hope you don't mind smith but I'm going to c&p my (rather large) posts from another thread. We have just got back from 6 weeks camping in Germany.
Awfully Big Adventure Camping (mostly) in Germany debrief.
So we stayed in 10 campsites in total (plus two other stops in guest houses), 8 of which were in Germany. I had very mixed feelings about German campsites but on the whole dh and I would love to go back and see more of Bavaria which was very beautiful and while we were there very hot.
Good points: all bar one site (where we turned up, took one look, and then quickly departed), the facilities on the sites were exceptional. Immaculate wash rooms and lots with family bathrooms which makes suge a HUGE difference to showering yourself with two children. Little things like one or two basins set lower down so the girls could easily and independently wash their hands after going to the loo. In several of the bigger sites there were specific Kinder bathrooms with fun showers, little loos etc. My girls actively WANTED to go and wash shock
Apologies to those reading this who experience all this as par for the course when you camp abroad. We are so used to three loos, three basins and a couple of pay showers in N Wales. It was like like entering a whole new fantasy world of camping facilities.
Also good were other facilities, like excellent play areas, pools, shops, restaurants etc. These are not deal breakers for us but certainly the dd's were VERY pro sites with pools.
All the sites seemed v hot on night time and early morning quietness, no music playing, recycling-am undo, and general civilised and polite behaviour all round. Plenty of them had a mid day rest period where the gates were closed to cars and new arrivals.
On the bad side: well I may have mentioned it a few times but in Germany at least camping in tents is a rare and exotic activity, mostly left to youthful backpackers.
We were very very surprised at how few families we saw camping in tents. Because of this we found that the sites are very much set up for caravans and motor homes. So much so that as tent campers we were not allowed to book in advance, frequently had to pitch on hard standing (thank GOD I bought the rock pegs), were often directed to the arse end of the site and to tiny pitch areas and in a few cases not allowed in at all.
Most of the sites had large areas devoted to seasonal pitches.
{{{ snobbery alert }}}.
These were rank upon rank of rows of caravans, all with permanent awnings attached (with drainpipes and everything), then gazebo attached to the awning, picket fence or hedge planted around the whole thing, gnomes, solar lights, exotic gravel lay outs etc. Some had garden sheds built on the pitch.
Hundreds of them.
The last site we stayed at had 700 pitches, 500 of which were given to the permanent caravans (I only counted us and one other tent on the whole site).
This in my opinion gives the sites a totally different vibe to what we have gotten used to in Britain. We felt at times a little like imposters, straying on someone else's patch. A 'you're not from around here' feeling. Not at all what I am used to wrt "camping"
Interestingly probably my favourite site was in Freiburg had the lowest key facilities but had a really great atmosphere, we got chatting to lots of our neighbours, and it was the most tent-ified site we stayed at. Predominantly backpackers and families in tents.
When we go back I will just have to mentally prepare myself for a different style of camping. We are spoilt on the Lleyn with big open, pitch where you like around the outside sites. But then I'm never going to be able to shower again in a tiny little cubicle without wistfully remembering the underfloor heated, gargantuan, immaculate, free power showers we got in Germany.
Fantastic country. loved it. They are totally set up for outdoor pursuits. Walking of the conventional and Nordic variety, cycling, swimming, sailing. And of course wellness. There were lots of spa resorts.
Very green. Was a bit awestruck by the size and undevelopedness of areas like the Black Forest, Pfalzwald and Eifel.
If you had a very energetic and into cycling family some of these destinations would be paradise. My girls are a bit young for all day treks but when they are older I would love to go back to do some proper tramping the the Forest walks (death socks in situ).
Lots of interesting history type stuff. Fabulous castles and the old touristy towns and very beautiful and interesting to wander around.
Beer Fab. Wine Fab. Cake Fab. I love the food, but am a meat and potatoes kind of girl.
People were lovely and so appreciative of the girls and my feeble attempts at speaking the language.
So all in all a great ABA and we will definitely go back at some point.
At Bodensee we had some traditional relaxing holiday type days of lounging around by the (crystal clear 20degrees) lake in the sunshine, reading and then taking frequent dips to cool off. There are certainly enough lakes in the south states of Baden-Wuttenburg or Bavaria where you could do a straight forward drive, pitch, stay for two weeks and chill out and then home type trip.
The big forest areas were something else though. They are so well set up for walkers and cyclists, with paths and distances mapped out (and even on some signs no of calories burnt for each different route). If you wanted to combine a bit of lazing about (or naked spa action) and a bit of energetic physical activity (not in the naked spas) then I reckon Germany is an ideal destination.
Just a bit of a shame that the flip side of having pristine and fabulous campsite facilities is rather sterile and souless campsites (imo).