What Is Union Lido?

Union Lido is often called a campsite; but that’s like calling a Rolls Royce a car. In the literal sense, it is indeed a place where people can camp. But if that conjures up images of a random jumble of tents, basic toilets and cold showers, forget that. “Holiday Village” is a more accurate description. Their own description is “Parco Delle Vacanze” – Holiday Park.

Anyone who knows Center Parcs will understand the concept: comfortable, well-appointed cabins for accommodation, eating places and amenities on site and a safe environment for the children. Union Lido is that and more – much more. Not for nothing has it regularly won awards as Europe’s best campsite. It’s been going a long time – since 1955, in fact – and in that time it has been improved continually in a striving for perfection. Within its square mile or so are shops, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, a heated outdoor swimming pool complex, holiday chalets, spacious camping areas and a kilometre of magnificently maintained beach with the sort of sand children love to dig into. The Adriatic Sea in summer is like a warm bath.

And that’s only scratching the surface. The whole place has a sense of organisation and order that makes it stand out from the rest. There are beautifully tended flower beds, spacious avenues where the trees form an arch overhead, fish-and-turtle-filled ponds spanned by Japanese-style bridges, fountains and even a quiet woodland area that feels like part of an English forest. The entire site is run along eco-friendly lines and is spotlessly clean and tidy, while all staff are approachable and friendly. Many speak good English, though they respond with particular warmth if you try even a few words of basic Italian.

The sense of order extends to the way guests are expected to behave. This is not one of those “anything goes” sites where beer-swilling, drunken parties are the order of the day. Guests are expected to respect each other’s right to a peaceful holiday and there are strict rules about quiet times being observed. This works to everyone’s benefit and a good night’s sleep is possible without the interruption of rowdy behaviour. It also makes it safer for children.

Many people come by car and there is plenty of space for them to be parked alongside tents and caravans without making the place look like a glorified car park. There are clear rules about where and when cars can move on or off the site, so pedestrians are never inconvenienced.

There’s even a doctor on site, provided free of charge (though they suggest a one-euro donation towards medical research).

A wide range of entertainment is provided. Forget people in red coats trying to whip up enthusiasm in unwilling campers. The entertainments here range from classical music concerts to lavishly produced musical shows and rock concerts, all given under the stars in a spectacular setting and free of charge. There are firework displays, artists’ evenings and a weekly on-site market. For younger people, from toddlers upwards there is a full programme of events (or “animations” as they call them), ranging from discos to football and swimming tournaments. You could stay on site for the whole holiday and always find plenty to do – though if you didn’t venture out you’d miss some of the remarkable delights the area has to offer.

And in a country famous for its ice-cream, the ice-cream on sale here, made on site, tops anything we’ve ever tasted. The range of flavours is beyond belief. It’s enough to say that during a fortnight stay you’d have to have several ice-creams a day to get through them all! Just for the record, my own favourites are Nocciola (hazelnut) and Pear And Cinnamon – my mouth waters as I type this!

Where is it?

Bolero

If Union Lido wears the crown among camping sites, the jewel in its crown, as far as we’re concerned, is Bolero, a British family-run tour operator, which has its own area on Union Lido in a prime location in the centre of the complex, within easy reach of all amenities. We have been coming to Union Lido with Bolero for many years, both with and, later, without our children. It says a lot about this company that every year we encounter many people we’ve met here before. All agree that the quality of service they get from Bolero is so high that going anywhere else would probably be a disappointment.

Accommodation is provided in either a caravan with a spacious awning or a mobile home. Cooking facilities are provided in both, though there is no oven. A microwave can be hired for a small fee. We’ve stayed in both types of accommodation and nowadays opt for the mobile home, largely because we like to come out in May, which can be quite cold at night in the first couple of weeks and the mobile home’s air conditioning has a heating option. There is plenty of space (a mobile home sleeps five with ease and six at a push) with two bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen/living-area, a spacious bathroom and a high-pressure shower that delivers a massage. Each mobile has its own veranda with table and chairs beneath an awning, so you can sit outdoors in the evening and enjoy a cold beer.

What makes Bolero so good is the attention to detail. The managing director and his wife, John and Margaret Robinson, spend a good part of each season onsite, making sure that everything is done to give the best possible service, a task they take very seriously. Any problems are sorted out immediately without fuss – and the only problems we’ve ever encountered are minor ones anyway, such as a faulty toilet cistern. And they’re always open to suggestions for improvements. All their on-site staff are friendly and helpful and take the trouble to get to know their guests, though not in any intrusive sense. After all the years we’ve been coming (since 1997), it’s very much a home-from-home.

Bolero hires out bikes by the fortnight, the day or even just the afternoon and as I said above, the whole area is geared to the cyclist – only rarely do you need to use the roads and in general the roads without cycle paths are fairly quiet and safe. That said, it only takes one reckless driver, so stay vigilant…!

Prices for holidays with Bolero are remarkably good – we’ve done our own detective work and compared their prices with other companies running sites on Union Lido. Consequently we come out for four weeks every year, at a cost that would probably get us only a fortnight with another operator. Rather than quote prices here, which are obviously subject to change year by year, I’ll refer you to Bolero’s website – just type “Bolero Holidays” into Google and you’ll find them easily. It’s also good to know that the whole pricing system is kept simple, so it’s easy to work out what you’ll pay. Prices are per accommodation rather than per person so a family of five can stay for the same price as a couple.

Getting There

Transport is not factored into Bolero’s pricing. You can travel to Union Lido by car, by plane via Venice’s Marco Polo airport or by train from Paris (Bercy station into Venice – right on the edge of the Grand Canal!). We chose an overnight sleeper train from Paris, partly because I can’t stand flying but also for the experience in itself – travelling across the lagoon by train in the early morning is magic!

Getting from the airport is simple and cheap: a bus to Lido di Jesolo, then change for the no.5 bus (to Punta Sabbioni) and ask to be let off at Union Lido, fifteen minutes or so down the road, just past the town of Cavallino. If you’re coming by train, from the railway station you take a no.2 water-bus (“vaporetto”) to San Zaccharia – a wonderful experience in itself – then take the ferry to Punta Sabbioni, on the mainland and pick up a no.5 bus to Union Lido. If, however, you’re arriving by car, don’t ask me –use a satnav!

Venice

Someone once said “See Venice and die.” (I don’t think that quote has anything to do with the Mafia.) The idea, I guess, is that when you’ve seen Venice you’ve seen the very best the world has to offer and can you pop off quietly and happily. But of course, no holiday is long enough to experience all of Venice, which is another reason we keep coming back – and we still have a lot more of it to see before we allow the Grim Reaper to lead us away. From Union Lido you can buy a ticket for around sixteen euros that takes you from the campsite to Venice, including the bus and the ferry, both ways. Or for a little more (about 22 euros) you can get a runabout ticket for a day that enables you to use the water-buses and the ferries to the islands – and little Burano has a magic of its own. Either way, coming in towards St Mark’s (San Marco) for the first time (or even the twenty-first) is one of life’s great experiences, beyond compare and one you could never set a price on. I shall say no more about Venice, except to say that if you’ve never seen it, you’re not yet ready to die.

What’s The Catch?

Why does there always have to be a catch? For many people, including ourselves, Bolero and Union Lido offer an unbeatable combination, while the close proximity of Venice makes the whole package irresistible.

However, the truth is that any earthly paradise is going to have its flaws and the main ones here are mosquitoes and sunburn. But, of course, that’s not just Union Lido, that’s the whole Mediterranean area. If you take the proper precautions you won’t have any bother. Just visit Boots or your local pharmacy before you leave home.

Any other catch? If there is, we haven't yet found it…