Our top 5 campsites!
We start the year by beginning to lay out plans for some longer trips in the year. While we enjoy exploring new places, we occasionally find ourselves revisiting our favourites, even if it means just a brief stop over on the road. With that in mind, this is a little summary of our all-time favourite campsites that hold a special place in our hearts since being a family of four. It was hard getting it down to 5, but these hold amazing memories!
Waterside House, Ullswater, England
Waterside House Campsite is a family-run campsite, as well as a working farm, beautifully situated on the shores of Ullswater. It sits at the foot of Barton Fell, making it an ideal base for a variety of outdoor activities, including mountain biking, walking, canoeing, and paddleboarding. The facilities are modern and well-maintained, and one of my favorite morning highlights is the walk past the lake to the shower blocks during sunrise. During the summer months, the kids have plenty available to them, including a recently constructed play park. Additionally, they offer paddleboard and canoe hire, along with a takeaway stand and a small shop all located on site. Looking back, our best memories here revolve around the lake, eating pizza and watching the kids learn to paddle!
Trendcamping Wolfach, Germany
Trendcamping Wolfach is centrally located in the Black Forest, in Kinzigtal. The campsite is terraced, and we have enjoyed parking our VW van near the bottom as well as further up the site at various times. Most of the pitches offer stunning views that overlook the valley, creating a tranquil and secluded atmosphere. The owners are friendly and welcoming, and the food and drink served at the onsite restaurant is amazing! Esme and Sam love their traditional food, and this campsite is one that they enjoy returning to time and again. The facilities are clean and modern. Additionally, they offer a convenient bread service that allows you to collect fresh bread each morning. The campsite is ideal for exploring local attractions, including the Black Forest Air Museum, which is also known for its irresistible Black Forest Cake... Our favourite memories here are of simply camping with good hosts, food and a fun night of games!
TCS Camping, Bern, Switzerland
TCS Camping Bern Eymatt is about 3.5 miles outside the capital Bern. The city bus stops right in front of the campsite and takes you to the city center in 6 minutes. The bus driver was very helpful and directed us to the sites. The campsite itself had a modern feel, with clean facilities and a garden restaurant. The food was pricey (it is Switzerland) but is delicious and made from local produce. They also had a small goat pen and play park. The highlight of this site is the access onto the river Aare. Stand up paddle boards and tubes can be rented from the campsite, and you can even take this route into the city centre! Our memories here are of exploring museums, playing by the river and eating the best fresh produce - tomatoes!
Panamint Springs, Death Valley, CA, USA
It has been quite challenging to narrow down the campsites we have visited over the years. Many of the places where we've stayed hold memories, and some of these memorable moments are tied to the beautiful locations. For our drive through Death Valley, we stayed at Panamint Springs Resort. This campsite is described as a small, rustic, western-style resort, and that description fits perfectly! The atmosphere here was incredible. We parked our VW van on dry, sandy pitches that were nestled amongst the towering cacti, and Sam was straight out to search for lizards.There is a restaurant and bar available, along with a gas station and shop (the last gas station for a while). Even though the restaurant was relatively quiet and somewhat dusty from recent storms, the hosts were welcoming, and we enjoyed some great food and drinks. While the amenities offered were very basic, this is something we had grown accustomed to during our travels in the USA. Do not expect well maintained facilities as in Europe. The highlight of this trip was the storm after dinner, and the clear starry sky when it was all over. This is one stay I definitely want to do again!
Camping de Lā Aloua, Sevrier, France
Camping de Lā Aloua campsite is ideally situated near the beautiful shores of Lake Annecy in the town of Sevrier. The location is a short bus ride into the picturesque town of Annecy, or a cycle ride alongside the lake. The campsite itself has a paddle pool and a swimming pool, as well as two parks in close proximity to each other for the kids. The highlight of this site is access to the lake a short walk away. The facilities are not the most modern, but they are clean and the showers are hot and powerful. We did have to queue for showers as there are not many for the size of the site. Onsite is a small cafe and bar serving pizzas, salads and ice cream, as well as a morning bread and pastry service. Our memories here mostly revolve around the lake, paddleboarding and snorkeling. The kids loved the splash pool and made some french friends on the campsite. It has always been a relaxing stay and felt like a summer holiday destination!
We argued which campsites would make the list and wanted to make a note of our other top campsites for our own reference!
Arc-en-Ciel, Aix-en-Provence, France
Mont Blanc Plage, Passy, France
Yosemite Pines, Groveland, CA
Europa Camp, Saint-Cubert, Belgium
The Quiet Site, Ullswater, England
High Range, Aviemore, Scotland
Sam based his choices on the swimming facilities, whereas Esme remembered the parks and trampolines!
Happy camping!