To feel like I'm being fleeced - glamping

[SaffronYellow]

£1,000 plus, to stay in a TENT for 1 week in Devon?
Some are £1,200 for 1 week.
Just seen one for £1,500 for 1 week.
This is to stay in a bell tent in a field.
To me, these are insane prices!!
AIBU to think over £1,000 to stay in a tent for a week is absurd?
I can't afford to stay in a holiday cottage.
Air BnB prices are out of my price range.
So I thought camping might be an affordable alternative.
I just want to go away for a week in this country in the school summer hols with my 2 DC, I want to give them a week away. Devon is my favourite place, used to go there as a child.
I'm not well enough to take my own tent and put it all up by myself, I've got ME and fibromyalgia and long Covid, so I really need a tent that's already erected and one that has a few more comforts to it than sleeping on an air mattress on the floor.
I thought a tent in a field would be a financially viable way to go away with my DC, who really deserve a week away, but the prices are eye watering and completely unaffordable.
I'm not asking to go abroad anywhere....just a week in my own country! But I'm priced out of this! I can't believe it, feel so sad for DC.😥

Caravans are normally cheaper and have better amenities like heating.

That’s glamping. That’s what is costs. They’ve got futon style beds usually, decently equipped. It’s luxury camping. If you want cheap then you have to just go camping, but that does require buying all the camping gear so it isn’t cheap the first year. And if you can’t physically manage it then it wouldn’t be a nice time.

You can defo get a week in north Devon in August for less than £1k…these start at £684
https://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/cottages?getSearch=true&From=31%2F08%2F2024&Duration=7&Town=Bude&PartySize=4&Adults=2&Children=2&daysf=1&year=2024&SortBy=PriceLowHigh&rpp=12&page=1&viewmap=false&period=11

agree that glamping seems like a rip off

Static caravan parks. Have a Google.

Get an air tent and pump it up with your car.

You’ll pay £30 per night.

yeah thats what it costs. I wouldn't pay that either though....most 'glamping' is still roughing it somewhat and not really any more luxuriois than setting up a decent tent and blow up bed.

You need a caravan holiday.

@BamberGirl that week is really the 1st week of September when schools go back. The week before the first cottage is £1,234.

Nowadays, air tents require far less effort, and mattresses are self inflating to an extent. For 1k you could get a lovely big air tent and the campsite owners may help you put it up if you ask in advance. Then you just need some bunting and fairy lights.

Op that's crazy.

I have a cottage just into Scotland, a long way from Devon. Message me if you would like details for website and a reasonable price for a lovely week away.

Alternatively look at other areas in your budget. Wales has always been wonderful for us.

Caravan parks are the cheapest

No. These aren't camping tents - it's more like a soft sided hotel room. But I just did a quick search and there are loads of hotel rooms or studios for a week in August in Devon for under £1000, one was a studio (so you can self cater). Just look around a bit more.

There are plenty of cottages in Devon and Cornwall in the first week of August for substantially less than that. Glamping is more expensive because its "aspirational" and thus a bit poncy.

They’re only under £1000 if you go after school holidays are finished (assuming most schools are back very early September). Change your search date to a week earlier and it leaps up, unfortunately.

OP YANBU, we went camping last week in Scotland - moved around a bit, every campsite we stayed in was about £45 per night. That’s just to have a space to park the campervan, plus shower and toilet facilities. Camping used to be really cheap, but then people also used to have much lower expectations for the quality of the facilities, I guess. If you’re using a tent and beds provided by a campsite like with clamping, you’re also paying for those to be kitted out and maintained.

It is just really expensive to stay in the UK. I priced up 4 days in a haven caravan was £2k and for £3k we could fly to Spain and stay all inclusive for a week.
By the time you've added food and drink it's a no brainer.

As it goes we're not doing either as our budget this year was nearer £1500 but if I had to choose between the two I'd go abroad and at least have a better chance of nice weather plus not have to cook. We've decided to do some day trips and save up and then next year do the week all inclusive.

Ah lets be honest- they're a week starting the 30th/31st August so technically it's a week in September....when the schools are back and everything is a bit cheaper

I just did a quick search on air BnB in Devon there's lots of places that are cheaper than that for a week: cabins, flats, caravans they ranged from £62 to £130 per night. I tried 19th to 26th Aug.

Look up camping and Caravanning club - they do 'ready camp' it's like a massive scout tent but with proper beds and the facilities are always clean and tidy. Far less than £1k
You only need clothes, not all the 'stuff' that having your own tent entails

We found YHA youth hostel cheaper than glamping. Can get a private room.

Have you looked at Youth Hostels Op, they do family rooms and some are really nice.

Would be cheaper to go abroad.

A quick google shows a family room at the premier inn torquay seafront hotel is £655 for the first week in august.

I'd pay £1,000 to not have to stay in a tent for a week

You will absolutely get a week in an actual decent building for less than that
Even in peak august..
https://www.classic.co.uk/holiday-cottage/desc-4687.html

https://www.classic.co.uk/holiday-cottage/desc-4952.html

https://www.classic.co.uk/holiday-cottage/desc-4691.html

Do'ya know what - thats fucking fabulous, even if I do say so myself. Someone book that please! It's family room 2 adults and 2 children. THAT is a bargain.

https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/devon/torquay/torquay-seafront.html?ARRdd=01&ARRmm=08&ARRyyyy=2024&NIGHTS=7&ROOMS=1&ADULT1=2&CHILD1=1&COT1=0&INTTYP1=FAM