A 12-Day Motorhome Adventure Through France, Italy & Greece
🗓 15 July – 26 July 2026
👥 Adam Antoniou, Mata Stratakou & the two dogs
🚐 VW Grand California 600 — Candy White / Mojave Beige
A twelve-day motorhome journey from Lancashire to the Peloponnese, taking in the cellars of Burgundy, the Mont Blanc tunnel, the five cliff villages of the Cinque Terre, three slow days on the Amalfi Coast, the Greek temples at Paestum, the cave city of Matera at sunset, a daytime crossing of the Adriatic, and a final mountain drive through the Peloponnese to family in Sparti. Two travellers, two dogs, one VW Grand California, and a deliberate refusal to be rushed.
5 icons: Mont Blanc · Cinque Terre · Amalfi Coast · Matera · Peloponnese
The Route
Manchester
Folkestone
Burgundy
Mont Blanc
Cinque Terre
Sorrento
Paestum
Matera
Bari
Igoumenitsa
Sparti
The Adriatic Crossing
Already Booked ✅
Superfast Ferries — Bari → Igoumenitsa
Vessel: Superfast II
Saturday 25 July 2026 · Departs 12:00 · Arrives 22:30
Reservation: 101496216 · Access code: 009215
Paid in full: €812
What's included:
2-bed pet-friendly cabin for Adam & Mata
Both dogs in the cabin
Motorhome on garage deck
Boarding plan
01
Arrive Bari port by 09:00
02
Collect tickets / use e-Ticket (available 48hrs before)
03
Present passports, dogs' health books, reservation reference
04
Board — open decks for dogs on lead & muzzle throughout crossing
Key Things to Know
🚫 Amalfi Coast Motorhome Ban
Motorhomes are banned from the SS163 between 06:30 and midnight year-round (ANAS ordinance 340/2019). The van stays at Sorrento. Explore by Travelmar ferry, SITA bus, and on foot.
🌡 Heat Management
Southern Italy late July: 33–38°C. Shaded pitches, early starts, fridge on EHU. The Ridgeback is at higher risk — prioritise his shade and water. 3-litre water bottles in the van at all times. Never leave dogs in the van without ventilation.
🐕 Pet Admin
AHC or EU pet passport for both dogs (microchipped, rabies in date). Health books required at Bari ferry boarding. Pet tapeworm treatment required 24–120 hours before any future UK re-entry.
Day 1 — Wednesday 15 July
Manchester to a French Aire
📍 280 miles UK + ~60 miles France
🚂 Le Shuttle, midnight slot
🛣 M6 → M40 → M25 → M20 → Folkestone
Key plan:
Leave home after 18:00
Arrive Folkestone ~23:00, allow 1 hour for check-in
Cross around midnight — quiet train, dogs settle
Drive 30–45 min on the French side, sleep in the van
Tonight
🏕 Aire de la Baie de Somme (A16 southbound) or Aire de Wancourt (A1 south of Arras)
Toilets, 24-hour fuel, dog-walk strips
No booking — just turn up
The trip officially begins when the engine stops
Day 2 — Thursday 16 July
Champagne to Burgundy — Beaune
📍 ~250 miles
🛣 A26 / A4 to Beaune
A short, relaxed first proper day. Coffee at the aire, then south-east through the chalk countryside of Picardy and into Burgundy. The dogs sleep most of the way.
Municipal site, 10-minute flat walk into medieval Beaune
Hedged pitches, on-site restaurant, morning bread service
Dogs welcome on site
Dinner:
Le Bistrot Bourguignon, 8 Rue Monge (+33 3 80 22 23 24) — terrace seating, dogs welcome. Classic bœuf bourguignon, escargots, a glass from one of the local domaines.
Evening dog walk:
Beaune's medieval ramparts circle the old town — flat, shady, away from traffic.
Day 3 — Friday 17 July
Burgundy to the Cinque Terre via Mont Blanc
~330 miles
Early start 07:00
Mont Blanc Tunnel ~€60
Route
The big Alpine day — the most spectacular drive of the trip.
Mont Blanc fills the windscreen approaching Chamonix
Tunnel: ~€60 class 2, 11.6 km single carriageway, card or cash at toll booth
Sits on a wooded hillside above Levanto town at Località Busco. Free shuttle to Levanto train station in mornings and evenings — that's the route to the Cinque Terre villages.
On-site restaurant and cocktail bar with proper Ligurian food and breakfast service.
More shade and quieter than the in-town campsites.
Aperitivo at Cantina dell'Esino on Piazza Cavour. Dinner at Osteria Tumelin (Via Domenico Grillo 32) — Ligurian seafood, outdoor seating, dogs welcome. Try the fritto misto and pesto trofie.
Day 4 — Saturday 18 July
A Full Day Among the Five Villages
No driving — van stays at Camping Levanto.
Cinque Terre Treno MS Card — €18.50/day at Levanto station. Unlimited trains Levanto↔La Spezia + all official trails. Dogs on regional trains: on lead & muzzle, €7–12 per dog.
The Five Villages
01
Monterosso
Sandy beach, most dog-friendly
02
Vernazza
Postcard harbour, most photographed
03
Corniglia
365 steps from station (skip with dogs)
04
Manarola
Sunset viewpoint, iconic photo spot
05
Riomaggiore
Southernmost, train terminus
Suggested Day Plan
07:30 — Train Levanto → Monterosso (15 min)
08:00–10:30 — Hike Sentiero Azzurro: Monterosso → Vernazza (3.5 km, ~2 hrs, dogs on lead)
12:00 — Lunch in Vernazza: Ristorante Belforte (clifftop terrace, book ahead) or Trattoria Gianni Franzi
14:00 — Train to Manarola, viewpoint walk to Punta Bonfiglio
16:00 — Monterosso beach (dogs at quiet east end)
19:30 — Sunset dinner at Trattoria dal Billy, Manarola (book 24hrs ahead)
22:00 — Last train back to Levanto
Dog Notes
Pack 4L water, lead & muzzle for trains, avoid Corniglia.
Day 5 — Sunday 19 July
Levanto to Sorrento — The Long Push South
📍 ~430 miles
🛣 A12 → A1 → A3 → SS145
⏰ Leave Levanto 06:30
The longest single driving day of the trip. Leave Levanto at 06:30 to arrive Sorrento by mid-afternoon. Don't attempt Rome with a motorhome and two dogs in July.
Tell Camping Levanto reception the night before that you need a 06:30 departure — they'll arrange gate access.
Past Naples, the road turns onto the Sorrento peninsula and the Bay of Naples opens to the left — one of the most spectacular road approaches in Europe.
Tonight — 3 nights base:
✅ BOOKED — Reservation 763343218, PIN 5216, 3 nights 19–21 July, paid in full €156.96 Santa Fortunata Village, Sorrento — Via Capo on the cliff side of Sorrento Check-in: 12:00–21:00
Sea-view pitches on the cliff
Shuttle bus into Sorrento centre
Private beach via cliff path, swimming pool
On-site Maxim restaurant with terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples
Dinner: Maxim Restaurant on the campsite terrace — dogs welcome at outdoor tables. Easy choice after a long drive.
Day 6 — Monday 20 July
Amalfi Coast Day 1 — Positano & Amalfi by Sea
Morning
SITA shuttle from campsite into Sorrento → Travelmar ferry from Marina Piccola to Positano. "The view from the water as Positano comes into focus is one of those moments worth the whole trip." Tickets €10–15 each leg. Dogs allowed on lead and muzzle. Buy at the kiosk on the pier 20 minutes before sailing.
Lunch
Da Adolfo on Laurito beach — Spiaggia di Laurito 40, Positano (+39 089 875022). Reservations essential, free boat shuttle from Positano main beach. Waterfront, shaded by trees, dog-friendly tables, simple grilled fish and lemon-leaf cheese.
Afternoon
Ferry on to Amalfi town. Cathedral of Sant'Andrea square (dogs welcome in the piazza), Paper Museum's outdoor section, walk to Atrani — quieter than Amalfi and beautiful at golden hour.
Evening
Last ferry back to Sorrento. Dinner at 'O Parrucchiano La Favorita — Corso Italia 71, Sorrento (+39 081 878 1321). Historic restaurant under the lemon trees, dog-friendly garden.
Day 7 — Tuesday 21 July
Amalfi Coast Day 2 — Choose Your Adventure
🥾 Active: Path of the Gods
Drive or bus to Bomerano in Agerola at 07:00 to beat the heat
Walk the Path of the Gods to Nocelle — 7 km, ~3 hours
Ridgeline route with constant coastal views, mostly shaded by mid-morning, no traffic
The dogs will love this day
Lunch at La Tagliata in Nocelle (+39 089 875872, family-run, outdoor terrace, dogs welcome)
SITA bus back via Positano
🎨 Cultural: Ravello
SITA bus from Sorrento to Amalfi, then up to Ravello
Villa Rufolo's gardens (call ahead about dog policy at Cimbrone)
Piazza del Duomo for a granita, the iconic view down to the coast
Lunch at Cumpa' Cosimo (Via Roma 44, +39 089 857156)
Back via Amalfi for an evening swim
Evening: Pack the van for tomorrow's early start. Dinner back in Sorrento at Inn Bufalito (Vico Fuoro 21, +39 081 365 6975) — buffalo everything, outdoor tables, dogs welcome.
Day 8 — Wednesday 22 July
Sorrento to Paestum — Greek Temples on the Cilento Coast
Italian and German mostly spoken at the campsite — bring some phrases.
The Greek Temples of Paestum
Three of the best-preserved Doric temples anywhere: Temple of Hera, Temple of Athena, Temple of Neptune. Official rules explicitly welcome all dogs on lead (muzzle for larger dogs). Far less crowded than Pompeii. Beautiful in late afternoon light.
Tenuta Vannulo (+39 0828 727894) — buffalo mozzarella at source, lunch only, book ahead.
Days 9 & 10 — Thursday–Friday 23–24 July
Matera — The Sassi
Day 9
~170 miles
A3 east, then SS407 across the instep of Italy
Tonight (2 nights):
Area Camper Kartodromo Matera — to book, phone Gianfranco at +39 339 109 0996
Evening:
Walk the Sassi at sunset — the 9,000-year-old cave city catching golden light across the gorge. Entirely outdoor, fully walkable with both dogs.
Dinner:
L'Abbondanza Lucana (Via Bruno Buozzi 11) — outdoor seating in the Sassi, dog-friendly, traditional Lucanian food. Or Baccanti (Via Sant'Angelo 58) — carved into the rock, outdoor terrace.
Day 10 (Rest Day)
No driving.
Morning:
Shuttle into town with Gianfranco. Wander the Sassi:
Rock-cut churches of the Sasso Caveoso
Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario (€3) — how people lived in the caves until the 1950s
Lunch on a terrace overlooking the gorge
Afternoon:
Back at the sosta — dogs nap, pack the van for early start.
Dinner:
Whichever restaurant you didn't do on Day 9.
Day 11 — Saturday 25 July
Bari Port & the Adriatic Crossing
45 miles to port
Leave Matera 07:00
Depart 12:00
Arrive Igoumenitsa 22:30
✅ BOOKED — Superfast Ferries, Vessel: Superfast II, Bari → Igoumenitsa Reservation 101496216 · Access Code 009215 2-bed pet cabin for Adam & Mata, both dogs in cabin, motorhome on garage deck. Paid in full €812.
01
Leave Matera 07:00
relaxed run to Bari
02
Arrive Bari port by 09:00
collect tickets / use e-Ticket; present passports, dogs' health books, reservation reference
03
Board Superfast II
pet cabin for four, van on garage deck (sealed during crossing — no return to vehicle)
04
Daytime crossing
open decks for dogs (on lead & muzzle), restaurants, bars, outdoor terraces
05
Watch the Greek coastline
emerge in the late afternoon
06
Arrive Igoumenitsa 22:30
clear port (15–20 min), drive ~80 km east on E92 (Egnatia Odos) to service area near Ioannina to sleep
Greek motorway service areas are well-lit and safe for an overnight van stop.
Day 12 — Sunday 26 July
Across the Peloponnese to Sparti
📍 ~270 miles
🛣 E92 → Rio-Antirrio Bridge → E65 → Sparti
Route
1
Ioannina
2
Epirus
3
Rio-Antirrio Bridge
4
N. Peloponnese Coast
5
Tripoli
6
Taygetos Mountains
7
Eurotas Valley
8
Sparti
Stops along the way
Coffee at Ioannina for a leisurely start
Lunch at Nafpaktos — beautiful Venetian harbour town just west of the bridge, dog-friendly tavernas
Or Patras waterfront
Swim stop if the heat demands it
Rio-Antirrio bridge toll: ~€14 for class 3
Arrival: Sparti in the late afternoon. Home with Mario. The trip ends and the family time begins.
Days 13–15 — Sparti
Mystras, Mani & Family Time (27–29 July)
🏛 Mystras
The Byzantine ghost-city in the hills above Sparti. Half-day with Mario, dogs welcome on lead. End at one of the tavernas in modern Mystras for lunch.
🏖 Mani Peninsula
A day trip south for beach swimming and lunch at a seaside taverna. Wild and beautiful, beaches uncrowded.
🍽 Family Evenings
Long Greek dinners on shaded terraces, the dogs at our feet. Three full days based at Sparti before Mata flies out.
Bookings Summary
✅ Confirmed & Paid
Camping Les Cent Vignes, Beaune — 16 Jul — Ref: O20260515ANTON97330686 — €36.92 (€10.68 paid, €26.24 due on arrival)
Camping Levanto (San Michele) — 17–18 Jul — Ref: A3ZBP4YDMGN — €108 (€54 paid, €54 due on arrival)
Santa Fortunata Village, Sorrento — 19–21 Jul — Ref: 763343218 / PIN 5216 — €156.96 paid in full
Superfast Ferries Bari–Igoumenitsa — 25 Jul — Ref: 101496216 / Access 009215 — €812 paid in full
Still to Book
Le Shuttle — eurotunnel.com, midnight 15/16 Jul — URGENT