Camp Bestival

[BerryLellow]

Is anyone going this year? We've just booked to go, our first time. Any tips about camping there? I'm wondering whether we should pay the extra for camping plus.

All information gratefully received, thanks :)

[BerryLellow]

Bump :)

[lemonbonbons]

I went for the first time last year . It was amazing - we loved it ( was our first proper festival ) . We would have defo gone this year again , but are on holiday when it s on. Gutted we can t go - boo. Going to try to find something similar.

Anyway with the camping - we got there Thurs about 3pm and the place was FULL of tents thousands of them , everywhere , on hills, next to bins , next to loos , big metal fencing all round. I was not prepared for this as hadn't been to a festival before ( you prob have ).

The walk from the car park ( on a hill ) to the car was awful . We hired a cart when we got there , but the effort to pull a cart with camping stuff in up and down hills was nearly too much to handle ! We took far too much stuff like stoves , table , chairs, a suitcase ! Next time I would take bare minimum - just tent and sleeping stuff. I'd buy all my meals there , and just take a load of booze and snacks for the tent.

I wasn't prepared for ' no washing up 'facilities ' there is literally a cold water tap with a huge queue for it. I also thought it would be easy to get a shower - I was wrong . They give u a ticket and you wait ( took me about 90 min to get in. Shower was great tho . Some friends we met bought a sauna pass for about £20 quid each (a tippee tent full of steamy heat ) there are cold hose showers there . I never went in but it was seemingly a very liberal place with men , ladies & children freely naked. I would try it next time I think just to get a wash on a morning , but take some bikini bottoms

If we went this year I was going to def book the camping plus . Mainly as you get your own plot so if you are any later than Thurs mid afternoon you won t panic about where you will be and the trek to the car and back with your gear !!! Plus there is a shower block just for the people in that area, & toilets.

Defo take a potty for your tent - the queues for the toilets were sometimes huge , and it was just easier to pee on the potty sometimes !!!! ( yes for me and the kids ) .

We had a night in Bournemouth the day after ( on Mon night ) it was fab , beach was gorgeous .You don t realise u are near the sea when you are at the actual festival. If I went I would do this again without doubt it recharged the batteries before long drive home. If u want hotel rec - let me know .

Enjoy I ll be back in 2013 - it was fab. I could talk about it all day x

[BerryLellow]

Oh thanks! Just the sort of information I was after, I've only done festivals without children so I need it to be as easy as possible!

We're very excited though :o

I'll look into camping plus...

[sailorsgal]

We are going to go this year but are fairly local, will still camp though. Must get on and book.

[BerryLellow]

I've just noticed the 'no trailer tents rule'. Bugger.

[winefairy]

We did Camping Plus last year and it was definitely worth it although the plot sizes are smaller this year which means we will need to buy two to fit our 5m bell tent.

We were very near the arena last year which meant the walk from the car park to our plot was epic (although nowhere near as far as ordinary camping, I believe) and the noise level from the stages was fairly loud although it did all wind down early (around midnight). Saying that, we have chosen almost the exact same pitch again this year.

Even little things like being back to nip back to the Camping Plus toilets to avoid the long queues made it worth the price. And having a hot shower every morning.

[BerryLellow]

Does the camping plus get booked up pretty quickly?

[winefairy]

It always sells out although they have extended the Camping Plus area this year. It will be selling more now that the acts have been announced. I would call them and ask how they are selling. That's what I usually do are they are always really helpful.

[BerryLellow]

Thanks. Just not sure I can afford an extra £100 at the moment! I'll talk to DP about it later.

Have all the acts been announced now do you know? I've not seen the Sunday night yet.

[chimchar]

hi.

we're hoping to go again this year....(rolf harris!!!!!)

waiting for a few more weeks to save up.

we went in the campervan camping area last year. it looked hellish carting all the camping gear in trollies... take the bare minimum.

we didnt wash for the whole time we were there...take wet wipes for an all over clean up. take your own booze. the food was great, and not too expensive for lovely healthy different stuff...we saved money by having a massive fry up in the morning and taking cereal bars etc to snack on.

how old are your dc berry?

{waves to winefairy...hi!! how you doing?! x}

[BerryLellow]

Hello chimchar, ours are 2 and 6, and we're going with some friends who have dcs of 3, 5 and 8.

We had a conversation about camping plus yesterday and are all quite keen on the idea, just need to get around to booking it.

[chimchar]

My kids are older...11, 8 and 5. We missed so much last year because of wanting to see stuff on the main stage.

This year if we go, we have said that we would concentrate more on the other stuff and not the main big acts.... I have no regrets about seeing mark ronson on the Saturday night...he was absolutely fucking awesome. We were right down the front and loving it, but it was at the expense of other stuff that the dc might have preferred! Lol

Get ear defenders for the kids before you go, and a lightweight picnic rug/blanket to wrap up in if you get chilly. Depending on where you are camping, you might not want to be trekking back and forth to your tent during the day...take a big enough bag to carry everything in!

I'm excited just thinking about it!!

I really hope we can go......

[TheFowlAndThePussycat]

We went last year with our DDs who were then 2 & 3.8. We had a blast, the kids loved it but they were really too young to stay up very late so DH & I had to go out separately in the evenings which was a bit odd! (We hadn't gone with friends.) We'll leave it a couple of years before we go again, but we'll definitely go again!

We turned up on Thurs afternoon & ended up on a slightly sloped spot. The DDs kept waking up curled up in a big ball along one edge of their bedroom! Biggest piece of advice is take as much food as possible, it is unbelievably expensive! Take a cooker, everybody else does, despite what the rules say!

Have a great time!

[Noellefielding]

We've been twice, last year when ds and dd were 10 and 2. and the year before.
Loved it, great experience but a very expensive one imo.
Need wellies, need to be really warm at night, need to bring snacks, need loads of wipes and need to be chilled about how much you can get to see. I couldn't manage without proper camping chairs to sit on, I can't squat for days no more.
Some of the creative stuff for the kids is wonderful, but oh lord, the press to even get into the field where the marquis with Peppa Pig in it, you couldn't even get into the field! Oh the sight of thousands of disappointed middle class parents harrumphing to themselves about promising Cassandra the Bossy Piglet! I was one of the harrumphers but I cut and ran at once. I didn't stand and mourn the loss of the bossy pig.
The skate park stuff was great as well for ds.
Fabulous expensive exhausting experience, it's all in the planning and the packing!

[BerryLellow]

Bump :)

[MrsBDarling]

This will be our 1st year at Camp Bestival (or any festival in fact) very excited but a few questions.

how much dressing up can i get away with. I love dressing up, much to the annoyance of my son, i have a old wedding dress i want to dye, am i going to look like a pratt or will there be so many others in dress-up no one will notice. am hoping the latter.

@chimchar can I pls ask how the campervan site is like? we are going with an only child, hoping he will make friends, is everyone quite communal or are people more closed away than in those in tents?

many thanks in advance
x

[CharleyT]

Does anyone need camping plus tickets for camp Bestival this year?

[duplodancer]

I'm going. First time! Nervous and excited in equal measure. Booked ages ago so can't believe it's finally here.