). And we set off.

We ordered a caravan for six, which actually had two double beds—one at the back of the caravan and one above the driver's cabin, accessible by a ladder. Since it was quite large, we decided that the three boys would sleep there together, saving us the hassle of assembling the additional bed by folding the kids' seats and lowering the table.

The caravan has a reasonably sized fridge and a small freezer, a gas stove, and a sink. A bathroom with a toilet, a shower, and a very small sink. Every possible space is utilized for storage compartments that lock with a press to prevent items from falling during the drive.

We also rented a picnic table and chairs, which were stored in the rear storage compartment of the caravan along with the empty suitcases and unused bags (a fairly spacious storage area).

We barely used the bathroom and shower since every campsite we arrived at had excellent shower facilities.

We brought some spices from home, coffee we like, kitchen utensils, dry food items, and disposable dishes.

We arrived at the rental company even before it opened. Although we were supposed to pick up the caravans in the afternoon, they agreed to give them to us earlier. The men went inside to handle all the paperwork and received a long and detailed briefing on how to operate the caravan. We, the women, stayed outside with the kids. I must admit that despite the fatigue after the night flight, they were patient.

When the briefing was over and everything was signed, we, the women, took charge of organizing the caravan. Unpacking suitcases and arranging everything. Locking all the cabinets (otherwise, everything would fly around during the drive). And we set off.

We ordered a caravan for six, which actually had two double beds—one at the back of the caravan and one above the driver's cabin, accessible by a ladder. Since it was quite large, we decided that the three boys would sleep there together, saving us the hassle of assembling the additional bed by folding the kids' seats and lowering the table.

The caravan has a reasonably sized fridge and a small freezer, a gas stove, and a sink. A bathroom with a toilet, a shower, and a very small sink. Every possible space is utilized for storage compartments that lock with a press to prevent items from falling during the drive.

We also rented a picnic table and chairs, which were stored in the rear storage compartment of the caravan along with the empty suitcases and unused bags (a fairly spacious storage area).

We barely used the bathroom and shower since every campsite we arrived at had excellent shower facilities.

We brought some spices from home, coffee we like, kitchen utensils, dry food items, and disposable dishes.

In the morning, we woke up early on our way to Legoland, a 10-minute drive away. We parked in the designated spots for caravans and entered without needing to go through the ticket booths since we had purchased the tickets in advance.

Legoland is amazing. I had heard from many people that it’s probably just a Lego exhibition. A big mistake. It’s an incredible and beautiful amusement park with rides for all ages, Lego-built displays of all the monuments in Europe, a visitor center from the factory showing how Lego is made, and more. Highly recommended. The kids (of all ages) had a great time.

After spending the entire day there until the park’s closing time, we returned to sleep at the same caravan site we stayed at the night before.

The next morning, we drove to Neuschwanstein Castle—the fairytale castle we all know.

We parked in an organized parking lot and took a bus up to the castle. We walked around outside, bought souvenirs, and wandered through the inner courtyard of the castle. Those who wanted to purchased tickets and went inside to tour the rooms.

From there, we decided to walk back down on foot. The slope is a bit steep, but everything is green, and the weather was pleasant.

On our way to Austria, we stopped at a supermarket to stock up and fill the fridge. The pineapple cost 1.79 euros, so of course, we bought it.

The next morning, we started with the longest alpine slides in Europe, Alpin Coaster IMST. A long cable car ride with an amazing view of green mountains brought us to the highest point. There, we sat on the slides—the older kids on their own and the younger ones with a parent. An incredible experience (especially for someone like me who isn’t a fan of extreme activities). I enjoyed it a lot, especially since there’s control over the speed.

When we left there for the parking lot, we made coffee in the caravan and sat down to drink. (How great it is to have everything available!)

We headed south toward northern Italy, Lake Garda.

Then we reached the Brenner Pass border and saw the following sign.

Outlet! So we stopped... and wandered around there. The boys bought Lego at the Lego store... and I finally found soy milk at the supermarket there.

In the evening, we arrived at a campsite in the Italian Dolomites.

Well, this is a really great campsite, with an impressive and serious reception office (compared to the campsites we’ve stayed at so far). The receptionist noticed from my birthdate that today is my birthday... He quickly left the reception desk, went into the inner office, and came back with a small bottle of champagne for me... (I was touched... after all...) Well, he doesn’t know I don’t drink carbonated beverages...

The price for staying at the campsite was more expensive than what we’ve paid so far—€48.5 compared to €37/38... and it turns out we even paid a discounted price because we got parking on the outer street of the campsite due to lack of space. So we connected to electricity, which is important...

Then we discovered that the bathroom and toilet facilities in the complex are at a 5-star level, if not more. There’s also a swimming pool on-site (it’s raining, so it doesn’t seem like anyone is enjoying it)... and the laundry room is amazing...

In conclusion... "If you go out, you’ll reach wonderful places..."

In the middle of a rainy day and after a few hours of driving... 118 steps led us to this stunning place... Lake Tenno (LAGO DI TENNO), north of Lake Garda, Italy.

After visiting the lake, we stopped by the stunning roadside to prepare lunch (another advantage of a caravan trip). We ate and continued on our way to the Eurocamping Pacengo parking area, a 5-minute drive from Gardaland.

The cost for a night’s stay is about €50.

There’s a small playground, a soccer field, volleyball, a large swimming pool, and the use of showers and facilities is included in the price. And the view... a m a z i n g.

Afterward, we got organized, showered, had dinner, and... pineappleeeeeeeeee, yummy.

In the morning - breakfast: eggs, salad, tuna, interesting cheeses from the local supermarket, mini salmon and herring for fans of the genre (not me!), rolls warmed up in the toaster.

And after a few days of scenery and traveling, today we will spend the day at Gardaland.

So that's it... this day has finally come to an end...

We arrived at 10, the opening hour, only to discover that thousands had already arrived before us. Luckily, we had purchased tickets in advance at the campsite, even at a discounted price, so we didn’t have to stand in the long lines at the ticket booths. But... lines were not spared from us today, and if you didn’t buy an express ticket... you had to stand in line for about an hour and a half (almost) for every ride. Don’t get me wrong, even in the "express" line there was a queue... but a shorter one.

Among other things, we watched a lovely Madagascar circus show that lasted about 25 minutes in total but was very well-produced, and the kids enjoyed it a lot. (We enjoyed sitting on comfortable chairs in an air-conditioned hall 😉).

After that, we went to eat at one of the restaurants in the Wild West area... an amazing place, really a street that looks like it was taken straight out of Wild West movies.

Full of shops, bars/restaurants, and more...

We sat down at Pizza Salon and finally ate Italian pizza in Italy...

It was delicioussss.

The kids had an absolute blast. They went on most of the scariest extreme rides.

I skipped most of the rides and stayed with the younger ones in the play areas suitable for their age. The place closed tonight at 11:00 PM... and our crew squeezed every last drop out of it.

I think one day at Gardaland isn’t enough for them... 😘 For me and my legs, it was definitely enough.

In the morning, we drove to visit the town of Sirmione, located on Lake Garda in northern Italy.

A stunning town surrounded by the beautiful Lake Garda. We walked along the promenade on foot, ate very delicious gelato (ice cream), saw the fortress, and strolled through the alleys filled with shops, cafes, and ice cream parlors. I drank an Americano coffee without milk (it’s hard to find someone here who has soy milk...), and I even treated myself to a new bag and hat.

We went down toward the lake, and the kids enjoyed splashing around in the water until the rain appeared and chased us away...

Highly recommended to visit here. It’s lovely.

In the evening, we parked at a campsite very close to Caneva World, where we had booked the Knights' Dinner for tonight.

The Knights' Dinner Show

Although we had booked tickets in advance by phone, we still had to wait in line like everyone else.

Since there are different prices for adults and children:

€30 for adults over 1.4 meters tall

€20 for children between 1 meter and 1.4 meters tall

Children under 1 meter enter for free.

We waited in the long line and met some nice Israelis who were traveling in the area and came to the show like us.

We received a yellow crown, which meant we had to cheer for the knight dressed in yellow, "Eldorado" (I think that was his name...).

The show, which was supposed to start at 9:30 PM, began around 10:30 PM. We arrived tired and hungry.

On our way to the seating area, the king and queen were waiting for a photo opportunity with us.

Later, we discovered that this pleasure cost us €6... at least we had a souvenir.

The waiters began serving drinks. At first, they poured Coca-Cola and beer... I waited for the next round and then discovered there was red wine or water. The kids drank Coke (for the first time with my permission...), Danny enjoyed beer, and I tasted the wine.

The show began, and the waiters served everyone a hot toast. We weren’t picky—just hungry.

Later, they poured hot vegetable soup with a small roll on the side. Afterward, in perfect coordination, they collected the soup bowls and served the chicken... a poussin or a mini whole chicken on the plate, with potato wedges on the side. You eat with your hands.

After some time, we received a wet wipe to clean our hands, and the waiters asked if we wanted a bag to pack the leftover chicken. Guy and I barely touched the chicken (I was full from the soup and toast, and Guy was already very, very tired...), but we didn’t have anything to do with the chicken, so we declined.

After clearing all the plates from the table, they handed out small dessert plates, and shortly after, they served a scoop of ice cream on a stick (like a doctor’s tongue depressor) alongside warm apple strudel.

Then they walked around and poured hot coffee for any adults who wanted it.

Everything was coordinated and precise throughout the show.

The show was impressive and exciting.

Even though we were very tired, the boys were thrilled and participated enthusiastically. Guy crashed the moment his battery ran out... 😍

Our Eldorado won the battle for the princess. The excitement was immense.

Now... time to sleep.

Tomorrow, we’re heading toward Salzburg, Austria.

A morning of laundry... and we hit the road...

Concerns accompanied the decision of whether to go to Venice despite the forecasted rain... Morning came, and we decided to take the risk. A two-hour drive from the southern part of Lake Garda to Venice in continuous, unrelenting rain.

Venice cannot be reached by car, so we parked in a huge parking lot at the entrance to the city and purchased tickets for the ferry (an experience in itself).

It’s important to validate the tickets at an electronic machine at the entrance to the ferry station. One passenger didn’t know this and received a very hefty fine from the ticket inspector.

After a 20-minute ferry ride, during which we got to see the streets and buildings of Venice along the way, we disembarked at the final station leading to the tourist area, St. Mark’s Square. Unfortunately, the rain continued to drizzle, much to our disappointment, but we decided to explore anyway and make the most of the trip.

Following the signs, we navigated through the alleys to the square (not really a square... it’s completely rectangular). Despite the rain, there were pigeons and seagulls, and two men of Indian origin practically pounced on us, handing out dry corn kernels to feed the pigeons. They helped us take nice pictures with the pigeons perched on our arms and then, of course, asked for payment for the kernels.

*It’s recommended to bring your own kernels from home 😘

After taking a few pictures in the relentless rain, we continued to stroll through the beautiful, crowded alleys filled with tourists carrying umbrellas, heading toward the Rialto Bridge. Suddenly, it appeared—a beautiful bridge with gondolas and boats gliding underneath.

There, Matan and Guy bought themselves Pinocchio dolls. When we finished the purchase, the seller said to Matan in Hebrew, "Shalom, shalom, ve’al tavo li b’halom... do you know it?"... but it seemed like the seller had no idea what he was saying.

We took more pictures in the rain and continued. In the alleys, there were many shops, including stores for Murano glass, Pandora, and Swarovski for those interested. Of course, there were also shoe, bag, and fashion stores, and I even came across a makeup shop.

Suddenly, the rain stopped, so the men took advantage of the break to rent a gondola ride (€80 for the entire gondola). It turns out that only six passengers are allowed per gondola, so Sarit, Shaked, and I decided to sit this one out and kept Guy with us so the others could enjoy the ride. We sat down for coffee and ordered tiramisu and a cheesecake with berries for dessert.

The kids returned from the gondola ride happy, and I understood they had received a guided tour about Venice and its ancient buildings. We ordered them pizza and took advantage of the break in the rain to continue exploring, but then the rain returned...

We walked all the way back to the ferry station.

We had purchased round-trip tickets in advance, so we didn’t need to buy tickets again. Of course, we validated them at the automatic station to avoid any issues with the ticket inspector.

At the exit near the parking lot station, there’s a market where almost all the stalls are identical to one another and also to many souvenir shops in the tourist area. However, everything in the market is much cheaper, so it’s recommended to save souvenir shopping for the market and not give in to temptation elsewhere.

To sum up the day, we were in Venice, and it was amazing... It’s a shame the weather wasn’t better, but it is what it is, and despite that, we managed to enjoy the day.

In the evening, we parked at a caravan parking lot in the middle of a small communal village.

Sarmede - Il Paese Delle Fiabe

The parking lot allows parking and water filling and emptying only. €5 per vehicle, as stated on the sign. However, when we arrived, there was no one to greet us.

Morning... drinking coffee with some interesting cookies on the side and planning the continuation of our journey this morning. The sun has finally come out... I hope it’s here to stay.

We are on our way to the northern Dolomites..

We stopped along the way to photograph the scenery at Belluno - Puos D'alpago - Lago Di Santacroce.

We arrived at Lake Misurina in the Italian Dolomites. The scenery is simply breathtaking. We parked and went down to walk along the lake's shore and take photos. When we returned from the short walk, we started preparing for lunch. And today on the menu: Danny's famous shakshuka.

We began the preparations, and then Eyal discovered that we had received a ticket... a fine of €41... 😠

Really frustrating. And for anyone wondering, we parked in an organized parking lot and even paid €2 at the meter...

We packed everything up and drove off to find another parking spot...

S T A R V I N G...

Later, we parked in the middle of nowhere... Danny cooked, Sarit upgraded the salad and tahini, and we sat down to eat... quickly, before it was all gone...

There’s nothing like Danny’s shakshuka!!! A champion 💜

Another stop at Lake Braies.

The views are simply breathtaking...

The distance from the parking lot is about 500 meters, a walking trail through the forest.

Camping Lienzer Dolomiten‎‏

In the evening, we arrived at a camping site.

This time, there are showers, toilets, and other stunning views.

August 20, 2015, 10:00 PM. The temperature is currently 14 degrees. And it’s raining...

I just had a hot shower, wearing the warmest fleece tracksuit ever, drinking hot coffee, and can’t believe it’s summer somewhere else in the world... I know it’s hot back home in Israel...

Here, it’s cold. Very cold!

Good morning...

Laundry

Dryer

Emptying and filling water

Sewage emptying...

And finally, breakfast before the drive...

We arrived at the Krimml Waterfalls and parked in parking lot P4.

The weather was pleasant and slightly sunny...

Still, we wore jackets... gray clouds threatened to drench us, and it’s well-known that the waterfalls spray water everywhere...

At the parking lot, remember to take a chip to pay for parking...

The parking attendant recommended visiting the "Water World" located at the entrance, which would save us the parking fee.

So, we went in...

There were water-themed activities, like a science museum. Mini installations that spray water in different ways using applied force...

Even here, we heard Hebrew from a few kids enjoying the place.

When we finished playing around, we looked for a taxi to take us halfway up the mountain to the waterfall viewpoint.

We chose to go only halfway up, leaving us with a 2.5 km descent back to the parking lot.

The taxi cost us €56 for all of us, and the ride on the steep paths was terrifying...

The friendly driver dropped us off at the viewpoint and went on his way, but not before explaining the trail to us.

We started descending. The descent was very steep and winding.

We stopped at the viewpoints to take photos.

A M A Z I N G

About 500 meters from the endpoint, we sat down at a café.

We drank coffee, and the kids ordered various desserts.

I ordered something called a pancake on the menu.

It was served in a kind of pan and was cut into uneven squares.

But... it took me years back to Grandma Raia’s (may she rest in peace) "Malai" cake. A cake made from cornmeal.

Wow... it was worth it...

Now we’re continuing.

Well, there’s no doubt I was left breathless...

In the middle of the road, a rainbow appeared... 🌈

Surely someone wants to make it up to us after a few days of rain.

In the evening, we arrived at Camping Vierthaler in the Salzburg region, Austria.

Dinner and off to sleep.

In the morning, we arrived at the Ice Cave in Austria.

When we got there, I realized it involved climbing about 700 steps...

For the sake of my legs’ health, I sadly decided to skip it.

The group went up, and I was left on my own.

To rest. At the entrance to the site, there’s a souvenir shop.

I treated myself to a pendant, bracelet, and ring made of a stone that symbolizes the Leo zodiac sign (at least that’s what it said 😘).

I sat down at the nearby café. I ordered an Americano coffee without milk.

I don’t know if I’ve gotten used to this coffee or if it’s just that the coffee here is good... because until now, it hasn’t been tasty anywhere else...

(Even the soy milk I bought at the supermarket... not great...) I ordered a cheese toast (without ham)... with a salad...

And I’m planning to continue reading my digital book... I discovered there’s free Wi-Fi here... so I’m connected.

I have 3-4 hours alone ahead of me...

Freedom?!

The group returned after a few good hours with interesting experiences (Danny’s lantern burned Noam’s coat while walking in the cave, for example). The kids happily shared that they were above the clouds and that it was really cold in the cave. They sat there to have lunch and, overall, greatly enjoyed the experience.

From the Ice Cave, we drove a few minutes to the Eagle's Nest. Hohenwerfen Castle‎‏

We toured the castle and, among other things, watched the eagle feeding show.

At night, we slept at Camping Vierthaler‎‏ And in the morning, after breakfast, we set out on a hiking trail inנקיק ליכטנשטיין

After the hike, we chose to end the day at the baths. Therme Amadé‎‏

This spa facility slightly reminded me of Canada Park in Metula...

And... yes, we also met Israelis here...

There were few people (surprising, as it’s Sunday today). So the kids got to slide down the water slides as much as they wanted... Outside, there was a whirlpool pool where the water flowed in a circle, and so did the kids.

Inside, there was a wave pool with warm water.

And a toddler pool with a snake-shaped slide that Gai really enjoyed climbing on and sliding straight into the pool.

At some point, after he had already slipped and fallen on his bottom a few times, he slipped and fell on his chin... It wasn’t pleasant (earlier, when we parked at the Liechtenstein Gorge, a bee stung him on his hand, and last night he slipped on the asphalt and scraped his elbow and knee...) So his chin bled just a little. We went to the first aid station and got a band-aid and a smile...

After a short rest, he went back into the water and was a bit more careful, my injured boy...

In between, we drank coffee with an apricot cake that really reminded me of the cake Grandma Hana Kahana makes for us... Missing home is already being felt. I rested and continued to enjoy the quiet of reading a book...

We also had dinner here... Now showers and off to find a nearby place to sleep...

It was fun.

After spending time at the spa yesterday...

We drove to find a dry parking spot, meaning an outdoor parking area allowed for caravans.

To our surprise, we found one at a gas station very close by... Trucks, buses, a few caravans, and us parked there.

We were so tired that we had a quick coffee (Taster’s Choice... that we brought from home) and went to sleep... The night was cold. It rained in the middle of the night... I didn’t sleep well... Early in the morning, out of frustration, I continued reading the book and finished it.

In the morning, we had breakfast:

Omelettes, tuna salad, vegetable salad, and various cheeses...

We packed up, and we’re already on our way to the salt mines...

מכרות המלח בזלצבורג.. The salt mines in Salzburg..

The entrance fee was €55 for all of us.

When we entered, we were asked to wear work clothes over our own clothes: brown pants and a white coat.

We went down, and after the esteemed photographer did her job, we were asked to sit on small carts that took us into the mine...

A ride of about 600 meters...

Inside, it was cold... very cold...

From there, we walked a bit to a hall where there was a video explaining the history of the place.

The guide explained in three languages... When she got to English, it felt like she shortened the process...

From there, we reached a slide where we were asked to sit, a maximum of three people together...

Gai and I sat together...

And then we discovered that the guide knew how to say "forward," "don’t be afraid," and "legs up" in Hebrew...

It made us laugh...

It was a bit scary at first, but it brought me back to my childhood when we used to slide down the stair railings of the building all the way to the bottom...

From there, we moved to a raft that ferried us to the other side...

And then... another slide... a bit longer this time...

This time, Matan and I...

Then we received another explanation about the mining and processing of salt...

All the videos were in German... The subtitles were partially in English...

More explanations and videos, and then we received a small salt shaker as a gift.

From there, we went up an escalator to the location where the carts were waiting to take us back...

At the photo booth, beautiful pictures from the experience were waiting for us—€7 per photo... quite a rip-off...

We chose to spend our last night at the Chemnitz camping grounds in Germany. Chiemsee-Camping-Rödlgries‎‏

Last evening... Tomorrow at this time, we’ll be on the plane on our way back home...

The kids are happily playing on the playground equipment, went to dip in the lake, and came back claiming the water was freezing... They took €1 so they could jump for 6 minutes on the trampoline.

We sat down to have our last dinner of this trip... and asked the nice neighbor from the nearby tent to take a picture of us together.

We raised a toast to the good life, health, happiness, family, and many more amazing trips like this one.

Now we’re starting to pack... (the less enjoyable part of trips...).

In the morning, we packed everything, emptied the caravan, gave the remaining soda bottles (which we accidentally bought instead of water) to the nice neighbors, and drove toward Munich. We had a few hours left and were missing a suitcase because one of the bags tore, so we stopped at... Riem Arcaden‎‏.For some last-minute shopping before heading home.

From there, we drove to return the caravan to the rental company, and from there, a taxi took us back to the airport.

In summary, it was amazing. Our first trip abroad. The caravan trip was a very bonding experience.

And now we brought peace upon you... HOME SWEET HOME.