AS we drop over the edge of the giant slide in our double doughnut, my daughter Riley, 12, and I don’t stop screaming until we finally come to a standstill.
At which point, giggling, we hand the doughnut to the next person in the queue and get ready to try the wave pool, before relaxing with my husband Alistair and son Harris, also 12, on luxe double sunbeds.
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It’s hard to believe this is Eurocamping.
Cabin in the woods
We’re staying at Italy’s five-star Marina di Venezia resort on the Venetian Riviera, with its 5km strip of golden Blue Flag sandy beach and a fantastic waterpark at our feet.
On arrival we’re picked up by a golf cart and whisked off to our three-bedroom cabin set among the trees with its cute terrace and a barbecue.
With 2,915 pitches, this is one of Eurocamp’s largest resorts, but everything is still in easy reach.
Gorgeous restaurant Il Fratino is just minutes from our lodge, serving up pepperoni pizzas, £8.50 each, followed by mouth-watering gelato.
At £1.50 for a generous double-scoop waffle cone, it beats the £4.50
Mr Whippy I regularly have to fork out for in London!
We find a huge supermarket with a bakery, deli and meat counter, perfect for barbecue supplies, in the centre of the site.
There are also gift shops, beach shops and more restaurants – La Terrazza’s tasty linguine vongole, £14, and pasta arrabiata, £10, washed down with a glass of house red, £3, becomes another firm favourite during our stay.
The pristine beach is a five-minute walk from our cabin.
We rent a pedalo with slides one day and paddleboards the next.
Most of our afternoons are spent racing each other down the waterpark’s seven slides or diving into the Olympic-size swimming pool, where aqua aerobics take place daily.
One of the things I love most about Eurocamping is the recycling – the resort office is full of goodies that other guests have left behind, and we pick up parasols and a badminton set, which keeps Riley and Harris occupied every night before dinner.
I also love the camaraderie – exchanging greetings as well as surplus pasta and loo rolls with fellow families as they leave.
Ciao Venice
Craving a spot of culture, one day we hop on a bus to the port of Punta Sabbioni, just five minutes away, and catch the ferry to Venice, which lies just across the water.
Return tickets cost £13 for adults and £9 for children.
We follow the throngs to St Mark’s Square to stand in awe at the incredible artwork on the Basilica, before watching gondolas weave their way through the canals, then tucking into delicious gnocchi with butter and sage, £7, at Baci & Pasta (Baciepasta.it).
Another morning, we board a bus to the popular seaside town of Lido di Jesolo, just 20 minutes away and head straight to Caribe Bay Waterpark.
Tickets cost from £30 per person over 1m tall (Caribebay.it).
It’s home to white-sand beaches and Europe’s highest water slide – the Captain Spacemaker, standing at 42m high, which my adrenalin-junkie twins can’t get enough of.
Just like Italian camping itself…
FYI
A week’s self-catering costs from £518 for up to six people (Eurocamp.co.uk).
Flights from the UK to Venice cost from £43 return.
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Glamp it up
You can even take your dog to this secret Shropshire spot, says Editor in Chief Sinead McIntyre
Hidden away in stunning woodland, right next to the River Perry, Riverside Cabins is an ideal spot for R&R, and just a short drive from the bustling market town of Shrewsbury and its fab independent shops.
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The hot tub on each of the terraces (there are 10 cabins here) leads to hours of pleasure for the kids.
Daisy, our spaniel, is also delighted by the river, as well as the acres of land and its endless sniffing opportunities.
Plus, there are paddleboards and kayaks to borrow if you fancy hitting the water, and the gorgeous Nesscliffe Country Park is nearby to explore, too.
Before arriving at our glamping lodge, Gloria (each is named after owner Anthony’s dogs), we visit Shrewsbury Prison.
Former prison officer Graham, who’s supervised the likes of Ronnie Kray and Charles Bronson, leads a brilliant tour and we are all both appalled and fascinated by the execution pit where criminals were hung up until 1961.
A 90-minute guided tour costs £22 for adults, £11 for children (Shrewsburyprison.com).
Later, we dine at The New Inn in Baschurch, just 10 minutes from the site, and chow down on delicious home-made bread with olives, £8, incredible beef Wellington, £30, and hand-rolled Shropshire rib-eye, £29, plus a cheeseboard and lemon curd and white chocolate tart for afters, £10 each.
The kids, meanwhile, enjoy southern-fried chicken and chips, £12 (Newinnbaschurch.com).
The next morning, we cook up a delicious full English in the cabin’s air fryer before a final dip in the hot tub.
FYI
A two-night stay at Riverside Cabins costs from £240 for four people (Riverside-cabins.co.uk).
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