We will soon be heading off to France with Eurocamp and thought it would be a good time now to share our last experience with you.
Last time we headed to a site called Le Brasilia after flying in to Perpignan. It was a short transfer to the site, which was a massive bonus for us. I should also mention that our last visit was not sponsored in any way, we paid for the whole trip ourselves.
So on to the review:
First up if we were to look for a self - catering holiday location we always go for the option where you have space. Space for a young family to run about, explore and well, be free. We sometimes opt for Villa holidays and other times we love this kind of mobile home camping holiday.
This time we stayed with Eurocamp in one of their Aspect units. We opted for a two bedroom holiday home which was plenty big enough but for sleep arrangements (with a baby who was dead set on waking up their older sister) we do wish that we had booked the 3 bedroom. Next time we will, for the small price difference it would have been worth it for us. We ended up with the travel cot plonked in the living area, which wasn't a massive problem, but it would have been better tucked away in their own bedroom.
The holiday home is kitted out for everything you may need. We also were provided with not only the travel cot but also a bed guard for Daisy, a potty (not that we needed it), a high chair, a step for the toilet and also a baby bath. The bath actually was brilliant, it was big enough to sit in the shower tray and not only bath Alex but also Daisy (3 year old!). She was able to sit in it and wash away the sand from rummaging around on the beach all day.
You can see on the photo above that the decking area is also really spacious and what we loved most was that it was all enclosed. So they could roam about with us worrying they were going to fall down the steps or escape! It meant we could keep the sliding doors open any time we were back there.
Not only was our home spotless and well equipped but the park itself was beautiful. I actually think La Brasilia was the nicest campsite that I have ever stayed on. It somehow didn't look like a campsite, it seemed a bit too "fancy". You can see by the pool areas how nice it was, the spa looked beautiful (from the outside, I wasn't lucky enough to give it a go!) and the restaurants and shopped were great.
It was only when you went to the mini supermarket and the entertainment disco area that you were reminded it was a campsite. The supermarket and take away etc was not cheap but I think you expect that in this kind of establishment, like anywhere when you are holidaying really. We used to go to the hypermarket up the road and do some shopping for our lunches and a few evening meals and it actually worked out quite reasonable, we brought home a fair few euros for our next trip!
Hayley x
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Camping Bella Italia in Lake Garda Review
Monday 9 September 2019
Italy is somewhere that was always on my wish list of places I would love to go one day, it didn't really matter where as it all looks so beautiful.
Ben and I decided to go a few years ago and visit a few places while we were there to make the most of it. We would fly to Venice, move on to Lake Garda and see a few towns there and then do a trip to Verona before heading back to Venice.
As excited as I was for the trip I did feel a little apprehensive of what it would be like with a toddler in tow. Daisy would have been around 20 months old so not always the easiest time for her to travel. I wondered how she would be in Venice where she couldn't just run free when ever she fancied, how would she take the train journeys between places and how would we entertain her? Never mind feed her when she was just turning into the worlds fussiest eater! We really didn't need to worry Lake Garda is a lovely destination for children of all ages. There is plenty to do with a little planning and most things are accessible. We didn't get to sit and enjoy the cafe patios with an Aperol Spritz quite as much as we would if we were there as just a couple but we still had a fantastic holiday and had plenty of gelatos!
We got one of the high speed trains to the Lake from Venice and although I am not a big fan of train journeys back home these are a different experience altogether. They run to the minute, aren't late, are clean and comfortable. As well as being speedy of course! The train journey was around 2 hours long and with a bit of help from Peppa pig it went smoothly.
We stayed in Peschiera del Garda which is a town in the Verona province and stayed at a campsite called Camping Bella Italia. The town is set within the walls of an island fortress surrounded by quaint canals. Hidden behind the town walls you'll find the pedestrianised centre with cobbled streets and plenty of pavement cafés and restaurants. It's a quiet, pretty town that won't take you long to wander around but with give you a nice sense of being in Italy.
We stayed in a Canvas Holidays lodge but there are lots of options on this site. It is based right on the front of the lake and had all the amenities you would need like restaurants, supermarkets, pool etc. We first started considering the camping option because it was something completely different from our few nights in Venice and also is so much more affordable than a hotel. You also get that degree of independence too, which is always good when you have a small child that needs space to tear around in!
Bella Italia is much more of a holiday complex than a campsite in the way regular campers would be imagining, it really is all geared up for famillies. The site is well laid out with great signage across the site. There’s a fair bit of walking due to the pure size of the site.
The site has a little central square with a green grocer, supermarket, gift shops, tourist info centre, restaurant, ice cream shop, bar with live music and a takeaway. The supermarket was really well stocked, we would visit in a morning to get our breakfast bits and bobs!
It was perfect for families as lots to do including things like bike hire and a kids club. We actually did hire bikes on one of our last days here which was great fun! Something we hadn't done before so it was memory I will keep forever.
I should note that we travelled in October and so it was out of season and the park was half empty, I am unsure if I would love it quite so much if it was really busy and hot. Although both Ben and I both said how nice it would have been to swim in the lakes if it had been warm enough, maybe something for the future.
From Peschiera we were able to get the boat or bus from the centre of town to a few places such as Sirmione and Lazise. It was a great location for travelling about. The transport there is punctual and easy so there is no excuse not to see more of the Lake. They were completely child friendly too so you don't need to worry about that. We did find though due to the nature of cobbled streets and tight little alleys and hills to walk up that the child carrier was much easier to use than a pushchair!
So I will let the photos do the talking now...
We would certainly travel to Italy again with our children and travel about to see as much as possible. We found October to be a great time to go as it was warm and dry most days but not uncomfortable to walk around in, it was just right for Daisy.
To see the site you can find the link here.
If you have any further questions please feel free to ask,
Hayley xx
Please do not copy photographs without our permission
Hotel Low Down: Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza
Tuesday 3 September 2019
I have been missing thinking about our trip to New York and thought a good way to bring that back was to do a hotel review. We stayed at the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza.
Sun Rise from the Millennium Hilton UN Plaza |
Finding a hotel was without a doubt the hardest part of booking our trip, the choices are endless. All come with good and bad reviews, pros and cons in terms of location and facilities. Our biggest draw to this hotel was the location. It is set across from the United Nations Headquarters adjacent to the River, based in the Midtown East it was perfect to get about.
Times square was around a 10 minutes walk away, Chrysler building and Grand Central Station just a few minutes and just a few minutes walk from the water taxi harbor to get over to Brooklyn. We really made the most of the location and were really pleased we went with this hotel and location.
We had breakfast a few times in Grand Central Station and it was definitely a highlight, it felt a little like we were in the movies!
The room sizes were another point that got our attention, they were double the size of some rooms you get in NYC, and although it didn't feel huge when we were there it was definitely adequate and we had enough space. There was only 2 of us travelling and we traveled fairly lightly.
The views from our room were incredible. To the right we could see the city skyline with towering skyscrapers and to the left the river with the bridges going over, it was gorgeous. Especially at sunrise, which we seemed to see a few of, thanks to Jet Lag!
The hotel and room was impeccably clean and the beds comfortable, just what you needed after very exhausting days!
We only had one negative experience/ thought about this hotel and sadly it was right at the end of our trip as we were leaving the hotel. We had checked out, paid our tips and said goodbye to the amazing security team at the hotel with their gorgeous labrador dogs and then the doorman (I am sorry if that isn't the correct terminology) threw the door open and basically snatched our bags from us to put in the taxi. We told him we were okay as we only had small hand luggage cases but he decided to ignore us and do it anyway, making us feel slightly awkward. He then started demanding tips for himself and his colleague who apparently don't get paid to do their jobs and tips make sure they can have a home and eat! When we said we had just given our last dollars to the concierge team he was furious. We got into our cab feeling a little intimidated and sad that he had ended our trip in that way, when we had not come across any sign of negativity in the whole week we had been there.
I did make a complaint to Hilton and they were very apologetic and I understand that perhaps these things happen. It is no reflection on our stay at this hotel and we would definitely return.
You can find loads of reviews and photos here at Trip Advisor.
*Affiliate links may be used in this article
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