Camping Union Lido Mare

Nice campground, but the value for the price isn’t right for us anymore – 3 stars

​We’ve been to this campground several times now with our RV—just like in recent years, we always arrived on the spur of the moment without a reservation. This time, however, we were initially turned away; when we asked why, we were told the waiting area was full. An hour later, we were told to try again—and were then suddenly sent to the waiting area after all, which, however, was strikingly empty compared to previous years. Presumably, a large number of spots are now being reserved for advance bookings.

​Our first visit a few years ago was a real “wow moment,” and the shows back then were great, which is why we were happy to return. Unfortunately, we have to note that the quality hasn’t kept pace with the significantly higher prices over the years. After five days, we finally decided to cut our losses and spent the rest of our vacation at Lake Garda.

​The positives:
​The location on the Adriatic Sea offers great potential in principle.

​What massively disappointed us:
​Arrival & Space Allocation: First, we were turned away despite the waiting area supposedly being full—which then turned out to be almost empty. Spontaneous travel seems to be made increasingly unattractive here.

​Sunbed Situation & Beach: The sunbeds and umbrellas—which can be reserved for a fee and are assigned to fixed areas—are concentrated only on certain sections of the beach, but unfortunately were located right at our nearest beach exit. Anyone who just wants to quickly set down their shoes or a towel immediately gets into trouble with the beach staff, and to reach the few free areas, you have to go a long way to the left or right.

​Parking Situation & Nature: Due to the dense tree cover, you end up with tons of bird droppings on your awning and vehicle, as well as constant dry pine needles. Choosing a spot is a fine line: Either you’re too close to the noisy washhouse, or you feel like you’re walking forever.

​Laundry Machine Experience: After washing and drying, the freshly laundered clothes smelled extremely strange—like manure or slurry—so we had to wash everything all over again and dry it on the clothesline. After filing a complaint, we only got a refund for the washing machine, not for the dryer.

​The new “Speedy Island” area: The slides opened late, and the construction is subpar, with joints that are extremely noticeable. In the Lazy River, inner tubes are missing almost everywhere; the whitewater current is so weak that everyone ends up walking around in it, and there are hardly any places to relax—not to mention lounge chairs; even seating is in short supply.

​Entertainment & Shows: The program runs on a rigid, continuous loop and is highly repetitive, meaning there’s no creative evolution for repeat visitors.

​Conclusion:
A place where the value for money has now gotten out of hand. For us, after just a few days, there was only one option: to leave and head to Lake Garda instead, where, for a better overall price, you can enjoy campsites with a direct lake view and amusement parks right on your doorstep.

It’s actually a very nice campground. Clean, and everyone is friendly. The campsites are also very nice and mostly shaded. However, the activities are geared toward children up to about 12 years old. There’s not much on offer for older children or teenagers. We thought there would be a soccer field here, but the one advertised isn’t part of Union Lido. There’s a small field on the edge of the campground, but it’s tiny and certainly not a grass field. Sports fields are, after all, gathering spots for teens. That’s why I regret choosing this campground over Marina Venezia. We’re missing the sports fields.

On our next vacation, we'd come back with a trailer. A mobile home is a great way for beginners to see if camping is right for them.

Polecam 👌

We stayed for five nights at Union Lido Mare and have mixed feelings about our stay. The facilities at the campsite are fantastic in general, especially the restaurants and the sanitary blocks. The water parks on-site were also great, but unfortunately, they were extremely crowded. On top of that, we were disappointed to find out that you have to pay 22 euros for two sunbeds inside the campsite's own water park.

What ruined the experience the most for us adults was our specific pitch and the constant noise level. Our pitch was basically one large sandbox (Rialto), which meant the caravan was constantly unbalanced. We had sand absolutely everywhere, which became very exhausting with small children. The pitch was also located in a spot where people were constantly walking right past our door. There was a lot of noise from loud music and concerts, and it was so hectic that at times I felt like beachvendors were about to show up right outside our caravan.

Something was happening absolutely all the time, and it became incredibly exhausting. The only time of day I actually managed to unwind and feel any sense of peace was in the morning before 07:00 AM.

The kids loved the place and all the activities, but for us adults, the noise and chaos were simply too much. Five nights here was more than enough. It has amazing facilities, but it is way too commercial and overcrowded for a relaxing Holiday. Its like living at times square, nyc.

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