Choosing a campsite Finding the perfect site for you

Choose the right site and you’ll have a perfect holiday! Here’s everything you need to think about to ensure the ideal trip

When it comes to choosing somewhere to stay, there’s a great deal to assimilate. But it’s a really important decision – being unhappy with your site choice can ruin a trip. There are thousands of campsites to choose from, so here’s how you can narrow things down.

Who do you think you are?

Start by considering your needs. A family with two teens will require quite a different set-up to one with under-10s to keep happy, or one that comprises just adults.

Interests are important, too. Will it be coast, rivers, lakes, countryside, moorland, mountains or towns?

Your idea of a break might be one with few decisions to make because activities are laid on and meals are available within a holiday park environment.

Alternatively, you might prefer a campsite deep in the countryside or on the coast, where you make your own fun.

Low on the readies?

Budget is another important consideration. If the coffers are light, you might prefer a low-facility, eco-friendly campsite. Low season is a good time to tour on a budget, and you can often find excellent deals for midweek touring, too. A stay of seven nights or more can sometimes earn you an extra night for free.

What about pets?

Owning a caravan means your pets don’t have to go into kennels – you can take them with you. You just need to find a pet-friendly campsite with dedicated space to exercise your animal, on-site or on walks nearby. Some campsites even provide outdoor dog showers, so you can hose down your pet after a muddy outing.

Most sites require dogs to be kept on leads, which ensures comfort and safety for all guests, and some limit the number of dogs allowed per unit.

Join a club

Becoming a member of one or both of the major UK touring clubs – the Caravan and Motorhome Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club – gives you access to 4500 campsites. The Clubs list sites that they own, affiliated sites and Certificated Sites/locations.

CSS and CLS are small, independent sites for members only, which take five units, often on working farms or in beautiful countryside; some are areas within larger sites. Most will provide a supply of fresh water, but you should always check the website listing for other facilities.

If you are thinking of touring abroad, both Clubs can help with arrangements, offering deals for ferries, European site bookings and vehicle insurance.

The important stuff

Make a list of what you need from a site. If you are only stopping for one or two nights, this might be as simple as a nearby pub where you can get a meal.

If you are staying longer, look for easy access to public transport, which saves you the stress of driving into busy areas and having to park.

Washroom facilities on most sites include showers, toilets and basins, family rooms and amenities for wheelchair users; many have dishwashing and laundry facilities. Check the website for details and reviews.

Reviews and awards listed on websites are very good indicators of how well a campsite is run. For eco-friendly credentials, look for the David Bellamy Awards symbol.

Super-clean washroom facilities can earn themselves a Loo of the Year Award.

Visit Britain and the AA grade campsites, while in our annual Top 100 Sites Guide, the winning sites are voted for by their guests

(to download your free copy, go to www. practicalcaravan.com/top100-archive).

Sites for the grown-ups…

Select an adults-only site if you are grown-ups seeking peace and quiet. Tranquil Parks (tranquilparks.co.uk) lists 43 independent, family-owned adults-only parks located across England and Wales.

Fishing and touring are often bedfellows, with access to lakes at, among others,

Eye Kettleby Lakes (eyekettlebylakes.com), in Leicestershire; Henfold Lakes (henfold lakesleisure.co.uk), in Surrey; Sumners Ponds (sumnersponds.co.uk) in Sussex; Woodhall Country Park (woodhallcountrypark.co.uk) in Lincolnshire; and Fields End Water (fieldsendwater.co.uk) in Cambridgeshire.

… and for families

Families often prefer full-facility campsites, providing children’s clubs, play areas, fields for ball games, pools and a restaurant, café, bar or clubhouse. Some provide crazy golf and petting zoos; others, spas and a gym.

Take a look at holiday park operators such as Flower of May (flowerofmay.com), which owns several family-friendly parks in Yorkshire.

Full-facility sites usually have a complement of static caravans, some privately owned, others available for hire. The ambience throughout will be busy and family-friendly.

Other holiday park operators to take a look at include Lancashire’s Holgates (holgates.co.uk), whose Silverdale campsite is a regular finalist in our Top 100 Sites Guide; Parkdean Resorts (parkdeanresorts.co.uk) – 32 of its 67 Uk-wide parks accept bookings from touring visitors; southern-based Park Holidays (parkholidays.com), which operates campsites in Devon, Essex, Kent and Suffolk; and Away Resorts (awayresorts.co.uk), which has centres in England and Wales.

Adventure, theme, location

Enjoyment of outdoor activities might also guide your choice. Adventure Campsites (adventurecampsites.com) lists sites across the British Isles offering adventures close by, such as walking the Brecon Beacons, and coastal or lake-based watersports.

Alternatively, you could select a location, in which case, the regional tourist board will have information about accommodation. Otherwise, a theme, such as Scotland’s famous whisky trail, could be the way to go.

Touring further afield

If you’re thinking about travelling a bit further afield when Covid restrictions allow, there’s plenty of helpful information to be found. As mentioned above, the Caravan and Motorhome Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club can arrange and book ferries and campsites abroad.

If you are planning to tour during the low season, you might also consider picking up an ACSI camping card (campingcard.co.uk), which can provide you with savings of up to 60% at participating campsites across Europe. Eurocampings (eurocampings.co.uk) lists 9854 sites inspected annually by ACSI.

There are plenty of useful books, too, such as Touring Europe 2021 in a caravan, motorhome or tent, published by the Caravan

and Motorhome Club.

Last, but by no means least, do read the regular travel features in Practical Caravan, where you’re guaranteed to find plenty of brilliant touring inspiration!

‘A family with teens needs a different set-up to one with under-10s to keep happy, or one comprising adults’