After three days in 'internet shadow' on the wonderful island of La Maddalena off Sardinia (we blogged from the tourist office), we wanted a campsite with good WiFi. We drove to Centro Vacanze Isuledda in northern Sardinia, where we (so far) have an ACSI discount and pay 18 euros/day.
We were able to stay for two nights at a discounted rate - then it becomes high season and the discount ends. What does it cost then? Well, 48 euros/day! As you might imagine, it's only two nights here - but that's OK!
Fantastic location
The campsite is huge and has a fantastic location on several small and large beaches. But otherwise? Not our kind of camping! This is the total opposite of the relaxed campsites we like where you just park somewhere in nature, shake hands with the owner and maybe check in another day ...
Gym sessions and boat trips
This campsite is swarming with staff, all wearing white tennis shirts, driving around in golf carts, leading aquatic fitness classes, taking kids on boat trips with intense cheering, driving around the "train" or parking people's caravans and boats with a tractor. Check-in is with all passports + a lot of documents to be filled in and signed + ugly bracelets that you have to wear.
Noisy shows
We immediately received welcome brochures (in German) for the restaurants and the "beauty centre". We haven't even found the grocery store yet, but the sound of the big stage is inescapable - 24 hours a day of loud announcements, screaming "entertainment" and weird musical music (soooo tired of the Frankenstein horror show!).
Tomorrow we roll on! And soon the challenge begins: How do we survive the high season without having to take in these campsites (and pay astronomical sums)?
No post found!
Lennart says:
48 euros is almost hotel price!
Understand that you roll on before that!
Live well!
24 June 2015 - 18:43
Mr Steve says:
Extra everything is sometimes just too much. I understand exactly how you feel.
24 June 2015 - 20:04
BP says:
Here I think they should pay you to stay. Sounds worse than Vings Blue Village in the 1990s. No, no, no. Totally agree with you!
24 June 2015 - 20:22
Anja says:
OH NO! I know exactly what you mean!!! We ended up in an equally awful place when we had been driving for ages and just couldn't find anywhere else to park. It was north of Venice, near a marsh - low lying - you could walk to the sea, but completely uncomfortable there... We arrived late in the evening and I asked about availability and it was very expensive! I was told that there is room, but only if you stay three nights (which was some kind of misunderstanding), but we drove in. It was also like its own little town - big - with a church and everything and only Germans. Every morning you were woken up early by someone shouting about morning exercise and the day's programme over the loudspeaker and every evening they came (just when we wanted to sit outside and have dinner) and sprayed the whole area with some toxic stinking insecticide. No, it was like one big nightmare! (But we managed two nights and studied the phenomenon, which you never forget...) I have absolutely nothing against Germans. On the contrary, but this was an Italian campsite. I don't understand anything. We have often laughed about this afterwards. I only have one piece of advice: FLY!
24 June 2015 - 20:56
nilS åke Hansson says:
So now it's free camping. 48 is a lot for sleeping.
Feel good
Nisse
24 June 2015 - 22:04
admin says:
Lennart, I agree! We already have a house, so we keep on rolling!
Steve, yes.... now it's just too much (listening to some crazy musical music while writing this).
BP, you are absolutely right. Yes, if we stay, they will pay 😉.
Anja, haha, read your comment out loud and we cried with laughter when I read. Yes, you get it exactly! We have taken up flight position, and tomorrow we will flee!
Nils-Åke, can only agree, 48 euros we do not pay when we have the house with us!
24 June 2015 - 22:44
Ama de casa says:
No, that kind of large, impersonal campsites are not my melody either (although it looked very nice 🙂 ).
And the price... Jeez! You might as well stay in a hotel with those prices.
24 June 2015 - 23:17
Ditte says:
Sounds worse than the worst "All inclusive hotel".....
Two nights seems to be the maximum here. although the internet is good. But that's not ALL...
You will probably be able to freecamp more and maybe buy a mobile broadband on "stick". Usually available and even if it costs a little, it is worth it to avoid this type of camping.
But when push comes to shove, ingenuity strikes.....
24 June 2015 - 23:18
admin says:
Ama de casa, haha, no but how, stupid to pay for a whole hotel room when you have the hotel with you 😉.
Ditte, haha, no we leave tomorrow! We have bought internet sim cards for the phones now. I hope it is possible to share the internet to the computers, it worked in Portugal and Spain, but not in France...
24 June 2015 - 23:30
Henny says:
What contrasts! As a northerner, I understand that you prefer silence and privacy to end up in the middle of a tourist circus. Not to mention differences in the stock market 🙂 It will be interesting to read about what the free camp offer looks like during the high season. Have a continued good luck.
25 June 2015 - 9:21
Rantamor on the retina says:
I hope you had a nice midsummer.
We've been in the mountains too, a bit in radio shadow.
Now we are back home after a wonderful week.
Tjingelingen from Rantamor.
25 June 2015 - 9:29
admin says:
Henny, it's really contrasts! yes, we'll see how it goes with finding pitches, easier campsites and places to free camp... we'll come back with reports! 🙂
Rantamor, have looked at the blog and you seem to have had a great time in the mountains, as you usually do! Welcome out of the radio shadow! 🙂
25 June 2015 - 9:34
Ama de casa says:
The advantage of our "camping hotel" is that it can be folded and hidden in the car... 😉.
25 June 2015 - 10:22
Annika says:
I understand exactly. Of course you want to leave. It doesn't sound like my campsite either, I wouldn't like it.
I'd much rather be camping in nature, in solitude, or at some established campsite. Good with wifi, of course. But I understand so well that you go away. Expensive as hell too. However, the location of the motorhomes is great.
Good luck in the next place!!!
25 June 2015 - 14:37
Ika says:
I really understand that you don't like it! We just can not with such campsites - then you might as well go away on an all-inclusive with teddy bear clubs and everything.
We like to stay at slightly smaller and simpler campsites where you can enjoy life and the surroundings (also suits our kids of 8 and 10 years 🙂 ).
25 June 2015 - 19:27
admin says:
Ama de casa, that can be an advantage sometimes! 😉
Annika, we endured two nights, but no more! This is not how we want camping to be!
Ika, completely agree! We do not like All Inclusive and Teddy Bear Clubs, and therefore not this either! And of course it also works with children at simpler campsites!
25 June 2015 - 19:35
Veiken says:
I have sat for a while and enjoyed your fantastic wonderful header! 🙂 Now I know why we live in the "country" in a corner of Thailand. Parts of that country are exactly as you describe that campsite with extra everything. Shudder...but it is an experience and experiences are good to put in the backpack!
25 June 2015 - 19:42
Matts Torebring says:
Björklidens Camping (Abisko?) wanted 350:- per day already in 1999. We also quickly turned round in the gate. Camping A´m fora Spain we paid 54€ five years ago, but we won't go back.
25 June 2015 - 20:52
solan says:
Well, camping can be a joke. We ended up in an adult/children's campsite in Italy many years ago. It's important to check out quickly and laugh out loud, because it will be a funny memory after a while. Thank you for today's entertainment Freedom!
25 June 2015 - 21:24
admin says:
Veiken, great to hear that you like our header! You are absolutely right to choose a more secluded part of Thailand! These kind of holiday spots are quite stressful... 😉.
Matts, it was expensive even then in northern Sweden! I otherwise think that camping prices in Sweden are usually quite modest. The sad thing is often that you pay for things you are not interested in (babysitting, water parks, shows....).
Solan, haha, yes we laugh well now, when we leave the place! ;)I always claim that some trips are best afterwards, and maybe that applies to places like this too! 😉
25 June 2015 - 22:17