• How to go camping
• How to find a campsite
• Booking questions
• Campervanning​
• Camping gadgets​

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Camping in Germany

In the woods in Kent

On the beach in Greece

Camping art

Camp Bestival, Dorset

How to go camping
Camping offers a cheap way to immerse yourself in the great outdoors and get back to basics.  Whether it's a weekend trip an hour from home or a longer summer holiday there are lots of benefits other than cost that make camping a really appealing experience.  We know that some people have been traumatised by a cold and soggy camping trip but with the right planning it can be great fun come rain or shine.

Our reasons to love camping:

• There are campsites everywhere - you can find campsites for city breaks, beach holidays and in the middle of some of the most beautiful natural landscapes on the planet.
• Nothing beats a sitting around a campfire with a glass of wine/mug of hot chocolate.
• Camping gives you the most wonderful opportunity for a bit of star gazing.
• Children love it and there are always other children for them to hang out with.
• Some campsites are literally a patch of grass with a toilet and a tap others come with swimming pools, entertainment programmes and restaurants so it is possible to find a campsite for all types of adventure.
• Lots of campsites now offer glamping options so you don't even need a tent.  There are some amazingly cool options offering tree-houses, teepees and yurts.

So as avid campers here are our top tips for successful camping: 

• 'It's not the wrong weather it's the wrong clothes' one of my lovely friends frequently reminds me!  When it comes to camping though she is absolutely right. Pack warm layers, a hat and big socks and be prepared to sleep in them!  Wellies and a waterproof coat are also good to have to hand.  Remember even if the days are sunny and warm, evenings and nights can still get really chilly.
• Good sleep makes all the difference to a successful camping trip so plan where everyone is sleeping, what they are sleeping on and what sleeping bags/blankets/duvets etc.. you're going to bring.  Cold rising up from beneath you is agonising at four in the morning so what's underneath you is as important as what is on top. Remember airbeds are not insulated so can feel really cold.
• Remember in the height of summer it's only dark for a few hours each night so consider tents with a dark/black-out lining or throw a dark coloured bedspread/tarp over the top of the tent to try and stop the children waking up at the crack of dawn!
• Make a food plan.  What are you going to cook or when are you going to eat out? Take some easy breakfast options to keep everyone happy until you rise leisurely and cook up a lovely big brunch!  If there is a local fish and chip shop/pizza place this makes an easy supper especially on the first evening.  If you are allowed an open fire don't forget the marshmallows. For the wannabe camp chefs among you have a look at camping recipes or the Guyrope Gourmet for some inspiration.
• Sitting in a cold wet tent while it rains is miserable so if the weather forecast looks dodgy have a wet weather plan.  Either embrace the rain, wrap up and go for a walk or find a local pub/museum/castle to explore.  Just do it - don't sit around being cold, damp and miserable!
• Let your standards drop!  A bit of mud or sand never killed anyone and, while of course it is nice to be comfortable, you are temporary living in a tent in the middle of nature so relax.   You will never fully realise how much you love your washing machine until you have been camping!

Toasting marshmallows!

Kent, UK

A Coruna, Spain

Sussex, UK

How to find a campsite
Finding the perfect pitch is essential for having a good camping experience.  So once you know roughly where you would like to go check out some of these websites to find a campsite:

Cool camping - lots of hand picked sites in the UK and across Europe.  Many sites have glamping options and you can search by certain criteria including whether you are allowed campfires or not.
UK campsites - this website has an amazing 185,000 campsites listed meaning you can find one pretty much anywhere you could possibly want to go.  There are some handy search criteria you can use to narrow it down and despite the name there are campsites all over Europe and as far flung as Australia.
Campsites.co.uk - lots of UK campsites, useful information and inspiration.  Some great tips for first time campers and lots of ideas of where to go and what to do.
Pub Campsites - does exactly what it says!  Pubs that let you camp on their premises.  Often really good value with booze and food a few paces away - what more could you want?
The camping and caravan club - lots of search and booking options with advice and tips for camping in the UK and Europe.
​Alan Rogers - over 8000 sites in the UK and Europe with detailed descriptions and handy search tools.  All sites listed are inspected regularly by their own team of inspectors. Lots of comfortable sites with loads of facilities.
Municipal Campsites in France - great site as Municipal campsites are often much cheaper than commercial sites and many are lovely. 
France Passion - this is one for self contained motorhomes or campervans.  Stay for free on French vineyards when you sign up to the scheme. 
Quirky Accommodation.com - loads of unusual accommodation including lots of weird and wonderful glamping options.

​Another option is to search on Google Maps and put 'campsites' into the search bar.  This gives you the chance to move around certain areas and see exactly where the sites are.  This often throws up some random sites which don't come up on other searches.  

​In any event I would look where your campsite is on Google maps so that you can make sure it is where you think it is.  Always good to check that it's not near a  busy road and that the shops/pub/beach/ are where you are expecting them to be!

Camping on Kilimanjaro

Sunrise in Corsica

Questions to ask when booking:

• How near are the facilities to your pitch? Good to be close but not too close!
• How close is the children's playground (if there is one) to your pitch? Good to be close if you have kids, not so great if you don't (see previous note about kids getting up a 5am in the height of summer!)
• Can you park next to your pitch?  If not what are the rules/facilities for getting all of your stuff to your pitch?
• Is there a shop on site? It's good to know what supplies you need to take with you.
• Do they hire fridges? Or do they let you use communal fridge/ freezers (for ice packs)?
• If you are going in a group find out how group bookings work e.g. can you all camp together and how do you need to organise this?
• If you are taking a dog find out if this is allowed.
• Ask about the checking in process especially if you are arriving late. Also how do you need to pay - not everywhere has a card machine.
• Do you need to book?  If you are going outside of school holidays you may well be able to leave it open and have a bit more freedom about where and when you go.
• Is there a washing machine? (very handy if you have children and are going for more than a weekend!!!)

Keswick, UK

Sardinia, Italy

Santander, Spain

How to go campervanning
We have a campervan that we love so much we set up a whole campervan rental business!  Much of the camping information on this site applies to campervans too although do check that the campsite you want to stay at accepts campervans.

​The advantages of a campervan are:

• You can move around from site to site more easily or do a bit of wild camping.
• You can take all kinds of things like bikes, kayaks and other toys!  
• It's much quicker to set up than a tent although remember that if you want to drive anywhere you will have to pack down again.  
• Catering on your pitch or on the move is easy with a cooker, fridge and sink on board.
• Our Campervan doesn't have a toilet or shower but it is possible to take a potable toilet, we rarely do though as campsite facilities are usually pretty good.
• You can go out of season as campervans are warmer and often have heating.
• Campervan beds are pretty comfy and you're raised off the ground so no rising cold in the middle fo the night!
• It's great to feel self sufficient and know that even if you can't find a campsite you can hunker down for the night.  
• In Europe there are thousands of Aires where you can stay for free or a small fee.  These can be anything from a supermarket carpark in the middle of a town to a beautiful parking space on the edge of the beach.  For more information about Aires see here.

If you fancy hiring a campervan have a look at CamperVantastic for some all singing all dancing modern VW campervans with heating, proper beds and mini kitchens!  

​Read my top tips here for some campervanning hacks.

Sleeping
Vango thermal sleeping mats - Love these camping mats.  They are quite expensive but thermal, super comfy and roll up pretty small.

Ticket to the Moon silk hammock - these are gorgeous.  They come in a range of beautiful colours and are really comfortable.  

Cooking
Ridge Monkey - This is so clever you can use it over any stove and make toasted sandwiches, roasted vegetable, small pizzas and loads more.

Cadac stove - These stoves are perfect.  Really simple design, easy to cook on and clean. We loved the hot plates that you can get with it.  Also check out the Safari Chef 2 which has a great choice of cooking surfaces and packs up really neatly.

Cobb BBQ - Very clever BBQ with a range of options it lets you roast, fry and boil.

Washing up bowl with handles - this is great for carrying your washing up to the sinks. In fact we think it's so handy we always take 2 with us!
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Furniture
Kampa Field Kitchen - we know this is a bit extravagant but this camping sideboard was our favourite camping luxury last year! Stores food and crockery, has a sink, shelves, space for a bin, hooks for tea towels - what's not to love!

Gadgets
Anker Power Core - keep everything charged with this neat power pack.  I'm constantly surprised at how long it lasts.

Camp kitchen with a view!

Love a camp fire!

Beach camping in Sardinia