Thomson Al Fresco is offering seven nights in the South of France, for two adults and up to four children, in a Rossini mobile home at Esterel, Cote d'Azur, for £199. Arriving between April 4 to 16, that is a £190 saving on the £389 price in the Thomson Al Fresco Dec 2008 to Dec 2009 Early Booking brochure price. If you want to go a little later in the year, then seven nights for two adults and up to four children, in a Vivaldi mobile home at Marina di Venezia on Italy's Venetian Riviera, is £523 for arrivals between May 21 to 30. That's a saving of £131 off the early brochure price, and includes midweek ferry crossing. "During our quieter periods, our holidays are enjoyed by couples," said a spokesman. "However, our holidays are predominantly taken by families. Our focus is strongly geared to creating an environment in which parents can relax, knowing their children are being entertained and having fun." There are 43 parcs across France, Croatia, Holland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. For more information, call 0871 231 3292 or see www. thomsonalfresco.co.uk.

I must admit the thought of spending a week in a mobile home with a hyper-active five year old, fifteen year old daughter and her friend, and six foot eighteen year old son made Mrs A and myself blanche paler than tea from the office beverage machine!!. Teenage Tim seems to have grown so much he must have been standing in a bucket of something strong over the past year or so, teenage girls just need space, and whirlwind Billy quite a few acres to burn off steam and all of us together in a jumbo caravan!. Oh well, everyone was up for it and really excited, so the great adventure took off from Stansted and touched down less than two hours later at Treviso, an hour's drive from what was to be our base near Punto Sabbioni on the Venetian Riviera.

Thompson Al Fresco have 46 hand picked parcs situated throughout France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Portugal and now include Al fresco Ski at Le Grand Bornand in France. Our parc, the Marina di Venezia was an immaculate four star resort village hemmed in by a broad sweep of sandy beach which gently shelved into the sea and almost encircled by the fresh scented shadows of tall pines. First impressions I believe are important and we were immediately struck with how clean and delightfully planned the parc was as we drove through to find our Thompson Al Fresco site. During our stay I was hugely impressed with the fine facilities well planned and immaculate. The luxury mobile homes boasted spacious wooden-decked verandas, air conditioning to keep you cool on long hot summer's days and there is an unparalleled in-resort service. The Al Fresco reps live on the parc and go out of their way to be helpful, not at all like your hotel versions - available for a couple of hours in the foyer!!. They are permanently installed at the end of your avenue of chalets and zip around all day on their bikes, pop onto the veranda for a chat and a cuppa and by the end of the visit really feel part of the family.

And forget the claustrophobia fears I had, our holiday home had a double and two twin bedrooms and roomy central kitchen/diner/lounge area. At no time did we feel under each others feet and spent a lot of time on the veranda where we had our meals and were able to relax in a most un-English way. The pace of life slows significantly in a quiet relaxed rural retreat, it¿s all about freedom, choice, choosing to be as active or relaxed as you want, and living your holiday at your own pace. Everything about the Al Fresco way is about chilling out, it really is a cool down zone, there is nobody dashing around, but a delightfully pedestrian atmosphere. The Marina closes for a siesta each day between 13.00 and 15.00, everything closes and there is no traffic allowed on site. At night you sit on your veranda and there is the gentle murmur of conversation in the air, the twinkling of lights among the trees, and after 11 o'clock a patrolling chap on a bike gives you a warning ssshhhh! if your voice rises above a whisper. And the best thing..NO Television!!!.

The holidayparc environment is perfect for children; they can play safely and make new friends and the beauty of an Al fresco holiday is that you have freedom and independence. Shake of the stresses of everyday life, sit on your veranda, breathe in the boundless fresh air and soak up the awe inspiring scenery aroundyou. The sandy beach stretches seemingly for ever, with warm shallow Adriatic waters suitable for all the family, clean, gently lapping the shore and under the watchful gaze of lifeguards. Family friendly facilities on site include organised children's activities, playgrounds and sports activities, football basketball, table tennis badminton and boules. The evening entertainment every night from June is suitable for all the family and includes kids disco, quizzes and cabaret. There are also full sized tennis courts, table tennis, gym, bike hire, volley ball courts and crazy golf. Nearby there is go-karting, horse riding, 18-hole golf course, sea fishing, scuba diving, sailing and windsurfing. The enormous swimming pool complex has two pools; both outdoor and unheated, and hats must be worn as is the custom in Italy.

So this was our base in an excellent location for exploring the wealth of places to see and things to do around the Venetian Riviera. Obviously number one on the agenda was a visit to Venice, that most fascinating and unique city built in a giant lagoon on islands which only just break the waters surface. One of the most photographed places in Europe, Napoleon dubbed it the finest drawing room in Europe, and visitors and pigeons have been flocking there for centuries. From the port of Punto Sabbioni, just walking distance from the parc, you can take one of the regular 40 minute ferry trips across the lagoon and around the islands and for just 9 Euros return and get dropped off at the quayside in the heart of the city.

Venice is truly a jewel in Europe's crown with a fascinating history and its existence is an unimaginable feat of engineering, construction and architectural genius. You have to research the history of the city to understand what an exceptional place you are visiting. In the 5th Century Veneti refugees lived in an ill defined triangle of land the base of which was formed by the River Po and the sides by the Adriatic Sea and the Alps. The region was crossed by the Rivers Bretna, Piave, Livenza and Tagliamento and at the point they met the sea formed extensive lagoons. They constructed their own flat bottomed boats for moving about in the shallow waters and constructed huts mounted on piles, by the 11th Century the city had started to form with canals excavated and established and the edges of the islands consolidated. The construction of buildings you see today was only achieved by driving piles into the earth and laying on them a platform of thick wooden planks - six thousand piles hold up the foundation platforms at each end of the Rialto Bridge. An example of the huge process and the scale of how the city evolved can be found in the description recorded of the foundations of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute. Construction began by driving into the subsoil 1,106,657 piles of oak, alder and larch each about four metres long. This preparatory stage took about two years two months to complete and then a platform like a huge raft made of planks of oak and larch firmly lashed together was built on this base of piles. Imagine facing that challenge today to build a city in a lagoon; I think we might look elsewhere for something simpler!!

Venice is a delight, a city bursting with churches, quaint canals, backwaters and wonderful architecture. The top attraction is the Basilica di San Marco situated on St Mark's Square where the church is one of Europe's most unusual with an interior that boasts many of Venice's treasures. The Rialto Bridge built in 1591 is the first and largest bridge across the Grand Canal and covered with many market stalls and souvenir shops, until the mid 19th Century it was the only point to cross the Grand Canal by foot and even now offers the best views of the canal. The Gondola with its asymmetrical form, half the stern above the surface of the water, is the most typical symbol of the city and a 'Just the one Corneto' trip is a must. The craft is a masterpiece of carpentry made up of some 280 wooden parts, slipping through the low waters of the lagoon and around the canals with ease and elegance. There were queues for gondolas around the main basin but a short walk into the city and there are many gondoliers offering trips and we found them all roughly the same price offering 80, 100 or 120 Euro tours for up to six persons. It's worth the experience just to watch the skill and deftness of the gondolier in action, a flick of the leg and a push against a wall and we are around a 90 degree corner with literally millimetres to spare. Despite blustery conditions and negotiating a tight turning myriad of canals we never touched a wall once, and all while pointing out the homes of the likes of Casanova and Marco Polo and recounting historical facts and figures.

We could have spent much more time in Venice and will just have to return again to complete our exploration of a city that has all and perhaps more that most capitals concertinaed into a tight walk able centre; a bit like a giant open air museum. The worrying factor is to read that the waters flood nearly all the town during the winter causing serious damage and a risk to the stability of the buildings. When the wind blows in from the East it fills up large areas of the lagoon and as a result there is a slow imperceptible submergence of the city.

From the wonderful sojourn back in time to Venice our next trip also involved the wet stuff and boats but the pace was considerably quicker. Just twenty minutes by car from the parc is the town of Jesolo, a shopping paradise for the shopaholic and a great place to browse. It boasts having the longest shopping street in Europe, six kilometres of spending bliss, I think my daughter Katie and her friend Siobhan would have spent the whole holiday there. But the town is also home to the Aqualandia water and theme park, a recreated Caribbean island with a mixture of excitement, fun, extreme sports and water games. The fun-filled oasis is second in the top ten of national attractions, one of Italy¿s largest water parcs with the world's highest water slide it is a great day out for all the family. From five year old Billy to dare devil dad we had a brilliant wet and exhilarating day with everything having to be tried out¿Scary Falls, the Kamikaze and Stargate slides, and the ultimate Pacemaker (not for little people or the faint hearted). This 42m long slide sends you and three equally stupid crew dropping vertically in a boat reaching speeds of 110 kmph, ending in a water splash, and guess which muggins was put at the front!!!

And so ended our wet and wonderful visit to the Venetian Riviera with the other main highlight being the sublime food we were able to buy and saw displayed. Markets are a very important part of Italian culture where meat, fish and produce fresh from the farmers and fishermen who grew, reared or caught it feature. The proximity of the Adriatic Sea provides an excellent source of seafood and fish commonly used in many recipes, Venetian cooking uses many exotic herbs and spices. The regions cured pork sausage 'Soppressta' is popular among locals and tourists alike and the legendary dessert 'Tiramisu' originated here as did the meat dish 'Carpaccio' thinly sliced beef in a dressing of mayonnaise, mustard and Worcester Sauce. Verona is also one of Italy's main provinces for producing fine wines including the popular white Soave, red Bardolino, vineyards in the region also produce Merlot, Cabernet, White Pinot and Chardonnay. The few meals we had when we ate out were a culinary delight, particularly the amazing sea food and pizzas, and not at all expensive.

Our whole experience was so very un-English, we actually spent time to leisurely eat our food outside in the fresh air, had hours to chat because there was no TV, and even appreciating we were on holiday the pace of life on the parc was delightfully gentile. The Thompson Al Fresco commitment is 'We want you to smile on your holiday' and at the end of it return home refreshed, we all did with a wealth of novel experiences and memories to treasure.

Marina di Venezia

2,066 pitches, 3000 emplacements including camping

Visitors in peak season 12,800

Thompson Al Fresco mobile homes 44

Camp site 70 acres (opened 1958)

Open May 5th to September 15th 2007

Venice Marco Polo airport 30 miles drive

Treviso airport 38 miles drive

Thompson Al Fresco  0870166 0366 www.thomsonalfresco.co.uk

Venice

420 bridges

160 canals

150 bell towers

118 islands

Famous inhabitants: Marco Polo born 1254, Casanova 1730, Vivaldi 1679

Well, for starters, the mysterious and ancient jewel that is Venice was, tantalisingly, just 30 minutes away across the sea lagoon. Okay, let's get one thing straight. It wasn't a caravan, it was a mobile home. And, for the snooty ones amongst you, it was luxuriously appointed. We had the top-of-the-range Vivaldi. Air-conditioned with a big kitchen/dining/living room, three bedrooms, bathroom and shower room. There's a deck with dining table and chairs, obligatory brolly to let you know you're NOT in sodden Scotland, and a BBQ. This is a massive site with holiday companies from across Europe responsible for their own little 'villages.' Our cream and blue homes sat Stepford-style in rows, Thomson reps always on hand to attend to your every whim.

Pines.

As I said...vast site - can be hard on the old sandal clad tootsies walking round it. But what a great place to be. It's beautifully laid out, landscaped with towering pines and thick, lush greenery. It even had its own 'town centre' - a bustling little hub with excellent restaurants, big supermarket, fresh fruit and veg shop, tourist trinket bazaars, ice cream parlours, my God, there's even a hardware store. The complex has two huge pools - one Olympic-sized for the serious swimmers and a huge kiddies' pool with slides. Kids and adults are spoiled for choice. The nippers had a top time at the inflatables playground - giant blow-ups to flip, tumble and bounce the night away on. There's also the adventure playground, tennis, mini-golf, cycling...phew. Just let them puff themselves out while you indulge in the bars. We had a small, intimate, candle-lit one near our home - perfect for a chilled Pinot Grigio and watch the stars. But during the day we were never away from the beach. The sweep of golden sand, the turquoise sea splashing ashore - and the big dinghy! The big dinghy? Yup, if you go there...get one. Kept my three busy for an entire week - best 50 euros ever spent. Mrs Muir got a bit worried when they managed to get about a quarter mile out to sea. But me, deep in my book, sun beating down on my cushioned lounger on the private beach, didn't bat an eyelid - they're all good swimmers, especially with a basking shark and a school of stinging jellyfish on their tails!

Lively

And we ate like Royalty for seven days - Italian royalty. With their fresh breads, fruit and veg, home-made pizza and pasta. Marina di Venezia lies on a peninsula full of little seaside villages - and just a few miles away is lively Lido di Jesolo where you can large it if you want. But one of THE main attractions of this Italian masterpiece is that it's literally half an hour away from Venice. Not far from the site gates - an easy 10-minute walk - is the lively wee port of Punto Sabbioni. This is where you can get a water bus - or Vaporetto - to take you to that most unique of cities. It never fails to stir you as the ancient towers and painted town houses seem to rise from the sea to greet you from the 117 little islands they're built on. This strange mix of buildings, crumbling into the lagoons which encircle them, the famous masks being sold by every other vendor on every other street corner, the gondoliers trying to tempt you for (considerably) more than the price of one Cornetto. And we succumbed - bumped him down to 80 Euros for 40 minutes, and cruised the backwater canals before crawling into the fast lane of the Grand Canal. We only had a day - really not enough to do it justice, because there is so much to see. The picture perfect Rialto Bridge with its bustling market, the teeming Piazza San Marco, the Doge's Palace, a wealth of churches. And you have to get your picture taken at the Bridge of Sighs - not a lot to look at, but necessary.

We'll be back, and when we return it'll be Venice to see you, to see you Venice.

Go: Venice

Scottish Sun World travelled with Thomson Al Fresco. A week for a family of up to six in a Vivaldi mobile home at Marina di Venezia, between July 6 and 12, is Pounds 1,013. Price includes a mid-week off-peak Dover-Calais Channel crossing. Call the reservation number on 0871 231 3293 or visit thomsonalfresco.co.uk

You must be crazy, my wife scoffed as I suggested my romantic scheme to her. 'Venice', I'd said with a flourish, producing a brochure about the romantic Italian city. Then, `Yippee! a little voice squeaked between us. Looking down at my two-year-old son, realisation hit me. What was I thinking? Venice was the most romantic city in the world but with kids, it would be a nightmare.

Children aren't impressed by architecture and ambiance. Once they've been on a gondola and eaten a few Cornettos, they'll be asking where the theme park is and if they can have a McDonalds.

So I assumed I'd left it too late to explore one of the world's must-sees. I was going to have to wait until the kids had grown up and then see Venice on a day excursion from a cruise ship, I thought sadly.

But then a pal told me about the Venetian Riviera, the beach region that's close enough to Venice to allow you easy access, but far enough away to be child friendly.

Family friendly The area has a number of well-appointed campsites, so you don¿t have to squeeze the family into a hotel room. Don't let the word campsite put you off, by the way - there's a range of accommodation on offer, not just tents.

We booked through Thomson Al Fresco and flew in to Marco Polo Airport, hired a car and stayed at the Marina Di Venezia campsite in a luxury three-bedroom Thomson bungalow with is own veranda, parking space and barbecue area.

It's perfect for families, as the site has access to a sandy beach and boasts its own water park with slides and paddling pools, as well as an Olympic-size pool.

It also has two reasonably priced restaurants, four snack bars, five bars, a kids¿ club, playgrounds, sports pitches and evening entertainment. Add to this the flexibility of self-catering (the bungalows have kitchenettes), plus the on-site supermarket and bakery, and you won't need to leave the complex.

But with Venice just a stone's throw away, you'd be mad not to venture out.

Waterbus trip We drove five minutes from the site to the waterbus terminal at Punta Sabbioni and hopped on one of the regular boat services that stops at the swanky Lido, where the movie stars stay during the Venice Film Festival, and then proceeds straight into the centre of the city. The trip on the public ACTV boat takes 30 minutes and is very affordable. Climbing off the boat on the gondola-lined waterfront, we headed into San Marco Square.

Like a movie set Even if you're not a fan of history or architecture, you¿ll be impressed by the surroundings. The spectacular Basilica di San Marco and the grand Palazzo Ducale are beautiful. If it wasn't for the thousands of other tourists also enjoying the view, you could be on a movie set. But Venice really reveals itself as you walk away from the main centre and start exploring the canals and backstreets away from the crowds.

There's not much point trying to stick to a map because everyone gets lost in Venice. The city is a maze, but it's also small enough that you usually find yourself back at a recognisable landmark without too much panic. The best wayto approach Venice is with no plan. Just aim to see San Marco and the Rialto Bridge and get a boat down the Canal Grande, but mainly just take in the vibe.

There are loads of interesting shops and streetside cafes selling delicious food, so just mooch around off the beaten track. Most people take a gondola ride, too, but beware they're not cheap.

If you're clever, you can see Venice from the water for a fraction of the price by using the cheap public transport system. Any of the routes that run along the Canal Grande will give you views just as spectacular as those from a gondola.

Escape the crowds The great thing about staying outside the city was that when the kids got tired, we could hop on a boat back to our resort and let them splash around in the pool. We went to the city three times in the week we were there, but you could go every day and take it in in bite-size chunks. The waterbus runs a night service, so you can enjoy Venice in the evening, too.

One day, we headed out towards Lake Garda, a three-hour drive away. It was worth the journey. The huge lake is dotted with picture-postcard villages and most are full of restaurants, bars and shops. We stopped in Sirmione, a walled town with a Roman spa.

The kids loved it for the gelateria (ice-cream shop) that greets visitors on its main street, my wife loved it for the designer boutiques. And I loved it because I got some peace and quiet.

The Venetian Riviera is a rare treasure. It has something for everyone - and if you get fed up with culture, you can just lie back and enjoy the beaches.

Getting There Monarch operates weekly flights to Venice from London Gatwick and Manchester airports during the summer season with fares, including taxes, starting at £145 for a return tickets. For more info, or to book, visit www.monarch.co.uk.

Where to stay Seven nights for two adults and up to four children sharing a Rossini mobile holiday home at Marina Di Venezia, Venetian Riviera, starts at £249. For more information, or to book, call 0871 231 3293, or visit www.thomsonalfresco.co.uk.

Hop on a gondola The city of Venice sets official rates for gondola rides, which start at £62 (£57) for 50 minutes. Additional 25-minute periods are £31 (£29). After 8pm, the base rate climbs to £77.50 (£71). Up to six people can share a boat without paying a supplement.

Getting around There are no cars in Venice. The best way to get around is on the official ACTV waterbuses. They run to Lido, then to Venice San Marco, every 30 minutes. Each waterbus journey costs £6.50 (£6). Hiring a car lets you explore the surrounding area.

Eat out Venice offers a huge range of restaurants. Ai Rusteghi, Campiello del Tentor 5513, has an affordable range of paninis. Plenty of bars and cafes serve great savouries, cakes, coffee and drinks, too. On our campsite, the restaurant and pizzeria was great value, with pizzas costing around £8 (£7). Our accommodation had a barbecue, so you can cook fish from Venice's markets.