The Amber way

THE JOURNEY: + car caravans through Switzerland (tunnel SanBernardino - less traffic Gotthard or Brenner), Austria (Bregenz need to get out from Germany to resume, or buy the "cartoon" for a few km of motorway in Austria) and Germany (Munich - Regensburg - border with Czech Rep.) .. When you return back to Germany from Poland in Frankfurt am Oder on the comfortable (and free) German motorways from Nurnberg rientramo in Switzerland for Bregenz revisit the tunnel SanBernardino.
THE CREW: Sonia, and Pierpaolo Alessio

 

LA VIA DELL'AMBRA

THE STAGES

PRAHA - km 864 - Virtually the entire motorway (apart from the crossing of Bregenz and a short stretch in Germany); czech highway provides the purchase of a vignette (€ 6.5 x15gg) to be applied to the windshield (you pay just past the border with Czech koruna, which are changed at a rate not very convenient) - Camping Sunny (www.sunny-camp.cz), to book via e-mail. Follow the directions on the website can be reached within minutes from the highway is where you come from Plzen to Brno from Absolutely recommendable, good structure, professional and friendly staff, is a few hundred meters from a stop meters and a few meters from a large supermarket where you will find an ATM. In the city must do some 'attention to the prices of restaurants and bars because some try to take advantage of the large influx of tourists, we ate well spending three € 26 (Rest. U Kocek dvou - For two cats) in a restaurant in the center, but attended almost exclusively by Czechs. In the bottom of St. Wenceslas Square to visit a small memorial to Jan Palach, the guide does not mention Routard and the monument is really small and ill-kept: it is perhaps to be forgotten?

KRAKOW - km 508 - Excellent highway czech Olomuc until then, good highway to the border with Poland. Customs hasty, but with short inspection of the caravan. The road to hell is an KRAKOW: work in progress, continues to jump the road, alternating one-way streets, nell'asfalto deep ruts left by the shooting, traffic, presence of agricultural resources, it would have been much better to take the motorway to Katowice and from there always on the motorway (fee) to reach KRAKOW. Along the bypass KRAKOW campsites are not listed (it will be a constant in Poland!), Or from Zakopane to at Oswiecim (Auschwitz) to the city center, you meet the Camping Smok: good structure, recently renovated, cost about € 25 x night. The town is reached by bus or taxi (at p. 3 becomes convenient). The car should be discouraged because the center is all pedestrian and public transport works well. From KRAKOW to Auschwitz excursion (about 60km) and the salt mine Wielizka (30Km). Good restaurant 1km from the campsite (Srebrna Gora 3p x € 23). In KRAKOW we tried one of the old tables of the past regime indicated by Routard (Bar Grodzka in Ulica Grodzka) that was ultimately good for a paltry (about € 10 x 3p).

WARSAW - 388 km, from Katowice and Czestochowa, Czestochowa A we found a large parking along the street to go to the shrine. The expressway from WARSAW to Katowice is discrete, although the furrows of TIR will encounter many "motorway" where you can stay comfortably and there is always a cheap restaurant but the spaces are ample and you can dine in caravans. The edge of the road is often long lines of improvised sellers of blueberries and mushrooms. The 123 campsites can be reached easily: Just coming from KRAKOW guess turning left along the vialone leading to the center of WARSAW. The camp has discrete services, cheap (about € 15 a night), but rather small space and therefore you should not arrive late in the evening. E 'near a bus stop to the city center, which can also be reached by car, as there are numerous car parks. At 123 we met with a family of friends caravan departed from Milan a few days after us, we must say that the suspense telefonini remove these events from a distance ... Lunch at Bar mleczny in Nowy Swiat, one of the old popular canteens, in the pedestrian street of the historic center, quality and price guaranteed! Curious about the market at the old football stadium on the other side of the river, where you will find everything at unbelievable prices.

Bialowieza - The 230 km road is discreet: a large but very busy in the first leg, closer, but no traffic when you stray to Bielsk Podlaski, Interesting to see the modern Orthodox Church of Hajnowka. In Bialowieza, there are two camps, the first is a large lawn, the second, slightly more forward, more attractive because it is in the woods, both services have very Spartan. We were guests (at a ridiculous cost) in the garden of a house where rooms are rented. In front of our campsite (private) is the mythical home of Boris, who for years has been with the Italians in the visit of the forest, and the always enjoy chatting with her Italian learned during the war, but is now retired and limited to acting as intermediaries in the book excursions.

Wigry - 220 km Many work in progress with one-way alternating first Augustow, lengthening the time needed to travel. The campsite Folwark Stary, despite the excellent location on Lake Wigry, is a true disaster: the services are completely abandoned. For now it is unbearable. Good instead a "new" camping in front of the monastery of Wigry. It is found by following the signs to the monastery, which was transformed into a hotel. For dinner we chose the Holiday Hotel in Stary Folwark along the road that connects Suwalky a Seiny: beautiful, discreet kitchen € 24 in 3rd Park and Lake Wigry are an excellent opportunity for holiday: everywhere, even in our camp, we rent boats and canoes and there are many marked trails in the woods.

Palanga - 365 km Excellent road (one of the best in Tuttti travel), both in Poland and Lithuania, where there is even a freeway from Kaunas to Klaipeda. The border crossing after Szypliski you in an instant with a surface control documents. Many (like in Poland) fuel pumps, again with ample parking, everywhere you pay by credit card (without supplements). A few km from Palanga, we meet a parade of people sitting on the edge of the highway, which, with huge signs, hospitality in their homes. The search of the camp is not easy: the classic, shown on the Lonely Planet is practically unusable: mud everywhere, and services that do not receive maintenance for many years. On the advice of the Police, after the town, to Liepaja, the intersection for Kretinga, there are two camps: the first, right at a well-kept lawn, with services such as chemicals that are to big concerts, the second right, 100 meters on the road to Kretinga is a forest of fir trees in a beautiful. Services ... A flying Palanga there are two good supermarkets open till 23-24. The pedestrian boulevard that leads to the sea is an incredible parade of bars, restaurants, discos, night, with a crowd in motion, music, sounds, lights ... We dined discreetly in a sailor-style restaurant (€ 28 in 3 ) with contours of the music of local star Vitalja, we were able to hear the "When m'innamoro" (Anna Identical) in Lithuanian! From Klaipeda, take the ferry to Neringa peninsula, there are no indications, but following the road that runs along the harbor you can see the queue of cars waiting to board. Neringa is a National Park and after landing you pay a ticket of entry. The prices of restaurants (we did stop in Nida) are slightly 'more expensive than in Palanga. A Palanga another rendez-vous with two pairs of friends who will visit the Baltic republics.

RIGA - Enjoy the 310 km road, though with some dirt in Lithuania. At the border control of documents and also the car caravan. At the entrance of Jurmala would need to purchase a ticket from a vending machine. We have no local currency and police enables us to reach the ticket without camping Nemo. The camp is discrete: the services are still sore because I'm insufficient if the facility is crowded. There is also a swimming pool with water slides and the camp overlooks a beautiful beach. The distance from town is remarkable (35km), there are bus lines that do not stop where it is already full. We after a couple of attempts we have used the car. In RIGA, there is another camp that unfortunately is only reported at the city, you see the sign right after the main bridge over the river towards Jurmala. If you come from the south must pass the bridge and then go back. In RIGA we parked on the river without any problems, but continued toward the center there are numerous car parks kept. At peak hours there is a lot of traffic, but overall the city is very pleasant to visit. Do not neglect a visit to the neighborhood art-nouveau houses, near the area of embassies.

TALLIN - The 360 km road in Latvia, RIGA is just outdated bad: Only works in progress. The border of Ainazi is quite rapid with the usual control of the documents even cars and caravans. The road in Estonia is very good. In Tallinn we try to stop before the city to Peoleo camping, but the place is truly horrible: the parking lot of the same name, in the midst of bus and trucks, among rocks and dust. We go camping at the City, unfortunately the other side of the city, of course without any indication, the place is special because it is the parking lot asphalted road of a sports hall, campers enjoy the services of gyms, very clean and in order (€ 70 for 3 nights). A few km to the north, after the camp. you can find the rest. Bermuda (€ 28 x 3p): discrete. Between camp. and restaurant is an excellent supermarket open until 23. In addition to visiting Tallinn and its Old Town, we spent a day in Helsinki, from the port of TALLIN start three companies that hydrofoils in an hour and a half lead comfortable navigation in Helsinki. They have different prices and compare them because it offers are in keeping with the times. We, in 3 we have spent € 66 (to 8.30 / returns 18.30) with the company Tallink. In Helsinki, public transportation is very expensive and is cheap to buy tickets daily.

Muhu - 150 km Great way to ferry between Virtsu and Kuivasto, the ferry leaves every hour. A few questions you can meet on Sundays because it decreases the number of races. Stay in a beautiful campsite at Liiva; arriving by ferry on the right of the main road there is a small supermarket, left just after a restaurant adjacent to the restaurant there is a small campsite with bungalows. The roads, both in Muhu, Saaremaa which are mostly unpaved, beside the main ferry port to the lighthouse. Kuressaare after you meet a couple of beautiful campsites (at least viewed from the outside). We dined in luxurious Italian cuisine restaurant in the Pearl of Kuressaare (vi capitati us for the event because it was very late), the quality is just fair and the price is € 40 x 3p; Estonia is still some 'most expensive of two other Baltic republics and Poland itself. Muhu Saarema and have a pleasant place to spend a few days. The coast with the sea is more beautiful than facing Finland.

TRAKAJ - 580 km This stage is one of the longest of the trip and, given the road conditions, especially in Latvia, can not be exhausted in one day. Our program had to stop before then RIGA, in one of the campsites that had the visas referred to same on the road, while the camps, or do not exist, or are planning to build in the future, or have only bungalows and spaces for the caravans are not viable. Then continue until Bauskas (km 330) where we stop in a kind of farm: there are at least a pair and are designated along the road to the palace of Pilsrundale. Bauskas between RIGA and we dined in a restaurant (€ 32 x3p) with ample parking on the far left from the road, which also lends itself for a possible overnight. The road in Lithuania is very good, in Vilnius there are camping and we stop the excellent Camping Slenyje Lake TRAKAJ (32 km from the capital). The visit to Vilnius is accomplished easily in half a day, dinner in one of the many restaurants (€ 25 p x3) on the lake in front of the illuminated castle is one of the worst of the whole trip.

MIKOLAIKJ - The 320 km road to discrete Augustow becomes increasingly narrow and very spoiled by the fund, and the journey times must be calculated taking into account the very low speed. Just prior to joining MIKOLAIKJ find details of the Kama camping on the right, toward Talty. The camp is situated on the banks of Lake Talty after a few km of a road quite close: it is new, built with modern standards and it is frequented by German and Dutch holidays. The prices are slightly higher than those of the old camping Polish (€ 18.50 x3p). Even the choice to stop a MIKOLAIKJ will be apt: the town is pleasant, collection of more Mragowo Gyzicko and we visit the next day. In the center there are numerous apparent inviting restaurants, we tried the pizza "Kuhne swiata", with live music (€ 13 x3p) and a nice kiosk (€ 17 x3p) on the other side of the bridge (as opposed to pizza ). MIKOLAIKJ offers all forms of entertainment related to the lake and water sports (at very inviting), just outside the village towards Mragowo there is a new golf course, nearby, including forests, lakes and ponds, are the infinite opportunities for hiking, walking or mountain biking. For lovers of mushrooms the area is a real guarantee of success.

GDANSK (Jantar) - 231km - bad way to Olsztyn, then definitely improves. We make a stop in Malbork (km 215) where we visit the castle. A Malbork is a campsite (right before the bridge over the river), and some parking at the entrance to the castle where we stopped comfortably by caravan. For the visit takes about 3 hours. Malbork From there we carried on the coast east of Danzig where we stopped in at Jantar a good campsite on the shores of the Baltic, in a pine forest, is a former state campground, very cheap (€ 8 x 3p), with services to be restructured few. In the period where we were (late August) it was practically empty, so the trial should be revised in the middle of the season. Just outside the camp, there are many outdoor restaurants, simple kiosks that offer particularly fried fish and chips. Recommend a good restaurant in Stegna (just right after the intersection, coming from Malbork). From Jantar Danzica to achieve, or back on the state or must face a queue for the ferry that stops Wisla on the coastal road. In GDANSK many car parks in the center solve the problem of parking. Lunch in a former canteen on State Road (recommended by the guide Routard) will prove a disappointment, both for the quality and the lack of friendliness of staff, is the first time that happens to us in Poland.

BERLIN - Km 478 - The road is generally good, always interesting landscapes through. We make a stop in Gorzow (km 346) where we stop in a swimming pool with water slides, whirlpool tub and a magnificent 50m from racing, the complex is modern, well-maintained and economical. Unico neo, as usual, is not indicated on the road and we have found by chance by following the signs to the border of Kostrzyn. At customs we find a queue of dozens of media and therefore we dirigimo a surprisingly Slubice where there is none. In a moment, crossed in Frankfurt / Oder, on Germany and we are to arrive tonight to Camping Krossinsee (Niederlehme exit then follow the signs), the choice is apt, the campground is spacious, in a beautiful forest on the banks to a lake, there is a restaurant, a little 'hazy, but all in all economic and discreet. BERLIN metro x takes only a few kilometers from the camp, stop Grunau (in theory you can get even with the media before a bus and then a tram, but in front of the metro station is a convenient parking). And 'cheap buy daily ticket (€ 14.80 x 3p). For lunch we followed to the satisfaction of the Board Lonely Planet: kebab from Schlemmerbuffet in Rosenthaler Platz. A zone, little advertised, that we rather liked a lot is to Bergmannstrasse with its local tables. The next day we left (very calm ...) and, along the German motorways still comfortable after a night spent in a wide pitch around Ulm, we have reached Assago. From BERLIN there are about 1050 km.


THE NUMBERS:
Fri starting July 29
Arrival Mon August 29
total 8000 Km
6054 km with the caravan for towing
Total costs € 2700.00
diesel € 469.00
Highway € 80,00
camping € 500 (approx.)