El autumn it is a magical station that allows you to discover places in a new light. With less overcrowding of travelers than during the summer and more pleasant temperatures, we will enjoy unique moments in which nature transforms and adopts warmer colors. Ultimately, it is about one of the best times of the year to travel by motorhome. We already gave you our favorite autumn destinations in Spain and now it is the turn of other European countries. Here are our 5 favourites.
Autumn in Tuscany
La Italian region of Tuscany It offers spectacular landscapes in autumn and events related to wine and products of this time of year, such as chestnuts.
The color change of the Chianti vineyards invites you to enjoy a journey through the towns that dot this wine region. And if you can, don't forget to put your bicycle in the trunk of the motorhome, since a ride on it along the small rural paths will make you discover churches, castles, villas and wineries with a special charm.
San Gimignano, known as the “medieval Manhattan” due to the height of its towers and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is an essential stop, but so are other towns, such as Volterra or Cortona.
As a curiosity, do not miss the Mugello Chestnut Trail in Marradi, an itinerary in which chestnut groves dominate the landscape and where, in each season, restaurants prepare their dishes combining the typical products of the territory, mushrooms and truffles and the "Buona Chestnut", offering delicious and innovative menus that have these ingredients as their theme, from appetizer to dessert.
To spend the night, there are different motorhome areas close to the Tuscan towns, including Greve in Chianti or even very close to Florence, if you prefer to enjoy a larger city.
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Lakes, waterfalls and streams in 30.000 hectares of impressive nature is what you will find in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, recognized as a Nature Reserve by UNESCO since 1979.
Their beech forests make it an ideal autumn destination, where you can contemplate the change in color of the leaves of these trees, which represent almost 75% of its vegetation. In this place you can also contemplate a 76-meter-high waterfall or the “travertine” phenomenon, as the “miracle” is known that turns moss into rock as the water deposits lime.
The Park has 16 lakes, 12 in the upper part and 4 in the lower part, so if you want to visit it calmly, you will need at least a couple of days to do so. Do not miss Lake Milanovac, where you can see one of the most important waterfalls, Milka Ternina, named after one of the most famous opera singers in Croatia.
Keep in mind that Croatia has quite restrictive legislation for motorhomes and it does not allow spending the night on the street or in public parking lots, under a fine. To spend the night, you can opt for some of the campsites that are a few kilometers away, leaving the territory occupied by the National Park, such as the Campsite Kpray or the Camping Zelena Dolina, among others.
Scottish woodland in Autumn
Do you dare to make the jump from the mainland… and drive on the left? Scotland, in the north of the UK, is a wonderful destination at any time of year, including autumn.
The country is home to national parks and protected areas where you can enjoy the autumn landscapes and, among all of them, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. It is the perfect place to enjoy a good time by the water, looking at the tops of the snowy mountains or strolling through the forest that surrounds the lake.
It is the largest lake in Great Britain and, according to many, the most beautiful too. From there you can see the southernmost “munro” in Scotland: Ben Lomond. A "munro" is a Scottish mountain with a height above 3.000 feet (or 910 meters, so that we understand each other), and they are named after Sir Hugh Munro, who produced the first compilation of a catalog of such hills, known as the Munro's Tables.
If the weather is good, you can enjoy a kayak or canoe ride by the lake, or stroll through the “Trossachs”, a landscape known as “the Highlands in miniature”.
At bedtime, there are different campsites bordering the entire lake, as well as a caravanning area in the southern zone, open from April to October.
German black forest
Autumn colors in its forests, hiking trails, lakes, charming villages and... giant cuckoo clocks! These are just some of the interesting things that we are going to find at this time of year in the Black Forest, a wooded and mountainous area located in the southwestern part of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg.
Half of the region is occupied by two natural parks, declared UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, so, as you can imagine, the landscapes that you are going to cross are spectacular.
El Lake Titisee and its surroundings will leave you speechless, but so will the wutach river gorge, known as the Grand Canyon of the Black Forest, or the waterfall that the Gutach river forms when it plunges over granite slabs, giving rise to the highest jump in Germany, about 150 m, in Triberg. Precisely in Triberg you can start the so-called Clock Road, a 320 km circular route where you can see the largest cuckoo clocks in the world.
And if you want to see cities, the medieval quarter of Freiburg is well worth a visit, as well as that of Gengenbach, so fairytale that scenes from the movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” were filmed in its streets.
To spend the night, you can opt for the area of Lake Titisee, with water filling and emptying service; the Triberg motorhome area, or the Gengenbach-area, among many other options.
Loire Valley, in France
The autumn light reflects wonderfully on the facades of the French Loire Valley castles, without forgetting the colors of the forests that surround them, and that is why it is one of our choices in terms of autumn destinations to visit by motorhome.
In the Gallic territory there are thousands of castles that can be visited throughout all its regions, the Loire Valley being one of the most prolific. From medieval fortresses to Renaissance castles, neoclassical mansions and formal gardens, there is something for everyone. Twenty-two of them are classified as "Great Sites" and have contributed to this region being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To be able to visit them all, it takes a few days but, if you have to choose, our favorites are Chambord, closely related to the figure of Leonardo da Vinci, who designed the double helix staircase and the Greek cross structures (although he died before the works began); the of Chenonceau, known as “Castle of the Ladies” for the many women who contributed their embellishment touch, such as Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis, to name the best known; and the one of Azay-le-Rideau, which is located on an island, surrounded by a romantic XNUMXth century English garden. The Renaissance gardens of the Villandry Castle, whose trees and bushes take on beautiful colors with golden reflections in autumn.
At the time of spending the night, an excellent option is the Chambord motorhome areaAs well as Chenonceaux-area and in the Villandry.
Difficult choice, right? Any of these 5 European motorhome destinations is an excellent idea if you can enjoy vacations at this time of year. And remember that, if you do not have a motorhome, you can visit our rental section and book one of our vehicles to carry out that dream trip.