Riva Bella

Rated 4 of 5

Rated 2 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 2 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Perfect location for Ouistreham Ferry Terminal but wouldn't stay more than one night

We stayed here after arriving on the ferry from Portsmouth which arrived at 21.30. It is five minutes drive from the ferry terminal. On ringing the bell, the owner/warden came down immediately and checked us in. There ARE would-be migrants in the immediate area of the campsite (April 2019) but they took no notice of us, nor were they present on the site itself. In April 2019, there were small numbers, not 'gangs' of the, but they were sleeping rough or at least they appeared to be. Some people would no doubt find this off-putting however and it's why I wouldn't stay here for more than one night. However, if I was using the Portsmouth-Ouistreham crossing again and arriving late or departing on an early sailing, I would use this site without a second thought. That being said, the facilities did seem a little basic and there was no toilet paper in the loos that I used. But if I was only staying one night, it wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. But then neither would the migrants. Just one quick point - when you arrive there are two gates. The one on the left leads to the touring site. The one on the right leads to permanent lodges. Wasn't obvious in the dark!

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DadminusLad

Motorhomer

Reviewed on 30/04/2019 17:23

8 reviews

2 Helpful notes

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 1 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 3 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 2 of 5

Good for families

Our advice - avoid at all costs

My wife and I booked a 3 night stay on this site after believing the recommendation by the CAMC. We stayed one night, and that was one too many. This site is a total and utter disgrace and the CAMC should know better than to recommend it. It is totally unkempt, and is massively misrepresented by the CAMC's description and photographs. It resembles a refugee camp. Gangs of migrants are living rough just metres away from the main entrance and the site's front fence. We and others perceived them to be threatening and got out of there as soon as Brittany Ferries could offer us a revised return crossing date. The Camping and Caravanning Club posted a warning to members on their website as long ago as 4 June 2018. At least their members were then able to make an informed choice, unlike us. It is interesting to note that, since my complaint to the CAMC this week, they too have now chosen to post a similar warning. Just a pity it wasn't there sooner. We are over £200 out of pocket as a result of our early return to the UK and are looking for the CAMC to reimburse us. They now expect us to wait up to 4 (yes, 4) weeks for their response! Come on CAMC, we all deserve better than this. If any members are still contemplating a visit, may we suggest you view the BBC's video of the Ouistreham migrant problems on their national news website before you book.

2 replies

TLM

Reviewed on 24/08/2018 14:12

1 review

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 2 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 4 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 2 of 5

Good for families

Site has a good location for ferry, but immigrants gathered outside damage the atmosphere of the site

We stayed overnight at this caravan site after booking it through the Caravan Club direct. The site itself has everything that you would need. It has an indoor pool, bar area, takeaway, kids playground area, VERY clean toilets and excellent showers. It is located abut 5 minutes from the ferry port and we used it to catch the 0830 ferry to Portsmouth. It must have taken 5 minutes to get to the Ferry terminal. The gate opens at 06:30 and is a code exit as well as entry. You can tell that the owners are working hard to make the site nice, but if they could move the immigrants on, they would be in a much stronger position. The receptionist didn't seem to bothered about the gathering of men to the front of site, but she is either putting a brave face on it, or she is used to them not causing any issues. I don't have the answer to this. On the way into the caravan site, there are a few gatherings of immigrants who paid no attention to us at all, but it is disconcerting to know they are there. The grassed areas around the entrance to the site have been fenced off to try and dissuade the immigrants from gathering and I suspect that this has made a difference. Through the night, we did hear a number of lorries blaring their horns at the immigrants, but I can't say if that was to frighten them away or if they were actively trying to stop the wagons. There is a lot of road noise at the area set aside for overnight stops, but I feel that if you parked further away this wouldn't be so much of an issue. We left the car hitched up and ready to go early the following morning and we noted that a lot of people did this. There is a security guard who we saw patrolling the site from around 18:00 onwards and we saw him a few times as we sat outside. The toilets don't have seats or toilet paper which is a surprise in this day and age, but we used our own facilities, so no big issue for us. The site is clearly very popular for the people getting the ferry from the port, and not many seemed to be concerned about the immigrants outside. As we left, the immigrants paid no attention to us at all, and when we arrived at the port we encountered no enhanced security checks due to where we stayed. I hope people find this useful and provides a balanced view of the site.

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Philpatton1977

Caravanner

Reviewed on 18/08/2018 20:45

2 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 3 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 4 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 4 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Beware

We stayed at this site from 23rd July for 10 nights. Firstly, after reading some reviews having concerns about migrants we were going with an open mind, we felt safe on the campsite but my observations were the following. Just outside the site entrance is a row of houses with cars parked, I actually saw a couple of migrants walking alongside the cars and one of them trying the doors. We went into Ouistreham and within seconds of parking, our car was a very interesting subject. We had a meal in a restaurant where we could watch the car and witnessed lorries having the rear doors opened as they were traveling along the road. Anyone on the receiving end of a lorry door swinging onto pedestrians or cars would not come off lightly. Onto the site, the staff were very nice, the site has had new buildings and facilities, you could tell they were trying to make it nice. We had a serviced pitch, the pitches are separated by a few bushes. Unfortunately, someone near found it entertaining to turn our water off twice, no excuse as there were another 3 taps on the same stand not being used, we had an idea who it could be so a third attempt was prevented with some gaffa tape I wrapped around our tap. Our pitch was a perfect shortcut to the toilet block from pitches behind us and boy didn’t we know it, people had no respect for your privacy night or day. It was very noticeable that UK people did walk around and had some respect for others. And the pièce de résistance of this site, we saw the toilet and showers were power washed on our last day, I went to the toilet that following evening to be greeted on shutting the cubicle door by a nice green sticky piece of leaving present left by some low life facing me hanging on the door. So, unless I was desperate for a ferry 1 night stop over I will not be going back.

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viffer1

Caravanner

Reviewed on 09/08/2018 18:49

2 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 2 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 1 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 4 of 5

Location

Rated 3 of 5

Good for families

Great location for ferry but would not go again

We stayed one night before our early morning ferry back to the UK. We thought having a CAMC recommendation would mean it would offer an acceptable minimum standard. We were put on a pitch which had no working electricity and our closest toilets were frankly disgusting. After requesting a better pitch we were relieved to see a newer toilet/shower block with an attractive swimming pool nearby. So far so good. However, the loos have no seats (just the ceramic bowl) and no toilet paper- not even a toilet paper holder! They do not provide any so take your own. Is this normal for a CAMC site? Finally, though not the site’s fault, there was an issue with many immigrants lingering near the site entrance which caused us concerns for our security, especially during the night. As a result, our caravan was searched thoroughly at the port by customs officials when I told them we stayed there. CAMC need to be clearer about what this site is like before recommending it to members.

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Badders

Caravanner

Reviewed on 28/07/2018 22:26

2 reviews

1 Helpful note

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 1 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 2 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 2 of 5

Location

Rated 1 of 5

Good for families

Appalling

Just arrived at the Riva Bella, and cried ! It is appalling! The site looks nothing like the pictures It is down trodden and neglected and it is like a refugee site Showers and toilets are unclean no toilet roll is provided There are a large group of immigrants right outside the entrance to the camp site attempting to get into vehicles There is no police presence There is metal fencing in entrance to the site but it does not seem adequate to stop them entering the site Big delay on check in and large groups of rowdy youths and adults in tents and camper vans playing very load music constantly that can be heard all over the site and shouting and swearing we have a child trying to go to sleep Be warned do not stay here we are trying to see if we can get booked into another site as we speak It does not feel safe and I do not recommend staying here with young children Caravan club you u should be ashamed of yourself !

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Keelsp

Reviewed on 14/07/2018 14:41

1 review

2 Helpful notes

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 5 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 5 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

Ferry stop over

We stayed at this site after getting off the afternoon ferry from Portsmouth. We had read reports warning people about the immigrant problem. There were no problems or hold ups in Ouistreham. We saw a few migrants walking away from the port and there was a police presence. We stayed on site until about 11am the next morning and there were no problems whatsoever. The staff were excellent at getting on the ‘vans on site quickly, so we were set up in minutes. The facilities were new & very clean. It was very quiet on site, probably not in the main season (school holidays).

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TomSue

Caravanner

Reviewed on 07/06/2018 15:18

44 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Rated 3 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 4 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 4 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

Handy for the report but!

This site is so handy for the port but just outside the are a huge group of men. Reception said it’s fine don’t worry they’re trying to get over to England but they’re waiting for lorries. At night I saw them in the camp walking around the inside perimeter. Please all visitors to this site be careful. There’s no security at the camp other than a bell by reception which rings in the above flat.

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ronnierocket

Reviewed on 07/06/2018 07:03

1 review

1 Helpful note

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Rated 4 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 4 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 5 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

Excellent stopover site

The location being just a few minutes from Ouistreham is excellent. We arrived lunchtime to catch the early morning ferry next day. We imagined the site would be very noisy due to arrivals on the late ferry but we didnt hear anything once we retired. Pitches were a good size and the toilet/shower blocks clean and spacious. We visited the nearby Pegasus Bridge Museum which was absolutely excellent.

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Tulip

Reviewed on 29/05/2018 14:41

10 reviews

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Rated 4 of 5

Peace and quiet

Rated 4 of 5

Facilities and cleanliness

Rated 4 of 5

Location

Rated 4 of 5

Good for families

Convenient site close to port stays open for late ferry

We have stayed here 4 times 5 nights this year . I can only speak as I find. Site for these 2 nights 13th and 14 th October is clean very hot water to heated shower block and the washing up sinks. Note one of the sinks had a faulty tap and the water was cold but the others were piling hot.The staff have always been pleasant and courteous and we expect only basic facilities open this time of year. I have booked all our nights directly with the site and payed using camping cheques handy when you have cheques to use with the value ferry combination deals available with the club. Overall happy to book again next year.

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Davet54

Reviewed on 14/10/2017 12:26

1 review

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