From the shores of Lake Como and Lake Maggiore to the Alpine passes, departing from Milan, Monza, Bergamo, Como and Varese
Campervan hire in Lombardy is the way to explore the great Italian lakes at the foot of the Alps: the villas and terraced villages of Lake Como, the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore, Monte Isola on Lake Iseo, then the southern shore of Lake Garda. Our rental partners welcome you in Milan, Monza, Bergamo, Como, Varese and Verbania, from two-berth panel vans to family motorhomes for six.
Distances are short: Como is just 39 km from Milan as the crow flies, and each lake is an hour or two's drive away. You can link three lakes in a week, add Valtellina and the Stelvio Pass in summer, or head out from Bergamo towards Franciacorta and Lake Garda.
Anywhere Campers
Rental company category:Standard
Autocaravan Express
Rental company category:Standard
Avis Explore
Rental company category:Standard
Public rating of the rental company:
4.1/5
(506 reviews)
Blurent
Rental company category:Economy
McRent
Rental company category:Standard
Motorhomes Italy
Rental company category:Standard
Rent Easy
Rental company category:Premium
Choose your departure city: the map shows where rental companies hand over their vehicles.
The classic tour of the lake shaped like an upside-down Y: the villas of Cernobbio, the Strada Regina along the western shore to Menaggio, the wilder north towards Colico, then the eastern shore via Varenna and its stepped lanes to Lecco, on the eastern branch. The drive back to Monza or Milan takes less than an hour.
Bellagio, at the tip of the promontory, is best explored on foot: leave the vehicle in Varenna or Menaggio and cross by boat.
From Varese, the road descends to Laveno, where a car ferry carries vehicles across to Verbania on the Piedmont shore. The gardens of Villa Taranto, the Borromean Islands opposite Stresa and little Lake Orta, with the island of San Giulio, make up a peaceful loop that closes via Arona and the fortress of Angera.
Check before setting off that the ferry accepts your vehicle size; otherwise, drive round the southern end of the lake.
After Bergamo's upper town and its Venetian walls, the road heads for Lovere and follows Lake Iseo down to Iseo, where a boat serves Monte Isola, an island with almost no cars. The vineyards of Franciacorta and the city of Brescia lead on to the southern shore of Lake Garda and Sirmione, with its castle set on the water.
Sirmione's old town is closed to traffic: park in the car parks at the entrance to the peninsula.
North of Lake Como, Valtellina climbs the Adda valley between terraced vineyards and stone villages as far as Bormio and its thermal baths. The Stelvio Pass, one of the highest road passes in the Alps, is driven there and back before heading down via Aprica and Val Camonica, known for its rock carvings listed as a World Heritage Site.
The Stelvio only opens in summer and its tight hairpins are ill-suited to large vehicles: check that it is open and choose a panel van.
The best time to travel from one lake to the next: the villa gardens bloom in spring, the water warms up in June and September keeps the mildness of summer without the crowds. May is nevertheless the wettest month in the region, with heavy showers around Varese and Como: keep a few days in reserve.
Peak season on the lakes: lakeside roads jammed at weekends and villages overrun. Milan and the plain become sultry, with frequent storms late in the day. This is the time to head up to Valtellina, Bormio and the Stelvio Pass, or to seek cooler air by the water.
Two transitional months, cooler and quieter, with around ten hours of sunshine a day in April and seven to eight in October. Autumn often brings heavy rain to the lakes, offset by the colours of the Franciacorta and Valtellina vineyards. Some campsites open late or close early: check their dates.
A cold and often foggy season in the Po plain, with night frosts in January in Varese and Bergamo. The shores of Lake Como stay slightly milder, but many campsites and motorhome areas close. Snow cuts off the Alpine passes: winter is better spent in Milan, Bergamo and the art cities of the plain.
Milan and Monza to reach all the lakes, Como and Varese for Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, Verbania right on the shore of Lake Maggiore, and Bergamo for Lake Iseo, Valtellina and Lake Garda.
Beyond the daily rate, look at the equipment included, the cooking and bedding pack, insurance and options such as a bike rack. These differences from one depot to another affect the final cost: search with your exact dates.
First book the lakeside campsites on Lake Garda and Lake Como, which are snapped up in July and August, then stay flexible for the mountain stages, which are easier to find at the last minute.
Several depots are on the outskirts, in Caponago, Lodi, Gallarate or Curno near Bergamo: check the exact address and handover time. Bring your driving licence, an identity document and a credit card held by the main driver.
Milan, Bergamo, Como and most lakeside villages protect their historic centres with ZTLs, limited traffic zones monitored by cameras: every unauthorised entry triggers a fine sent to the rental company, then passed on to the driver. Park outside and ride the funicular up to Bergamo's upper town.
The roads along the lakes are narrow, squeezed between rock and water, with low tunnels and tricky passing points with buses, especially on the western shore of Lake Como and on the cliff roads above Lake Iseo. A panel van or compact motorhome slips through far more easily than a large over-cab model.
Lombardy's motorways are tolled: you take a ticket on entry and pay on exit. The Pedemontana (A36), north of Milan, has no barriers, however: your passage is recorded by camera and must be paid afterwards. Ask the rental company how this toll is settled to avoid fees and penalties.
At Italian filling stations, the servito pump, where an attendant fills the tank, costs more than the fai da te self-service. In Valtellina, Val Camonica or the valleys above Bergamo, stations become scarce and often switch to automatic payment in the evening: fill up before heading for the passes.
Departures are concentrated around Milan, with Anywhere Campers, Autocaravan Express, Avis Explore, McRent and Motorhomes Italy, and in Monza with Rent Easy. Closer to the lakes, Anywhere Campers rents in Como and Varese, Rent Easy in Varese, Motorhomes Italy in Bergamo and Blurent in Verbania. Blurent also offers pick-ups in Castiglione Olona near Varese, Madonna delle Grazie north of Milan and Clusone above Bergamo.
Best avoided. The centre is covered by Area C, which charges for access, and almost the whole city by Area B, a low-emission zone that bans certain vehicles according to their engine type and Euro standard. Check the current rules and opt for a campsite or park-and-ride on the outskirts, linked to the metro.
Lugano and Ticino are very close to Como and Varese, and many travellers pass through to link the lakes. First check that the rental company allows you to leave Italy, then find out about the Swiss motorway charge, which depends on the vehicle's weight, and the customs rules for goods carried on board.
Lake Maggiore charms with its gardens and Borromean Islands, Lake Como with its villas and villages clinging to the slopes, at the cost of the narrowest roads. Smaller and quieter, Lake Iseo suits families well, while Lake Garda offers the most campsites and water sports.
A week is enough to link two lakes from Milan or Bergamo. In ten days you can string together Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and Lake Iseo with a stop in Bergamo, and two weeks leave time to add Valtellina, the Stelvio Pass in summer and the Lombard shore of Lake Garda without long drives.
Cooldrive was very attentive and very responsive in all situations. We received valuable assistance in the steps to be taken. I highly recommend it.
The person answered my questions before I confirmed the booking. The van matched my order well with extras. During my trip, I had a little issue that had nothing to do with Cooldrive. I appreciated that the person took the time to call me back. No bad surprises, only good ones. Highly recommended.
Always easy, quick, and courteous. After several rentals, I highly recommend CoolDrive.
Rental motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes can be driven with a category B car licence. A licence issued in the European Union is sufficient; with a licence issued outside the EU, an international driving permit or an official translation may be required: check before you travel. Age requirements and years of driving experience vary by rental company and are stated in each offer.
Aree di sosta, motorhome-only parking areas that usually charge a fee, are plentiful near the lakes and the art cities, most with a service point for water and waste. Campsites offer more comfort by the water. Overnight parking elsewhere depends on each municipality's bylaws: check the signs before settling in.
In Lombardy, many mountain roads and some motorway sections require winter tyres or snow chains on board during the cold season, usually from mid-November to mid-April. Signs announce it at the start of the sections concerned. Check with the rental company that the vehicle is equipped if you are heading for Valtellina or the valleys above Bergamo.
Yes, many motorhomes can be hired with a bike rack as an option. In Italy, any load projecting at the rear must be marked with a red and white striped panel, or you risk a fine: check that one comes with the bike rack. The lakeside cycle paths and the Sentiero Valtellina are well suited to bike rides.
Not always. From Milan, nearly two thirds of the offers surveyed include it, but it becomes rare in Bergamo and was absent from the offers surveyed in Monza: extra kilometres are then charged beyond the allowance. For a loop of the lakes the distance stays modest; if you add the Stelvio or Lake Garda, compare the allowances.
From winter onwards for a July or August departure, but also for the Italian long weekends that fill the lakes: Easter, 25 April, 1 May and 2 June. 15 August, Ferragosto, marks the peak of the season. In the low season, except around Christmas, a few weeks are enough to find a vehicle.
Lombardy packs landscapes that seem worlds apart into a small area: the Po plain and its rice fields, the great glacial lakes lined with villas and gardens, then the Alpine valleys rising towards the glaciers of the Ortles and the Stelvio. A motorhome lets you move from one to the next as the mood takes you, sleep facing the water and reach the villages early in the morning, before the tour coaches arrive.
With departures from Milan, Monza, Bergamo, Como, Varese and Verbania, every lake is within easy reach of a depot. The region also lends itself to combined trips: a week on the lakes makes a first circuit, and the road then continues to the Dolomites, Veneto or Liguria for a grand tour of northern Italy.
