Camping is very popular in southern Europe and there are campsites everywhere. But it's not motorhomes and caravans that are the most popular - on many campsites, the largest areas are cottages and tents. So you can go camping even if you don't have a motorhome or caravan!
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SharePopularity of holiday homes in southern Europe
We see lots of families, and groups of friends for that matter, staying in cabins on the campsites. And we think: Why don't more Swedes go down to southern Europe and stay in cabins on campsites? Many campsites are right on the beach, and if you want to, there are campsites with a pool, bar, restaurant, shop, children's activities, boat hire and so on.
When you stay in a cottage, you have your own kitchen and cooking your own food can make your holiday much cheaper. One idea is to find a cheap flight, rent a car and travel around and stay at a few different campsites.
Prices for camping cabins
What does it cost to rent a cabin at a campsite? It varies, of course, depending on the location and class of the campsite. We've checked what it costs at this particular campsite (Camping Le Dune, at Costa del Rei in Sardinia) to give a price example.
This feels like a fairly "ordinary" campsite with a nice location right next to a beautiful beach, pool, pizzeria, bar with free wifi and shop - nice without being overly luxurious. During July, you can rent a cabin for 3 people for 70 euros/day or a "Comfort" cabin for 4 people for 120 euros/day. Would you consider staying in a camping cabin during your holiday?
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From motorhome and caravan accommodation to holiday cottages
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Henny says:
Renting a cottage can be a good alternative to a hotel. Are there lists of where to find them within easy reach of an airport?
24 July 2015 - 21:17
BP says:
So honestly - no. I wouldn't want to live in a cabin like that. I would prefer a motorhome, definitely not a tent. For that price you can actually rent an apartment that is more "enclosed" and feels more "at home", like a motorhome. Also, I don't know if I would want to live on ground level directly on a beach. I would probably prefer to live in an apartment more centrally in a village/town, where I have a wide range of restaurants, pubs etc, preferably with a long promenade to watch all the people walking by. I/we are probably not exactly beach people (so a pool nearby is welcome;-) ).
24 July 2015 - 21:22
admin says:
Henny, there are various listings of campsites in Europe. The link below allows you to search by location or click on a map:
http://www.eurocampings.se/
BP, you should find what suits you, of course! But we have reacted to the fact that there are so many cabins on campsites and that this is an alternative that Swedes may forget?
24 July 2015 - 21:22
Ditte says:
Well, maybe not now. The idea is exciting.
But I have lived like that before, but it got very hot in the cottages because there was no ac in the ones we rented.
Back then, this type of accommodation was quite affordable. We have tried in Italy and in France.
One year in France we also rented a caravan for a week with two small bedrooms, a kitchenette and a small living room when our daughters were young. Worked great and you had a large plot, the next "caravan" was about 20 metres away. Great! And it was a hundred metres from a fantastic beach and less than a km to walk into town.
But I think we Swedes may have missed this option, but on the other hand, it is quite expensive in high season, about 5000-6000 SEK or more / week and then many may prefer to choose a smaller house or apartment. (But camping cabins are quite expensive even at home about 700-1000 / night or more. )
24 July 2015 - 22:26
Alexandra says:
We have rented a cottage at a campsite in Sorrento to stay at. We paid 220 euros for 3 nights for the three of us. Quite a good price I think. We rented a cabin at a campsite when we were in Milan before, but then it was a very simple one without a kitchen (but then we had a camping kitchen with us). We will spend one more night here in Rome, then we will stay 4 nights in Naples and before we go to Sorrento 🙂 .
24 July 2015 - 23:09
admin says:
Ditte, I can absolutely understand you. I don't think it's an option that suits everyone, and not at all stages of life. But an option to consider that many may forget! Of course it's cheaper in the low season, that's the case with all accommodation options...
Alexandra, yes you have really tried that type of accommodation, fun! It's also fun to hear where it's going now! Hope you get a little cooler weather! 😉
24 July 2015 - 23:25
Mr Steve says:
As you know, I only holiday at Getingstorp, but that's me.
If I know myself correctly, I probably wouldn't have chosen a camping cabin back then either. I have never been the camping type, but it is of course good that there are different options.
25 July 2015 - 8:00
Frankie & Co says:
Absolutely - have rented cottage, hytte, villa and bungalow - but now motorhome accommodation ☺.
Agreed, cottages should be emphasised more because I don't think they are obvious alternatives for us usually mainstream Swedes either - could be the salesmen's angle as e.g. in the motorhome world where everyone has the mantra 'Swedes want long beds' - could be our own limited research.
West Coast Halland greetings ?
25 July 2015 - 8:23
Nilla says:
We have also thought about this, and have friends who pay dearly for a week abroad, in a so-so hotel somewhere in the city. When instead you can get a great location for a cheap money on a campsite and also see so much more!!!! But we think it's the word camping that does it. Once you have decided that you don't like camping, you don't change it... Tent, caravan, motorhome or cottage - it doesn't matter!
But look at me ??? full-fledged charter tourist a couple of years ago and now I'm sitting here enjoying three-dimensional ?
Have fun in the sun
25 July 2015 - 9:37
Ama de casa says:
We have stayed in camping cabins up in El Berro which is not so far from home, up in the Sierra Espuña natural area, where there are nice mountain walks. Most often we have camped (in the now discarded tent ...), but if we have "spontaneously" gone there when we passed or if we had friends with us, we have rented a cabin. As good as ever!
Cottage camping will probably be our camping melody in the future. In addition to hotel camping and paradors, then 😉.
25 July 2015 - 9:48
admin says:
Steve, it's all about finding what suits you!
Frankie & Co, right? I don't think it's for everyone, but it feels like an option that many people don't even think about. Perhaps you are right that it is not marketed so much. It is probably the campsites themselves that are allowed to market then! 😉
Nilla, right? Sometimes the campsites have fantastic locations! But it may be as you say, that people are wary of the word "camping". We also did that at first. The first time we sat in a motorhome was in New Zealand (and then it was a bit reluctant because we were not "campers") - then we got stuck so familiar! 😉
Ama de casa, look a full-fledged cabin (and hotel!) camper! 😉 What are paradors...????
25 July 2015 - 10:03
Frankie & Co says:
Me too - camping was dirty mouldy trailer with outhouse... until I was proven wrong ? Prejudice is there to be overcome ?
25 July 2015 - 10:41
Anders and Birgitta says:
Our son and family rented a cottage at camping El Raco when we were there last winter, it was a good option so that we could be close to each other during the week that they stayed in Benidorm, they flew to Alicante which is quite close to Benidorm.
25 July 2015 - 12:29
Elisabeth says:
Nowadays I definitely prefer the motorhome, but in the past I have rented small cabins along the road, not so many times in camping.
25 July 2015 - 13:49
Ama de casa says:
Paradors is a state-owned chain of luxury hotels that are usually incredibly beautiful and located in old converted monasteries, castles, fortresses and the like. Sometimes, however, they seem to have chosen houses that are type K-labelled from the 70s (my own interpretation). The latter variant we avoid 😉
The hotels are luxurious in design, but not "ostentatious" if you know what I mean. It's not a lot of fancy stuff that makes you feel uncomfortable. No, "ordinary people" walk around in the corridors, and shorts and tank tops work well 🙂.
26 July 2015 - 10:30
Vackralillavardag says:
When my parents travelled with us a few summers ago, they stayed in a cottage on the campsite outside Venice. Very practical, they could be in the same place as us but we still did not have to crowd the car. It was quite an ok cottage too! In Croatia you saw nice cottages on many of the larger campsites.
26 July 2015 - 19:03
Linnea Edmark says:
As you know, we have booked a caravan with two bedrooms, kitchen, AC, WiFi and patio for 10 days on the island of Krk in Croatia which we leave for on Monday. For us who want to bring our little dog on holiday, hotels were a bad option so we looked for a house instead. Then we realised that a house might be more private but wouldn't give our children the freedom to "accidentally" meet friends to hang out with in a relaxed setting. Also, the houses are not right on the beach like the caravan. This means that one of us adults can lie in the "garden" with the dog and someone can be with the children at the beach or pool. A holiday solution we strongly believe in for our family! You will be able to read how it goes for us on the blog next week 😉.
Greetings Linnea in Bavaria
28 July 2015 - 9:08
Cari says:
I have stayed in a "villa-caravan" at campsites in France a couple of times. An excellent option when you have children because the campsite has a beach and pool and a restaurant and small shop. If you rent a house, we have not been able to afford to rent so close to the sea.
12 August 2015 - 14:49