British camping guide

Going abroad for your summer holiday is becoming more and more expensive. If you’re looking to go away for less, and don’t fancy traipsing the internet trying to find a hotel that can accommodate your brood, why not dust off the tent and take to the road? With Passsmart’s guide, first-time campers will be ready to take to the road in no time.

Choose your site

Decide what you’re looking for in your holiday. Is it rolling hills that you’re after? Or is the good old British seaside more your thing? Decide how far you want to travel, and consider what’s in the surrounding areas for you and the family to do.

If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, and are in search of a slice of countryside, why not try the Lake District? With family-orientated sites or peaceful, tucked away campsites to choose from, there is something in Cumbria for families of every age to enjoy.

For a stay-cation by the seaside, however, you might want to consider the beautiful coasts of Devon or Cornwall. With sandy beaches stretching for miles, rock pools for the kids to explore and beautiful scenery, you couldn’t ask for more. Well, except maybe for some sun, but – as much as we’d like to – we can’t promise you that!

 

 

What’s your camping style?

Camping doesn’t have to mean tents, caravans and gas cookers. In fact, it doesn’t even have to involve sleeping bags anymore. Glampers (glamorous campers – obviously) can hire their very own eco-friendly yurt. They come in different sizes, to suit the needs of every family, and you can even hire the beds to go inside. The advantage of glamping is that you can keep the whole family together, but the disadvantage, of course, is the price. Although a medium sized yurt (without beds) will set you back around £400 for a week, you could bring your own blow up mattresses, and a couple of your own tents for the kids to play in.

If, on the other hand, it is the full, back-to-nature camping experience that you’re after, the latest in tent-technology is the Gigwam. Perfect for family camping, these tents have separate sleeping compartments which are connected by tunnels. You’ll be getting your own space, but never be too far away from each other. A two person Gigwam is priced at £129.99 and comes with one attachable tunnel. You can buy and add as many Gigwam’s as you need, until you have your very own little village!

At £129.99 for one, they’re not cheap, but bear in mind that these are yours to keep for many more family camping trips to come.

Eating & drinking

The best way to save money on your camping trip is to take food with you. Do a packing trial run to see how much you can fit in the boot, and plan what you’re going to eat every day. You could set aside one night to eat out, and make packed lunches for any day trips. Take bottled water with you for the journey, and make sure you’ve got enough snacks to keep the kids fueled.

Make sure you’ve got enough of the essentials, but don’t overpack – use your space wisely!

Find things to do

Make your holiday money go further by finding fun things to do that don’t cost a fortune. Go to the beach, have a picnic in the countryside or visit a local museum. Create your own fun in the evenings by taking a pack of cards and some board games.

For the younger kids, make sure you bring their favorite toy in order to familiarise with their surroundings. If you have a bike rack, take their bikes with you, so you can explore the healthy way.

A British family camping trip has so much to offer, and can be great value for money. Do your research, plan your trip beforehand, and get on the road!

This guest post was written for Family-budgeting by Izzy Guarella from PassSmart.com; helping learner drivers get on the road.