DS16 wants to go camping with friends

[Perfectlystill]

I know nothing about camping but my responsible and sensible DS wants to go camping with a few friends near a beach after GCSEs this summer.

Is this doable or mad to let them go?

And if the former, where is good? It will have to be accessible by public transport probably as obviously none of them drive.

I would love any thoughts on all the above.

(Posting here as well as the Camping board for traffic)

On a campsite or wild camping (which is illegal in England)?

Youll have to double check but I’m pretty sure most sites won’t let under 18s stay without an adult in the booking. I’m not sure camping on a beach itself is permitted!

Camping is cheap and fun. Sounds like a good idea in theory. Somewhere near a beach. You can get ‘festival’ type tents very cheap or some of the parents may have tents already. How many in the group? Which part of the country?

I'd look at Youth hostels, I think it's about £25 a year for membership and the campsites/hostels are very reasonable.

My DS really struggled to find anywhere else that would take them at that age, although in the end they didn't do anything as Covid hit and scuppered the plans!

Thanks all. That's interesting. This would not be illegal camping. They were thinking campsite.

A youth hostel is a great idea! I shall do some googling.

As for location we are in London so the south of England is probably the most sensible.

Size of group - maybe four to six of them?

Dsis and i went to Cornwall camping (years and years ago) and had a terrible time finding anywhere that would take a 'single sex group'. To stop partying i imagine.

Yes this was the main issue DS had, along with age.

I'd definitely look at youth hostels, I also liked the idea there was generally someone on site keeping a bit of an eye. Locations aren't always the best, but that's part of the adventure!

They might struggle to find places as a single sex group under 18.