As a family of 6 we decided to book our biggest adventure yet, exploring Italy by train over 16 days- Rome, Florence, Chianti, Pisa, Venice, Milan, Verona, and Lake Garda.
Of course, we needed child friendly accommodation as bases along the way and we love holiday parks in Italy- they're so different to the UK. Choosing Camping Village Fabulous was a no brainer for us. We spent a a week here in August 2020 and loved every minute.
Camping Village Fabulous is a large park with around 800 pitches, located close to the Ostia coast and its beautiful beaches.
Not only that but there's public transport on the doorstep to take you straight into Rome. The perfect combination between a relaxing break in the sun and a city break.
So for this visit we booked 3 nights in a 3 bed static caravan with deck which cost £435.
Last time we did a full week and did not want to leave at the end. We only booked the three nights this time as we had already seen many of the sights in Rome on our previous trip. We also needed to leave enough time to explore the Tuscan region and further north.
However, I think 7-10 days would be the perfect amount of time to spend here if you're visiting for the first time.
The accommodation on both occasions was modern, well kept and clean, in a quiet location away from the centre.
At Camping Village Fabulous you'll find a mix of accommodation from camping pitches and room for motor homes, to glamping tents and static caravans. There's something for every type of camper.
In terms of the static caravan accommodation we hired, the equipment you'll find inside varies, but will usually include a microwave, kettle, hob, fridge, freezer plus all cooking utensils and equipment.
They may also have a dishwasher and oven. In some cases you may be required to pay extra for duvet covers and pillow cases or bring your own, I'll mention more on this near the end.
Transfer time from both airports in Rome is approximately 25 minutes. We flew into Rome Ciampino and paid for a one way private transfer which was €75 for the 21km journey. Book your private transfer with our special discount here
A taxi from outside the airport is around €45. Alternatively, they have Uber in Rome which will cost you around €50.
The nearest airport is Rome Fiumicino (FCO), 17.5km away. But there is not much difference between the two airports in Rome in terms of travel time. We have flown in to both airports for this this site and been charged the same too.
The site is located 1681km from Calais (a 16 hour drive), but of course, you can break this up with others stays en route in France and Switzerland.
Alternatively, you could take ferries to Zeebrugge - 1620km, Hook of Holland - 1675km or Caen - 1638km
The pool area features a range of water attractions for all ages.
You'll find two larger pools with deeper water, then a large shallow lagoon pool.
There's also two whirlpools, a slide and a dome which children can climb and slide down plus a new splash zone.
Pools are free to use and open all day (they do not close for a siesta). No swim hats or tight swim wear are required like some sites in Italy, so that's always a bonus.
Sun loungers are plentiful, however if you come to the pools around lunchtime you may struggle to get one in high season.
The pool areas are well supervised with lifeguards and kept clean. There is also toilet and changing facilities by the pool side.
On the website it does state no inflatables are allowed in the pools, however lots of people had them and they sell them onsite.
The campsite runs its own kids’ clubs for ages 5-8yrs and 9-12yrs, with English and Italian Spoken. Activities are advertised on boards around the camp.
We didn't use any of the clubs as my children prefer to be in the pool all day so I can't comment on the quality of activities provided.
Whilst we were there, most nights there were musicians in the courtyard area where the bar and restaurant are located.
There was also mini discos and shows in the entertainment area near to the pool complex.
Some nights there was special events such as foam parties for the whole family which was really fun.
On site you'll find plenty to do including crazy golf, 2 playgrounds, kart hire, trampolining, table tennis, tennis, football and volleyball.
The entertainment team provide pool bike classes, aqua aerobics and water polo throughout the day. Most activities are open 8th April to 30th September.
Off-site you'll find sporting activities to do in the local area. These include Golf (7km), Driving Range (7km), Horse Riding (8km), Climbing Wall (4km) & Windsurfing (11km).
On site you'll find a well stocked mini market offering all types of foods you'd expect at home including BBQ food and equipment, bakery items, fresh fruit and vegetables, alcohol, toiletries and cleaning supplies. We were able to shop and make meals to enjoy back at our caravan.
The supermarket does close for a few hours during the day for a siesta, so make sure you check the opening times when you arrive.
Prices are typically more than other local supermarkets but not extortionate.
Located within the pool complex you'll find a bar serving fast food like burgers, hot dogs, fries, nuggets, pizza, panini's, focaccia and a large selection of salads. Along with this they sell alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks and ice creams.
They offer a meal deal with a main, fries and drink for €9-11. We ate round the pool most lunch times on both trips as the kids didn't want to leave to go back to eat. We found the service, quality of food and value for money to be good. During siesta it’s the only place to get food on site so it does get really busy.
In the courtyard you'll find a takeaway offering pizza and pasta to take back to your accommodation or eat at one of the many picnic benches on site.
Food can be ordered and paid for using the app (see the QR Codes posted round the site) or at the counter. We used this option quite a few times on both visits, rather than having to cook of an evening. The pizzas were great for sharing and were proper authentic stone baked bases.
In the evening the restaurant is open serving typical Italian meals on it's outdoor verandah.
In the morning they offer breakfast in the central bar with sweet and savoury options.
The gelateria offers ice cream and cocktails and is open till late at night. Again this closes for a siesta through the day but you can get ice cream and drinks at the pool bar all day.
Getting into Rome from here is easy, although a bit hair raising as you have to walk up a busy road for about 200m with no pavement to get to the bus stop.
You can purchase combination bus/tube tickets from the reception desk for €1.50 each, under 10s are free.
When you exit the campsite turn left. Walk 200m till you reach the main road. You will see the bus stop on the opposite side of the road, to the left of the crossing.
Use the marked crossing to cross to the other side of the road.
The buses you can take are numbers 709 or 070.
Once on the bus you have to validate your ticket using the machine and your 100 minutes starts from then.
You take the bus to EUR Fermi tube station which is the last stop on the bus.
After you exit the bus, go into the metro station and take the tube in the direction of either Rebibba or Conca D'Oro (it doesn't matter which)- see the blue line. Take the train 8 stops to the Colosseum.
The tube goes directly to the Colosseum. I’d recommend buying your return ticket from the site to save hassle using the machines or looking for a tobacconist who sells them in Rome.
Both the buses and metro operate between 6am -11.30pm.
The park itself offer excursions to Rome, Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Pompei and Naples which can be booked via their tourist info office on site. Alternatively, you can arrange your own tours in advance.
Dogs are permitted in selected accommodation types and allowed on the park, however they must be kept on a lead at all times when outside the accommodation.
A car can be parked on a pitch and there is no charge for additional vehicles.
This park is suitable for customers in wheelchairs, although you may need to check the type of accommodation is also wheel chair friendly before booking.
Along with everything you'd normally take on holiday, as a family we always make up a little package of things to get us started in case things aren't provided and shops are closed when we arrive.
Usually we bring a few basics like a couple of tea towels, a scourer and a fill one of the mini toiletry bottles with washing up liquid. I'll usually pop a few extra toilet rolls and matches in the case too.
I'll bring a packet of anti bacterial floor wipes to give everything a freshen up- I prefer the floor type as they're much bigger and stronger.
We save up sachets and bring salt, sugar, tomato ketchup and again using a toiletry 100ml bottle to bring some cooking oil.
For washing we take Dr Beckman's magic leaves (see our shopping list) so we can hand wash clothing in the sink. These take up very little space and can be used in a washing machine too. Clothes airers are usually provided in the accommodation but we bring two of our own caravan washing lines too.
Lastly I usually put in a few bin bags as they are always needed and some citronella candles for the deck at night to ward away any mosquitos.
This may sound a lot of extra things to bring but it all fits nicely in 1 packing cube or zip lock bag.
In terms of bedding, this isn't always provided (check individual listings). This can be hired but you can also bring your own. We tend to save up old sets and then we can bin them if we haven't room to bring them back. The cost of hiring is usually around €100 for 5 beds. On this occasion we were changing accommodation three times so we were definitely bring our own than pay €300.
Lastly we usually bring a few small games such as Uno and Pass the Pigs.
Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza is another family favourite- bizarre sounding but very fun. You can find all these in the above shopping list
There really isn't much more to pack though than a regular holiday. Caravans are well equipped and the store on site sells literally everything you could probably need.
Camping Village Fabulous is literally that- Fabulous!
If you haven't visited in the last 4 years, the site has seen some big improvements in terms of pools and entertainment. Between our two visits the 'Human Company' have take over the park and standardised the site in line with others they operate. Entertainment is more varied and they've added a new pool and splash zone.
We have stayed in numerous sites in Europe, and whilst this isn't our most favourite as some are literally incredible, it is a great holiday and great value with the massive plus point of being very close to Rome and a site we'll definitely return to for years to come.
👍Great pool area
👍Close proximity to the airport
👍Easy to visit the city with no car
👍Small site so easy to navigate
👎The site is pretty basic in terms of entertainment in comparison to some of the bigger sites we’ve visited
👎The site can be really noisy at night with large groups of people meeting up and partying in one caravan
👎We found it really difficult to a taxi on Uber or FreeTaxi from the site, this may be because we were a party of 6 though and not 4. The public transport from the site though is adequate.
👎In the day, options for food on site are limited. The shop and restaurants are closed for a siesta and there's only the pool bar unless you want to cook in your caravan. This also means that the pool area becomes very busy in turn.
Village Roma Capital- Smaller than Camping Village Fabulous but usually cheaper too is located near to Ostia Beach (2.6km) and Rome (27.6km). Slightly further out than Village Fabulous but still within easy reach of the city
Find Details HERE
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