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Have you tried this website?  Garda Camping - which lists loads of site around Lake Garda, but I can't find current prices.  However, you may be able to look for the campsites own website and find this out.

We've stayed at Camping Weekend, and Camping Eden, both at the south western part of the lake - both were very nice, although steeply terraced, and neither were particularly cheap.   Both were near to Salo, which we liked very much.  Both had access to the lake.   It's a while ago, now, however, and someone else may have more up to date recommendations.

There are a couple of sites arounds the Italian lakes (I think including Lake Garda) in the Select Sites brochure: http://www.select-site.com/  I was flicking through it the other night. Perhaps have a look at Eurocamp Independent as well - not necessarily to book through but for site ideas.

I realise it's not the same as a direct recommendation, but I also have found the Camping Cheques site useful for researching sites: http://www.campingcheque.co.uk/en/

We stayed here last year, (Family of four, two daughters 12 and 13)

http://www.campingalsole.it/Welcome.php

f it ticks the boxes I will answer any questions you have.

DC

 Thanks Val, Leoba and DC. You've all been very helpful, given me plenty to peruse over, and if it's ok with you DC I may be in touch again. x

No problem.....Any questions and I'll do my best....after all, that's what this forum is about. We looked for a long time before settling on this site (hadn't done Italy before)and spent just under a week there before moving on to the South of France. We did a complete circuit of Lake Garda in the car one day and think the Northern end is most attractive (Riva del Garda). That comment will probably draw differing opinions from other readers but if we all liked the same things there would be one hell of a queue somewhere!

We were there in early August 2007 and the balmy evenings were fab. We had a downpour one evening and into the night with a dramatic lightning display and even hail for a while, but swimming in the lake beside the site was ideal and safe for the kids, it was a public lido type grassy area immediately outside the site and consequently more people around on a weekend but it never felt over busy.

Be aware that in my limited experience pitches tend to be larger in France than Italy and we had reserved a large pitch.....that we managed to squeeze onto! (very large tent though).

Anyway, I've rambled on enough now, over to you...

DC

Carolyn - just browsing through my Touring Cheques brochure, and there's a site at Lake Garda which accepts Touring Cheques all season - Camping Rolli.  I thought it sounded rather nice - it looks nice from the brochure picture, and with Touring Cheques the cost per night would be only £10.30 per night including electricity.   It also does 7 nights for 6 cheques, or three weeks for the price of two!!!  See the website www.touringcheque.co.uk.

 The description of the site is as follows:

"A small rustic family-run campsite, Camping Rolli is the ideal base for a relaxing holiday, only a stone's throw from Lake Garda.  There is a shop, bar and restaurant a short walk from the site, and also a lake beach suitable for swimming, windsurfing and canoeing only 300m away.  On site the compact pitches are grassy and mature oak trees provide welcome shade from the hot Italian sun.  Nearby the charming mediaeval town of Salo boasts stunning views and is the starting point for boat trips across the lake.  Slightly further afield is the beautiful city of Verona with it's impressive amphitheatre."

It has 137 pitches - which is unusual as Italian campsites can be quite large, Swimming Pool - on the photo has a nice grass surround, with loungers,, Table Tennis, Boules, Charcoal barbecues allowed, Dogs allowed (but extra), 4 amp electricity included. 

Sorry Val for my ignorance, but are touring cheques & camping cheques different products?

Smudger

Yes - Camping Cheques and Touring Cheques are different - but cost the same, and offer the same 'deal', ie. pitch/people/caravan or motorhome or tent together with electricity/awning/dog - (only with Camping Cheques, the dog) for £10.30. 

Camping Cheques came first - then Eurocamp 'copied' the idea a year or two later, but called them Touring Cheques.  We've never bothered with them before, because they had so few sites, but this year have added another eighty sites to their network, including some we'd like to stay at, so I sent for the brochure a week or so ago.  The site mentioned above is one of two which take the Touring Cheques all season - the other is Courtilles de Lido at Fontainbleau - and this has to be a good deal for a high season pitch!

Thanks for that Val. I had a very quick look, and they have a few sites that are classed as "off-peak" from the middle of august, which is when I would be needing to camp.

Do you usually have to book the sites for either scheme or do you just turn up & hope? They are not very close together, so another site is not just around the corner if one is full.

Thanks

Smudger

As I said, I haven't used Touring Cheques before but with Camping Cheques you just 'turn up'.  We've been using Camping Cheques for eleven years now - and have never 'turned up' and not found a pitch.  We don't usually go until the last week in August - but have found sites with lots of available pitches at that time.  We also use them in May and June with no problems.  With Camping Cheques, if you  buy into their 'Gold Card' you can pre-book a pitch, which is an advantage, although not one we've ever needed to use.  I presume you've seen my list of Camping Cheque sites which accept cheques from mid-August (or from the 10th in the case of one site!).  Here

 Thanks for the advice re the cheques Val sounds like a good deal for us as we, unfortunately, are only able to holiday out of term times. I'm sending for brochures from just about everywhere! Thanks to all of you it's been really useful.

Now I need to ask for further help from you all regarding routes and most appropriate ferry etc. Our son is not well and would have difficulty managing long arduous car journeys so we will need to be able to stop fairly frequently. We are also considering a longer ferry trip to cut out some driving. What have been your experiences and as seasoned travellers, what would be your advices in order to assist our journey.  

I'll go first. I love Eurotunnel, quick,efficient & no sea sickness. Lots of departures each day.

As for travelling down to Lake Garda, there are a few different ways, some with lots of tolls, others with a few.

I have been to Lake Como and we went St Omer, Reims, Troyes, Dijon, Geneva, Chamonix, Mont Blanc Tunnel, Aosta, and along to Como. LOTS of tolls that way. At least 100euros in total. Over 30 Euros for Mont Blanc on it's own.

This year we are going to visit friends in Brescia, and we are going to try Belguim, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Basle, towards Martigny over the Simplon Pass, along the side of Lake Maggiore & along to Brescia.......well something like that anyway! I know I've missed a couple of cities off there. Far less tolls on that route, apart from we would need a Swiss vignette.

If your son doesn't enjoy travelling, I would plan you route carefully, and build in breaks. I have a couple of friends that travel overnight from here to the French Alps, while the children are asleep. They leave blighty at teatime, share the driving in France and arrive about 3am. While I don't fancy that myself, it works for them.

Hope that is of some help!

Smudger