It is a 38-day SPRING caravan in ITALY, THE ALPS AND ALONG THE MEDITERRANEAN.  This caravan will rendezvous at a campground near Munich, Germany, in early April and then travel for 36 nights in Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with an option into Lichtenstein.  The caravan ends at the same campground in mid-May.  The spring season is a wonderful time to travel, particularly in Europe.  Weather is usually comfortable, although there may still be snow on the passes (Brenner, Simplon and Grossglocker Strassa) that traverse over and through the Alps.  Flowers should be starting to bloom.  Enjoy rolling countryside and low hills and the Tuscany area of Italy and later contrast this with alpine scenery in southern Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland.  Some of the major cities visited will include Bolzano, Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome, Pisa, Milano and the Cinque Terre coastal area of Italy; Munich, Schwangau and Oberrammergau in Germany; Bruck and Salzburg in Austria and Susten (Zermatt) and Chur in Switzerland.  The caravan will visit many small communities in all the countries that offer superb sightseeing and relaxed shopping opportunities.  Museums abound, featuring fine art, sculpture, architectural, European and Roman history and World War II memorials, plus much more. Enjoy Ercolano (Herculaneum) that is a lesser known ruins, near Naples, Italy, which was covered during the August 24, 79 A.D., eruption of Mt. Vesuvius by a pyroclastic mudflow that virtually encapsulated the city, thus preserving it.  The list of sights could go on for pages!  You'll have to go on this caravan if you want to begin exploring these fabulous places and sights in Italy and portions of Germany, Switzerland or Austria.

It is an economical, rented mini-motorhome camping caravan, 36 camping nights in length, covering much of the best that the countries visited have to offer.  The caravan is put together by experienced caravan leaders that take care of the many small details of a caravan, including having a driver's meeting on travel days to review the day's route and sightseeing opportunities.  The caravans provide FREEDOM to do your ADVENTURING, when you want and at your own pace.  The caravans are run during a slightly off high-season time, when campgrounds and attractions are generally not as crowded.  They place you in the heart of the countries, with their people and culture, not in a "pushed for time" guided tour group!  Most travel is on the very scenic "back roads" at your own pace.  Caravans use preselected campgrounds where caravan members camp together.  On travel days, you and another newly made friend can travel together, doing and visiting the things that interest you.  Each caravanner is provided with an European and Italian road atlas and a detailed road log (itinerary) containing daily suggested driving options and directions, as well as suggestions for sights to visit, plus selected small maps for each day's travel.  Caravanners are encouraged to explore and seek out experiences that particularly fulfill your own personal interests in addition to the suggested sights.

Itinerary For The 38 Day ITALY, ALPS & The MEDITERRANEAN Caravan
In The Spring of 2009 & 2010

Day No	Caravan ARRIVAL Dates	Distance	Day Type	Destination
1	Sunday, April 5	Flying	Travel Day	YOUR CITY USA-CDN / MUNICH D
Leave the USA and fly to GERMANY from airport of your choice. Arrive next day (AM) in MUNICH. You may also want to consider leaving earlier and doing some sightseeing on your own or if your are a member of the International Caravanning Association (ICA) connecting up with one of their outings. Either of these options are available to you before the start of our caravan or once it has ended.
2	Monday, April 6	Miles: 46 Km / 29 M	Stay Over	MUNICH D
Please plan your flight so that you arrive as early as possible at the MUNICH airport‚ as we will have a lot to do today‚ including a shopping trip‚ to get settled in for the caravan. You will be responsible for your transportation we will attempt to pair you up once we have everyone’s travel schedule‚ so that you split the ≈ 55€ fare to the motorhome rental agency‚ some distance away‚ so your arrival time is very important. Check out motorhome before continuing on to the 1st night’s campground (CG)‚ also some distance away‚ and then caravan to near by store “Real Warehauser” (formerly WalMart) to buy provisions and then settle in. Enjoy group welcome dinner & to bed early.
3	Tuesday, April 7	Miles:	Stay Over	MUNICH D
FREE DAY. Take the subway into MUNCHEN. Enjoy the famous Hofbrahaus (beer hall) for lunch. Visit downtown MUNCHEN’s churches, museums, stores, Viktualien Markt (outdoor food market) and Rathaus (town hall) on Marienplatz to watch a glockenspiel and clock with animated mechanical figures that perform twice daily. Also, nearby at Dachau is the WW II concentration camp museum, which you can drive to in lieu of visiting Munich.
4	Wednesday, April 8	Miles: 400 Km / 248 M	Travel Day	MUNICH D / LANA I
In the morning drive through the picturesque German countryside and the villages. Stop at Priein am Chiemsee and take a boat to Herrenchiemsee, one of Ludwig II’s very ornate castles on an island. In the afternoon take the motorway down through Austria and the Alps at Brenner Pass at the Austrian / Italy border into the Trentino-Alto Aidge Region and the Dolomite Mountains continuing on to Lana, Italy, just a few km west of Bolzano. NOTE: Many of the towns in northwest Italy have both Italian and German names as prior to the end of WW I this area was a part of Austro-Hungarian Empire and a large percentage of the populace still speak only German.
5	Thursday, April 9	Miles:	Stay Over	LANA I (BOLZANO I)
Day visit, via public transportation (train), the use of which will be typical throughout this caravan, to the sights of Bolzano (Bozen) where you can visit the original “Otzi the Ice Man” on display at the South Tirol Museum of Archeology. There also are cable cars to the Oberbozen here, as well as shops and other interesting sights.
6	Friday, April 10	Miles: 186 Km / 115 M	Travel Day	LANA I / VERONA I
We begin the morning wandering the back roads through the mountain passes, the apple orchards and vineyards and then on to Verona. If you get in early enough you may want to begin your exploration of Verona.
7	Saturday, April 11	Miles:	Stay Over	VERONA I
We will venture into Verona via public transportation (bus) from our nearby campsite. Most all sights are in the charming old town area and are accessible via a self-guided walking tour. The sights range from the 1st century Roman arena (coliseum), to a Duomo (historic church), old medieval castles that are now museums and “Juliette’s Balcony” on the 13th century house once owned by Dal Cappello (Capulet) family.
8	Sunday, April 12	Miles: 173 Km / 107 M	Travel Day	VERONA I / PUNTA SABBIONI I (VENICE)
We head for Venice (Venezia) via Vicenza and enjoy the picturesque Italian countryside.
9	Monday, April 13	Miles:	Stay Over	PUNTA SABBIONI I (VENICE)
We will access Venice from our campground via public transportation (40 min boat ride). The boat docks near St. Mark’s square where you will find the Doge’s Palace, Clock Tower, St. Mark’s Basilica, Correr Museum and the pigeons. From there you can either walk or take a “Vapparetto” (motorized canal boat) to visit the National Archaeological Museum and Monumental Rooms of Marciana National Library within the museum, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Gallerie Accademia (*See Reservation Info.) and Scuola San Rocco. Remember, you can not get lost in Venice, as you are on an island, so explore.
10	Tuesday, April 14	Miles:	Stay Over	PUNTA SABBIONI I (VENICE)
FREE DAY or Continue with activities listed from the previous day.
11	Wednesday, April 15	Miles: 360 Km / 223 M	Travel Day	PUNTA SABBIONI I (VENICE) / FLORENCE I
Before we begin our drive south along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea we will go inland a ways to the sights of Padova (Padua). From there we return to the coast passing through Chioggia, which is describedas a smaller, less touristy version of Venice. Ravenna is a must stop to see its 1,500 year old churches and their West Byzantine mosaics. Then we leave the coast as we head inland to Florence where we camp in a campground situated on a hill in an olive grove, just below Michelangelo Piazza that overlooks Florence and across the river from the historic downtown area.
12	Thursday, April 16	Miles:	Stay Over	FLORENCE I
Again public transportation is the best way to get around the city. Michelangelo’s David is housed in the Accademia Galleria (*See Reservation Info.) along with numerous other sculptures and famous paintings. The Uffizi Gallery (*See Reservation Info.) houses some of the most famous paintings and sculptures in the world. You can also visit the Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) and Duomo museum, the Orsanmichele Church, the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, The Palatine Gallery.
13	Friday, April 17	Miles:	Stay Over	FLORENCE I
Continue with activities listed from the previous day.
14	Saturday, April 18	Miles: 96 Km / 60 M	Travel Day	FLORENCE I / CASCIANO DI MURLO I
We drive through the heart of Tuscany today. The “castles” that you will see dotting the country side are not “castles” at all, but medieval walled towns.
15	Sunday, April 19	Miles: 240 Km / 149 M	Travel Day	CASCIANO DI MURLO I / ROME I
We continue south leaving Tuscany to the hill country towns of Montepulciano (noted for its vino), Orvieto (Cathedral) and the ancient little village of Civita di Bagnoregio (walled medieval town).
16	Monday, April 20	Miles:	Stay Over	ROME I
Ah, Rome, where should we begin? We will take the the train into Rome via a free shuttle bus from our CG to the local train station. The information that we provide you will group the sights within a given area and you can decide, which of those you want to see. For now we will just give you a “laundry list” of sights available: The Colosseum; Palatine Hill; Imperial Palace; Circus Maximus; Iron Age Huts of Romulus and Remus; The Vatican; St. Peter’s Basilica,; Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel (*See Reservation Info.); The Forum; Arch of Titus; Basilica of Constantine; Temple of Julius Caesar; The Temple of Vesta; The Curia (Senate House); Temple of Saturn; Pantheon; Borghese Gallery (*See Reservation Info.).
17	Tuesday, April 21	Miles:	Stay Over	ROME I
FREE DAY or Continue with activities listed from the previous day.
18	Wednesday, April 22	Miles:	Stay Over	ROME I
Continue with activities listed from the previous day.
19	Thursday, April 23	Miles: 237 Km / 147 M	Travel Day	ROME I (Day trip to Ercolano)
Day trip to Ercolano (Herculaneum) ruins (smaller less crowded version of Pompeii). Herculaneum is a small and in some ways a better preserved version of Pompeii. It’s buildings were encapsulated by the volcanic mud and rock flow from the 79 AD Mt. Vesuvius eruption, thus preserving everything as it was,including carbonizing many of the original wood members. A number of the frescos and mosaics are alsowell preserved. Much of Herculaneum still remains under the town of Ercolano.
20	Friday, April 24	Miles: 394 Km / 244 M	Travel Day	ROME I / PISA I
We will be traveling the Mediterranean coast line through Tuscany, plan on a picnic today. Tarquinia has a UNESCO World Heritage site with 200 paintings in its Etruscan Necropolis that date from the 7th century BC. Be sure and walk into Pisa after you arrive and take advantage of the good soft light of the late afternoon sun for your photographs. Explore Pisa by walking from the campground (≈1 km). Visit the Piazza dei Miracoli, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its Duomo, Baptistery (the largest in Italy) and Camposanto Cemetery. Plus, the world famous leaning tower of Pisa. Have dinner in town and enjoy theevening.
21	Saturday, April 25	Miles: 116 Km / 72 M	Travel Day	PISA I / CINQUE TERRE I
Spend the morning in Pisa, before continuing on to Cinque Terre. Stop at the City of Lucca and walk all or part of its 2.5 mile rampart wall and get the feel of this ancient structure, parts of which date back 2,000 years to Roman origin. Arrive at Deiva Marina, which is a very short distance from the 5 Cities area (Cinque Terre), and begin to explore the area.
22	Sunday, April 26	Miles:	Stay Over	CINQUE TERRE I
Cinque Terre or the Five Villages area (Riomaggiore, Manarolo, Corniglia, Vernazza & Monterosso al Mare) borders the Cinque Terre National Park with many miles of hiking trails (a fee is charged to access them) and the area has some of the most pristine beaches along the Mediterranean coast. The best way to see the area is by the hourly local trains (they are very reasonably priced) or hike. Two of the villages are only a 15 minute walk apart along the “Amore Path”. Each of the villages has its own unique personality and charm.
23	Monday, April 27	Miles:	Stay Over	CINQUE TERRE I
FREE DAY or continue with activities listed from the previous day
24	Tuesday, April 28	Miles: 325 Km / 202 M	Travel Day	CINQUE TERRE I / MILAN I
We will take the motorways & back roads to the Parma / Piacenza area where, amongst other things there are 19 castles (The Castles of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza). The Castle of Torrechiara exists almostunchanged from the 15th century. There are other castle visits to choose from as we make our way to Milan (we have chosen 5 different castles for possible visitation). The city of Parma itself was founded in 183 BC as a Roman colony. Parma is also the home of “(Prosciutto) Parma hams.” Once we are “castled out” we will head on to Milan.
25	Wednesday, April 29	Miles:	Stay Over	MILAN I
Milan has a great subway system and we will use it along with other public transportation (bus). Visit the Duomo,with its treasury, Paleo-Christian Baptistery and museum, and the famous La Scala Opera House and Museum. The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana was built in 1648 AD to house Cardinal Federico Borromeo’s painting collection. Today it displays Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Portrait of a Musician” as well as a copy of his Codex Atlanticus (collected writings), plus works by Botticelli and Caravaggio. The Brera Art Gallery has Rapheal’s “Wedding of the Madonna,” Piero della Francesca’s “Madonna and Child with Four Angels” and Caravaggio’s “Supper at Emmaus,” plus many more outstanding works. Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” fresco is in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (*See Reservation Info.) A 3 hour Autostradalecity bus tour (€50) is another option and the tour includes a number of the places listed above, including“The Last Supper” fresco.
26	Thursday, April 30	Miles: 196 Km / 122 M	Travel Day	MILAN I / SUSTAN CH (ZERMATT)
We venture into Switzerland with the scenic drive over the Simplon Pass through the Italian/Swiss Alps.
27	Friday, May 1	Miles:	Stay Over	SUSTAN CH (ZERMATT)
Drive to Tasch, through the nearby village of Visp, then take the narrow-gauge train to Zermatt nestled in a snug little valley below the famous Matterhorn and weather permitting you will get to see the Matterhorn. There is also the village of LEUK nearby that was inhabited as far back as 2,400 BC and the site of many Roman artifacts.
28	Saturday, May 2	Miles: 199 Km / 123 M	Travel Day	SUSTAN CH / CHUR CH
Today we will head northeast through the Swiss Alps, taking the Fruka “car train” between Oberwald to Realp (15 min ride) ending up around Chur, Switzerland. If for some reason you have not yet gotten your fill of the Alps and are up for unique adventure and a hoot, stop in Oberwald and take the 2 hr ride, plus the shuttle bus trip back, on the Furka cogwheel steam Railway up the mountains.
29	Sunday, May 3	Miles: 195 Km / 121 M	Travel Day	CHUR CH / SCHWANGAU D
Scenic drive through alpen country via LIECHTENSTEIN, souvenirs in VADUZ (to prove you have been to LI) continuing on through mountain passes to Schwangau, D. Once you arrive in Schwangau visit the Neuschwanstein Castle (a Ludwig II castle) in the late afternoon when it is less crowded. You may also want to drive by the castle tonight to see it illuminated.
30	Monday, May 4	Miles: 58 Km / 36 M	Travel Day	SCHWANGAU D / OBERAMMERGAU D
Scenic drive to Oberammergau stopping at the newly restored “Church in the Meadow” in Wies, probably one of Germany’s finest Rococo-style churches. Then on to Rottenbuch to visit a church, which is very nondescript from the outside and even hard to recognize as a church, but the inside may be one of the most beautiful you will ever see. Travel to Linderhof and visit King Ludwig II hunting lodge, plan a picnic in the area. Then stop in Ettal at the Benedictine Abby. Spend the rest of the day exploring the beauty of this scenic area.
31	Tuesday, May 5	Miles: 375 Km / 233 M	Travel Day	OBERAMMERGAU D / BRUCK at the GROßG
We are off to Bruck at the Großglockner, as we head down through Innsbruck, A, dipping down into Italy briefly before heading east toward Leinz, A. We will then turn north through the Austrian Alps & the Hohe Tauem National Park on the Großglockner Straße. Watch for the turn off for the glacier. Have a picnic lunch in the Alps along the way (even if it has to be inside your RV, as it still may be on the “cool” side at this time of year). Stop at the summit. Then down into Bruck.
32	Wednesday, May 6	Miles:	Stay Over	BRUCK at the GROßGLOCKER A
FREE DAY to explore the area. You may want to look into the activities the campground has available.
33	Thursday, May 7	Miles:	Stay Over	BRUCK at the GROßGLOCKER A
Explore the ZELL AM SEE Alpine Region, Visit Kaprum Castle. Go to the Jausentation Unteraigen guest house, as the best Schnapps in the country is brewed in a small stone room called the Schnapsbrennereil and if a family member is available they may explain the process.
34	Friday, May 8	Miles: 95 Km / 59 M	Travel Day	BRUCK A / SALZBURG A
Visit nearby sights along the way to Germany. In the BERCHTESGADEN area you can tour Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest (weather permitting), tour a salt mine or visit nearby KONIGSEE where you can take a boat tour on this beautiful lake. Possibly stroll through the village of BERCHTESGADEN or take scenic drives in the alpen Overlap region surrounding the village.
35	Saturday, May 9	Miles:	Stay Over	SALZBURG A
FREE DAY or begin your sightseeing in SALZBURG today. Take the bus into the city or you may want to book a tour from the campground, such as the Sound of Music. In SALZBURG there is schloß Hellbrunn, Festung Hohensalzburg (castle that has never been destroyed), Mozart’s birthplace, the domplatz and museums . There is a lot to do and see in Salzburg and the surrounding area. The CG owners have a great restaurant!
36	Sunday, May 10	Miles:	Stay Over	SALZBURG A
FREE DAY. I am sure we can find something for us all to do today.
37	Monday, May 11	Miles: 143 Km / 89 M	Travel Day	SALZBURG A / MUNICH D
Head back to Munich wrapping up our adventure and get ready to head back to the USA.
38	Tuesday, May 12	Flying	Travel Day	MUNICH D / YOUR CITY USA-CDN
Leave the campground and check in your motorhome at the rental agency. Pair up for the taxi ride back to the Muenchen Airport. Fly to your city, USA / CDN with GREAT and WONDERFUL memories to last a lifetime!
CARAVAN “KITTY” FEE & OTHER INFO: "KITTY” FEE: There will not be any “kitty” fee for the 2009 caravan and any “group” activities will be by the participant's choice and any associated costs will be born by each individual or couple. †DATES: The start date for the 2010 Italy, Alps & the Mediterranean Caravan will be Sunday, April 4, 2010 and itwill end on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. *RESERVATIONS: The venues and/or attractions so marked in the above itinerary all REQUIRE an advance reservation if you desire to view these exhibits. We HIGHLY recommend that you make these reservations well in advance (the sooner the better), if you really want to visit these venues, and this can be done via the Internet or your travel agent. We personally use www.tickitaly.com, but there are many other online agencies to choose from. NOTE: If any tours are not self-guided then remember to ask for an English speaking one. Remember to look carefully at all of what you want to do when we are in a city where reserved attraction(s) occur and you may want to spread out your “reserved” event(s) over the different days and “fill in” the balance of a day with the “lesser” events, so you do not run yourself ragged trying to get from one reserved event to the next.
This itinerary may be changed or modified at any time without advance notice at the will of the caravan travel consultants. Thisitinerary is the exclusive property of Overseas RV Camping Caravans. Although the consultants have made every effort toprovide accurate, up-to-date information they accept no responsibility for loss, injury or inconvenience from unplanned sightseeing occurring to any person as the result of using this information © Jim & Sally Elmlinger 2008