Canvas

Specialist Reports Holiday by Accommodation Camping - Ready Erected Ready-Erected Operators Canvas 

	Canvas
East Port House, 12 East Port, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 7JG			MAP
tel: (0870) 192 1154

Established in 1965 and probably pioneers of self-drive European camping, in 2000/1/3 and 4 the company was ranked number one Camping Tour operator in the Guardian/Observer poll and reports that it is the UK's largest independent camping tour operator. Now offering fly-drive options. Holidays are specifically targeted at the family market and there are specific options including activities ranging from ballooning and paragliding to golfing and walking.

No. of Sites

100-plus in nine European countries, but mainly in France.

Where

France (Picardy, Normandy, Paris, Brittany, Vendee, Royan and the Southwest, Languedoc Roussillon, Cote d'Azur, Loire, Dordogne, French Alps and Pyrenees, Cevennes, Tarn, Ardeche, Jura and Burgundy), Italy, Croatia, Spain, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Austria.

Type of Sites

Largely owner-managed offering a personal service, and at some Canvas is the only operator, though the odd large corporate site is also included. The majority are four-star near the beach, with entertainment and sports facilities, though there are some inland too. Typically a site offers a pool with waterslide, a bar, restaurant and takeaway, a shop, tennis, volleyball, table tennis and mini golf facilities, also football, basketball and water sports. Washing and drying machines are standard as is somewhere to iron clothes. Some sites offer facilities like playgrounds, baby baths or baby rooms in the toilet blocks and paddling pools.
Sites categorised Small and Friendly and are generally quieter at night and considered especially suitable for families with young children, and offer more of a local atmosphere though there are also sites specifically recommended for toddlers in a day's drive of the Channel ports. There are also top sites for teens and 16 sites are members of the Castels et Camping group of manor house and chateau campsites.

Accommodation

Tents are 17'3” x 16'3” sleeping five to six, with a larger double room separated from the singles for extra privacy, a kitchen separate from living areas for child safety (child safety gate feature), four ring cooker with grill, full size fridge and electric lighting throughout. A charcoal barbecue is supplied, site regulations permitting.
Mobile homes range from the 3 star, two-bed roomed Festival (24'x10') to the luxurious 5 star Millennium (36' x 12') with its three bedrooms, CD player and dishwasher. Mobile homes sleep between 6 and 8. All offer British 3-pin sockets and barbecue. Some even have air conditioning.

Kids Clubs

Toddler Club at 12 sites within easy reach of Channel ports, is a play centre for little ones, with small climbing frame and slides, play tunnel and toys under a shady gazebo for the under 4s. A courier is present but one parent must remain in attendance. Toddler Club groups meet four times a week in between mid May and end June.
Hoopi's Club for 4-11s are full-time clubs meeting twice a day, six days a week at Easter, and then from May to September. The club marquee offers child tables and chairs, games and toys and in hot weather the sides roll up. There are activities like treasure hunts, mini Olympics, ghost hunts, face painting, puppet shows and arts and crafts. The club aims to be a little educational and environmentally aware, especially at sites with Wildlife Guides.
At sites where there is only a part-time children's courier the club operates two hours twice a week.
Wild and Active Club, run by wildlife couriers, are designed to help get the whole family close to nature. The resident wildlife guide runs free early morning bird watching, full day safaris' in the local countryside, guided rambles through fields and woods, and dusk walks with a bat detector. Children in particular are offered bug hunts, art and craft sessions, wildlife treasure hunts and pond dipping.
The teen programme for 12-18-year-olds features Buzz Clubs,?B> six days a week through July and August at sites considered most suitable for the age group in France, Italy and Spain. Activities on site include beach volleyball, football and pool competitions plus activities off-site like trips to the local water or theme , quad biking and paintball plus evening events like discos, beach parties, karaoke and some off site events.

Child/Courier Ratio

19 years-plus, resident on site, typically a language student. On larger sites full time children's couriers are also resident. At eight sites there is a wildlife guide to show visitors the natural history. All couriers have been CRB checked.

Type of Courier

19 years-plus, resident on site, typically a language student. On larger sites full time children's couriers are also resident. At eight sites there is a wildlife guide to show visitors the natural history. All couriers are trained in-house by Canvas.

Extra for Kids

Infant packs of high chair and travel cot (doubling as a play pen) are £1 per night. A lightweight baby buggy is available for hire at £1.50 per day. Nightlights can be provided for children who have trouble sleeping in the dark.
Mini tents, for children to camp separately but alongside the main tent, are £3.50 per night. There are free Hoopi's travel packs for children including, for example, a beach ball plus for 4-7 years beach bag, purse and badge, puzzle books and pens, holiday postcards and holiday passport, and for 8-11 years a beach bag, Hoopi's Club magazine, board games, pencil and holiday postcards, and a holiday diary.
There is a games chest at every site with indoor and outdoor games.
For teenagers there is free bicycle hire , canoes and windsurfers at selected sites plus options like water skiing, diving, sailing, fishing, archery, basketball, golf, and white water rafting.

Babysitting

Possible, subject to availability of couriers, for an extra charge.

Other Activities

At different sites there may be pony rides, tennis, archery, football and volleyball matches, windsurfing and at river or lakeside sites water sports like canoeing (extra charges) and in July and August discos and concerts for teenagers. Activity options at specific sites include courses in micro lighting, water skiing, paragliding and sea kayaking, ceramics, cookery, and sand yachting. All are run by independent operators and can be booked on site or prior to departure.

Sample Price

Twelve nights in a tent in Vendee high season would be from £1049 for a family of six including four children under 18.