Campsite prices..??

[Dr Fingers]

OK, let's keep this simple.

We're complete, total newbs to Bongoing and camping, just gearing up for our first little trip to the New Forest, having had a yen to do this for years.

I'd always thought that camping was an 'inexpensive' occupation. So far, of course, I've spent on the van, and the necessary bits and pieces, and we're just about ready to rock..signed up to C+C club, and so forth.

so.. I run some searches on camp sites in the New Forest..admittedly in August, eg

https://booking.campingintheforest.co.u ... ode=Forest


£30-40 per night, for 2 x adults, 1 dog, for just a grass pitch, with no electricity? I know a couple of very nice hotels down there that laterooms.com can do for £65, with ensuite etc.

Factor in quite a few thousand for the van, and I'm wondering if this is actually worth pursuing?

I'm not mean spirited, but if people tear the a**e out of it, they'll just kill the Golden Goose. Just look at the Greeks..who actually didn't put there prices up this year(( ). This July we paid £30 per night for 2 rooms with air con, on a beach, + £500 for flights.

To be fair, I know nothing about the costs of running a good campsite, nothing whatsoever, but £35 a night for a patch of damp English grass is not too appealing.


Derek

[Simon Jones]

Must admit we tend not to go away during school holiday times as the prices always go up. From my experience, a decent campsite can set you back £15 - £25 per night (based on to two people with electric hook up). A basic pitch is a bit cheaper, but it's the extra like electric, awning, dog etc that can push the price up.

£40 does sound steep, but if you think that is for two of you, then it doesn't sound quite so bad as £20 each. I'm not sure if that many hotels would offer a bed for that price as well as allow a dog in the room. If they do, then sell the Bongo and just take a sensible little hatchback car to get you to the hotels .

[Dr Fingers]

Must admit we tend not to go away during school holiday times as the prices always go up. From my experience, a decent campsite can set you back £15 - £25 per night (based on to two people with electric hook up). A basic pitch is a bit cheaper, but it's the extra like electric, awning, dog etc that can push the price up.

£40 does sound steep, but if you think that is for two of you, then it doesn't sound quite so bad as £20 each. I'm not sure if that many hotels would offer a bed for that price as well as allow a dog in the room. If they do, then sell the Bongo and just take a sensible little hatchback car to get you to the hotels .

Sadly, I'm a teacher, so stuck in that holiday rip-off carousel. This is what we used to do. ..

Car+dog-in-room, no problem, but typical West Country B+B prices were shooting up from £65 to £90 per night. Last stayed in a Jurassic Coast Dog Friendly pub in Famous Chocolate Box Village ( no names) last summer @ £90 per night: it was s**t, so I thought..."buy camper, get sorted, enjoy the outdoors, save money"..

Maybe we Brits should learn to haggle..the rest of the planet does.

Derek

[fatcatlawyer]

Just returned from holiday in France. Rip off Britain!!!

Municipal Campsite at Chateaudun was 9Euros 90cent. That is £8.00 per night Electric included. 2 persons bongo. Clean well presented. A Good un.

Lots of similar muni campsites throughout FRance. Diesel at £1.08 a litre.

If you pick the right site, and there is a municipal swimming pool next door (Quite common) you get reduced entry to the same. That way you only pay for the pool on the days you use it.

We can afford to be away 21 days whereas in UK at licenced sites we woulod be limited to about 10. No Brainer really.

Ian G

[Dr Fingers]

Just returned from holiday in France. Rip off Britain!!!

Municipal Campsite at Chateaudun was 9Euros 90cent. That is £8.00 per night Electric included. 2 persons bongo. Clean well presented. A Good un.

Lots of similar muni campsites throughout FRance. Diesel at £1.08 a litre.

If you pick the right site, and there is a municipal swimming pool next door (Quite common) you get reduced entry to the same. That way you only pay for the pool on the days you use it.

We can afford to be away 21 days whereas in UK at licenced sites we woulod be limited to about 10. No Brainer really.

Ian G

I rest my case..

The real point is, how do we stop the "Rip Off Britain" culture? After all, we're just ripping each other off...

Derek

[Bob]

Look for the Certificated Sites, camping can be had on perfectly good farm sites for £6.50 per night.

Also C&CC Temp holiday sites are unbeatable.

Do have a look around, cheaper camping is to be had. (Understand the problem, my ex is a teacher and I've had over 20 years of fitting in with school hols.)

[helen&tony]

Hi
I agree with Bob...there's plenty of nice quiet C L's that are good 'n' cheap, and I have always camped in those , or wild! having a preference for peaceful camping with no facilities.
Regarding rip-off Britain, it's the same in all countries...food in supermarkets is pretty much the same , and I get a lot of stuff from the UK, as it's cheaper than here!...don't believe all you hear about other countries...or read in the press!
Cars are dearer here, spares are HUGELY expensive, and quality is nowhere near as good as the UK, and clothes are poor quality imitation...but as with all things, something , somewhere , is cheaper in another country....that's what t'internet's for!
Cheers
Helen

[RobEvans]

We've booked to go to lickhill campsite in Worcester which is the location of the bongo bash, great location and facilities aug 7,8 and 9 th 58.00 for the three nights then from there we are going to abergavenny 10,11 th aug 40.00 both with electric hook up. That's 2 adults and 2 children. That's 100 for a weeks family holiday plus food and fuel etc but it's a lifestyle, and when the bongo bug strikes its a lot of fun and kids absolutely love it.

[mikexgough]

Forest sites & C&CC sites can be expensive, many are Franchised and so the owners set higher than usual club prices..... as a comparator the Caravan Club are cheaper... we are booked for next week for 2x adults 1x child, 1x dog, leccy and bigger than C&CC Hardstand .... £30 a night... comparing to the C&CC nearby we are saving £70... worth a look... Obviously some folks prefer CL's etc but with the Club sites you know what you are getting on site

[Dr Fingers]

Many thanks for some good suggestions, folks.

As I said, we are complete beginners, lots to learn.


Derek

[Diplomat]

This July we paid £30 per night for 2 rooms with air con, on a beach, + £500 for flights.

We pay £20 for a one bedroom appartment in Tobago in peak season! Three weeks including flights and all expenses leaves us with change out £700 each, from shutting the door at home to coming back rejuvenated and tanned. The change is in local currency ready for next time!

I try and stealth camp in the Bongo wherever possible. This usually involves pulling into a quiet semi urban area late at night and moving on before most people are at breakfast.

Breakfast and wash and brush up in superstores. Choosing the right places to park up during the day gives scope for airing bedding, doing chores etc. Beach showers if you know where to find them. Find a nice place to spend the evening and then on to the next chosen dossing down place. All a bit basic but very appealing to dedicated cheapskates.

Frank

[mikeonb4c]

I wonder if this awful summer has contributed. With so many campsites waterlogged (I hear), plus demand fuelled by people seeking austerity holidays, I could see the ingredients for price hiking. The solution HAS to be to go to France it seems to me. Better weather, food etc. and much more space.

[dunslair]

Sorry folks, but I am going to stick my neck out and stick up for the people trying to make a living from running the camp sites. In the UK (and Scotland especially) campsites have a very short season in which to earn their living.
The site we stayed on in Cornwall this year and last was not cheap, but was brilliantly clean and well tended with fantastic planting around all the pitches, all of which took many hours of work off season to get that way. The owner was up at 6 every morning cleaning the toilets, which he also did late afternoon after all the kids had dragged half the beach into them. In the week we were there he had 20 cancellations and 4 no shows on the Saturday alone, due to 'the weather'. The owners were making a real effort to bring local producers onto site during the week with a local bakery delivering and selling fresh croissants and pastries three mornings, and local fish and chips on two nights as well as a Paella evening.
We have a very short season in the UK, and when somebody is making a real effort to get it right, even when the weather is stacked against them, i don't mind paying a bit more, in the hope that the business is still there next year for me to use again.

[briwy]

Try using sites such as this to search where you want to go.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/

Tourist info offices will also have lists of local sites, all usually accessible to the net.

We have been away over the weekend with some relations who have been using Caravan Club sites because they thought other sites were not very good. We paid £16 a night. Hardstanding for the van, grass at the side for the awning, hook up, no extra for the dog, immaculate toilet block and even said we could put up a tent as well for the kids at no extra cost.
Big eye opener for them that other sites can be just as good at half the price.

Not all are as good as this but some you will win and some you will lose on. You just need to shop around.

[winchman]

Being an ex caravanner I too fine vast differences in site prices.
But we do forget they have to make a profit or close and the last few yeasr must be killing them with the bad weather