http://www.ilmessaggero.it/articolo.php?id=27581&sez=HOME_ROMA

If you're a tourist driving the Lago di Bolsena area and you happen upon the village of Grotte di Castro, you might want to turn around before it costs you. Or at least don't try to reach the lake from there.

It seems the mayor of G di C has instituted a "toll collection point" on the road that accesses the beach @ Lake Bolsena. 1 euro/person for locals and 5 Euro(!!!) PER PERSON for tourists. Of course, if you're not going to the lake on this road, it doesn't matter... you still pay.

BTW, this is while tourism in the Viterbo region is reported to be abnormally low so far in July. (http://www.tusciaweb.it/notizie/2008/luglio/13_10turismo.htm)

Il articolo in italiano per "Il Messagero":

Bolsena, un ticket per arrivare al lago:
proteste contro il sindaco

(http://www.ilmessaggero.it/articolo.php?id=27581&sez=HOME_ROMA#)VITERBO (12 luglio) - Istituito dal sindaco di Grotte di Castro, Alessandro Viviani, un pedaggio (1 euro per i residenti e 5 per i non residenti) per accedere all'unica strada che conduce alla spiaggia del lago di Bolsena. Ticket che, nell'ordinanza del sindaco, viene motivata con l'esigenza di coprire le spese per la manutenzione dell'arenile. È pero sorto subito un problema: lo sbarramento della strada impedisce il transito anche a coloro che non debbono o non vogliono recarsi al lago. E le proteste fioccano. «Se il comune avesse deciso di istituire dei parcheggi a pagamento - dice l'assessore provinciale di Viterbo Antonio Rizzello - non ci sarebbero stati problemi. Ma a Grotte di Castro si è transennata l'unica strada d'accesso e si fa pagare il pedaggio a tutti i veicoli in transito. La spiaggia - aggiunge Rizzello - non ha parcheggi, non ci sono strisce né aree di sosta, per cui l'unico modo per fare cassa era il pedaggio sulla strada». Nella zona, inoltre, non ci sono bagni pubblici , perché non c'è nemmeno la rete fognaria né altri servizi. «È evidente - conclude Rizzello - che il ticket, oltre ad essere illegittimo, è anche assolutamente ingiustificato».

Well I was just a month ago in Bolsena and in Bolsena the lake has free access. However you have to pay Euro 5 for parking for one day if you are a tourist - If you are a resident or own a house in Bolsena is 10 Euro for 1 year ( that is the one I pay ).

VERY good to know -- thanks Paolo. We hear that there is no free parcheggio in Bolsena (unless your hotel offers it) for tourists. But walking shouldn't be too bad there. (Unless we're missing something, it doesn't seem to be that big a village.)

This is simply illegal, hope someone does something to stop this organized theft.
And then I hope no tourist at all goes there no more.

E lo stesso qui in California. They charge fees at certain lakes.
So it's not just in Italy. Not saying it's good at all though.

Well - In Bolsena the shore is clean and the lake is nice - I think 5 Euro for a car for a day of parking is ok - I pay 10 Euro for a year usage -
What is not acceptable are private beaches that are instead all over the US - In Italy the shore belongs to everybody - I went to see friends once in East Hampton NY and the shore and the parking there is only accessible to residents - So if you do not happen to have 1Mil+ for a house in the area you cannot go to the beach - That to me is outrageous-

I see houses here that claim to 'OWN' the beach - Not an option in Italy: If you go to Bolsena for example you will find a lot of nice restaurants on the shore where I go eat and enjoy the landscape - In the US you would find reastaurants in land and private houses on the lake - This is terrible !!!

Paolo it's not the same thing.
The payment is done on the street, no matter if you are headed to the lake's shore or not.
This is illegal, a public space cannot be restricted or put to payment. If I have to pass that way without meaning to go to the lake's shore I can't pay for a service I'm not using.
They should move the payment close to the shore, and make sure only who wants to use that service must pay for it.

Wait a moment I just realized you, Paolo, were talking about Bolsena, not Grotte del Castro. I was pointing out that Grotte del Castro's situation was illegal, surely not Bolsena (that one is acceptable)

The main argument in Grotte di Castro is that the toll affects "passage" towards the lake (Lago di Bolsena), but that the persons being assessed may not have any intention of even going to the lake... yet they have to pay. Any wagers as to the re-electability of "il sindaco" in G di C? :rolleyes:

Paying 1 Euro/hour (or 5/day; whatever) in Bolsena is perfectly reasonable to us, and frankly much less expensive than similar parking in the US. There are (apparently) those who do not agree (see story on TusciaWeb at http://www.tusciaweb.it/notizie/2008/luglio/17_15bolsena.htm), but if €1 un'ora per il parcheggio is too much to visit Bolsena, then God help the person who visits Chicago in a car. LOL