As a family of six, we ended our 16-day Italy by train adventure in Lake Garda and choosing the right base really mattered.
For the northern leg of our trip (Venice, Verona, Milan and Lake Garda), we needed somewhere walkable from a train station, easy for day trips, and not so huge that it felt like hard work in the heat.
We chose Camping Butterfly in Peschiera del Garda, and honestly, it was exactly what we needed at the end of a long multi-stop trip: compact, flat, relaxing, and brilliantly located.
In this review, I’ll share what it’s really like staying at Camping Butterfly with kids, including accommodation options, pools, entertainment, food, getting there without a car, day trips by train, and whether we’d go back (spoiler: we already have!).
Best for: Families who want a Lake Garda base with easy train day trips
Location: Peschiera del Garda, Lake Garda
Nearest station: Peschiera del Garda (walkable)
Nearest airports: Verona (closest) / Milan Bergamo (often cheaper)
Car needed: No
Site size: Small (around 220 pitches) Recommended stay: 4–7 nights (longer if you want pool + day trips)
On-site highlights: 2 pools, playground, evening entertainment, great location
Just a quick note before we begin: some posts on this blog contain affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend places we’ve personally stayed in and genuinely think work well for families.
Because this was the final part of a big 16-day route, we wanted a base that made life easy.
After researching, Peschiera del Garda felt like the best fit because:
We only booked around 6 weeks before departure, so options were limited and some sites were already fully booked. Butterfly didn’t look as flashy as bigger Italian campsites but for this stage of the trip, it turned out to be perfect.
After Rome (800 pitches) and Hu Norcenni (around 1500), we genuinely don’t think we’d have coped with another huge resort-style site.
Hu Norcenni in Tuscany had been particularly tiring, as it was all on a hillside and a good trek to/from the centre. We could have kissed the ground when we arrived at Camping Butterfly. Both the pool and shop were just a 2 minute walk from our caravan.
It’s flat (no hills, no long walks in extreme heat)
Everything is 2–3 minutes away on site as it's very compact
It felt manageable with kids, we were happy letting them wander
The location is one of the best we’ve had in Italy - literally right by the lake and lots of bars and restaurants in walking distance
We’ve since revisited Camping Butterfly, so that tells you everything.
(If you want to see how we did Turin, Milan, Lake Garda and Verona for under £100pp at Easter click here)
Camping Butterfly has:
Camping pitches (tent/caravan/camper)
Mobile homes
Bungalows
A range of “Boheme” style units (including Deluxe options)
Our first stay (7 nights)
We hired a 3-bedroom static caravan (pictured above)
Cost: £872 total
Booked via: Canvas Holidays
Location: Number 33 on the site map
Our return visit (booked direct)
We booked directly with the campsite which had it's benefits.
Towels and bed linen were included (huge saving vs paying extra or having to lug your own)
Downside of our newer unit: it was close to the site perimeter/main road, and weekends were noisy with cars in the car park.
Top tip (if choosing a unit):
Units 1–7 looked lovely with big decks, but they face the entrance road so you may get less privacy.
This is one of the reasons it’s such a great choice, you can absolutely do this campsite without driving.
From Verona Airport to Camping Butterfly (easy option)
Verona Airport is around 21.5km away (about 25 minutes by car).
Option 1: Train (Airport → Verona Porta Nuova → Peschiera)
Take the Airlink bus (199) to Verona Porta Nuova station
Train to Peschiera del Garda takes around 14–20 minutes
Option 2: Fixed-price taxi
There are fixed-price taxis from the airport to Verona Porta Nuova for around €26.
We actually found this cheaper than the bus on our second visit as a family of six.
Option 3: Summer buses
In summer there are also buses towards Peschiera (routes vary seasonally).
If you’re following our 16-day route, this is the exact journey we did:
Taxi from Hu Norcenni to Figline Valdarno station
Regional train to Florence SMN (around 30 minutes)
Direct high-speed train to Peschiera del Garda (just under 2 hours)
(Full route + how to plan the whole Italy-by-train trip is in our main 16-day itinerary post.)
Camping Butterfly is compact and for us, that was a plus.
There are two pools:
A larger pool for older kids/adults
A toddler pool with 2 small slides
Important: swim caps were required when we visited.
You can bring your own or buy one in the on-site shop.
Pool opening tip: pool opening dates can vary (some websites list early April, but we were told from May on a previous visit), worth checking if travelling early season.
Mini disco
Quiz/games
Occasional acts
It’s not “big resort” entertainment, but it matched the size of the site, and we enjoyed it.
Playground + trampolines
The playground is right next to the entertainment area and includes:
Trampolines
Bouncy castles (open in evenings, sometimes daytime)
Volleyball, football, table tennis
Bike and electric scooter hire
Fishing lake (permit required)
The location is the main reason we love this site.
The campsite is just across from the lakefront where you can:
Hire pedalos
Hire motorboats
Take ferries to other towns around the lake
We hired a boat for around €120 including fuel for 2 hours.
Bring your driving licence as ID/competency.
Slightly Further Afield:
Gardaland (3km) - free bus from the train station
Perfect if you’ve got kids.
Gardaland includes:
Thrill rides
Peppa Pig Land
SEA LIFE
LEGOLAND Water Park (seasonal)
More theme parks (5km)
Movieland
Caneva World
There are also local activities like golf, crazy golf, horse riding, climbing walls and karting within a short distance.
Peschiera del Garda town
The centre is around a 10–15 minute walk and has:
Shops, bars and restaurants
A weekly market
Gorgeous sunset views along the water
On-site: Butterfly Bistro -good quality, varied menu, friendly staff. We used it on both stays, especially when it rained (Lake Garda storms are very real).
There’s also takeaway and some board options available.
On-site mini market
Small but handy for essentials + fresh bread and pastries.
It’s pricier than supermarkets (as expected).
Cheaper supermarket option: Penny Market (around a 15-minute walk) — worth it for bigger shops.
Our favourite restaurant in Peschiera
Caffè Centrale – La Zattera (floating quay-side pizzeria)
We’ve eaten here four times and never been disappointed.
It’s family-friendly, always busy, and the sunset views are beautiful.
We don’t think we paid over £100 for all 6 of us, including mains, drinks and a tip (plus the kids eating an alarming amount of free breadsticks and feeding the ducks!
This is why Peschiera is such a brilliant base.
Direct train in under 15 minutes.
Tickets were around £4 each way for adults.
We took a taxi from Verona Porta Nuova to Juliet’s House for €10.
Simple one-day Verona ideas with kids:
Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta)
Piazza delle Erbe (markets + gelato)
Castelvecchio + the bridge
Giardino Giusti (gardens + maze)
Arena + Piazza Bra
High-speed trains can take around 1hr 50.
We kept this visit simple (wander + food + exploring), because we’ve done a bigger Venice trip before.
We actually planned Milan but skipped it — the kids were tired and wanted pool time (fair!).
We’ve since been back to Milan twice, and personally we think it’s better as a short add-on rather than a full “kid-focused” day.
If you do go: Duomo rooftop, Galleria, Sforza Castle, Leonardo Museum.
If you’re doing multiple stops (like we did), a small “starter kit” makes life easier.
Kitchen basics
Tea towels, scourer, mini washing up liquid bottle
Antibacterial floor wipes
A few sachets (salt/sugar/ketchup)
Cooking oil decanted into a small bottle
Extra loo roll, matches
Bin bags
Citronella candles for evenings
Clothes washing
We pack Dr Beckmann’s magic leaves for sink washing (and they work in machines too).
We also bring compact washing lines.
Bedding
Bedding isn’t always included — check your listing.
Hiring can be expensive (around €100 for 5 beds), so if you’re moving around a lot, bringing your own can work out much cheaper.
Games
Uno, Pass the Pigs, and our favourite: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.
👍 What we loved
Small, compact, easy with kids
No long walks to pool/shop
Best location we’ve had on an Italian campsite
Ideal for a multi-city Italy trip by train
Staff were brilliant (we were allowed to keep the van until 5pm on departure day)
👎 Things to consider
Swim caps required
Less entertainment than huge resort campsites
Fewer on-site dining options (but town is a short walk, so it didn’t matter)
Yes! Especially if you want a Lake Garda base that lets you combine pool days + train day trips without needing a car.
It’s not the biggest or flashiest campsite in Italy, but that’s the point. After a multi-stop route, this site felt relaxing, easy, and perfectly placed.
We’ll definitely be back (and already have been!).
Italy by train with kids: our full 16-day route + how to book trains
Camping Village Fabulous Rome Review
Hu Norcenni Girasole Tuscany Review
Italy on a budget: how we keep Italy affordable for families
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