#38tour

Roundtrip Cologne - Croatia, August/September 2019

Stellplatz P1 am Solebad

Weinbrenner Str.

Pitches: 30 pitches on gravel and paving. Ramps may be necessary.

Daily Charges: 6,00€ plus fresh water 1,00€/5 minuten, electricity 2,00 per kilowatt hour, Kurtaxe after the first night 2,50€ per person, shower in the Solebad 2,00€. With two persons, one free entrance to the Solebad/ Sauna.

Location: This self-service site is located next to the spa gardens which were created for the regional garden show in 2008. A further 16 pitches have been added at the edge of the woods above the gardens. Registration is at the desk of the Solebad about ten minutes walk from the site. As well as being very reasonably priced, new visitors receive a voucher, two for the price of one, to RappSoDie thermal baths and or sauna. Although it doesn‘t look great from the outside, it is well worth visiting the beautiful saunas. It is really top class with a variety of saunas both inside and outside in the gardens which also has a natural swimming pond complete with croaking frogs and water birds. It also has a stylish restaurantbwith a varied menu.

Next to the site there are plenty of walks for dogs either in the woods or the outskirts of the spa gardens. There is a café in the gardens which also serves simple meals and not far away the local tennis club also a restaurant open to the public. Supermarkets are quite a distance away.

Conclusion: A site that we use regularily and would always recommend.

The following day the weather was a little better, not quite so wet but still grey and miserable. Being a Sunday however the roads were quieter and we made better progress. Unlucklily we missed a turn off on the motorway and had to make a small detour in the Hohenloher Land but eventually we got to Bad Rappenau one our usual last stops before Köln.

Camping Resort Zugspitze

Griesener Strasse 9

Pitches: 75 top pitches + 50 premium pitches on gravel

Daily Charges: 48,40€ (September 2019) All inclusive

Location: This top class site, although expensive, offers high quality. Each pitch is quite large, is level and has its own fresh water and chemical toilet disposal point. The premium pitches also each have their own bathroom. Everywhere there are wonderful views of the Zugspitze especially in the front row. The main building houses the reception, a bistro, modern toilets and showers, a laundry, dish washing and drying room. On the second floor there is a beautiful wellness area with three saunas, tastefully decorated relaxation areas and a large sundeck all with panorama views of the mountains. On the floor above there is a fitness room and massages and treatments can be booked. At the reception you can hire eBikes. The bistro provides a breakfast buffet and afternoon coffee and cakes. On some evenings there is a barbeque. At the entrance to the site is also the Schmölzer Wirt Restaurant which serves regional and international dishes.

Very close by are two supermarkets, Aldi and Edeka and across the road in the sister camping site there is a shop with camping equipment.

The reception also provides you with the Grainau Card which gives you free travel on the buses to, for example, Garmisch Partenkirchen or the Eibsee. It also gives you some discounts on the Zugspitzbahn, cable cars and some shops.

Conclusion: A favourite site of ours to which we are always glad to return.

The following morning we awoke to heavy clouds and rain. The expected bad weather had arrived. The weather forecasts predicted that it would continue in the alps and in Germany for at least the next few days. We had decided the previous night that we would try to get back home to Köln quickly and made the decision in the morning to take the most direct route and use the Brenner motorway.

We packed up quickly, paid our dues and then drove down through Sexten into the valley. That went fairly quickly but once in the valley and on the road to the Brenner our troubles started. It was a Saturday and the end of the holidays in Bavaria so there was a lot of traffic. Added to that there were major roadworks which made our progress all the way to Sterzing very slow. Just past Sterzing, frustrated by the busy roads, we stopped for a welcome break for some coffee and a bite to eat.

Once we got back on the road our progress was a little faster until we started to approach Innsbruck where it was just stop-and-go the whole time and in really miserable weather. We planned to drive to Bad Wörishofen to stopover for the night but as our navi was predicting more jams ahead we changed our plans, took a detour and drove to Grainau instead. We gave the site a call from the van just to make sure we would have a pitch after the long drive and eventually we arrived there in pouring rain in the early evening.

Caravan Park Sexten

St.-Josef-Straße 54 / Via San Giuseppe

Pitches: 268 on gravel. Ramps may be necessary

Daily Charges: 46,50€ (September 2019). Electricity ca. 1,00€ pro Kilowatt hour, charged on departure. Local tax 1,35€ per Person. Fresh water and disposal free of charge.

Location: This beautifully situated campsite lies between the Kreuzberg Pass and the village of Sexten. It is surrounded by the magnificent peaks of the dolomite mountains in the Drei Zinnen Region of Südtirol (south Tyrol). The pitches are laid out in three main areas, are pretty level and have electricity, fresh water, waste water drain as well as some which have a gas connection and a tv connection. Most pitches are for normal motorhomes and caravans but there are also extra large pitches for the very long luxury liners. On site there are three buildings housing modern showers and toilets as well as dishing washing rooms, laundries and drying rooms. Dogs are also taken care for with dog showers and an exercise area.

The reception and check in is the central hotel building which also houses two restaurants. Adjacent is the large and very modern swimming pool and sauna department. This is of the highest of standards and offers a wide range of saunas, relaxation areas and treatments. Entrance costs 21,00€ per person plus any treatments or massages. The restaurants have also a very high standard offering a wide range of international and regional dishes.

Also on site is a large shop with a wide range of foods and wines, clothing and souvenirs. Further more on offer are a number of sports activities including mountain bike hire and climbing or dog training courses with further activities such as horse riding or golf close by and in the winter of course skiing.

Directly next to the campsite is a stopover parking lot for short stay motorhomes with overnight prices of around 35,00€. Close by is also the motorhome service area for grey water disposal, chemical toilet disposal and equipment for washing and cleaning your motorhome.

Alongside the hotel there are also a number of holiday lodges for rent including a large tree house!

In short they have thought of almost everything!

Conclusion: A top class site that covers almost every wish. Certainly one of the most expensive sites we have ever stayed upon but the quality of the services is outstanding. Highly recommended is a visit in the swimming pool/ sauna/wellness department. The food and service in the restaurant is extremely good.