Lake Annecy / Lucca Sites - Advice Please
Hello,
This is my first post so apologies if this isn't in the right place or is covered somewhere else and i have missed it!
Next year (July/August) I am thinking of taking the family (my wife and I and the 3 children (9, 7 and 5) to Lake Annecy and then on to the Lucca region in Tuscany. I would be grateful for any advice people could give of good campsites at these two locations
please. I would obviously like the perfect pitch on the perfect site (who doesn't?) but in particular I would like good views in both locations. In Lucca specifically, I would like to be somewhere easy for the beach (not one of the crowded, fee-paying double
deck chair ones), Piza (by car?) and Florence (by train?). I would prefer a site in Lucca with a pool if possible and also somewhere in both locations for us to go biking (not essential but thought of taking the bikes this year). Clean facilities, privacy
on the pitches, access to shop / supermarket etc would all be good!
On the way back, I am thinking of a stopover in / near Geneva. Does anyone have a recommendation for a site that would be ok for a one night stop over please?
Thanks in advance!
Comments
-
Annecy is easy. There's a whole cluster of campsites at the southern end of the lake - some on the shore and some very close to it. They all have websites with photos and dozens of reviews - just pick one!
Lucca is more of a problem. It's a lovely town - for adults. I could happily spend several days there, strolling the streets, walking the walls, and drifting from one cafe to another. Whether it will hold the interest of your three children is another matter. We stayed at Camping Torre Pendente in Pisa - just because it was close - but that's a bit of a busy transit camp as people come and go. If I went again I would stay a bit longer at Camping Bel Sito in Montecatini Terme.
The seaside resorts in the Pisa area didn't grab us - mostly divided into private sections, pay for your sun beds and lie still in neat lines, and not the sort of beaches where three children could run about and play. So when we had children with us we stayed in the area just a few days and then moved on - to explore the rest of Tuscany and Umbria, with a few days here and a few days there. We never found the sort of ideal site in Italy which you describe - we just accepted them as they were - for where they were.
But let's see what others come up with for you.
0 -
Thanks eurotraveller - much appreciated.
Annecy - Yes, having googled the campsites around the area there are quite a few to pick from. I wondered if anyone had first-hand experience of them though and would recommend one in particular?
Tuscany - thanks for the advice re Lucca. I understand what you mean about the beaches. I have heard that some of the more southern beaches are less regulated with fees and sun beds?
Bel Sito looks good as does Camping Barco Reale which is not that far away either. Does anyone have an opinion on these sites?
Thanks
0 -
When I was reseaching a site in
Lucca all I came up with was a motorhome Sosta which I imagine would be a million miles from your requirements although it does have a swimming pool. There is a well known campsite in Pisa called
Torre Pendente which is within walking distance of Pisa and perhaps this could be used as a base. Because of its closeness to Pisa it will be pretty busy.David
0 -
A good site that's handy for Lake Annecy and close to Geneva is Camping Colombiere in Neydens. Worth looking it up.
Just stayed at this site and can second this statement, its a high quality site with great pool for kids and adults alike, very nice food in restaraunt as well...
0 -
Thank you all for your help and advice - much appreciated and i will certainly look at the sites suggested. I think we will go for Barco Reale in Tuscany and was looking at Camping Les Rives Du Lac near Annecy. Does anyone have experience of this site
please?Thanks
0 -
Couple of reviews here http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=12750
Paul
0 -
I would go for La Columbiere at Neydens for a visit to Annecy. It's not too far away, but is closer to Geneva. This opens up other possibilities also. It's one of our favourite sites with a restaurant and
swimming pool on site. If you go, I can recommend the Raclette evening in the room close to the restaurant and reception. It was good fun and Jean Bussat will give a little talk on the the origin of Raclette - he tries very hard to do an English version.
I know they will be at the NEC in February and I'm sure would be pleased to speak to you if you are around.For Italy, we have stayed at both Camping Belsito and Barco Reale. They are both sites worth visiting, but in common with the rest of Italy pitches tend to be on the small side. Barco Reale has a very steep
hill on the final approach to the site, but they will tow you up with a tractor (at a cost) if you ring them. They are both hillside sites, but personally I prefer Camping Belsito. If you go to Belsito ask for a very large pitch - you will get something
of a reasonable size. They even have pitches with a toilet/ shower and sinks on the pitch - these are the pitches I recommend. Two swimming pools - the one at the top of the site is the newest and is great.We visited bother La Colombiere and Belsito this year, and La Colombiere also in 2014. It might be worth looking at my Stories
HERE FOR 2014, and
HERE FOR 2016. It might give some ideas for places to visit. In each case scroll to the bottom for photos, but I'm still adding to the 2016 story so may be worth looking again later.Hope this helps.
David
0 -
That's great - thanks for the help all.
Can anyone recommend a stop over site between Lake Annecy and Barco Reale / Belsito? I'm assuming I'll be stopping near Alessandria / Genoa.
Thanks
0 -
Not sure whether you are going to Lucca for a specific reason but our experience of that West coast is that it is more for sightseeing than beaches (Cinque Terra, Pisa etc.). The roads are busy and the pitches small. Maybe the Italian riviera would be a better choice or the Italian lakes or maybe find an inland site in Tuscany with spacious pitches and facilities for children?
Not helpful I know but something to consider.
We drove La Spezia, Genoa to Alessandria then Baveno to the lakes but there aren't that many sites. Most Italian sites seem to be grouped around the sea or the lakes.
0 -
I stayed on Camping Campéole La Nublière, right at the bottom of the lake. It's very large but has direct access to the beach. If it's not busy they let you park wherever you fancy. Not the best site I've ever been on but clean & tidy, perfectly acceptable.
0 -
If you do wish to try out the coastal area we can recommend Camping Montescudaio near Cecina.
Site is wooded and has some good sized pitches, we were taken round on arrival so we could choose, and has good facilities. We found the beaches OK and it was a good base for visiting Pisa, San Gimignano and Elba etc.
0 -
Thanks all. I think we are going to go with Barco Reale - the steep hill mentioned by David worries me a bit but hopefully it won't be too much of an issue. i like the idea of being up in the hills with views and visiting Pisa and Florence and possibly
some of the other towns.Any stop over sites that people can recommend around Genoa / Alessandria would be helpful.
0
