Camping Fabulous

Would we like to go camping to Camping Fabulous with Canvas Holidays? Of course we would – who could resist a site with a name like that?

And so it came to pass that, on perhaps the greatest day for sitting on the settee with a few beers, alternating between Wimbledon Men’s Final and British Grand Prix before finishing with the Euro 2016 Final in the evening, Mrs B, Caity, Dan, Jonnie and Ellie and I found ourselves driving to Stansted for flights to Rome Ciampino with Ryanair, missing two of the greatest sporting events of the British Summer.

We’re not veterans of budget airlines, but providing you do your homework (pack correctly, take snacks etc) it’s a great way to fly.

Landing in Rome, we eventually found the car hire office and were on our way, driving the 25 km to the campsite (check all sorts of directions first, pick the closest airport and you can save yourself HOURS) feeling pretty smug, I can tell you.

I had hired a 54– 9 seater for the 6 of us, and it was quite roomy (Don’t be silly: Ed) though the suspension did leave a lot to be desired.

We arrived late in the day, and Canvas were true to their word – instructions were at reception (open 24 hours) along with a map to find our chalets.  Wrist bands were also issued to prove we were bona fide Fabulous Campers for the week.

As always with Canvas Holidays, the caravans  were clean, lit and ready for us to move in.  Think static-caravan-crossed-with-log-cabin and you won’t go far wrong, but with the best of both: you feel like you’re close to the elements…almost camping, but you have proper beds, a proper shower and a proper loo.

We had two cabins as there were too many of us for one, so we left the under-25s to one, and we took all the booze next door.

And then I remembered the footy was on.

We’d driven past a little bar en route to the caravans you see, so I wandered back but passed a big bar on the way. At least, a big screen with one beer tap and an ice cream man.    The ice cream became a big hit over the course of the week.  I think the record was four in a day.   Each

Armed with refreshments, I headed into the crowd, found a spot and watched France somehow cock it up against Portugal.

During the second half, people were so distracted that the barman ordered about 20 pizzas and wandered into the crowd, selling them, just to take people’s minds off the footy. Then the bar itself went mobile, which was just great – it struck me that the campsite staff were really trying to get people to stay, watch with them and enjoy the whole event together.

Many tents and mobile homes had their own tellies, but most people were in the communal areas – it was really good to see everyone enduring this god-awful match together. (“Sharing the moment?”: Ed)    And when the chairs ran out they just brought their own and lined them up along the pavement.

The campsite is well-run, lots of staff and some very helpful signs dotted around the place such as this one

Who knew?

It sits just outside of Rome, up on a ridge so the view at sunrise is stunning

The Camping Fabulous shop is compact but very good – pastries and fresh bread, veg and loads and loads of cooked meats and cheese. Not so big on cereals, but it is the Continent after all.   If you had arrived by public transport and had decided to forego a hire car then you really could get everything you needed during your stay.  Complete with souvenirs from Rome!

Whilst I was soaking up the atmosphere in the bar Mrs B was queuing for take away pizzas, made to order and cooked in the wood burning stove.  A bargain at 5 Euros

There are shower blocks and laundry facilities, but your Canvas Chalet has its own shower so you don’t need to shower with your new friends, unless you want to of course.  Mini golf, volley ball, Segways to hire and even a train to transport tired little ones

When you name a campsite Fabulous you are setting the bar high, but from our experience it certainly lived up to the name.