Our plan was to swiftly pass through Italy on our way to France. From Pollino, we drove along the shores of Lake Maggiore, making a quick stop in the charming village of Feriolo, which felt remarkably Swiss despite being in Italy. It had that quintessential Swiss mountain village vibe. Continuing along the lakeside road towards the south, we enjoyed breathtaking views of the lake, passing by landmarks like Palazzo Borromeo, which could be a fantastic and interesting excursion. However, this time we just admired it from the shore. Someday, we’ll have to return to explore the lakes of Northern Italy: Lake Garda, Lake Como, and Lake Maggiore.
Outlet Shopping village next to Milan
From the southern tip of Lake Maggiore, we headed towards the Italian Riviera, the Ligurian coast, via the A26 and E25 highways. Along the way, we made a shopping stop at the Vicolungo The Style Outlets village. We had visited here on a previous trip, so it was familiar, and we made some small purchases once again. One positive aspect of traveling by car is not having to worry about luggage weight limits ๐
The outlet village offers a wide range of stores, around 150 in total, as well as plenty of restaurants, making it easy to spend a day here. Parking areas are extensive, so finding a spot is easy. The outlet village is relatively accessible from Milan, about an hour’s drive from the city center, and apparently, there’s also a direct bus from Milano Largo Cairoli stop.
Accommodation in Italian Riviera
From Vicolungo, we continued towards the coast, driving along the Italian Riviera as the evening approached. We booked a stay at Hotel San Matteo, located just before the city of Imperia. For these overnight stays, where we arrive in the evening and leave in the morning/early afternoon, we don’t have major criteria; as long as the place seems reasonably clean and is roughly along our route, it’s good. This accommodation served its purpose well, and the price was 64 โฌ per night.
From there, it was only about 60 km to the French border, enjoying the scenery along the way.
The Border Officer’s Disbelief at the Italy-France Border
At the French border, we experienced our first car inspection of this trip. By this point, we had been traveling for well over a month and had crossed the borders of 16 countries. When crossing the Italy-France border, the first border officer wanted to see inside the car.
I’m not sure if the border officer felt a slight despair upon seeing the inside of the car because at this stage of the trip, things weren’t exactly pristine; the back seat and trunk were rather chaotic with items scattered about. The inspection remained superficial, a quick glance into the back seat and trunk, without the need to delve deeper into the belongings. Everything was fine, and we were allowed to continue our journey.
From there, we continued towards Monaco, bypassing it, and headed towards the Nice area in search of suitable accommodation.
