A brand new series for 2011. The ‘101 Best Campsites…’ is a series of 6 titles, based around 6 specific hobbies, pastimes and passions. With thousands of campsites across Europe, choosing one can be a bewildering task, especially with so much unfiltered, unqualified information in the public domain. These guides aim to make life easier, providing a realistic, digestible number of great campsites, according to your chosen theme.
It’s too early to call it ‘morning’ but the sun is peeking over the horizon to check on things and your bladder is starting its raindance to rise you from your warm cocoon of sleeping bag. And then it hits you like a noxious cloud and you know it heralds the imminent attack of something cold and wet which has been in places only your nightmares care to dwell.
Morning dog breath.
But a few seconds later, after your ears, your cheeks and your eyelids have been “cleaned” by your furry little friend and their tail is wagging, causing last night’s rain to cascade down the sides of the tent, all is forgiven as you remember they’re having the time of their life.
Camping with a dog is utterly brilliant, and to enjoy the open air, the basic living and the abundance of sticks and squirrels to chase is something that I reckon makes for a great holiday.
The 101 book from Alan Rogers covers 101 (surprise surprise) of their top European campsites which let you camp out with Fido under canvas or in a van. And since I’ve actually been to one of the campsites mentioned (Glen Nevis) with my dog in the last 6 months I could use that as a handy marker to judge things against.
And they do an admirable job of describing the site – with great directions, location, facility list, costs and contact details. I can’t fault the detail level at all, and it’s all presented in an easy to read, well laid out format. The book has loads of pictures, but I don’t think that they’re actually of the campsites that they’re on the pages of. I think that they’re mostly stock photos (of farmland, happy dogs and campsites).
At the beginning of the book you get some useful information pages on subjects including Pet Passports and travelling tips for dogs.
101 Best Campsites for You & Your Dog costs £6.99, which is a pleasant surprise. It looks and feels like a more expensive product, and it’s more of a coffee-table- than pocket-book.
SUMMARY: 101 Best Campsites for You & Your Dog is a nice little read, and actually perfect for those of us who can’t afford kennels or exotic holidays and are looking for an alternative. It’s very attractive and easy to read, packed with information on various sites around Europe and is visually stunning. Well worth the £6.99 if you want to holiday with your pooch.
Price: £6.99
From: AlanRogers.com
Interesting read
As a dog owner who wouldnt dream of going on hols without pooch I think this could be an interesting read. If what you say about the stock photo's is correct then that could be a major letdown for the book, lacks the personal touch.