| Trip | From | Transport | Family RT | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice | Camping Fusina | Campsite ferry → Zattere 20 min | €46 | St Mark's, Rialto, Dorsoduro |
| Milano | Lecco station | Train direct 40 min | €41 | Duomo, Galleria, Sforza Castle, Navigli |
| Monaco | Por la Mar | Bus + train 32 min | €40 | Casino, Place du Casino, Port Hercule |
| Valencia (3 city days) | Sandaya Valencia | Free camp shuttle → Renfe C-6 30 min | ~€10/day | Oceanogràfic, City of Arts, Old Town, Bioparc, Ruzafa |
| Sagunto (bonus) | Sandaya Valencia | Renfe C-6 opposite direction, 5 min | €3.50 | Castle + Roman amphitheatre — half-day |
| Barcelona | Wheels Rest | Metro Valldaura L3 → Pl. Catalunya 20 min | ~€25 | Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, Park Güell |
| Marseille | Camp Garlaban (Aubagne) | Free shuttle + TER 15 min to St-Charles | ~€55 | Vieux-Port, Notre-Dame de la Garde sunset |
| Trieste (optional) | Campeggio Obelisco | Bus 4 ~25 min (Tram 2 if running) | ~€35 | Piazza Unità d'Italia, Borgo Teresiano |
| Brela Punta Rata (optional) | Camp Viter | Drive 25 min N | fuel | Europe's #1 pebble beach |
| 1. Zasavica | €40 |
| 2. Medveja (2n) | €150 |
| 3. Fusina + Venice ferry | €94 |
| 4. Rivabella + Milano day | €251 |
| 5. Por la Mar + Monaco train | €94 |
| 6. Le Floride (2n) | €90 |
| 7. Sandaya Valencia (6n) | €224 |
| 8. Wheels Rest BCN | €45 |
| 9. Garlaban (Marseille) | €40 |
| 10. Obelisco (Trieste) | €28 |
| 11. Camp Viter (2n) | €165 |
| 12. MCM Ulcinj | €60 |
| STOPS SUBTOTAL | €1,281 |
| Camper rental (€600 paid) | €2,000 |
| Fuel (~870L × €1.75 avg) | €1,520 |
| Tolls + Slovenia vignette | €340 |
| Tourist tax (IT + ES) | €50 |
| Food (22d × €65 family) | €1,400 |
| BCN/Marseille/Trieste extras | €115 |
| FIXED SUBTOTAL | €5,425 |
| GRAND TOTAL ESTIMATE | €6,706 |
Total ~870L needed. Smart strategy = €1.75/L weighted avg.
| Country | Price €/L | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇰 Macedonia | 1.48 (cheapest) | Fill at Skopje pickup (Makpetrol/OKTA) + final top-off before return |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | 1.87 | NIS Petrol/Gazprom; mandatory transit |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 1.96 (most expensive) | MINIMIZE; use Crodux/Tifon (~3¢ under INA/Shell) |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 1.87 | Sežana before Italy (cheaper than Italy hwy by €0.24/L) |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 1.75 off-hwy / 2.11 hwy | NEVER fill on autostrada; Q8easy / IP / Tamoil non-branded |
| 🇫🇷 France | 1.70 supermarket / 2.16 hwy | Carrefour or E.Leclerc only — €0.40+/L cheaper than autoroute |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 1.74 | Ballenoil/Plenoil; fill before crossing back to France |
| # | Where | Store — on the route | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezia → Lake Como leg (to Rivabella) | Lidl Dalmine — Via Bosco Frati 5; A4 Exit Dalmine, ~500 m from the toll booth, right where you peel north for Lecco. Large open commercial plot, no height barrier. Aldi Dalmine is 2 min away as backup. | 📍 Open in Maps |
| 2 | France — Monaco → Le Floride | Lidl Narbonne — Route de Perpignan, Croix-Sud retail zone, A9 Exit 38 (Narbonne-Sud); ~45–50 min before Le Barcarès. Massive flat open-air lot, no height barrier. Aldi Narbonne is in the same zone. | 📍 Open in Maps |
| 3 🔁 | Valencia — used BOTH ways (arriving at the camp + leaving toward Barcelona) | Lidl La Vall d'Uixó — Av. d'Europa 7; A-7 Exit 282, ~20 min north of Camp Sandaya. Standalone store in a Polígono Industrial with oversized parking, no height barrier. Sits north of the camp on the A-7, so it serves both the inbound approach and the outbound Barcelona leg. | 📍 Open in Maps |
| 4 | Before Makarska (Trieste → Camp Viter) | Lidl Dugopolje — Sv. Leopolda Mandića 17; A1 Exit 25 (Dugopolje/Split), in the big retail park right at the toll plaza before you drop to the coast. Huge lot, very 7 m-camper friendly. (Lidl Makarska town also exists on the D8 but parking there is tight/congested in peak season.) | 📍 Open in Maps |
Maps links drop a pin at the exact store coordinate. Final campervan-parking check (height barrier / car-park size) is best done in Park4Night on the day. Big pre-trip shop in Skopje (Lidl is now open there); the Montenegro/Albania/Kosovo return legs have no Lidl but they're short — carry enough from the Makarska shop.
| Day | Theme | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Sat Jun 20 | 🚐 Arrival | Arrive PM from Le Floride (~5h drive). Settle in, beach evening |
| Sun Jun 21 | 🐠 City 1 | Oceanogràfic + Ciutat de les Arts — full day. Pre-book tickets online |
| Mon Jun 22 | 🏖️ Beach | Beach day at Sandaya (2-min walk). Markets & Lonja shut Mondays anyway |
| Tue Jun 23 | 🏛️ City 2 | Old Town — Cathedral + El Miguelete climb + Mercado Central lunch + Lonja de la Seda + El Carmen |
| Wed Jun 24 | 🦁 City 3 | Bioparc + Turia Gardens (kids) then Ruzafa afternoon (livability scouting — possible future move) |
| Thu Jun 25 | 🏖️ Beach | Beach / rest day — recharge before the Barcelona drive |
| Fri Jun 26 | 🚐 Depart | Depart AM to Barcelona, rested |
| Category | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 🐠 Kids' top hits | Oceanogràfic (belugas, shark tunnel, dolphin show), Bioparc immersive zoo, Hemisfèric IMAX dome, climb El Miguelete tower (207 steps), Turia Gardens (9km park — bikes, playgrounds) |
| 🏛️ Culture / must-sees | Cathedral + Holy Grail chapel, Lonja de la Seda (UNESCO), Mercado Central (art-nouveau food market), Ciutat de les Arts (Calatrava architecture), Plaza de la Virgen, Iglesia de San Nicolás |
| 🥘 Food / local | Horchata + fartons at Mercado de Colón, tapas crawl in El Carmen, Mercado de Ruzafa (real neighbourhood market) |
| 🏘️ Livability scouting | Ruzafa ("expat Brooklyn" — cafés, galleries), El Cabanyal (beach-adjacent bohemian), Benimaclet (young families), check Idealista listings on the spot |
Five camps were compared across price, ACSI validity, transit, ratings and beach distance. Devesa Gardens (El Saler, €366) offered a premium Natural-Park experience with water park but cost €140 more and meant a mid-trip move. Coll Vert (€175-210 ACSI) was cheapest but rated 6.8★ with traffic-noise complaints. Camping Valencia El Saler had pitch-size concerns for the 6.95m motorhome. Camping Puzol (the original booking) had strict full-prepay and its ACSI period ended Jun 12. Sandaya won on the balance of price, 7.7★ rating, 2-min beach walk, free shuttle to the train, and ACSI rate validity for the trip dates.
| # | Stop | Our dates | ACSI member? | Valid our dates? | Potential saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camping Zasavica 🇷🇸 | Jun 11 → 12 | No | — | — |
| 2 | Camp Medveja 🇭🇷 | Jun 12 → 14 | No (Liburnian Riviera excludes ACSI) | — | — |
| 3 | Camping Fusina 🇮🇹 | Jun 14 → 15 | Yes | ✅ VALID (Jun 3 – Jul 5) | ~€21 (€48 → €27) |
| 4 | Campeggio Rivabella 🇮🇹 | Jun 15 → 17 | Yes | ⚠️ verify dates in ACSI app/book | likely €25–40 |
| 5 | Camping Por la Mar 🇮🇹 | Jun 17 → 18 | Yes | ⚠️ verify dates in ACSI app/book | likely €15–25 |
| 6 | Camping Le Floride 🇫🇷 | Jun 18 → 20 | No (direct-only) | — | — |
| 7 | Camping Sandaya Valencia 🇪🇸 | Jun 20 → 26 | Yes | ✅ valid (Apr 1 – Jul 3) — booked at standard rate online | try card at check-in (~€20) |
| 8 | Wheels Rest Barcelona 🇪🇸 | Jun 26 → 27 | N/A (aire, not campsite) | — | — |
| 9 | Camping du Garlaban 🇫🇷 | Jun 27 → 28 | Not in ACSI program | — | — |
| 10 | Campeggio Obelisco 🇮🇹 | Jun 28 → 29 | Yes (in ACSI guide) | ⚠️ verify dates in ACSI app/book | small (~€5) |
| 11 | Camp Viter 🇭🇷 | Jun 29 → Jul 1 | Yes | ✅ Apr 1 – Jul 1 — BUT front-line pitches excluded | — (booked front-line) |
| 12 | MCM Camping 🇲🇪 | Jul 1 → 2 | Yes | ❌ ACSI ends Jun 30, 2026 | — |
| Length | 6.95 m |
| Width | 2.32 m |
| Height | 3.15 m |
| Empty weight | 2,860 kg |
| Max payload | 640 kg |
| Max total weight | 3,500 kg = under 3.5T (car-rate tolls, standard car license) |
| Beds / seats | 7 / 7 (bunks in rear, ideal for kids 9 & 12) |
| Chassis | Single-axle Fiat Ducato style, fiberglass body |
| Fuel | Diesel ~15 L/100 km · 80L tank assumed (verify at pickup) |