As a family of 6 we decided to book our biggest adventure yet, exploring Italy by train over 16 days- Rome, Florence, Chianti (Tuscany), Pisa, Venice, Milan, Verona, and Lake Garda.
For the northern leg of our trip (Venice, Verona, Milan and Lake Garda), we needed somewhere that was going to be close to a train station so that we could easily get to all these places.
After researching, it seemed like the town of Peschiera Del Garda would be the best fit. The town has a station that has trains direct train connections to all the above places, with journey times ranging from 15 minutes to 1hr 50 mins. Plus, we could get a high speed train from Florence here.
There are a number of camp sites in the town, but the closest to the actual station was Camping Butterfly- a 15 minute walk.
We only booked 6 weeks before departure so choice was limited, and a few sites were already fully booked up. It didn't look as flash as it's counterparts in terms of activities and pools, but seemed to be sufficient for our needs.
Camping Butterfly is a relatively small site, with just 220 pitches, compared to our stay in Rome that had 800, and Tuscany which had 1500!
As it turned out, the site was perfect and exactly what we needed for the end of our trip. All the walking up hills in extreme heat in Tuscany was enough to finish anyone off. This site is all completely flat and everything is within a couple of minutes walk. I don't think we would have coped with another huge site.
Since this trip we have re-visited Camping Butterfly so it can't be too bad! You can read about our Easter trip and top tips on doing Italy on a budget here - on this trip we combined Turin, Milan, Lake Garda and Verona for under £100pp!
The site has a variety of pitches, mobile homes and bungalows for rent.
The pitches are for families of up to 6 people, bringing their own tent, caravan or camper and include electric hook up and a parking space.
The site themselves offer four different types of mobile homes- Aida, Boheme, Boheme Deluxe and Boheme Deluxe S. All include a deck area.
They then also offer Bungalows (Butterfly S) although there isn't much information about these on their own site.
For our 7 night stay we hired a 3 bed static caravan which cost us £872 (number 33 on the map). We booked this through Canvas Holidays.
However on our return this year, we didn't book with a tour operator, but with the site themselves. Towels and bed linen were included in the price, which was a huge saving. This was number 49 on the map- a Boheme Deluxe.
Numbers 1-7 looked particularly nice vans with great decks- however, these do face the road in and so offer less privacy.
We were happy with our accommodation on both occasions. On this visit, the van we booked seemed new and had 2 bathrooms and 2 parts to the decked area. The only drawback was that it was right next to the site parameter which was next to the main road and carpark which got noisy at the weekend with revving cars.
The van we booked at Easter was an older and the deck could have done with a lick of paint to the deck, but it was in a much quieter location. Both accommodations allowed us to reach the shop, pool and park entrance in minutes.
Verona Airport is located 21.5km from the site- a 25 minute drive. One option, be to hire a car from the airport, this would allow you to also visit other parts of Lake Garda during your stay too.
Another option would be to take the train. From Verona Airport, you'd need to take the Airlink bus (no.199) which connects the airport to Verona Porta Nouva train station.
There are then regular trains to Peschiera Del Garda which take around 14-20 minutes.
In the Summer, there are various buses from the airport to Peschiera Del Garda (no's 164, 482 & 483). Click here for the timetables.
Alternatively you could take one of the fixed price taxi's from the airport to Verona Porta Nouva train station for just €26. We actually found it cheaper to do this on our 2nd visit, than take the bus with their being 6 of us.
Lastly there is the option of taking a private transfer. This should cost around £110 with our 15% discount which is automatically applied by clicking the link provided below.
Tip: Don't forgot to take in to account flight times when looking at options to get to the site. Check the closing time of the car hire counters at the airport and the time of the last train.
For anyone looking to replicate our trip route, from Hu Norcenni Girasole (Tuscany), we took the site taxi to Figline Valderno station.
We hopped on a regional train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (Florence) taking around 30 minutes.
From here we took a direct high speed train to Peschiera Del Garda which took just under 2 hours.
You can read more about our route, costs and how to plan a trip round Italy in this post.
From Peschiera Del Garda, we flew home from Milan Bergamo airport (93km from the site) as the flight cost, including the private transfer was coming in £££'s less than flying from Verona.
From Calais the drive to the site is around 16hrs (1302km), although this can be split up with stays at others sites en-route in France or Switzerland for instance.
Other port options include Zeebrugge- 1145km , Caen - 1200km and the Hook of Holland - 1196km.
The site is very compact and most things happen in one area. The pool, bar, restaurant and park are all located next to each other, as can be seen on the map above.
There are two pools at Camping Butterfly, a large pool for older kids and adults, then a toddler pool with 2 slides.
For this site you are required to wear a swimming hat,. You can bring your own or purchase one at the onsite shop.
Pools are often advertised on suppliers sites as open from April 7th, however, we asked on our last visit and they told us from May, so it's worth asking if you're not looking to visit in high season.
It also states that sun loungers are payable, however, we were never asked for any money and to our knowledge they were free to use. This may have changed though between our visits.
There is no kids club on this site but there are things on of an evening to keep them entertained.
Entertainment on this site includes baby dance (mini disco) which is then followed by a quiz, games or sometimes an act.
The entertainment area is small, but is compatible with the amount of people staying there. We enjoyed the offerings and went nightly, but don't expect to be 'wowed' like you get at some of the bigger sites.
The site has a playground with trampolines and bouncy castles located next to the entertainment, which are open each evening (and sometimes in the day too).
On site you'll find volleyball, football and table tennis. There's bikes and electric scooters to hire. Then there's also a fishing lake, although this does require a permit.
This is where the location of the site comes in to play. Locally, there is huge range of things to do for kids.
The site is just across from the Lake and here you can hire motorboats or pedalos or even take a trip on one of the ferries to other parts of Lake Garda.
We hired our own boat a couple of times during our trip which cost around €120 including fuel for 2 hours. Remember to bring your driving licence as ID/Competency if you would like to do this.
Just 3km from the site you'll find Gardaland- a huge theme park with thrill rides, Peppa Pig land, Sea Life Centre and a Legoland Water Park.
A little further afield at 5km, there's Movieland and Caneva World.
There are free buses from Peschiera Del Garda station to many of these attractions.
Other local activities include Golf (5 km), Driving range (5 km), Crazy golf (7 km), Horse riding (7 km), Climbing wall (10 km) and Karting (15 km) from site.
As mentioned earlier, Peschiera Del Garda has excellent transport links to many places in the north of Italy, so you'll be spoilt for choice.
The town centre itself is just a 10-15 walk from the site and has lots of local shops, bars and restaurants then a market once a week.
There is a formal sit down restaurant on site and we dined here on both stays. The menu is varied, staff friendly and the food good quality.
It's open at lunch and of an evening. I must admit we preferred to eat off site, simply because the restaurants in the town provided a beautiful view. However, we used it when there was heavy rain of an evening (which is often the case in Lake Garda) and didn't want to walk out.
The restaurant also offers a takeaway service for food to be eaten back at your accommodation. The site does offer a B&B and Half Board option from a set menu too.
Onsite there's a small mini market. They offer fresh bread and pastries each morning and have the essentials for having a BBQ or meal on site. It is more expensive than other shops in the area, as is to be expected.
On our 7 day trip, we did visit the Penny Market twice to stock up. This is a large supermarket, a 15 minute walk from the site, but worth it if you want more choice and cheaper prices.
We ate in the town probably 4/7 nights as we were past caravan cooking by this stage in our trip. Our favourite restaurant in Peschiera Del Garda is Caffe Centrale- La Zattera, we've dined here four times on our trips and not once been disappointed.
It's a floating quay side pizzeria, surrounded by ducks and during sunset, the lighting and views are beautiful.
The dining is informal and you'll always see it packed with families.
I don't think we paid over £100 for all 6 of us and that included a main each, lots of drinks and a tip- not to mention the crazy amount of free breadsticks and bread rolls the kids ate and then also fed the ducks with.
We often then followed this by dessert in the town. There's quite a few good gelato shops with a huge amount of flavours for just a few euros each- probably not authentic gelato due to the colours, however, delicious all the same.
From the station you can take a train directly to Verona in under 15 minutes, costing around £4 each way for an adult.
Verona Porta Nouva station is around a 30 minute walk from the centre, so we decided to hop in a taxi to Juliette's House which cost us €10- taxi's in Verona are fixed priced.
We absolutely loved Verona. We didn't actually do that much but wander round the city and take in the sites around Juliet's House and the arena, but it is is definitely a city we'll return to.
We did try at Easter but unfortunately the weather on the day was terrible and we ended up staying indoors.
In terms of a one day itinerary here are some things to consider:
Juliet's House (Casa di Giulietta)- Visit the famous balcony of Juliet's House. The kids will enjoy the story of Romeo and Juliet, and you can take fun photos in the courtyard.
Piazza delle Erbe- Stroll through this vibrant square filled with market stalls, cafes, and fountains. Grab some gelato to keep everyone refreshed!
Castelvecchio Museum- Explore this medieval castle with its impressive bridges and towers. The surrounding park is great for kids to run around and explore.
Giardino Giusti (Giusti Gardens)- Visit these beautiful renaissance gardens. The kids can enjoy exploring the maze and climbing to the top for a stunning view of the city.
Piazza Bra & Arena di Verona- Head to Piazza Bra to see the iconic Roman amphitheatre. Check if there's a kid-friendly show or concert available. The atmosphere is lively, and there are many places to eat.
From Peschiera Del Garda, you can reach Venice Santa Lucia (the main station) by high speed train in 1hr 50 mins. Direct trains with Italo cost around £25 each way for an adult (usually less if booked in advance).
Alternatively, trains with 1 change, take a little longer and cost approximately £12pp each way.
As a pre-requisite, we have previously done 7 days in Venice with our children on another campsite trip- that's for another blog.
So, for this visit we literally just wandered, took in the sites, visited a free museum we stumbled across and ate.
Previously we have done a gondola ride and visited the islands of Burano and Murano off Venice by water boat.
Here’s a one-day itinerary for exploring Venice with kids:
Visit St. Mark's Basilica - Head to St. Mark’s Square and explore the stunning St. Mark’s Basilica. Kids will love the mosaics and the intriguing history. Consider pre-booking tickets to avoid long lines here
Explore Doge's Palace- Right next to the basilica, Doge's Palace is full of impressive architecture and fascinating stories. The palace has a prison and secret passages that kids often find thrilling. Click here for skip the line tickets.
Lunch at a Pizza Place- Enjoy a hearty pizza lunch at a family-friendly restaurant or if you prefer there are lots of street food windows selling it by the slice. Look for places with outdoor seating along the canals for a lovely view.
Take Gondola Ride- Take a relaxing gondola ride through the canals. This is a magical experience for kids and a great way to see Venice from the water. Click here for private gondola rides
Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection - Head to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection to see modern art. There’s also a lovely garden that kids can explore.
Stroll Through St. Mark’s Square- Take a leisurely stroll through St. Mark’s Square, enjoy the street performers, and soak in the atmosphere.
From Peschiera Del Garda, you can take a high speed train to Milan in just under an hour. We bought tickets to travel here, but we decided to skip it in the end as the kids were tired and just wanted to spend the last few days round the pool- fair enough.
We have since been back to Milan twice with the children on other trips, and in all honesty we are glad we made this decision, as there isn't a huge amount to do. It is very commercialised and honestly you could be in any European city when there.
On our visit in February, they had a big festival and the streets were lined with people throwing confetti and people dressed in traditional clothing- without this I think it would have been a bit dull for the children. However there is some highlights I've put below.
Brescia is just a 20 min train ride away which offers a blend of historical sites and modern attractions, making it a worthwhile stop.
You could combine a trip with Milan with Lake Como- swop trains in Milan and take the trip to Varenna-Esino, which is just an hour further and only costs £7pp each way.
Another possibility would be Bologna which is 1hr 20 from Peschiera Del Garda.
Along with everything you’d normally take on holiday, as a family we always make up a little package of things to get us started in case things aren’t provided and shops are closed when we arrive.
Usually we bring a few basics like a couple of tea towels, a scourer and a fill one of the mini toiletry bottles with washing up liquid. I’ll usually pop a few extra toilet rolls and matches in the case too.
I’ll bring a packet of anti bacterial floor wipes to give everything a freshen up- I prefer the floor type as they’re much bigger and stronger.
We save up sachets and bring salt, sugar, tomato ketchup and again using a toiletry 100ml bottle to bring some cooking oil.
For washing we take Dr Beckman’s magic leaves (see our shopping list) so we can hand wash clothing in the sink. These take up very little space and can be used in a washing machine too. Clothes airers are usually provided in the accommodation but we bring two of our own caravan washing lines too.
Lastly I usually put in a few bin bags as they are always needed and some citronella candles for the deck at night to ward away any mosquitos.
This may sound a lot of extra things to bring but it all fits nicely in 1 packing cube or zip lock bag.
In terms of bedding, this isn’t always provided (check individual listings). This can be hired but you can also bring your own. We tend to save up old sets and then we can bin them if we haven’t room to bring them back. The cost of hiring is usually around €100 for 5 beds. On this occasion we were changing accommodation three times so we were definitely bring our own than pay €300.
Lastly we usually bring a few small games such as Uno and Pass the Pigs.
Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza is another family favourite- bizarre sounding but very fun. You can find all these in the above shopping list
There really isn’t much more to pack though than a regular holiday. Caravans are well equipped and the store on site sells literally everything you could probably need.
Small and compact, we felt much more confident in letting the children wander about here unsupervised
On that note too, there was no 20 minute walk to the pool or shops, everything was a maximum of 3 minutes away
Very central location, right on the lake, short walk to the centre and tons going on in the local area. This is definitely the best site we've stayed at in terms of location.
Perfect base if you're wanting to combine multiple cities in Italy in one trip
Site staff are amazing- they allowed us to keep our caravan until 5pm on our last day with no charge as the weather was bad.
Swim hats- having to wear a swim hat was a bit of a pain but at least they didn't also have the tight swimwear rule
Less to do on site in terms of entertainment and activities than bigger sites
Fewer restaurants and bars than other sites, however, you're straight out of the gates in minutes, where you'll find lots of dining options so it really doesn't matter too much
All in all, this is one of our favourite sites and we'll definitely be back for our 3rd visit. Yes its not all singing and dancing like some, but that's what makes it great to be honest. When sites are massive, they become very tiring just getting around in the heat of Italy. We like this site for its relaxing nature and chance to explore lots of other places at the same time.
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