Where to go on holiday in 2018?

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to plan your summer holidays. The problem, however, may not be a shortage, but an excess of possible options to choose from. If we don't have an idea where to go, we can take into account the directions that have already been of interest to other tourists.

Italian holidays

Italy has been the favourite holiday destination of Poles for years. Due to its distance, the northeastern coast of the Adriatic Sea from the border with Slovenia to Venice, with resorts such as Lido di Jesolo, Cavallino, Caorle and Bibione, is very popular.

In addition to a large network of hotels and private accommodation, there are well-equipped campsites for people who want to book, for example, an air-conditioned cottage or apartment. For example, right next to Caorle you will find the 5-star Villaggio San Francesco holiday centre. There are as many as 578 holiday cottages, several swimming pools, tennis courts, various sports fields, a gym, a solarium and a rich gastronomic facilities.

What is more surprising, however, is the huge popularity of Sardinia in recent years! This is much further away from the border with Poland and "on the other side of Italy", because Sardinia is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Poles often reach it by plane, landing in Cagliari or Alghero, but there is also the possibility of ferry crossing. And this way more and more of our compatriots reach the island.

Sometimes they choose to stay overnight in private accommodation, for example in Airbnb, and sometimes they choose campsites located close to nature and far from the cities. Those in Sardinia are generally not as extensive as the family holiday parks on the continent, although among the many intimate resorts we will also find a few exceptions.

The Camping Village Laguna Blu, located a few kilometres from Alghero, on the coast called "del Corallo", can be taken into consideration. Apart from wonderful views, there are modern houses, a shop, a restaurant and animators will make sure that kids never get bored. There are also bicycles, windsurfing school, tennis and diving equipment rental.

There is no denying that the region of Garda Trentino, which tries to attract the attention of Polish tourists, cares for its promotion very well. Films promoting the area around the largest Italian lake present the area surrounding Garda as an ideal place for active recreation. Picturesquely located bicycle trails are conducive to exploring the area on two wheels, and mountainous landscapes tempt climbing enthusiasts. If we add the scents of Italian cuisine and the taste of the local vineyards, we will soon find out that above Garda we will find the quintessence of Italy.

Of course, there is no shortage of campsites around Garda - of different sizes and character - most of them are aimed at families with children and tourists with sports enthusiasm. One of the most famous is Camping Baia Verde, which attracts tourists with an amazing swimming pool of 375 m2 with lagoon, whirlpool and geyser. There is also a second swimming pool on the roof and a paddling pool for children. At this campsite, like many others in Italy, animals are welcome.

Interestingly, Poles are interested not only in the sea, mountains and lakes, but also in the depths of the country. And so, after the fashion for Tuscany, there came the fashion for Umbria and its small towns, the most famous of which is Assisi.

It's hard to say whether this has made it more popular with picturesque, colorful cottages placed by tourists from all over the world on the Instagram or rather an offer of cheap flights from Poland to Florence and Genoa, but the fact that a lot of Poles have recently placed Cinque Terre on the list of their holiday dreams. It is a fragment of the Ligurian riviera, where there are five villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Tourists have at their disposal about 10 km of rocky coastline climbing over small bays, hundreds of paths connecting individual settlements, as well as old churches and picturesque beaches. It just has to be seen!

If you are looking for accommodation in this area, you should know that between Cinque Terre and Portofino there is the Camping La Sfinge. It lies in a valley, surrounded by acacias and pines. It stretches over an area of 18,000 m² and offers water sports (including diving, surfing and even fishing) to its guests.

Hot Croatia

If Croatia, it is also the Adriatic. This is unlikely to change. It seems, however, that the continental coast is losing a little bit of its popularity in favour of various islands and the Istrian peninsula.

Pula, Rovinj, Vrsar, Porec - these are examples of places that aroused great interest among readers of the Camprest.com portal. It's easy to explain, as this is where you'll find excellent holiday resorts that offer plenty of amenities for both campers and families looking for a home.

One of the most fashionable campsites in the region today is the Camping Polari - located 3.5 km from Rovinj, by the sea and with infrastructure not far from the best campsites in Italy. Suffice it to say that guests have at their disposal several swimming pools, shops, restaurants and plenty of opportunities for active leisure (tennis, basketball, surfing, diving, canoeing, boats, water scooters, football). Today, Istria is probably not the cheapest place to relax, but the excellent tourist infrastructure remains a good excuse for the local prices.

However, the most popular are the islands located in the bay of Kvarner, especially in the part called Malý Kvarner, which includes the islands of Rab, Krk, Cres and Pag. On these islands meteorologists record more than 217 sunny days a year. In summer the sea temperature here reaches 26 degrees Celsius, but the heat is even in spring and autumn, when it drops to 18 degrees Celsius.

There are more than 100 hotels in the region, as well as several campsites which are very highly valued by guests. One of the most interesting resorts in the area, and maybe even in the whole Croatia, is the 5-star, ecological Camping Resort Krk. One of the accommodation options are glamping tents - luxurious, well-equipped, with the size of cottages. At the campsite you will find all the amenities you would expect from a campsite, including swimming pools, a spa and a water park for children.

Spain for Poles

When listing places that are gaining in popularity, it is impossible to ignore Spain. Cheap air tickets made Barcelona and the adjacent Costa Brava coast one of the most popular holiday destinations for Poles.

A greater surprise may be the popularity of Malaga, located almost on the southern edge of this huge country. Suffice it to say that the car journey from Barcelona to Malaga takes about 10 hours. And yet, both in the capital of Andalusia and in the whole province of Málaga, we will hear Polish quite often. And it will be thanks not only to tourists.

Several companies already have their headquarters in Malaga, which rent campers to guests arriving to Spain by plane from Poland. There are also Polish schools of windsurfing and more and more other companies run by Poles and, at least partially, for Poles. And since we can enjoy the warm sea almost all year round, as well as watch the beautiful landscapes, Malaga steals the heart of the next travellers from Warsaw, Krakow or Poznan.

France - not only Saint Tropez

What about France? Although it is also by the sea, and in addition closer to it than to Spain, it is perceived as a country that is expensive and therefore not very tourist-friendly. Maybe it's time to disenchant France?

If we compare the prices of accommodation and meals on the Côte d'Azur and in Italian resorts, we will find that the differences are no longer very large. Prices in French restaurants are only slightly higher, and looking for accommodation on Airbnb, for example, we can easily find a few people and air-conditioned apartment at a very good price. In addition, visits to the Côte d'Azur are facilitated by more and more interesting offers of cheap flights to Nice. From there it is very easy to get to Monaco, Cannes or Saint Tropez.

But, according to CampRest.com, not only places close to airports will be gaining popularity this year. Campeole campsites, for example, have more than 70 holiday homes in France, most of which are located by the sea (both on the Mediterranean and the English Channel). Such a wide range of relatively inexpensive, but beautifully located and well-equipped places to relax is a good reason to consider holidays in France. The more Poles will allow for accommodation outside typical hotels, the more popular will be camping centres.

So where will Poles go on holiday this year? This will only turn out to be the case, but we can be sure that their elections will become less and less obvious. Many people who have already visited Rome, Barcelona or Tuscany will want to see and experience something new. Therefore, they will be looking for new inspirations for great travels, and will also consider other forms of accommodation than just hotels. There are too many possibilities to be constantly limited to the same directions and to the same ways of rest every year.