Where have you been this year and would you recommend it?

[Gobbledigook]

I'll start

Home Farm in Anglesey here
Went with 5 other families and took up one whole area of the site.
Able to pitch our tent which is large - Vermont XL.
Very clean toilet and shower blocks with free hairdriers. Also had a bath for children which was fab.
Great play area with a fence around.
Tennis court was also good.
Def go back.

Swallow Falls, Betws-y-Coed here
Not bad - shower blocks Ok at start of weekend but yukky by the end.
Had a play area but not fenced off at the end near the road so I was on edge about that.
Wouldn't go back.

[cutekids]

Hi...not sure if this is a UK question or an all-rounder but i'll tell anyway....we went to Calella Palace Hotel in Spain this year.I was really worried about some of the reviews but was very pleasantly surprised when we arrived.It's a very clean hotel...scrupulous actually.All-inclusive.Great pool...not big but just right for families.Nice staff.There was a big crowd of us,all with differing personalities and requirements i.e singles;families;couples etc.and not one person made a complaint about the hotel.Of course, we made our own entertainment which is just aswell as it wasn't the greatest...although kids loved it!Only thing I didn't like was the resort itself...a bit boring! (Having said that,the beach is lovely.)

[Gobbledigook]

Sounds great cutekids!

I have put this in camping so it's was more about campsites though - sorry if that wasn't clear!

[geogteach]

Went to Thetford forest camping and caravan club site end of May half term. Pitches nice and flat and big playground and field for ball games which was great for DS1. They had a big problem with hot water when we were there so would want to know that was fixed before we went back.
2 weeks at camping Delftse Hout, in Delft in the Netherlands. Pitches were a tad small and close together but well sheltered. showers were great, never queued and loads of hot water. there were standard singles as well as family showers with 2 showers in a big cubicle, also a kids room with small cubicles with low showers and open fronts so parents could wash kids there was also a baby bath and infant toilets in this room. Small supermarket with fresh bread and croisants every morning, bike hire and friendly knowledgable staff. There was kids entertainment but this was in Dutch. restaurant / bar was disappointing. There was a small pool and a playground. next door to the site is a kids farm and an amazing playground with beach. there is also a large lake for swimming and fishing. Delft is an easy walk away and when it pissed down in the morning IKEA was round the corner for a 1 euro breakfast! we explored alot of the Netherlands from here by mixture of car, tram and bus.
Normans Bay camping and caravan club. Everything I read about this site had said it was windy, this still didn't prepare me for the reality, I have never seen anything like it, many people around us packed up and left. That said the staff were extremely helpful, including phoning before we left to warn us about the conditions. the beach is literally across the road.
Bentley copse scout camp, Shere. this is only open to scout groups, we went on family camp. The situation is lovely, woodland site, loads of activities like go karting and assault course, definately recomend if you get a chance to go, though the facilities are somewhat limited!

[kiwibella]

I will be very interested to follow this thread for ideas .

We spent a week at Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of White with two other families which was enjoyable. There were good sized pitches, bathrooms were kept clean and the grounds were generally tidy. Our kids loved the playgrounds, swimming pool and water slide, and the beach. There was evening entertainment onsite which they also enjoyed and we cringed at over a bevvie or two.

[MrCheese]

ooh yes my gaff in france

[policywonk]

Crashing your thread slightly... we visited Pembrey Sands a couple of weeks ago and noticed that it has a campsite attached. Does Sally or anyone else know anything about it?

[Flum]

Budemeadows, Bude, Cornwall based on review on here. Small site with Pool and play ground. Really nice. Only stayed one night though, not nice enough to tie us down from the pull of the open road en all that.

[policywonk]

Thanks sally - I'll try to find out. I've got a leaflet somewhere in all this crap.

[policywonk]

x-posts. Thanks for looking.

[policywonk]

Yes, big fat meanies. It's very lovely there (we were in Carmarthen for the week and went to this beach on the ONLY dry/sunny day!)

[S1ur]

another anglesey vote on beach, small playground, family bathroom with shower and bath, plus usual facilities, washing machine etc, pub serving lunch and dinner if you wish

[lickleolme]

Wye Valley ... Bracelands Forest of Dean.
Lovely Place lovely site, very clean, staff a bit thick when you ask where the nearest A & E is!!!! We went kayaking a lot. The road from the campsite to SSymons Yat, is truly terrifying (and I don't say that lightly) dp drove and I had my eyes shut.

[Gobbledigook]

'(its camping what do you want!)'.

I want luxury showers!

[onebatmother]

Policywonk! I'm here!

[JonesTheSteam]

Went to Nant-y-Croi Farm during the Whitsun half-term. Lovely site, toilets/showers spotless, beautiful views. The owner was very friendly - took the children for a ride round the farm on his quad. Unfortunately the weather was awful and we left two days early as we feared we might get blown away!!

Stayed at Cae Du Campsite nr Beddgelert in North Wales. Absolutely wonderful. Excellent facilities, generous pitches, beautiful scenery - waking up every morning surrounded by the Snowdonia mountains. Had a lovely time, even though it rained the entire week, and would definitely go back.

Stayed at Llanthony Priory Campsite for a night 2 weekends ago. Very basic site - no showers and public toilets in the carpark for the Priory, one water tap in the field, but very nice. Llanthony Priory itself is gorgeous and well worth a visit. And the food in the pub there is lovely.

This weekend we stayed at Dan-yr-Ogof right next door to the National Showcaves Centre for Wales. Excellent site, really good facilities. Easy to entertain the kids on Saturday with the caves / dinosaur park / shire horse centre. Would definitely go back there.

[Gobbledigook]

Those look great Jones - will bookmark them!

[Crunchie]

Lots of welsh ones then!!

We went to

Campbestival - this was a festival at Lulworth Castle and not proper camping, so SOOOO amazing I had to mention it

Waxham Sands reviews AMAZING location, campiing backing onto sand dunes, beautiful beach with seals!! £14 a night brilliant. Toilets basic, showers no idea (they were OK last year) but it is cheap, cheerful and great. Norfolk coast

We then did Fen Farm here Not bad I suppose. Gret showers, loos, yucky beach in comparison to Waxham, good base for Mersea and did it's job for us. We stayed there as we had no water while our bathroom is being done up. Mersea Island - essex

Lastly Acres Down in the New forest. reviews basis basic basic. At £10 for a huge tent, this was basic camping. 2 loos one shower for the site which is fine with 10 - 20 units, we were there over sugust BH and it was manic, BUIT it has amazing views, great location, fab deer/ponies etc It was back to basis and we loved it.

Of all of them we wilkl go back to Waxham - 2 years so far will go back for a long long time. Acres down definate revisit not on a bank holiday. Fen farm probably not. Too many caravans and Tv's!!

[PortBlacksandResident]

We went here - Fforest Fields

Brilliant campsite - good old fashioned camping. No kiddies clubs or even adventure playgrounds. In the middle of nowhere. Pub 1 mile away over a muddy field. Honesty box and 2 fridges for a shop. Free Chimneas (just buy wood) etc.

TiredEmma recommended it to me.

[phdlife]

We went camping in Ireland - be warned they don't really do camping there, at least not as we know it here. The choice is either camping wild or at a caravan park, and when we stayed at Lahinch they made us camp in a sodden muddy strip right next to the main road through town. (There was a perfectly good field the other side of the site, but nooooo!)

Also stayed a night at Fron Farm (sorry too -lazy-- stupid tired for a link), someone on here recommended it. Busy, full of caravans and gigantic tents, pretty basic facilities but good and cheap. And they were very good with kids, with animals and a tractor dragging a bit of plastic round for a ride.