Motorhome travel: 15 European campsite escapes

Head across the seas for an amazing adventure with out round-up of 15 unmissable European campsites...

1 Mannix Point Camping & Caravan Park, Co Kerry, Ireland

2 Le Point du Jour Camping, Normandy, France 

3 Camping Jungfrau, Bern, Switzerland

4 Camping Las Dunas, Catalonia, Spain

5 Camping Siena Colleverde, Tuscany, Italy

6 Ardèche Camping, Ardèche, France

7 Campsite Schwarzwälder Hof, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

8 Camping Riva Bella, Normandy, France

9 Camping Cala D’Oques, Tarragona, Spain

10 Camping Blaarmeersen, Ghent, Belgium

11 Camping La Bella Vista, Costa del Sol, Spain

12 Château de Lacomte Country Club, Pyrénées, France

13 Castel Camping Château du Poinsouze, Limousin, France

14 Glen of Aherlow Caravan & Camping Park, Co Tipperary, Ireland

15 Camping de Court Vallée, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Mannix Point Camping & Caravan Park

Cahirciveen, Ring of Kerry, Ireland
Call: 00353 669 472806
Open: Easter – 15 September

Mannix Point occupies an enviable location on the Gulf Stream coast of the Ring of Kerry on the Wild Atlantic Way. Many pitches are situated at the water’s edge, facing across the bay to historic islands. There are 42 pitches, most with electric hook-up, serviced by toilets and showers and a laundry. The site is well-known for its impromptu music sessions taking place in the campers’ sitting room on cooler evenings or on the veranda in good weather.

A 15-minute walk from the site leads to the town of Cahirciveen where there are shops, pubs, restaurants, galleries and entertainment. The site’s location offers plenty of outdoor activities, including watersports, hill walks, blue flag beaches and cycling. The site is also within easy reach of the departure port for boats to Skellig islands.

Click here for more information about Mannix Point Camping & Caravan Park.

Le Point du Jour Camping

Route de Cabourg, 14810 Merville-Franceville-Plage, Calvados, France
Call: 0033 231 242334
Open: 30 March – 4 November

This four-star site has direct access to the sea and a heated covered pool. Camping Le Point du Jour is located in Normandy, near Cabourg. The local area is a preserved, natural area close to the bay of Sallenelles. There are 140 grass pitches on site, bordered by hedges for privacy and with 10-amp electric hook-up. There’s also a motorhome service point. Facilities include toilets, showers, a laundry, gym, play area, snack bar, bike hire, and a sauna and jacuzzi. The site is a great base for those wanting to explore the D-Day beaches.

Click here for more information about Le Point du Jour Camping.

Camping Jungfrau

3822 Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Call: 0041 338 562010
Open: All year

Located at the feet of some of the Swiss Alps’ giant mountains and in the valley of the 72 waterfalls, Camping Jungfrau is a stunning campsite that offers different things in both summer and winter. There is scenic walking all year round, with skiing popular in the winter months. Mountain bike and cycle routes are easily accessible and the site offers bike hire.

The site has hardstanding pitches, with trees providing shade. All pitches have electric and some are equipped with fresh and waste water connection, too. There are toilets, showers, a laundry, and a restaurant and takeaway all on site. In the summer months the heated outdoor pool at Lauterbrunnen is open, only 10-minutes’ walk away. And, on chilly winter evenings, you can stay warm on site in the Snow Bar with your favourite tipple.

Camping Las Dunas

Apartat de Correus 23, 17470 Sant Pere Pescador, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Call: 0034 972 521717
Open: 20 May – 15 September

Camping Las Dunas lies about two miles north of L’Escala on the Costa Brava. The campsite is surrounded orchards with its own sandy beach sloping gently into the Mediterranean. Pitches on site are available in different categories, all separated by hedges. Some come with electric hook-up while others also have fresh water and drainage connections. There are four toilet and shower blocks across the site so you are never pitched far from the facilities.

On site are various bars, an air-conditioned restaurant, a takeaway and supermarket. Sports fans are spoilt for choice with tennis courts, a surf school, small open-air gym and mini golf. A top feature of Camping Las Dunas is the 5,000 square-metre Aquapark complete with two pools, cascades, water slides and jacuzzi.

Click here for more information about Camping Las Dunas.

Camping Siena Colleverde

Strada di Scacciapensieri 47, 53100 Siena, Italy
Call: 0039 577 332545
Open: 1 March – 31 December

Camping Siena Colleverde lies close to the Tuscan city of Siena with the hills of Chianti behind. Motorhome pitches have panoramic countryside views and come with hook-up. For motorhome convenience there is a service point for fresh and waste water, along with toilets and showers, a laundry, shop and dedicated dog exercise area. Other facilities include a shop, restaurant, pizzeria and takeaway. The on-site bar is open from Easter until the end of October, and the outdoor seasonal swimming pool is surrounded by trees.

For exploring the area there is a handy bus service from the site gates and the train station is only 1.5km away. With the beautiful city of Siena just 2.5km away, it’s easy to explore the historic centre that has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Ardèche Camping

Chemin du camping, 07000 Privas, France
Call: 0033 475 640580
Open: 14 April – 29 September

Ardèche Camping provides four-star camping and touring in Privas, capital of the Ardèche region. There are 166 pitches, which are 100 metres square or larger, on grass and shaded by trees. Pitches have access to 10-amp electric, grey and black waste water disposal and a fresh water supply, plus there are three toilet/shower blocks. Recreational facilities on the campsite include a covered heated pool and an outdoor pool. There’s a football pitch, playground, boules area and table tennis tables. A small river runs the length of the site and this can fished with a net. For meals and snacks you can take advantage of the restaurant, snack bar or takeaway.

The local area is ideal for walking and cycling and there are walking trails around the site. There’s wine tasting within walking distance and a farmers’ market in Privas. Ardèche Camping is close to the Gorges de l’Ardèche – a canyon more than 30km long, bordered by magnificent limestone cliffs and home to a 60-metre high natural arch known as the Pont d’Arc.

Campsite Schwarzwälder Hof

Tretenhofstraße 76, 77960 Seelbach, Germany
Call: 0049 7823 960950
Open: All year

Schwarzwälder Hof is a campsite in Seelbach, Baden-Württemberg, located beside a river. The pitches are terraced, with or without shade. There are hardstandings with electric if required. Facilities include toilets, showers, a laundry, a bar and restaurant. Fresh bread can be ordered and basic groceries are available. There are both indoor and outdoor pools, a sports ground, sauna and beauty centre. There are cycle routes and footpaths from the site. Within day-trip distance is the old town of Freiberg, and Europa Park, Germany’s biggest theme park.

Camping Riva Bella

1 Rue de la Haie Breton, 14150 Ouistreham, Calvados, Normandy, France
Call: 0033 231 971266
Open: 30 March – 4 November

Riva Bella is located on the Côte de Nacre, known as the Mother of Pearl coast in Normandy, close to the cross-Channel car ferry port linking the UK. Thanks to the Orne canal there is easy access to plenty of cycle paths and the campsite offers bike hire if needed.

On site there are 312 pitches, with 10-amp electric. There are also pitches available for larger units. Motorhomers can take advantage of fully serviced pitches or the camping car area with 6-amp electric hook-up pitches. Facilities include toilets and showers, a laundry, facilities for the disabled, a snack bar, play areas, pentanque court, motorhome service point and a heated covered pool.

Click here for more information about Camping Riva Bella.

Camping Cala D’Oques

Via Augusta, 43890 l’Hospitalet de l’Infant, Tarragona, Spain
Call: 0034 977 823254
Open: All year

Translating as ‘Geese Bay’, Camping Cala D’Oques is located south of Barcelona near the Roman city of Tarragona, the tourist resort of Salou and Port Aventura theme park. With over two kilometres of beach and being close to the Catalan mountains, this is a peaceful location. The site offers unmarked pitches with plenty of space, serviced by toilets and showers, disabled facilities and private individual showers for hire.

There’s an on-site supermarket, play area, football pitch, tennis and basketball courts. In the summer there is a full entertainment programme for adults and children, and the restaurant offers two garden terraces with sea views. There are plenty of things to do in the area including visits to wineries, water sports, local markets and many walking routes. In L’Hospitalet de l’Infant, the local marina village, is a harbour with boat hire.

Camping Blaarmeersen

Campinglaan 16, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Call: 0032 92 668160
Open: 1 March – 4 November

Camping Blaarmeersen has a lakeside setting, in a sports and recreation centre on the outskirts of Ghent. Many of Belgium’s most popular places are less than an hour’s drive from this site. Pitches are a minimum size of 80 square metres with 10-amp electric and set in paddocks of 10. There are some hardstandings and a motorhome service point on site.

With the site being spread around Ghent’s leisure complex, you have easy access to a swimming lake, a lakeside beach, fishing, watersports, a multi-sports court and cycle hire. There are also bars, restaurants and cafés nearby.

Click here for more information about Camping Blaarmeersen.

Camping La Bella Vista

Crta Nacional 340, Km 142.8, 29691 Manilva, Malaga, Spain
Call: 0034 952 890020
Open: All year

A luxury campsite in a stunning beachfront location on Spain’s beautiful Costa del Sol, close to some of the country’s finest historic cities including Granada and Seville. The 25,000-square-metre site has 150 spacious plots of up to 60 square metres, each with its own electricity, water supply and waste disposal facilities. La Bella Vista’s superior facilities include individual showers, family bathrooms, disabled facilities and a laundry. Other facilities on the site include a shop and play area. There’s also an outdoor swimming pool with children’s pool and beach bar, along with a bar and restaurant.

There are 70 golf courses, 23 nature reserves and many leisure activities on offer in the local area, as well as shopping centres, a choice of bars and restaurants, an aquarium, zoos, and amusement parks. Camping La Bella Vista is positioned along a stunning beach lined with clean sands and uninterrupted views of the sea. Sunbeds and umbrellas are available for hire on the beach.

Click here for more information about Camping La Bella Vista.

Château de Lacomte Country Club

46500 Carlucet, Lot, France
Call: 0033 565 387546
Open: 1 May – 15 September

Château de Lacomte is a four-star tranquil hideaway within picturesque, natural surroundings. This British-owned country club is set in an ancient region steeped in rich and colourful history. Days out exploring can include imposing châteaux and picturesque medieval towns and villages. The site also delights nature lovers with the 30-acre estate hosting butterflies, woodpeckers and rare orchids.

The site has 84 fully serviced pitches. Facilities include toilets and showers, a laundry and facilities for the disabled. For recreation there is an outdoor pool, tennis court and fields for basketball and volleyball. There is also a lounge bar on site as well as Restaurant Les Etoiles.

Click here for more information about Chateau de Lacomte Country Club.

Castel Camping Château du Poinsouze

Route De La Châtre, 23600 Boussac-Bourg, Limousin, Creuse, France
Call: 0033 555 650221
Open: 12 May – 12 September

This campsite sits in an amazing setting on the estate of a fifteenth century Renaissance château surrounded by woods, with a lovely park and pond. Its location is near Boussac in the Creuse, bordered by the Allier, the Indre and Cher regions – the perfect destination for a holiday surrounded by nature.

On a sloping hill facing the pond, you can pitch on one of the half-shaded or sunny camping pitches. The pitches are split over three areas with hedging for privacy. For even more comfort there is electric hook-up, a water tap and drainage. In the off-peak season, dogs are welcome. There is a sanitary block offering shower cubicles, toilets (with disabled access) and a laundry, along with a restaurant and takeaway meals, shop, bar and terrace. For water babies there is a water park with infinity pool and water slide, along with pedal boat and canoe hire.

Click here for more information about Castel Camping Chateau du Poinsouze.

Glen of Aherlow Caravan & Camping Park

Newtown, Glen of Aherlow, Co Tipperary E34 NH58
Call: 00353 6 256555
Open: All year

This five-acre site is situated in a picturesque valley in Ireland, surrounded by woodland and farmland. With the dramatic Galtee Mountain to one side, and the wooded slopes of Slievenamuck on the other, this is a beautiful, natural area. Glen of Aherlow is within 300 metres of a tourist information point, an inn and a pottery shop and in walking distance of the Aherlow House Hotel. Woodland walks are accessible from the site and it’s a top area for bird watching and walking – a four-mile circular walk begins at the site entrance.

Pitches are hardstanding with electric and water, and facilities include toilets, showers, a laundry, games room and a motorhome waste point. Cahir is just 15 miles away, with its castle and Swiss cottage. One of Ireland’s most famous sites, the Rock of Cashel, is 30 minutes’ drive away. This prominent green hill with limestone outcrops has a thirteenth century Gothic cathedral and twelfth century Romanesque chapel on top.

Click here for more information about Glen of Aherlow Caravan & Camping Park.

Camping de Court Vallée

8 Rue de Courte Vallée, Court Vallée, 79600 Airvault, France
Call: 0033 549 647065
Open: 1 March – 31 October

Camping de Courte Vallée is a British-owned and run site in the valley of the River Thouet, within walking distance of the medieval town of Airvault. The site is set in 10 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and offers well-maintained facilities. These include a unisex shower block, a small shop, a laundry, play area, boules and ping-pong. There’s also a heated swimming pool, a bar and bistro, with shaded terrace area. There are 65 pitches with electric and six fully serviced ones available.

Click here for more information about Camping de Court Vallée.

For more campsite round-ups and travel inspiration for motorhomers, click here.