Join us on a family camping adventure

Remember, the journey is part of the holiday and not just something to mindlessly rush, say the Sander Hindsgavl family. And they should know − they recently took in a three centre camping trip…

MEET THE FAMILY
Introducing the Sander Hindsgavl family: dad Mads, mum Anette, Lasse (seven years old) and Magnus (four years old). Our camping family live near Silkeborg in Denmark and are proud owners of an Outwell Alamosa 6ATC tent that they find ‘Just so easy’ to pitch.

SÖLDEN, AUSTRIA

With a trailer in tow you cannot drive fast and cruise control set the relaxing pace that instantly got us into holiday mode. This has to be a good thing for it’s a long way from Denmark to our first site at Camping Sölden – a small, cosy place with a river running close by. Sölden is a popular winter ski resort and to keep the wheels in motion they have invested heavily in summer activities like mountain biking, trekking and more with a high emphasis on family enjoyment – perfect for us.

However, we found a single ticket with a lift very expensive, and when you are a family of four activities can quickly become really expensive. Luckily, the campsite sold the Oetztal-Card in addition to free access to all lifts in the region, the card also provides entry to loads of attractions that would otherwise cost a small fortune.

Much of the time was spent hiking and our children were up to the challenge helped by allowing enough time for walking and little adventures. Nice treats and small breaks also took everyone’s mind off tired feet.

LAKE IDRO, ITALY

Lake Idro in northern Italy was our next destination, with our eye on somewhere warmer without driving too far south. It is located in the Italian mountains about 45km north of Lake Garda, so temperatures are pleasant and the area less touristy. In fact, it was almost 30°C and the lake about 24°C, so the daily swim and beach visits were a real pleasure.

Sport Camping Rio Vantone Lago d'idro offers great facilities and entertainment and we extended our holiday here as we had made friends with the family camping behind us. We ate all meals together and our Little Chef Cooker 3-burner was up for the challenge, whether it was pasta or barbecue for the families.

We used our awning for the first time – it provided plenty of shelter and we could easily seal off the tent when away on day-trips. The kids played in the awning while we spent evenings out front. On nice days we opened the front, leaving the tent wide open for plenty of ventilation. The last night we even accommodated a family for the night so they could avoid packing away a wet tent.

POTTENSTEIN, GERMANY

Our final stop was Bärenchslucht at Pottenstein − about 40km north of Nuremberg in Germany. This superb site lies next to the river and is named after the brown bears that once lived in the local caves. The area has plenty of family activities and it could well become our choice stop on future journeys south. In fact, home was just a day’s trip away on the autobahn.