I’ve owned my TentBox for 18 months now and I’ve been all over the country. Last year’s autumn trip to Scotland was glorious and I’ve done many a trip to the likes of Snowdonia and the Lake District. It’s given me the campervan-style capability without the expense of an actual campervan – and it was now time to look further afield and take my car beyond the British borders.

It’s not the first time I’ve driven abroad – that milestone goes to the 2022 European campervan trip – but it was the first time taking my own vehicle across the Channel and to the lands beyond.

Destination? The wonderful, picturesque coasts of Italy and its great Northern lakes. I had 9 days to enjoy driving across the continent and stop at numerous stunning places along the way.

The midnight Eurotunnel across to Calais was a breeze – I can definitely recommend it. You do all the border checks and formalities at the origin destination, so when you arrive at the other side (the French side in this case) you just drive straight off the train and hit the road.

To get to Italy first required a tediously long drive right across France. I was looking at around 18 hours of driving to get to the Italian coastal region of Cinque Terra, so I broke this up with a stop in the beautiful Alpine French skiing village of Chatel.

Being September, there wasn’t a lot of skiing going on. The village is certainly more the size of a small town but it was still on the quieter side. I would assume that the winter months are when things pick up a bit. A few core ski lifts were still operational, taking you high up in to the mountains where you could certainly spend a few pleasant hours walking and taking in the breathtaking scenery.

Across the valleys you will hear the never-ending background clatter of bells – these are the numerous heards of cows that roam the hills and have bells around their necks to keep a very effective, audible track of them. They slowly walked past my camping spot in the morning and negated my need for an alarm clock.

I had the most incredible breakfast burrito in the village before taking a ski lift up and going for a short walk. Breathtaking views lie at the peaks, enticing me for a proper adventure around the Alps at some point. My drive to Cinque Terra was around 7 hours from this point, so I set off around mid-afternoon.

The Swiss and Italian roads are enjoyable enough, but the toll charges are pretty horrendous and I wasn’t holding back with cursing at the payment booths each time I had to climb over the passenger seat and tap my net worth away piece by piece. Make sure to factor in this cost if using the main roads (motorways) in these countries. I had to cough up around £150 just for the convenience of driving over the week.

I arrived late at night at the Italian coast, camping down an off-road track right on top of the hills, overlooking the sea.

Cinque Terra translates to “Five Land(s)” and is a collection of 5 small fishing villages that run along the east coast between the town/city of Levanto and La Speczia. It’s a popular destination, so it’s not exactly a trip to take for a nice, peaceful wander through rural Italy. The best (in practicality – the only) way to get to each village is via the train that runs between the two larger areas either end. All-day tickets cost me around £50 for 2 days, which wasn’t too bad but a necessary expense. The trains run regularly and it only takes a couple of minutes to arrive at each village. I caught the first train in Levanto and stopped at each village one-by-one, starting with Monterosso al Mare.

Monterosso would be every pleasant with its small beach on a sunny day – unfortunately it was a bit drab so it wasn’t looking so inviting. You walk along the beachfront from the train station and through a tunnel to access the main centre of the village with plentiful of small cafes along the way. All sorts of shops line the narrow, winding alleyways – and although it isn’t a large area by any means, it gave the cultural aesthetic that I would begin to see throughout my trip.

My pizza and gelato fest started soon enough, which would end up making around 50% of my diet over the next week. Being in Italy, I had no intention of making food out of the back of my car for this venture.

The next village of Vernazza boasts a colourful harbourside and a maze of alleys that climb into the hillside. The main strip from the station to the harbour is where you’ll find all your shops and bars, but you can go exploring either way from here and find the old church and Castello Doria, or perhaps take a walk along the main Cinque Terra coastal path (tickets required!).

You can swim in the harbour, but I think the 4th village of Manarola is a better location for a dip as I would see the next day.

It was entering the early evening, so I made a very brief stop in the 3rd village of Corniglia with the intention of coming back here for longer the next day. Corniglia was very small, but just as quaint and picturesque as everywhere else. I bought some wine from one of the local shops and headed back – the trains would become hourly after a certain time so I didn’t want to wait around.

The Italian sun decided to show up the next day, as I woke up overlooking the sea in a pleasant blaze of warmth. I intended to visit the final two villages of Manarola and Riomaggiore and then make another stop at Corniglia on return.

Manarola was very busy from the get-go, but I initially missed the main section and started thinking it was actually the quietest village so far. I bought a schiacciata for breakfast – an Italian style sandwich with toasted bread. You create your own with a choice of fillings, with various Italian cheeses and cured meats available. The whole thing was an absolute unit to consume, but it was amazing and satisfied the taste buds for at least an hour (or until I saw the next gelato stand).

The main street is hidden on the other side of the central square and leads to the harbour. A small cove provides the perfect spot for easy swimming and a bit of cliff jumping from the rocks if you’re brave enough. The water looked too inviting to miss, so I took the extra time to return to Levanto and change into some swimwear. The majority of the day was taken with swimming around and jumping into the water, trying to challenge myself and my fear of drops. I took a water-sealed bag for my belongings and threw it in before I jumped, giving me a good reason to go after it.

It was really atmospheric around the harbour area with lots of people enjoying the sea and the sun, and I’d give it to Manarola as probably my favourite village.

I made it to the final village of Riomaggorie in the early evening; with the sun shining down on its colourful waterfront buildings, it really was a beautiful place for a(nother) pizza and a cup of wine. Much like the other spots, there was probably a lot more to explore here than I really gave myself time for. I stayed for a third night along the little dirt track, with a 3 hour drive the next day towards Lake Garda.

I certainly got a good taste of Cinque Terra with just 2 compact days, but as always you really need more time to experience everything that it offers. There are various extras like castles and vineyards/wine tasting which would have been great to experience had I planned on staying for longer. I’ve done enough travelling by now to know that 1 or 2 days in one area just isn’t enough to get a completely fulfilling experience, so I go with my expectations set correctly. It’s just my style to sometimes visit a number of different places in one hit, and then have a good idea of where I’d like to return to in the future.

I set off in good time the next morning to arrive in the comune of Sirmione by Lake Garda. The northern peninsula divides the southern end of the lake with its historic town centre located within. You cross a bridge to walk underneath the gates of Sirmione castle to reach its bustling square with plentiful of small streets lining the town. Its ancient aesthetic can really be appreciated with views from the top of the castle, which you can enter for around 6 euros.

Along its old cobbled streets you’ll find plenty of shops and enough gelato stores to last a lifetime – happy days! There are numerous small beaches along the edges, which I imagine would be extremely nice on a hot summers day. I did take a dip late in the evening before finding a camping spot, and I was pleasantly surprised at it’s soothing temperature despite the mediocre weather I was getting.

I had dinner in the town square – beef tartare which was a first for me. I camped up in the hills overlooking the lake, with a thundery storm making it’s way overnight.

The weather was only getting more dreary over the next day as I headed for Riva del Garda at the northern tip of the lake. I wanted to take the long route around and enjoy the scenery – as much as I could at least in the rain. The grand mountains surrounding the lake and towns reminded me of a more typical Asian environment, seeming almost topless as they faded into the low clouds.

I didn’t find Riva del Garda quite as characteristic as Sirmione, although it did offer a point for various activities to do on the lake which would have been good on a brighter day. I continued the drive around Lake Garda before returning inland towards Lake Como and the town of Bellagio.

Like Sirmione, Bellagio sits at a small peninsula that splits the two southern “legs” of Lake Como. It possesses a grid-like structure of alleyways that slope downwards towards the lake, and of an evening the atmosphere is very charming indeed. I’d arrived in the evening, so most of the shops were closed, and I returned the next morning to get a better look around.

The quaint charm followed in the footsteps of many of the other places I’d visited with lots of nice shops to indulge in. I was often reminded of the considerable increase in the expense of living in this part of the world, and it put a big question mark on the apparent value of your typical merchandise after coming across similar set-ups in Vietnam. Lots of places sold your typical leather goods like bags, belts and shoes – but I couldn’t get over the prices here compared to somewhere like Hoi An. It makes you appreciate the opportunity to visit other places across the world where you’re not being screwed over quite as much.

The sun did make another appearance as I left Bellagio, so I stopped in the small village of Nesso to take a short walk through the forests that line the edge of the lake. A stream runs through the woods and cascades into a waterfall in the middle of the village – definitely a nice feature to have for the local residents.

By this point, I’d stuffed myself with so much pizza and gelato over the last few days that I was somewhat ready to depart Italy and begin heading back. I’d taken a somewhat safe option with this trip and opted to visit the more popular areas. Although they are definitely worth visiting, it’s worth remembering that Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world, so there is an obvious caveat with doing this. It’s not the sort of trip to undertake if you don’t like crowds.

I think next time I will try and go a bit more original, and visit the places where most people don’t go. This is where I think you will find the true heart of any national culture and in most cases… you will be pleasantly surprised.

Back on the road, I soon crossed back into Switzerland and joined the same route I’d taken 2 years prior in the campervan and headed north. Switzerland definitely take the award for road-trip scenery here as you journey through the Alps – crossing mountainous valleys and passing through some very long tunnels.

I headed for the town of Interlaken, hoping to find a good chocolate shop the next day. That night I camped in a car park right in the middle of the mountains, and the crystal clear night sky kept me up stargazing for some time. Quite a contrast to the rainy nights I’d had before.

I woke up the next morning to the most incredible views through the valley, openly stating to the camera as I filmed away that this might just be the best camping spot I’ve ever found. I hadn’t even packed up and left before I was forming a longer trip back to Switzerland in the future in my head.

This idea only intensified as I reached Interlaken. The rivers here are a bright emerald-turquoise colour and it honestly looks like somewhere from a fairy tale. The bad weather had not followed me, and it was a warm day with the sun shining brightly. As I entered the outskirts of the town, I noticed what seemed like hundreds of small colourful dots in the sky – paragliders circling in every direction from above. They would all land in a central park area in the town at regular intervals like some alternative-style airport.

The town was beautiful, and a perfect balance of being busy enough for an atmosphere but not by any means crowded – most peaceful and serene compared to where I’d come from. Bridges cross the emerald river at various points and it was here I took one of my favourite photos to date.

I found more than one chocolate shop, so I wasn’t leaving empty-handed (*quietly places heavy bag of choco on the back seats*). I was very tempted to get a paragliding ride, but I still had 10 hours of driving ahead of me so I saved it for a later date. Switzerland wasn’t meant to be the main stop of the trip but I think Interlaken may have been my favourite place visited for the week, and I will be planning a Swiss trip to undertake next year.

Somewhat dismayed that I had to leave so soon, I hit the road and headed back across France. A couple more days would have been useful for the amount of distance I’d covered over the last week, but it would have to do; days off work are limited after all!

The TentBox had proved itself more than capable once again for the task at hand – I think the only thing I need to work on in my setup is the shower, but I have now found myself a pop-up shower tent that should do the trick.

Another annual Europe trip done – and by now there is a routine settling in, so I’ll have to keep the ideas flowing for next year as well. Switzerland is certainly on the cards, but with more time I’d happily look towards something like Scandinavia, or perhaps return to the east and visit the likes of Albania and Bosnia.

We will see!