• Sunday 30 June 2024

FAMILY HOLIDAY IN LAKE GARDA: 5* CAMPING 5* BELLA ITALIA

Our team member Vicki tells us about her family holiday to the five-star Bella Italia campsite near Lake Garda in Northern Italy.

"This year we decided to do a car-free holiday and there's no better place for first-timers than Lake Garda. We were a party of 2 adults and 2 children, aged 15yrs and 12yrs, and we travelled in June for a two-week stay.

Bella Italia is a large, busy campsite where you can engage in all the action it offers. Equally, there are lots of opportunities for you to enjoy the quietness of sitting on your deck with your book & cuppa.

We started our journey direct from Cork to Milan Bergamo and booked a private transfer- it took about 1hr 10mins to get to our campsite. The journey was seamless and so stress-free.

On arrival we checked into our 3-bedroom premium suite mobile home. It jhad all your mod cons and it was a spacious mobile, with a lovely deck with rattan furniture and egg chair (my daughter loved this addition!). Tip :  prebook bed linen and towels.

We choose Bella Italia for many reasons. It's a large campsite with first class facilities- especially to entertain teenagers. It's location is right on the lake and within a 10-minute walk into the town of Peschiera. 

The pool complex is fantastic for all ages, with lots of different sections to entertain. The main pool was a huge hit with us all, and there are great slides. Plenty of space around the pools with lots of sunbeds and food/ drink facilities. Lifeguards are at all pools.

At the back of the campsite they had a huge sports field where children and teenagers hung out playing tennis, soccer and  volleyball for free. They had some trampoline pods too, charged a small additional fee.

For the younger kids they had 2 play zones and a playground. During the day they had entertainment arranged and it was posted on the information boards throughout the campsite. Some of the best were;  Yoga by the lake, Aerobics in the pool and my son's favourite: soccer matches in the morning/ evening.

On site you could choose from several restaurants, takeaways, an ice cream parlour and supermarket/ bakery. There's also a fruit shop, pharmacy, gift shop and bike hire shop.

Away from the pool, we all loved the lake and it was great to have it on your doorstep. Lots of swimming off the pier, and you could hire pedalos and paddleboards which was great fun.

With regards to day trips, we were spoilt so much to see and do in the area. The location of Bella Italia campsite is fantastic. You can walk into Peschiera where there are beautiful  shops, bars, restaurants and even its own train station. At the pier you can hire your own boat to travel around the lake or take a trip on one of the ferries.

You can purchase a ticket from town to town for as little as €5 but we purchased a family hop on/ hop off  day trip ticket for about €60. You have lots of different routes to choose from, but we decided to concentrate on the east coast and took in the beautiful towns of Lazise, Bardolino and Garda.  

We hired bikes from the campsite and cycled into the town of Sirmione. It's a lovely 1-hour cycle, but we did have to go on the main road at some sections. The centre is a peninsula which is approached through an archway, with stunning water views and a castle. Many nice restaurants in the area- it's worth a wander through the old cobbled streets.

Gardaland was a must on our must-do list and it did not disappoint. It was an action-packed day out, and we were lucky that the park wasn't to busy so our queuing time for the rides was about 20 mins. Firm favourites with us were Mammut, Raptor and Blue Tornado.

We got bus outside the campsite to Verona, a trip of about 30 minutes. Our family ticket was €20. And... Wow! Verona blew my mind. What a beautiful city. We visited the Ampitheatre, Juliet's House and the Plazza delle Erbe. We just had a day here but I could have easily stayed longer. Every corner you turned you were amazed at the architecture. Verona- I'll be back!

From Peschiera train station we also got a direct train to Venice. The journey took about 1.5 hours and a family ticket cost €150. On arrival, when you come out the station you are met with a range of water taxis. We choose to walk up to St. Mark's Square via the narrow streets and foot bridges. At times I felt I was in a maze. St. Mark's Square is huge and quite busy. I highly recommend pre-booking your tickets to visit the Basilica as it sells out early and often. So make sure you speak with your travel agent about that when booking. Of course we also had to do the gondola ride, and we had a lovely 30 minute trip around the canals.  

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our two week holiday in Lake Garda and I would highly recommend this area and the campsite in particular. It's a perfect location for a car-free holiday that still lets you see a lot of the country. The surrounding area is beautiful and the public transport system is very good and reasonably priced.

Until my next visit. 

CIAO

Click here to see more about Camping Bella Italia.

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Want to get in touch with our camping team?

• Call 021 4272527 or 01 6965100
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