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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this the camping trip from hell.

212 replies

Redgreenfroggy · 27/08/2024 20:30

Just want to start by saying we camp 2 or 3 times a year and have loved it. Don’t know if we have been really lucky with campsites.
yep there has been the odd annoyance but on the whole great.

Arrived at a campsite yesterday and the family in the tent next door just seem to yell at each other all the time. If they are not yelling at each other they are yelling at the dog. The adults are constantly swearing at each other and the two little girls just seem to scream

To make it the 2 girls aged about 5 kept running in our tent laughing and running out again. At one point when DH and DS had bobbed to the campsite shop and I was looking for something in the car I looked back at the tent to see both girls coming out of our tent with one of my sons board games. I stopped them and said they should not take things that dont belong to them and to stop coming in our tent. All I got in return was them both sticking their tongue out at me.

When my DH came back he went over and had a word but they parents could not seem to grasp while we didn’t want their little darlings on our tent and said they would only be borrowing the board game.

Woke up this morning at 6 to the girls running around our tent screaming and shouting for my son to wake up. My son is 12 and wants nothing to do with them. Luckily it stared raining so they went back to their tent.

Later this afternoon came back to the campsite after a day out and not only has a new family pitched their tent right up next to ours so we could literally reach out and touch their tent from standing inside ours, they have pitched over were the car is meant to go.

all the tents are pitched so there is a tent and then a car on the right hand side but they have 2 cars and have just taken up their pitch and half of ours. I did point out this to them but I just got a shrug of the shoulders.

We did mention to the owners of the campsite this had happened and they did say they would have a word if we really wanted them too but could we just put our car by reception. We got the feeling they did not want any confrontation. So our car is now by reception. Not a huge deal but still a bit inconvenient.

i am now in our tent listening to an argument from the family next door. The kids screaming and the dog going bat shit barking. Plus the ones that are right up next to us the bloke keeps hacking at the time.
So you get that massive hack noise as if he is trying to bring something up. The women with him had a cackle laugh that would put Amanda Holden and Alisha Dixon to shame.

My DH has gone out to get ear plugs

OP posts:
sesa145 · 29/08/2024 03:12

Leave now

GuessingGownaGoGo · 28/08/2024 23:16

I love camping but I admit I did the same last year.

Got stuck next to a family that partied hard, shouting, screeching, yelling at their kids till the 11pm curfew, then spent the next day moaning loudly and shouting at their kids cause they had hangovers.

We stuck it for 2 nights then went to a B&B too and it was bliss.

Just think though - someone has to live next door to those people all the time.
Right now, their neighbours are glad they are away camping 😄

TheCompactPussycat · 28/08/2024 23:14

11oclockrock · 28/08/2024 22:13

If posters know of any campsites where tents are a decent distance apart or with private / "contained" pitches can you post on here or PM me? Interested in SW England and Wales.

Ideally you need to go to the type of campsite that doesn't have marked pitches. Our favourite campsite comprises 3 large fields where campers pitch up wherever they choose. The trick to avoid close neighbours, although there rarely are any, is to spread your equipment around - the rotary washing-line placed 10 feet away from the tent on one side, the swingball set 10 feet away from the tent on the other, camping table and chairs left a good distance in front of the tent.

(I've pm'd you the name of the campsite. It's fairly basic in terms of facilities but great if you're the type of camper who likes to get off site every day).

Sousuke · 28/08/2024 23:12

11oclockrock · 28/08/2024 22:13

If posters know of any campsites where tents are a decent distance apart or with private / "contained" pitches can you post on here or PM me? Interested in SW England and Wales.

We've been to Dragonfly Camping in Kilgetty Pembrokeshire which had nice set ups. You get a rustic shelter with picnic table and fire ring. The only negative on our trip, we could hear a rave on someone's land a few miles away. They did turn it off abruptly at midnight.

sunseaandsoundingoff · 28/08/2024 23:09

Redgreenfroggy · 28/08/2024 22:52

I have left a review on trip advisor and campsite

Harsh when they gave you a full refund, the other people being there weren't their fault.

Thistlewoman · 28/08/2024 23:05

Redgreenfroggy · 28/08/2024 22:52

I have left a review on trip advisor and campsite

Please call the RSPCA too.

Thistlewoman · 28/08/2024 23:03

Camping is horrible. Thank you for reminding us all why it is so rubbish.

Redgreenfroggy · 28/08/2024 22:52

I have left a review on trip advisor and campsite

OP posts:
FuzzyYellowChicken · 28/08/2024 22:27

Ugh I absolutely hate any form of camping but that sounds especially horrific. It also sounds like a terrible campsite with very poor organisation!! The ones I’ve visited have always been very strict on things like noise and sticking to your own pitch.
I force myself to do it every now and again because it’s cheap and the kids used to enjoy it but it really is shit. You’re separated by people just by a sheet of material. If those people are awful, you don’t stand a chance of fun. If it rains, even less so…
The last time I went I had a meltdown and shouted “I hate this I need to go home” and we left. I think people must have thought i was crazy.
Im glad you’re out of it now.
I can’t afford fancy holidays but I think I’d rather stay home…

11oclockrock · 28/08/2024 22:13

If posters know of any campsites where tents are a decent distance apart or with private / "contained" pitches can you post on here or PM me? Interested in SW England and Wales.

sanityisamyth · 28/08/2024 22:03

helenatroy · 28/08/2024 21:22

Camping and pot holing could both be used on me as forms of torture. Is there any way you can take yourselves off to a hotel?

Like the one they went to 6 hours ago?

Lisajane47 · 28/08/2024 21:55

Exactly my thoughts on shitty camping

helenatroy · 28/08/2024 21:22

Camping and pot holing could both be used on me as forms of torture. Is there any way you can take yourselves off to a hotel?

Xyz1234567 · 28/08/2024 20:55

I hope you enjoyed the rest of your holiday.
Unfortunately the type of behaviour you describe seem to be getting more prevalent in society in general. There are so many selfish, entitled half-wits about - playing loud music on public transport, kids with tablets pumping out Peppa Pig at full volume in restaurants, more very aggressive and dangerous drivers, stoned people. I could go on but it's all so depressing.
I happen to love camping and can afford any type of holiday I fancy. I love when it's a dark, quiet, warm evening and I can just sit in my camping chair and stare into the flames of the campfire for hours on end. I find it's just about the most relaxing thing in the world, genuinely!

AbsolutelyBarking · 28/08/2024 20:55

I feel your pain OP- not Hell...but on the near neighbourhood!

We (long-term keen campers) no longer bank-holiday camp.

Most campsites and most campers are quieter and more reasonable than the bank-holiday crowd ones! I have no idea why but experience like yours put us off this time of year.

BluebirdBoogie · 28/08/2024 20:45

The campsite owners should have made the neighbours move their tent.

I'd demand a refund, not good customer service, apart from everything else.

Hope the earplugs work - I always take earphones and something to listen to to drown out noise at night.

Pippetypoppity · 28/08/2024 20:25

Be the ultimate complainant and insist on another pitch. Threaten shocking reviews and don’t stop pestering until they move you. They will eventually.

Nanny0gg · 28/08/2024 20:06

Boysgrownbutstillathome · 28/08/2024 19:56

Because they can't afford any other type of holiday in the school holidays.

Edited

Which is why we generally stayed at home

Nanny0gg · 28/08/2024 20:05

Redgreenfroggy · 28/08/2024 16:41

We have got a full refund from the owners. We did not have to argue they just agreed and gave it to us. We have checked in 40 minutes ago at a lovely b and b. It’s a good job we left as just before we did another couple turned up who had booked on but there was literally no room
for them.

Poor buggers

ThePoshUns · 28/08/2024 20:05

How good news OP enjoy the rest of your holiday.

user1467536289 · 28/08/2024 20:05

we had a massive campsite nightmare it was awful
I walked the length and breadth of the site and I found tents that were empty we offered to completely clean and sanitise our tent an they let us move to another part of the campsite

we never saw those people for the rest of our holiday - they were all about being at their tent
really oblivious to anybody else

Boysgrownbutstillathome · 28/08/2024 19:56

KatyaKabanova · 27/08/2024 20:44

This x 1,000,000.
Why on earth do people do it?

Because they can't afford any other type of holiday in the school holidays.

CrowleyKitten · 28/08/2024 19:43

I love camping, but this sounds miserable. both neighbours sound dreadful and inconsiderate.

MassiveOvaryaction · 28/08/2024 19:24

If you don't want to name and shame the campsite on here @Redgreenfroggy I'd at least put a review on UK Campsite on how much of a wet lettuce the site manager was!

Iamgettingolderandgrumpier · 28/08/2024 19:12

supernannyjane1 · 27/08/2024 21:16

This is precisely why we bought a caravan.....

Even in a caravan you can’t always escape family (families) from hell. We have a caravan but on Eurocamp site in Dordogne we were put next to a Eurocamp tent. My daughter was sleeping in annex in awning and on first night she came in caravan at about 2am to tell she couldn’t sleep because of noise from tent next door. This happened 2 nights in a row. Finally DH had enough, stormed next door to find a tent full of 12 -16 yr olds (about 6 of them), drinking and smoking. No adults. Following morning went to complain to site manager. Turns out 2 mums (don’t know where DH were) had come on holiday with their DC, booking 2 tents, one for each family but they put older DC in one tent and they stayed in other with younger DC +, According to other holiday makers, spent most of the time drinking heavily. Their tent was over 10 min walk from tent next to us. They were warned they had to sleep in tent booked with own DC but clearly this was too much as they only lasted 1 more nights. Site workers were astounded by the number of empty alcohol bottles and cans left by women.