Camping holiday abroad without car hire

Yintang

Have trawled through old threads but haven't really found too much info on what I need...

We're a family of 5 (kids all 8 and under) looking to do a camping holiday in France. We've been to La Rochelle for the past couple of years and loved it - short flight, taxi over to Ile de Re, and bike hire for the couple of weeks. No car needed. If we fancied getting out of the campsite, there were plenty of beaches and small towns within easy reach on the bikes to explore. It was so chilled and so easy.

Now we'd like to try a new campsite, but I'd love to keep things as straightforward as possible. Can anyone recommend a decent campsite near a beach and airport, so that we could potentially not have to bother with the whole car hire piece?
(Also willing to consider Italy/Spain/Netherlands etc if good recommendations there too!!).

How about Bella Italia, on lake Garda?
I was there this year with my friend & her 3 kids under 10.
Now we did have a car because we flew to Milan, but if you could get good value flights to Verona you wouldn't need a car.
Verona not far, also you can travel around the lake using ferries.
Lovely campsite & little town a few minutes walk away.
We enjoyed it, kids loved it.

munchkin_utd

Bella Italia is in Peschiera which has a rail line to Bergamo(Ryanair Milan) and Milan (actual Milan) . Verona is only round the corner so handier still.
Once in Peschiera station, you could get a taxi to the site with all the bags, but after that you could probably get away without a car.
It might be worth looking at apartments too in the area as theres no lack of them.
Public transport in that area (north Italy) seems to be fairly well put together so if you wanted to make a break for Verona or wherever then this is more than possible without a car.

Glebee

Just booked Bella Italia for end of may 2017. great prices available at the moment and cheap flights,

Kalimah

I'd second Bella Italia! Or if you can't get that site Camping del Garda is excellent also. We flew on an early morning flight to Linate so gave us the morning to get to the campsite arriving at lunchtime. Flew back on a night flight from Malpensa giving us nearly a day to see Milan. Verona is a short train ride away. Venice about two hours as far as I remember on a slow train. You could pay more to get there quicker! Garda Land is a great theme park also within very easy each. I think we were in Bella Italia and Camping del Garda three or four times in total. Loved the place! And you can go up and down the lake to the most gorgeous little towns. I nearly forgot that!

We never bothered with a car either. Just got train from Milan Centrale to Peschiera. About an hour and a bit. Travel light if you can! We went with four of our own kids, two other friends of the kids and a buggy! Bit mad but brilliant.

anais

Hi there. Just wondering which accommodation would you recommend/avoid in bella italia please. Many thanks

saggycaggy

Glebee wrote: »

Just booked Bella Italia for end of may 2017. great prices available at the moment and cheap flights,

Who did you book it with Glebee?? Looking into going in August (2 adults and 2 kids) but confused by all the choices out there!!

What kind of spending money would you need for say 10days over there- like is it cheap once you are there?

Thanks

Glebee

saggycaggy wrote: »

Who did you book it with Glebee?? Looking into going in August (2 adults and 2 kids) but confused by all the choices out there!!

What kind of spending money would you need for say 10days over there- like is it cheap once you are there?

Thanks

Booked direct with Bella Italia mid November, camp site for seven nights in a 3 bedroom units(girasole suite-sleeps 6) was 285 euro with a few bob extra for taxs,towels etc they tell me are included. Flights booked with Ryanair for 4 for about 400euro. Its booked for end of may just before the schools break and prices hike up big time, time will tell if its worth it or not. Its my first time going abroad with the family om holiday but I took a chance at the prices I was seeing at the time. Swore last year that would defo go abroad becasue it was so expensive to stay in Ireland.

saggycaggy

Glebee wrote: »

Booked direct with Bella Italia mid November, camp site for seven nights in a 3 bedroom units(girasole suite-sleeps 6) was 285 euro with a few bob extra for taxs,towels etc they tell me are included. Flights booked with Ryanair for 4 for about 400euro. Its booked for end of may just before the schools break and prices hike up big time, time will tell if its worth it or not. Its my first time going abroad with the family om holiday but I took a chance at the prices I was seeing at the time. Swore last year that would defo go abroad becasue it was so expensive to stay in Ireland.

wow those prices are unreal-well done!
We're kind of stuck with August as the childminders for our kids is closed for the last 2 weeks in August but from what I can see the prices are a lot more expensive!! Thanks a mill and enjoy the trip!

NIMAN

@Glebee

Keep us updated on how your trip goes.

Considering making my first family trip abroad later this summer.

Glebee

Glebee wrote: »

Booked direct with Bella Italia mid November, camp site for seven nights in a 3 bedroom units(girasole suite-sleeps 6) was 285 euro with a few bob extra for taxs,towels etc they tell me are included. Flights booked with Ryanair for 4 for about 400euro. Its booked for end of may just before the schools break and prices hike up big time, time will tell if its worth it or not. Its my first time going abroad with the family om holiday but I took a chance at the prices I was seeing at the time. Swore last year that would defo go abroad becasue it was so expensive to stay in Ireland.

Just back from this trip last week. All I can say is wow, it was so brilliant. I cant imagine though how busy this site gets in high season, it was just starting to get busy last week.

NIMAN

I ended up booking Cypsela in the Costa Brava, but very nearly booked La Rochelle.

Yintang

Glebee wrote: »

Just back from this trip last week. All I can say is wow, it was so brilliant. I cant imagine though how busy this site gets in high season, it was just starting to get busy last week.

Sounds great! Looks like a massive camp site - was it easy enough to get around? Also, do you mind me asking how you got to/from the airport, am just trying to figure out the best option at the moment...

Hellrazer

Castell montgri is fantastic aswell.9th year in a row this year will be.
Fly into girona,taxi is 40 minutes.Dont need a car as the town is 10 minutes walk away.Lots of amenities on the site itself.Town is full of restaurants and bars.
Highly recommended.

Lex Luthor

heading out on Tue for 2 weeks to Bella Italia....2 adults 2 teenage boys...hoping for a good one from all I've read about the place

any restaurant recommendations nearby? La Plume seems to get decent reviews

Glebee

Yintang wrote: »

Sounds great! Looks like a massive camp site - was it easy enough to get around? Also, do you mind me asking how you got to/from the airport, am just trying to figure out the best option at the moment...

Camp site is big but you could walk from one side to the other in 15 minutes. Flew into Bergamo so hired a car for the week. Its only about an hour and a bit down the motorway. Any havingthe car was handy for Gardaland, Sirmione and Verona. I was dreading driving in Italy but it worked out good in the end, once you figure out that indicators are optional on roundabouts...

Skye123

Glebee wrote: »

Booked direct with Bella Italia mid November, camp site for seven nights in a 3 bedroom units(girasole suite-sleeps 6) was 285 euro with a few bob extra for taxs,towels etc they tell me are included. Flights booked with Ryanair for 4 for about 400euro. Its booked for end of may just before the schools break and prices hike up big time, time will tell if its worth it or not. Its my first time going abroad with the family om holiday but I took a chance at the prices I was seeing at the time. Swore last year that would defo go abroad becasue it was so expensive to stay in Ireland.

Hi, thinking of booking the same unit. Were the sheets/towels in the unit when you arrived or did you have to queue up to get them?

Thanks.

Yintang

Lex Luthor wrote: »

heading out on Tue for 2 weeks to Bella Italia....2 adults 2 teenage boys...hoping for a good one from all I've read about the place

any restaurant recommendations nearby? La Plume seems to get decent reviews

Lex Luther, interested to hear how you got on at Bella Italia? Any good tips/things not to miss etc ...

Glebee

Anybody book Bella Italia for next year yet, Last year I booked for end of May 2017 in November 2016 but there web site seems to be dead...