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Eurocamp Ski Resort, Le Belledonne
Eurocamp Winter Holidays In The French Alps
Eurocamp now has a ski resort option for those who like their winter Alpine holidays. Le Belledonne opened for its winter season on 22nd December. If you had a lovely parc nestled deep within the spectacular French Alps, wouldn’t it be a shame to close it when the region transforms into a winter wonderland? The chance to stay here and ski at nearby Alpe d’Huez lasts until 9th March.
So if you fancy a refreshing New Year break in the Alps, you can find out more here ▸ Eurocamp Winter Holidays In The French Alps
(Please note we have a commercial relationship with Eurocamp and could be paid if you go ahead and book. This does not affect your own price or your consumer protections and guarantees in any way. Eurocamp will still handle your booking)
To Book Or Not To Book?
To book or not to book, that is the question in this year of coronavirus, lockdowns and quarantine requirements.
A definitive answer is impossible, but here goes. In an ideal world the best advice would be to delay, especially for those who can be flexible about dates, however that runs the risk of missing out on desired destinations and dates as others, prepared to take more of a chance, get in first and availability dries up.
In the last few weeks I’ve resumed posting offers again, both my own and those of others I collaborate or network with.
In all cases, it’s best to keep taking account of the latest news regarding coronavirus risks and the possibility of new outbreaks. It’s also vital to take account of government measures to combat it, both in your own country and destination countries. That also includes regional variations within countries where specific zones, cities or districts have more stringent measures in force to combat localised outbreaks of the virus.
Many countries will also have variations in policy within them on account of having regional assemblies, state legislatures and local or state governors.
It’s also important to remember that the situation, although improving in some countries, is getting worse in others and that this is a changeable situation. Quarantine requirements could be in force at your destination or on your return from that destination, or at both ends. Medical documentation or testing requirements may also need to be complied with.
Terms and conditions will vary between operators too, there is no uniform policy across the board. Some will offer refunds for cancellation, others will not. Some may allow deferment if it proves impossible to go ahead with a booking, others will not.
You also need to be aware that advertised facilities which would normally be available, may not be open or might only be open on a restricted basis.
The financial turmoil arising from the impact that coronavirus has had on the travel industry must also be taken account of. Some businesses are sadly likely to go under or be severely cut back so government guarantees such as the UK’s ABTA and ATOL protections are more important than ever, so it’s vital to identify and confirm that too with your operator.
As ever then, it will be imperative to carefully check the terms and conditions before committing to any booking.
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We Are Not A Festival 2020
Dreaming of pitching up your tent in the woodland, heading off for morning yoga, walking through forests and dancing under shooting-star skies? Welcome to We Are Not A Festival 2020
We Are Not A Festival invites you to a four-day weekend of luxury camping in the stunning Sussex countryside from 6th to 10th August 2020.
Location: Pippingford Manor Park, Nutley, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3HW
A Woodland Cafe and campfire, art workshops, wild yoga and woodland illuminations create a festival spirit without the crowds. We Are Not A Festival has the moments we crave – green open space to run and play, or just sit and wonder, an opportunity to be creative or focus on wellbeing, all with good people and great food.
Enjoy much needed time with friends and family in the stunning flora and fauna of a Site of Special Scientific Interest. There’s direct access to the Ashdown Forest for day hikes, there are also plenty of great places to explore locally by foot and the south coast beaches are just a car ride away.
Workshops
Being more than just a campsite, activities and entertainment are included within the price of your ticket. Explore the illuminations as the woodland comes to life, search for rare species on the Butterfly trails and enjoy watching for shooting stars with a local astronomer as your guide. There’s also a range of wellbeing and art workshops available to book, to complete your weekend experience. Why not give your wellbeing some focus by booking Lakeside Meditation and Wild Yoga or fulfil your creativity with an art class.
Camping
Guests can choose to bring their own tent or book a pre-erected Luxury Bell Tent. Portobello Tents is a luxury British glamping company that provides stylish canvas accommodation at festivals and events across the UK. Choose from Unfurnished, Bronze , Silver and Gold options all in luxurious 5m sandstone bell tents. With over 150 years of heritage, these tents are the classic choice for boutique camping. Gold and Silver luxury bell tents also come complete with their own private toilet
The Woodland Cafe – Feel free to self-cater or book-in and enjoy Picnic Lunches and a range of hearty evening meals, including a Saturday night treat with local Wood-Oven Pizza Amore.
Facilities – There are all the facilities needed for a camping weekend – toilets, showers and washing-up area. Keeping you Covid-Safe
● The site area is operating exclusively at just 10% of capacity, allowing for acres of much-needed space.
● Generous pitches are offered for each household, both in regular and luxury camping.
● The food is pre-ordered, meaning guests receive a time slot, allowing any queues to be spread out.
● Facilities have a deep-clean schedule and are colour-coded per camping area, to reduce the number
of guests using each facility.
This is a guest post by We Are Not A Festival.
Contact We Are Not A Festival 2020 for further information (Telephone Number 07749 265596)
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National Trust Holidays Update
Readers looking to book holidays on National Trust sites, may be interested in the following update we received from National Trust Holidays, one of our commercial partners:
“We hope everyone is keeping safe and well. We’re writing to update you on our current situation. With the safety of our guests, members, volunteers and staff in mind, and in line with government advice, we’ve made the decision to extend the temporary closure period of our holiday cottages and campsites in England until Saturday 4 July 2020. All holiday bookings in Northern Ireland remain postponed until Monday 20 July 2020 and in Wales until Friday 31 July 2020. We’ve also made the difficult decision to postpone all bunkhouse, bothy and working holidays until Wednesday 30 September 2020. We will of course keep you updated, as and when things progress.” – National Trust Holidays
At the time of publishing this update the overall situation regarding the holiday season continues to be unclear, especially with related issues such as quarantine and holiday operators deciding to open in advance of announcements allowing re-opening which are still subject to official confirmation. I’m trying to do my best to keep everyone updated through my Social Media platforms
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Coronavirus
In view of the ongoing and developing crisis and general prevailing uncertainty as the Coronavirus spreads, I took the decision a few days back to refrain from posting any further promotional offers or news.
I am leaving all existing posts up as it’s good to be reminded of happier times when we took for granted the opportunity to travel to and enjoy pretty much anywhere that we wanted to go to. However, given the likelihood of imminent or actual lockdowns, other travel restrictions and cancellations and bans on large gatherings (in some countries the restrictions apply to all gatherings above a small handful of people), anybody opting to follow already posted links to a booking page needs to reflect very carefully on whether they will be able to go ahead with that booking or be able to enjoy it in the usual way.
I will continue to post my camping newsletter Camping News on a lighter and less regular basis. Again the same advice applies on following through to any booking links posted in those posts. I will also post updates from operators I’ve partnered with over the years as and when I see them through my Social Media platforms.
Stay safe everyone and hopefully there will at some point be the prospect of a return to normality.
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Sandy Balls Holiday Park
Sandy Balls, The Five Star New Forest Holiday Village
Set in the beautiful New Forest National Park, Sandy Balls is a five-star holiday village in the New Forest National Park, between Godshill and Fordingbridge, and offers accommodation including luxury woodland lodges, static holiday homes, camping pods and safari tents.
There are two swimming pools (one indoors, one outdoors), a hot tub and sauna, as well as a fitness centre amongst the range of available facilities to enjoy. There is also a kitchen in some of the units, fitted with an oven, a microwave, and a toaster. Sandy Balls Holiday Village features free WiFi.
If you are a lover of enjoying a walk or cycling in glorious countryside then there are plenty of nearby trails to explore. The New Forest is blessed with an abundance of wild ponies, horses and other wildlife.
Guests can enjoy a barbecue and a restaurant on site. There is even an outdoor cinema and a shared lounge with Sky Sports channels. For even more activity you can join in archery and crossbow lessons. Whether you’re looking for a short break or a longer stay there should be plenty to keep you occupied.
Golfers might like to know that there’s a very scenic golf course not far away at Bramshaw, which welcomes visitors and is situated within the New Forest.
Sandy Balls Holiday Village is open throughout the year, though availability some of the facilities depends on the season and should be checked before booking a stay.
Read more & Get Booking Details »
Disclosure: Please be advised we have a commercial relationship with Booking.com. If you go ahead with such a booking we may receive a fee from them for our services. It has no effect on the price you are paying. You might alternatively prefer to book directly with Sandy Balls Holiday Village which you can do by ringing 01442 508850
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Holidays With Hot Tubs
Premium Glamping & Camping Holidays With Hot Tubs
Canvas Holidays have teamed up with premium camping holiday and glamping operator AMAC to bring you stunning accommodation with private hot tubs in seven amazing 4 & 5 star campsites in some of the most beautiful regions of France.
These wonderful locations include La Grande Metairie in South Brittany, La Pinede and Mayotte Vacances in South-West France, Soleil Plage near one of my favourite parts of the Dordogne, La Plage D’Argens and Verdon Parc on the Riviera and Les Dunes, near the Spanish border in Roussillon.
If Camping Soleil Plage is anything to go by you will be in for a treat. The Dordogne itself is within easy walking distance, where there is a nice area to bathe in the river itself or to hire canoes. The location is just a few miles upstream of the small town of Vitrac, the historic ramparts of the preserved town of Domme and many other prime Dordogne locations.
For more information and booking details please follow this link: Holidays With Hot Tubs
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Campingdorf-hofer, Zell-am-Ziller, Austria
Camping in Austria: Campingdorf-hofer in Zell-am-Ziller, Austria
Campingdorf-hofer in Zell-am-Ziller, Austria, is a beautiful family run camping site. Open all year round, it’s very well organised with owners and staff who are always helpful. Its very easy to find in the village of Zell-am-Ziller. The campsite has brand new state of art showering, disabled showers/toliets, washing facilities, baby changing room, underfloor heating, along with washing and drying machines. It has over 100 good pitches many with grass and new hard standing pitches. There’s a super swimming pool which is covered.
The owners take great care in ensuring the place is spotlessly clean. They organise weekly walks in summer. It’s a great base to visit Zillertal and the surrounding areas. Campingdorf-Hofer is placed in one of the largest ski areas in Europe. In winter the campsite as many guests there for the winter season, or for a week or a long weekend. The site has rooms to rent by the night, in their house which is older than America (the owner tells his guests), as well as state of the art apartments for weekly hire and a nine person Penthouse.
Their restaurant has a great choice of food which is amazing. From starters that include soups, traditional and European dishes. For the main course, they include fish, pork and steaks dishes. There are burgers, traditional meals, salads and they do the most amazing thin based pizzas. You can also order some very tasty ribs ! All their food, is freshly prepared and cooked in their kitchen. The sweets are delightful and yummy. They also have a nice children’s menu. You can also have takeaways. The staff speak good English, all are very helpful and hard working. To go with your meal they have an excellant choice of quality wines and then there is always beer. The campsite is also environmentally friendly, all the heating is done via an advance wood burning system, the site encourages eco-friendly waste disposal, the wifi is really strong throughout the campsite, restaurant and apartments. The children’s play ground has a slide, a sand pit and swings. There are also a number of food shops, supermarkets and butchers within 5 to 7 minutes walk, good public services with narrow gauge train line, buses and Zillertal taxi service.
In the immediate area, there’s a cable car, with children’s fort and boating area on the mountain in summer, you can cycle to Innsbruck just on the cycle ways and return by train, within the valley there are zip wires,
Most of the actitives come at a reduced rate with the Zillertal Guest Card.
I can honestly say, I have camped all over the UK many as a leader of expeftiotions and many places in Europe usually in a Vango Mk 4/5, but of late a small bongo camping van during the last 45 years This site is special, hence I am recommending it.
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Zaton Holiday Park, Croatia
Croatia’s 5 Star Camping Holiday Park
Zaton Holiday Park is a 5 Star Camping Holiday Park on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. This is a big, spacious, and well maintained holiday park that enjoys direct access to sandy beaches as well as it’s own fabulous water complex. There are 1,650 pitches here.
The water complex includes a large outdoor swimming pool which is also heated. Toddlers won’t miss out either, as there is a paddling pool featuring water jets – this is also heated. There is also a jacuzzi pool. Last but not least, there are water slides available, including at the beach which is only a short walk away from the on-site swimming pools.
The beach itself has generally shallow waters and there are opportunities for snorkelling, playing on inflatables, stand up paddleboarding and hiring pedalos.
On top of it’s amazing range of water sports and direct access to a blue flag beach, there are no less than 12 tennis courts, 3 restaurants, plus options for bike hire and horse riding, as well as evening entertainment. A shuttle bus service operates to the nearby town of Zadar, giving you the opportunity to explore it’s Roman and Venetian ruins, the old town itself and it’s city walls and cathedral.
The nearest airport to the holiday park is at Zadar, about 20 miles away. If you prefer to drive from a ferry port, the most convenient ones would probably be Hook of Holland or Calais. You would be looking at a drive of over a 1,000 miles each way so it’s a good idea to have at least one stopover along the way.
Zaton Holiday Park’s accommodation options include apartments, glamping, static caravans and tents which can be booked direct or through Al Fresco, Eurocamp, Roan, Homair and a few others.
Al Fresco’s static caravans are way up at the top of the site, however that makes it an easy walk to the local supermarket in the small town of Nin.
Here are a few links to booking options for Zaton Holiday Park if you’d like more information or wish to go ahead with a booking:
Al Fresco Holidays
Eurocamp
Zaton Holiday Park
Please exercise due diligence if going ahead with a booking. Zaton Holiday Park’s own website will not have the usual UK travel industry consumer protection. We have a commercial arrangements with Al Fresco Holidays and Eurocamp and could receive a fee from them for our services. That in no way affects your holiday prices.
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Rye Harbour Holiday Park
A Small Holiday Park In A Very Attractive Setting
Owned by Park Holidays UK, the leading camping holiday park operator along the south coast of England, Rye Harbour Holiday Park is ideally situated within walking distance of nearby Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, a renowned spot for bird watching or just a seaside stroll in peaceful surroundings, and the nearby East Sussex beaches of Winchelsea Beach and Pett Level.
It is a small holiday park in a very attractive setting. Accommodation entirely consists of static caravans. Ideal for a short stay or a longer one if you want a relaxing, leisurely break. There is a range of different options to suit different budgets. As this is a small site there is no space reserved for tourers.
The holiday park itself has a club house with a bar. There are regular cabaret shows and tours on weekends throughout the summer and Sky TV is available for those all-important sporting fixtures. Free WiFi is also available in the club house.
The holiday park has a small indoor pool and a fishing lake amongst it’s other amenities. Although the pool is hardly Olympic sized, it’s more than suitable for children and parents just wanting to splash about.
The historic towns of Rye and Winchelsea are well worth a visit, especially if you have not visited this area before.
For a larger town to visit, Hastings and it’s long promenade can be reached by road or rail in less than half an hour, or slightly longer if you prefer a bus journey.
You should find Rye Harbour Holiday Park to be a comfortable spot from which to explore this lovely part of East Sussex.
To find out more about a short stay or longer holiday at Rye Harbour Holiday Park, including any special offers that are available, here’s instant access directly from Park Holidays UK
(Please be advised that we have a commercial relationship with Park Holidays UK so the links on this page are affiliate links)
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