iPhone app for European campsites

[doodah]

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a European campsite app for an iPhone please? I would want it also to include the Balkans.

I appreciate that it might have to be 2 or 3 apps but the essence of this request is simplicity, ease of use and up to date accuracy.

I am not all that au fait with iPhones and apps etc

Thanks

Doodah

[al_yrpal]

Google maps - just type in 'camping' and it will show all the sites. Click on a site and it will give you reviews contact details and website.

Simples..

Al

[doodah]

Thanks for that Al, I'll give it a go.

Doodah

[andymiller]

There's also the ACSI Eurocamping app. This is by a long way the most comprehensive and detailed guide. It works offline - but the downside is that you need to purchase the country guides. These aren't hugely expensive though.

There's also the Alan Rogers app. This started off well but then they did something to it (I forget exactly what) which led me to stop bothering with it.

[Psamathe]

People (on this forum) have recommended Archies Camping in the past. Not used it myself, but looking at the lists seems extensive.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/archiescampings/id630776793?l=de&ls=1&mt=8 as an app

Or from their main web site (http://www.archiescampings.eu) you can download the lists (country/region/etc. in .gpx format) and load them onto you mapping app/garmin/whatever and avoid bothering with dedicated apps.

Ian

[Richard Fairhurst]

Archies is brilliant. He kindly gave me permission to use the data in cycle.travel's mapping and I'm continually impressed with how comprehensive and how frequently updated it is. Very much recommended.

[andymiller]

Unfortunately campsites can and do go out of business, get converted into holiday villages, or get redeveloped. I would always be sure to google the campsite and check that it is still in business - most have a live website.

Oh and if you are travelling in say April or May or after mid-September, it's worth checking the site you are interested in will be open (look at the price list it will normally tell you).

[doodah]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I downloaded Google maps and looked for a campsite local to me and it worked, so fingers crossed it will work abroad.

Next I looked at Archies campsite and thought it looked a comprehensive set up, based upon continual input and updating.

I thought for only £2.25 it was worth buying. I am waiting for that app to install itself on my iPhone. I didn't / don't understand the colour coding of the Capital A's.

Presumably, when it refers to Camping Cheque etc, it doesn't mean you have to be part of a club or anything? Might seem a thick question but I would like to have things clarified before setting out.

Am I right in thinking that I don't need a signal to find a site once I have downloaded the app? I appreciate that I will need a signal to ring the site

If I get stuck I will post questions back to you.

See you in 2 minutes

Doodad

[al_yrpal]

In Google maps if you click on a camping site indicator a panel will open at tbe bottom of the screen. Click on that and a page will open giving more information about the site with reviews and symbols ' Save' (a star), 'Website' , 'Share'. If you have a look at the website, read the reviews, and like the look of the site you may want to have rapid access to the site details in future.

So, just click on the 'Save' star and a yellow star highlighting it will appear on your Google map. If you click on the star whilst out on the road Google takes you straight to those details instantly and if you click on the phone number it phones the site for you.

You can plan your routes on a PC or laptop and in the Android world it then all appears on any laptop or phone with the same Google account. I dont know how this works in the Macosphere though?

When planning a touring route I look at campsites around likely stops like this. Towards the end of a day I just look at the Google map on my phone, select a site and head for it. I sometimes use the Sat Nav function to give me directions.

I suspect that Archies Camping is using Google Maps and filtering out smaller sites

Al

[doodah]

Thanks Al.

I also have downloaded an app called maps.me. That seems to be the best of the bunch and think that's what I will take with me.

I have also purchased an Oregon 600 which may have more info on it than I think. I have not got to grips with it yet, but if it's half as good as my etrex legend than i will be supremely happy.

Thanks to you all for your help.

regards

Doodah

[bohrsatom]

Archie's camping is pretty good. Just download the GPX files and import them into Pocket Earth (iPhone app) for offline mapping.

[nmnm]

Some of the nation specific websites are pretty good, showing tiny sites not revealed by searching Google maps. Campingfrance.com shows the municipal site in tiny Revest-du-Bion, for example.

On the iphone, go to the website using Safari, click the box/arrow share logo at bottom of screen, click "add to homescreen" and you've made a shortcut button for that webpage.

[doodah]

Some of the nation specific websites are pretty good, showing tiny sites not revealed by searching Google maps. Campingfrance.com shows the municipal site in tiny Revest-du-Bion, for example.

On the iphone, go to the website using Safari, click the box/arrow share logo at bottom of screen, click "add to homescreen" and you've made a shortcut button for that webpage.

Thanks for that tip, I will give it a whirl.

Doodah

[al_yrpal]

GOOGLE MAPS - does show the site? Its odd through, you can search for camping and it shows all, but if you type camping municipal it just shows municipal camp sites only but doesnt put a highlight mark on that particular one.

[nmnm]

GOOGLE MAPS - does show the site?

No, the "point of interest" database has an entry of "camping municipal Revest-du-bion" (I put it there, a couple of years ago), and so it's visible onscreen. But it doesn't show as a campsite if you type "camping" into the search box, because I didn't know back then to categorise it as "campsite". The results that do show are all categorised as such. The red pin in the screengrab pic is from searching for the village, I believe. It's a great tiny wee campsite btw, for anyone heading towards ventoux.