Ignoring the wild camping aspect are campsites too expensive

[Furydav]

Im fortunate enough to be able to access the Solway coast in less than half hour and took full advantage of the fine weather this weekend with a last minute visit to brighouse bay. its a cracking big site, lots or nothing to do in an ideal location. Its a been a we bit soured however when its cost £30 per night ( iknow its a bank holiday weekend).

I understand its a short season but prices generally are high. Searching campsite on line has been a shock as ive just got back into the outdoor life in the past 8 months since buying our bongo. Im not in the caravan club so maybe i need to join it or C&C club to enjoy better rates as prices like this weekend do restrict the number of times we can get away.

Am i right or simply out of touch as you dont get too much for £30?

[Ian]

I refuse to pay more than £19 a night with electric hook-up, and even that is expensive.

[Dr Fingers]

Was horrified yesterday when I looked at booking a Camping in the Forest site in Wales. Bongo plus a side awning was £79:40 for 2 people for 2 nights. Included in this was an £18 per night 'service charge' (??)

Yes, this would have been in August, but eighty quid for 2 nights??

Derek

[Furydav]

I refuse to pay more than £19 a night with electric hook-up, and even that is expensive.

is there a way to search the UK campsites forum with a price ceiling, or do you just hunt around?

[idetika]

A couple of years ago we made the decision to pay no more than £10 a night on a campsite.
As we were are C&CC members, we started using their CS sites and have found some absolutely cracking sites, and stayed within our £10 a night budget (mostly with ehu).
Admittedly, most of the sites have been on the basic side, and mostly we have had them to ourselves but to be quite honest, that suits us perfectly.
I don't think there is an easy way of searching by price; if you search for CS sites on the C&CC website you can check the tariffs quite easily.

[g8dhe]

The prices are getting silly!
We are members of the C&CC so also have Age concessions but even then the price is still not brilliant, unless you try the smaller CS camp sites then the prices are much better. Membership of the wild camping forum is also a good idea, then new PoI file along with the Google Sreet View links is awesome for choosing a point in advance! Otherwise just look at a few as you travel....

[helen&tony]

Hi
Maybe it's just me, but camping, in my eyes , is going to somewhere isolated, and getting a tent/ caravan set up, and have somewhere to get water (usually a tap in a field), and a hole in the ground to empty the pot. True, the Fabulous Fandango calling itself the "EU" has come along and sanitised sanitation by dint of regulating Poo-Pits, heaven knows why, as it never caused problems before they made problems of it, but, hey, this wonderful union of un-like minded souls has to regulate the way we all live, to the point of ensuring campsites have electricity, refrigeration , swimming pools for adults, and another one for children, indoor areas in case it rains in the countryside (HOW DARE IT )....after all, we must enjoy the great outdoors indoors, areas for games to keep the "childers" occupied, hair salons, showers, toilets, games rooms, restaurants, and so on.....
Wait a minute....what happened to camping, sitting quietly, and watching birds, foxes, deer, and so on, and showing children that there is REAL wildlife, and not something that only exists in books?
On the one hand it's called camping, and the other is a hotel where you provide your own bed!...in fact, a good boarding house is more comfy and refined than any ol' hotel...
Or...perhaps I just like quiet and simple....and, d'you know what?....when we have taken other folks kids on holiday in the wilds because their folks don't have time , and they have to make their own enjoyment from nothing, they talk about it fondly for many a year!
Camping is cheap, but "Campsites" cost money
Cheers
Helen

[levon]

You're right, prices are getting silly. There is so much demand they seem to be able to charge silly amounts. We stayed lst BH Monday on C&CC site in Canterbury, for 2 nights, on my parents pitch (so no pitch fees) and for me the wife and 2 children it was over £50! I couldn't believe it!

Self Catering accommodation is certainly on par with camping these days, cheeper if you factor in the cost of the carvan / bongo / tent or whatever.

[Furydav]

Hi
Maybe it's just me, but camping, in my eyes , is going to somewhere isolated, and getting a tent/ caravan set up, and have somewhere to get water (usually a tap in a field), and a hole in the ground to empty the pot. True, the Fabulous Fandango calling itself the "EU" has come along and sanitised sanitation by dint of regulating Poo-Pits, heaven knows why, as it never caused problems before they made problems of it, but, hey, this wonderful union of un-like minded souls has to regulate the way we all live, to the point of ensuring campsites have electricity, refrigeration , swimming pools for adults, and another one for children, indoor areas in case it rains in the countryside (HOW DARE IT )....after all, we must enjoy the great outdoors indoors, areas for games to keep the "childers" occupied, hair salons, showers, toilets, games rooms, restaurants, and so on.....
Wait a minute....what happened to camping, sitting quietly, and watching birds, foxes, deer, and so on, and showing children that there is REAL wildlife, and not something that only exists in books?
On the one hand it's called camping, and the other is a hotel where you provide your own bed!...in fact, a good boarding house is more comfy and refined than any ol' hotel...
Or...perhaps I just like quiet and simple....and, d'you know what?....when we have taken other folks kids on holiday in the wilds because their folks don't have time , and they have to make their own enjoyment from nothing, they talk about it fondly for many a year!
Camping is cheap, but "Campsites" cost money
Cheers
Helen

Hear what your saying Helen but it just goes to show we are all different. i live on the outskirts of town , im country born and bred and have foxes , birds wildlife in abundance on my backdoor, in fact ive had to chase herds of wilderbeast and galloway cattle from under my bed so i can get to sleep at night. What im trying to say is for me camping is about getting away for a weekend on a campsite meeting like minded individuals , even bongo owners! discussing motors set ups etc that why i posted this regarding site fees. As i say we are all different.

[karena]

funny - i was looking this morning for some-one - campsite we used to go too -was £12.00 now £27.00 -and what have they done to improve it ? nothing theyve ruined it -given the best pitches on the flat with sea views over to statics -leaving us mere campers with the sloped central bit and no view, the restaurant with its lovely terraces -(sunset over the bay -with a drink in hand) gone

[Alison01326]

Camping is certainly no longer a cheap option.

As with others above, we are members of the Camping & Caravanning Club and use their Certificated Sites (CS) and also take advantage of some of the Temporary Holiday Sites available from time to time. For examply, Hendra Holiday Park at Newquay - all singing, all dancing full facility family site something like £27 inc electric for a family of two adults & a child in Easter holidays - the Temporary Holiday Site on the rally field there, just £9.50 per night for same. Only difference the loos aren't in a concrete building, they are in Elliot huts, and it's about a 10 minute walk to the shop, swimming pool etc.

This weekend we went up to Twickenham and stayed on an ordinary C&CC site at Walton on Thames (their oldest - it has just celebrated 100 years). Admittedly there are no loos or washrooms which is unusual for a "proper" site, and we were only there for two nights but it was a cracking little site with parakeets living nearby. £23 for two nights with no electric because we didn't need it. Still a bargain for that part of the world over a Bank Holiday Weekend.

We've also saved more than we've shelled out on membership in five years by booking cross channel ferries through C&CC too.

[fatcatlawyer]

I usually have a bit of an argument with wifey over where we shall go. This January past she stated categorically that it was to be a UK holiday - no ifs or buts!

I bought a camp sites book and started to plan and when I pointed out that the average cost per night was in excess of £15 she said "No way - we can go to France again, I would rather use the money to buy fuel than pay that price" - so within three days I had used this years Tesco tokens and booked the crossing through the tunnel. As last year I bought a years travel insurance and this year we are going three weeks earlier that is an expense that will not be incurred.

We stop at aires usually two nights followed by one night on a camping municipal site that costs less than 15 euro (and mostly less than ten!) we manage quite well and get to enjoy more of the summer in France than we would be able to afford in the UK

It is a rip off. Some of the french sites don't open till June and they don't charge as much.

Even the cost of exchanging currency has now all but been avoided as I obtained a Halifax Clarity card, that does not charge for use abroad and last year only cost me 16 p in interest charges

Touring abroad can be done much cheaper than in the UK. I make sure that I have plenty of cooking oil on board before we go, and I know where Bookers is in Folkestone for on the way back.

I aim to get south of the Loire before buying diesel that is still cheaper than UK.

I suggest you do the sums - a great time awaits you once over the channel. The roads are emptier and that is the worst thing about returning to the UK - you get used to No jams, then within 10 miles of coming back it hits you.
Yours Ian G

[ffrank]

i dont pay anything per night . there are loads of places to stop over at all over the country .uk.

[helen&tony]

Hi Furydav...
Yes, everyone's different, but for me , camping is camping and roughing it a bit...but if I want some company, there are always Holiday Camp sort of things, but I expect to cough up more cash...but if I was paying the sort of money they want now, I really would expect a cabin/ motel arrangement ...but to be fair, it must cost a pretty penny for some of these sites to provide the all-singing, all dancing stuff people seem to like...I have been to Sandy Balls in Fordingbridge , though, - twice in the last 30 years....does that count?...
Cheers
Helen

[Rebiam]

Its a sorry tale - I am slowly giving up on finding a campsite for less than £25 per night. Wild camping is OK if you are out in the wilds but living in London and taking the kids away for a quick overnighter rules out wild camping. We now tend to use the Bongo for day trips at the weekend - go early and come home late and put the roof up and use the 'onboard catering' to make it seem like we are camping for the kids sake.
I am a Scout Leader (and also on the management committee of our local district Scout site), and good quality camp Scout Camp sites with clean, modern amenities cost as little as £1.50 per person per night (admittedly with no leccy) so if they can do it and why can't commercial sites? We make enough to cover annual running costs and then some for future provision - wouldn't make you a millionaire but enough to be regarded as a healthy return if it was a private venture.