to be feeling just a little bit sorry for ourselves re holiday disappointment?

[timetogohomenow]

Currently being battered by the wind in a tent in Cornwall at 3:30am so I accept that I may be being a bit unreasonable here but...

AIBU to be so disappointed in how our holiday is turning out? After months of sweating away at work in the heat, we come away on our first camping trip as a family and apart from one day, the weather has been utterly rubbish for the last 8 days.

Camping is not the fun holiday I remember it being... trudging through the mud to go to the toilet in a portacabin, air beds that keep deflating, showers that are not much more than dripping taps, neighbours who talk loudly into the night... not as fun as I remember it being pre-children.

DD's behaviour has been a nightmare in comparison to at home and I feel like all we've done is have a go at her. I suppose she's only 4 and excited but things like running off or not listening in potentially dangerous situations can't be tolerated. That's not been any fun.

Cornwall... a beautiful county but my god the crowds. I knew it would be busy with it being August (we had no choice to come any earlier or later) but literally everywhere we've tried to visit has been a complete ball ache to try to get parked. Some places we've just had to drive through as there was no chance of stopping. Where we're staying there's no public transport we could easily use. The traffic is terrible! The supermarkets where we are are like scenes from an apocalypse film. How the locals cope living down here I do not know.

I know I'm just being a miserable so and so and I realise how lucky we are to be in a situation where we can (just about!) afford a family holiday but AIBU to be so disappointed? We've got 4 nights left and I just feel like packing up and going home! Please tell me in years to come I'll look back on this holiday with fond memories and not lament about the time we spent probably as much as we would have going abroad to stay in a wet, miserable, busy place in a tent!

Pembrokeshire has the same sort of coast line and beaches as Cornwall and frequently has better weather because it has its own microclimate. The roads there are better, it’s never jam packed like Cornwall and is not as commercial. There are lots of good campsites, activities for children and we walked with my 4 year old daughter on an easy part of the coastal path looking for dragons and trolls under the bridges. Cheaper too!

Like Bitlost, we stayed near St Austell this year, and not too crowded.

I was on my own with children so stayed in a youth hostel (Boswinger), we were 10 mins walk from a beach. Busses 3 times a day (which is frequent for Cornwall!)

Sounds horrible. Any last minute hotel deals you could grab for the last 4 days? We were in devon a few weeks ago and had fab weather but it has definitely turned now autumn on the way. I'm in ireland kids back to school this week (they've been off since june 30th) seems the weather is agreeing to the end of summer don't think we'll be getting any indian summers this year.

My advice switch to last minute hotel or self catering deal if you can or bail!

I think it has been busier this summer than usual, I do a lot of driving for work and it's taking me about half as long again to do journeys.

Sorry about the crap weather OP, I do feel bad for visitors. Because I know it's not long till we get our beaches to ourselves again, and September is often lovely!

My husband had two weeks' work down in Cornwall last summer and vowed never to return after the incessant rain. He phoned me one evening: 17 degrees down there compared to 30 degrees at home.

This year there have been reports that the local tourist board want to deter visitors as the infrastructure cannot cope.

Sounds like you've made an unfortunate decision this year, but better luck elsewhere next year, no doubt.

Yanbu. I have zero tolerance for shite holidays these days as they are so expensive! We arrived at our “luxury” cabin , (£500 for the week in low season), a couple of months ago, took one look and thought “we’d have a better time at home”. We were really lucky we got a refund as it really wasn’t what we were expecting. I know £500 isn’t megabucks to some people but I just thought there is no way I’m paying that for a really miserable week. We had a small baby as well as a preschooler in tow and were planning a lovely relaxing week mainly hanging round the cabin, which we realised would have been horrible in the cabin we had been allocated. We asked to upgrade and to pay the difference, which we would have done, but it was fully booked . So lucky we got our money back. We had a staycation instead and did lovely stuff near home. It was a lot cheaper even with all the outings we did and a lot more comfortable.

Next “holiday” we go on will be to visit my dad overseas! After that, who knows? But I’ve learnt my lesson to only book fully refundable!

My children love camping in any weather. The key is there is no bad weather, just bad clothing. You need to make sure you have dry feet and puddle suits for the child. Waterproofs for you and wellies and welly socks. We lost a tent pole last weekend in the wind
But it didnt affect our tent due to
Which pole
It
Was. The wind kept me up most of the night.

We are normally fair-weather campers. We usually book last kinute depending on the forecast.

Air beds are generally shit. Sounds like you have punctures. If you can get to a supermarket today, see if you can pick up some SIMs instead. Aldi having been atocking them this summer. Go outdoors have some cheap ones atm.

Sorry op this does sound hellish. Hope you manage to enjoy the rest of your stay. I’d never go to Cornwall in the summer. I second that Pembrokeshire is absolutely stunning and much quieter and cheaper.

Ok - ideas for the next few days: Lost Gardens of Heligan, Fowey, St Just in Roseland and Tintagel (difficult walking there - lots of steps)

Definitely not BU. Camping is hard work and is shit in the rain with small kids not all kids love 'roughing it'

Cornwall is rugged and beautiful but miserable in the rain.
Get thee self back home to your home comforts and treat yourself to a takeaway.

Pack up and go home to a nice bath/shower and your bed

Camping is shit at the best of times. Camping in Cornwall in August, on a bank holiday? Madness. I’m not surprised you’re finding it hellish, YANBU.

I’d wait it out for one more day (until the crowds have gone) and then drive home tomorrow.

Reminds me of the time we went to Haven when the kids were small. 4 weeks of glorious weather before. I took all shorts, vest tops etc, and it rained and was windy all week. I lived in my 9 year old sons superman hoodie. But at least we had (semi) solid walls.

Pack up and go home OP! Make the most of your last few days off. You’ll need them to dry everything.

It’s not a holiday if you have to pee in a bucket. That’s what they do in prison.

Oh gosh, go home.
All have a hot shower and a nap then spend your last bit of spending money on a meal out at a place you know you like.

the sun is shining in east Anglia (says she helpfully - not!)

Sounds like a nightmare, not a holiday! Def book yourselves a hotel. Christ.

I love camping. As an Adult only holiday, the weather doesn't worry me, but with children, I've packed up early a few times.

I started to stick to North Wales/Anglesey after mid August. It came after a very wet holiday in the Gower, one year.

The best time to go anywhere in the UK is going to be May-first week in August, for the next few years.

On the plus side, the UK wouldn't have the scenery, without the rain.

This reminds me of being huddled shivering under a windbreak in torrential rain in Newquay last year with three damp sandy shivering teenagers. I made them remind me of this moment if I mentioned a UK holiday again.

We're off to Spain tomorrow :)

The weather does tend to be on the turn by the end of August. I camped over the bank holiday a few years back and we got rained on.

Sack it off and go home if you're miserable, or bundle everything up in the car and see if you can find a BnB for a night maybe?

Just realised you've done eight days already!!! For pity's sake go home, murderers get less!

Gosh I really empathise. A treat night in a hotel on the way back sounds like an excellent idea.

One year when DC were smaller we had a week in the rain in North Devon which was so disappointing we booked a couple of nights a month later at a niceish hotel so it felt like we’d had a proper break.

The rain makes such a difference. I remember going to the IoW when pregnant with DD - DS was 2.5 and it rained the whole time. I couldn’t even get pissed. [shudder]

Now whenever anyone mentions IoW I just think it’s shit there. A part of my brain knows it would be lovely in the sunshine in nice accommodation, but it’ll forever be associated with that really shit “holiday”.

Sympathy here

Sunshine here in Essex today! Maybe the weather's on the turn.

YANBU to hate camping in the rain. However YABU to have booked a campsite w portaloos and crappy showers - very many have better than that. Also: avoud Cornwall in August -it's always overcrowded and awful. Devon, Dorset are so much nicer, as is most of Wales, Lakes, Northumberland, Dales, NY Moors.