Alan Rogers Awards – Results 2014
Presented at the Vakantiebeurs, Utrecht on 14th January 2015
The Alan Rogers Campsite Awards were launched in 2004 and have proved a great success.
Our awards have a broad scope and before committing to our winners, we carefully consider more than 2,000 campsites featured in our guides, taking into account comments from our site assessors, our head office team and, of course, our readers.
Our award winners come from the four corners of Europe, from Denmark to Slovenia, and this year we are making awards to campsites in 11 different countries. Needless to say, it’s an extremely difficult task to choose our eventual winners, but we believe that we have identified a number of campsites with truly outstanding characteristics.
In each case, we have selected an outright winner, along with two highly commended runners-up. Listed below are full details of each of our award categories and our winners for 2014.
Welcome Award
Welcome Award
This award recognises sites offering a particularly warm welcome and maintaining a friendly ambience throughout readers’ holidays.
Winner
This site is in one of the most attractive sections of the Dordogne valley, with a riverside location. Owned by Vacanceselect There are 238 pitches, in three sections, with 118 for touring units. Additionally, there are a number of mobile homes, fully renovated chalets and new cottages for rent. The site offers river swimming from a sizeable sandy bank or there is a very impressive heated pool complex. All pitches are bound by hedges and are of adequate size, with electricity (16A, Europlug), 44 also have water and a drain. Most pitches have some shade. If you like a holiday with lots going on, you will enjoy this site.
Runners up
A friendly and very well-run site, Camping Sandaya Parc la Clusure is highly recommended. Set in a river valley in the lovely wooded uplands of the Ardennes, known as the l’Homme Valley touring area, the site has around 500 large, marked, grassy pitches (around 250 for touring). All have access to electricity, cable TV and water taps, mostly in avenues off a central, tarmac road. There is some noise from the nearby railway. There is a very pleasant riverside walk; the river is shallow in summer and popular with children (caution in winter). The site’s heated swimming pool and children’s pool have a poolside bar and terrace. You will also find over 200 rental accommodations.
A friendly, popular site for those travelling to and fro the ferry ports of Santander or Bilbao. Set in a delightful position alongside the River Duero (safely fenced), one may see a nightly roost of cattle egrets. The family-run site is overseen by Eduardo Gutierrez (excellent English), ably assisted by brother Gustavo, sister Lola and son Armando.
Progress Award
Progress Award
This award reflects the hard work and commitment undertaken by particular site owners to improve and upgrade their site. Candidates for this award may be existing sites which have undergone a far reaching improvement programme, or sites which have passed into new ownership and benefited from substantial investment in terms of time and money.
Winner
Camping Village Marina di Venezia is an amazingly large site (2,818 pitches) with every conceivable facility. It has a pleasant feel with cheerful staff and no notion of being overcrowded, even when full. Marina di Venezia has the advantage of being within walking distance of the ferry to Venice. It will appeal in particular to those who enjoy an extensive range of entertainment and activities and a lively atmosphere. Individual pitches are spacious and set on sandy or grassy ground; most are separated by trees or hedges. All are equipped with 10A electricity and water. The site’s excellent sandy beach is one of the widest along this stretch of coast and has five pleasant beach bars.
Runners up
Camping Ruinen, under new ownership, is a large, spacious site with 202 pitches, 197 for touring set within the woods of Drenthe. All pitches have electricity (6/10A Europlug) and include 105 serviced pitches also with water and drainage. The numbered pitches are over 100 sq.m. in size and are on large, grassy fields. They are separated by hedges and in the shade of trees. At this comfortable site you can relax by cycling or walking through the woods or over the moors, or join organised trips in groups on a regular basis. The modern central complex, also housing reception, includes a swimming pool, an indoor play room, a bar, restaurant and takeaway.
A large family holiday site with 900 individual pitches, Goolderheide has been owned and operated by the same family for many years and has an excellent pool complex and playgrounds. There are many seasonal and rental units, plus around 250 touring pitches with 6/10/16A electricity, all in a forest setting. The pitches are of variable size and access roads are quite narrow. The outdoor pool complex has two large pools (one of Olympic size), a slide and a paddling pool. There is also a fishing lake, and a lake with a small sandy beach. An enormous area is devoted to a comprehensive play area with a vast range of equipment.
Active Holiday Award
Active Holiday Award
This award reflects sites in outstanding locations which are ideally suited for active holidays, notably walking or cycling, but which could extend to include such activities as winter sports and water sports.
Winner
Castel Camping Domaine de la Bergerie is an excellent site near the Côte d’Azur, which will take you away from all the bustle of the Mediterranean to total relaxation amongst the cork, oak, pine and mimosa in its woodland setting whilst only ten minutes away from the sea. This is a top-quality site a few km inland from the coast, but you will have no reason to leave this site. It does offer everything for the perfect family holiday. Access is excellent and check-in efficient with English spoken, and you are then taken to your pitch by one of the team, who will assist you in settling in.
Runners up
Austria has some of the finest sites in Europe. In a quiet, rural situation on the edge of the small Reintaler See lake, Seeblick Toni is well worth considering for holidays in the Tirol with many excursions possible. The surrounding mountains give scenic views and the campsite has a neat and tidy appearance. The 243 level pitches (215 for touring units) are in regular rows off hard access roads and are of a good size with firm grass and gravel. All pitches have 10A electricity, 150 are fully serviced including cable TV and phone connections.
A family-owned TopCamp holiday site, Hvidbjerg Strand is on the west coast near Blåvands Huk, 43 km. from Esbjerg. It is a high quality, seaside site with a wide range of amenities including a large wellness facility. Most of the 570 pitches have electricity (6/10A) and the 130 ‘comfort’ pitches also have water, drainage and satellite TV. To the rear of the site, 70 new, fully serviced pitches have been developed, some up to 250 sq.m. and 44 with private sanitary facilities. Most pitches are individual and divided by hedges, in rows on flat sandy grass, with areas also divided by small trees and hedges. A member of Leading Campings group.
Seaside Award
Seaside Award
This award is made for sites which we feel are particularly suitable for a really excellent seaside holiday.
Winner
Zaton Holiday Resort is a modern family holiday park with a 1.5 kilometre private sandy beach. It is close to the historic town of Nin and just a few kilometres from the ancient city of Zadar. This park itself is more like a large village and has every amenity one can think of for a holiday on the Dalmatian coast. The village is divided into two areas separated by a public area with reception, bakery, shops, restaurant and a large car park, one for campers close to the sea, the other for a complex with holiday apartments. Zaton has 1,030 mostly level pitches for touring units, all with electricity, water and waste water.
Runners up
This is a marvellous, beach-side site, attractively situated at the foot of the imposing Tamarit Castle at one end of a superb one-kilometre-long beach of fine sand. It is landscaped with lush Mediterranean shrubs, studded with pines and palms, and home to mischievous red squirrels. There are 425 good-sized pitches for touring, all with electricity (16A), 340 of which are fully serviced with water, drainage, TV connection and 16A electricity. Fifty very popular pitches are virtually on the beach. On hard sand and grass, some are attractively separated by hedging and shaded by trees.
This site is unusual in that it is located in the heart of a village, yet is only 250 metres from a sandy cove. The entrance, with its code operated barrier and wonderful floral displays, is the first indication that this is a well tended and well organised site, and the owners have won numerous regional and national awards for its superb presentation. The 176 pitches (100 occupied by mobile homes) are separated by trees, shrubs and bushes, and most have electricity (16A, Europlug), water and drainage. A dedicated area has been created for motorhomes at a special rate. On-site facilities include a heated swimming pool, a circular paddling pool, a water play pool and a wellness centre with sauna and massage facilities.
Country Award
Country Award
This award acknowledges sites which are attractively located in pleasant, rural settings.
Winner
Caravan Park Sexten is 1,520 metres above sea level and has 268 pitches, some very large and all with electricity (16A), TV connections and water and drainage in summer and winter (underground heating stops pipes freezing). Some pitches are in the open to catch the sun, others are tucked in forest clearings by the river. They are mostly gravelled to provide an ideal all year surface. It is the facilities that make this a truly remarkable site; no expense or effort has been spared to create a luxurious environment that matches that of any top class hotel.
Runners up
Saint Gervais is a pretty spa town in the picturesque Val-Monjoie valley and this site is 2 km. from its centre, with wonderful views of Mont Blanc. It is 22 km. west of Chamonix and centrally located for discovering this marvellous mountain region. Nestled among the mountains, this sheltered, well equipped site provides 151 flat, grass pitches of a good size. About half have shade and there are 100 with 10A electricity (long leads may be needed). The remainder are on terraced ground and are used for tents. Third generation hosts, Stéphane and Sophie, will welcome you to the site and their passion for this area is infectious. An original Savoyard granary, converted into a superb two-storey chalet and finished internally to a very high standard, is for rent.
Harfenmühle is a quiet, family run and family orientated site with an excellent restaurant, set in a wooded valley on the Edelsteinstrasse (precious stone route) between the wine regions Mosel and Nahe and is a site well suited to those interested in an active outdoor holiday. Besides on-site activities for children, such as searching for gems in the gemstone river (10.15 daily) or ‘gold’ washing off-site, there are many interesting places to visit and things to do, such as stone breaking in search of gemstones at a nearby quarry. The 100 touring pitches are arranged in several separate areas, level, on grass and all with electricity (16A).
Innovation Award
Innovation Award
This award acknowledges campsites with outstanding creative and original concepts, possibly with features which are unique, and simply cannot be found elsewhere.
Winner
Cala Llevado is a beautifully situated and quiet (although popular), cliff-side site, enjoying fine views of the sea and coast below. It is shaped around a wooded valley with steep access roads and terracing. High up on the site, with a superb aspect, is the attractive restaurant/bar with a large terrace overlooking the pleasant swimming pool directly below. There are 612 terraced, level touring pitches (489 with 10/16A electricity) on the upper levels of the two slopes, with a great many individual pitches for tents scattered around the site. Many of these pitches have fantastic settings and views. In some areas cars may be required to park separately.
Runners up
Camping Château le Verdoyer has been developed in the park of a restored château and is owned by a Dutch family. This 22-hectare estate has three lakes, two for fishing and one with a sandy beach and safe swimming area. There are 110 good-sized touring pitches, level, terraced, and hedged. With a choice of wooded area or open field, all have electricity (5/10A), and most share a water supply between four pitches. There is a steep incline from the Chateau, where the majority of pitches are located.
This is a large site, part of which directly borders the River Elbe, with 500 pitches, of which 200 are for touring (all with electricity, water and drainage). The main part of the site is located behind a dyke and contains reception and the principal sanitary facilities. Pitches bordering and overlooking The Elbe are serviced by excellent, modern mobile sanitary units containing WCs and washbasins. Along the Elbe’s banks there are sandy areas useful for playing and sunbathing in summer with some showers. Next to the site’s main building there is a further area set aside for touring units and this has easy access to the main sanitary facilities, the bar and restaurant and children’s playground.
Small Campsite Award
Small Campsite Award
This award acknowledges top quality small campsites (less than 75 pitches) which offer a friendly welcome and first class amenities throughout the season.
Winner
A very impressive purpose built campsite beside the River Mole, Riverside is set in 70 acres of meadow and ten acres of woodland. There are 54 pitches with hardstanding, 16A electricity connection, water, drainage and TV aerial socket and some large tent pitches with or without electricity. Neat grass, tarmac roads and growing trees and hedges contribute to the attractive, overall impression. The heated toilet block gleams and visitors will appreciate the hairdryers, hand-dryers and shaver points. The owners, Joe and Nicky Penfold, are not resting on their laurels and have developed fishing lakes with specimen carp down by the river, a play area on the opposite bank and a new 9 bedroom luxurious leisure facility, offering high quality south facing rooms with glass fronted balconies and views overlooking the landscaped parkland. They also have a few mobile homes for rental.
Runners up
Camping WeidumerHout is a member of the Karaktervolle Groene Campings group, literally ‘characterful green campsites’. It has a superb rural location, close to the historic village of Weidum. There are 48 well spaced pitches (150 sq.m) with 10A electricity and two with hardstanding. The owner makes sure that all visitors can enjoy the great views over either the countryside or the river that runs past the site. The site has been developed on a farm that dates back to 1867 and has a tranquil, historic atmosphere. The site’s fully equipped sauna (on payment) will add to your relaxation – owner Eddy de Boer will describe the benefits of a good sauna.
Situated just north of Augsburg, this beautifully run site, with its own small lake, is a pleasure to stay on. Gabi Ryssel, the owner, spends her long days working very hard to cater for every wish of her guests – from the moment you arrive and are given the key to one of the cleanest toilet blocks we have seen, plus plenty of tourist information, you are in very capable hands.
Family Site Award
Family Site Award
Many sites claim to be family friendly but this award acknowledges the sites we feel to be the very best in this respect.
Winner
This amazing site is very large, offering absolutely everything a camper could wish for. It is extremely professionally run and we were impressed with the whole organisation. It lies along a 1.2 km. long, broad sandy beach which shelves very gradually and offers a huge number of sporting activities. The site itself is regularly laid out with parallel access roads under a covering of poplars, pine and other trees. There are 2,200 pitches for touring units, all with 6/10/16A electricity and 1,969 also have water and drainage. Because of the size of the site, there is an internal road train and amenities are repeated across the site (cycling is permitted on specific roads). A member of Leading Campings group.
Runners up
Considered by many to be the best family campsite in Switzerland, Campofelice Camping Village borders Lake Maggiore and the Verzasca estuary, where the site has its own marina. There are 712 generously sized touring pitches on flat grass on either side of hard access roads. Mostly well-shaded, all pitches have electricity connections (13A, 360 Europlug), and 376 also have water, drainage and TV connections. A particular area is reserved for small tents. Pitches near the lake cost more (these are not available for motorhomes until September).
De Molenhof is a pleasant family site which generally caters for children under 12 rather than teenagers. It has 450 well laid out pitches of which 430 are for touring units, all with water, drainage, electricity (10A) and cable connections. Children will enjoy themselves in the covered, adventure playground or the two heated swimming pools (one outdoor, one covered) with a large slide on the outside. The entertainment team provides a full daily programme in high season, including theatre nights in De Hooischuur, a specially designed entertainment hall.
Alan Rogers Special Award
Alan Rogers Special Award
The Special Award is presented to campsites which we feel have suffered very significant setbacks, but have coped admirably in very difficult circumstances.
Winner
Sobec is situated in a valley between the Julian Alps and the Karavanke Mountains, in a pine grove between the Sava Dolinka river and a small lake. It is only 3 km. from Bled and 20 km. from the Karavanke Tunnel. There are around 500 unmarked pitches on level, grassy fields off tarmac access roads, 457 with 16A electricity and 93 premium pitches. 10 Alpine Bungalows and 1 Deluxe Apartment available for hire. Shade is provided by mature pine trees and younger trees separate some pitches. Camping Sobec is surrounded by water – the Sava river borders it on three sides and on the fourth is a small, artificial lake with grassy fields for sunbathing.
Alan Rogers Readers Award
Alan Rogers Readers Award
Alan Rogers readers are invited to nominate their favourite campsite.
Winner
Le Paradis is an excellent, well-maintained riverside site, halfway between Les Eyzies and Montignac in the Valley of the Vézère. The site is landscaped with a variety of mature shrubs and trees. The gardens are beautiful, which gives a wonderful sense of tranquillity. It is very easy to relax on this ecologically friendly site. Systems of reed filters enhance the efficient natural drainage.