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.😥

Can you though? Honestly if you can then please send me a link because I can't find anything in the school holidays abroad for that price for a family.

😂 Yes I always think of camping as more of a punishment than a treat.

Personally I wouldn't want to go glamping for a week. It's all fun and games unless the weather is shit and then you are stuck in a tiny tent with a mud bath outside! I was on the Sykes website and found some surprisingly cheap houses available in the summer hols. In fact I saw one in cornwall for c.£750 that was over £1000 more on Vrbo! In the Sykes listing it did say it came without towels and bedding though so maybe with vrbo it does

If you book on sykes it says £20 deposit but if you cancelled you get charged the full deposit amount, so watch out for that.

I haven't rtft, though I read quite a bit.

What about Eurocamp?

You would have a chalet, probably, rather than a tent, probably with air conditioning, plus swimming pools and activities for the kids, possibly.

Look at the last week in August, as many European schools would go back by then.

They have £681 in the Dordogne, for example, mind you, you would need to get there.

Loads under 1,000 for 3 adults for a week in Lyme regis Airbnb abd LR is expensive . Also, book 4-5 nights if you can’t afford 6-7. No need not to go away

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/Lyme-Regis--England--United-Kingdom/homes?adults=3&children=0&checkin=2024-08-05&checkout=2024-08-09
as an example, 5 nights in early august

Do you need to book a full week? How far is Devon from where you live? The weekend cost is usually the highest priced part.

Look at Pitch Up and search the caravan/cabin/pod options. There are lots of much cheaper options in Wales or Dorset (Devon does tend to have a premium).

I'd do a Monday to Friday. Caravan parks are great as they have pools and activities for kids. We often book a Sunday in a premier inn to extend it/break up traveling as Sundays are usually good value and then Monday is a proper holiday day rather than just travelling.

I budget £1k a year and I have been in a caravan (shared cost) last week, have a bargain pod booked in summer (mon-fri) a glamping weekend in May, and a very reasonable weekend and then 4 nights at haven in the October holidays. They had some brilliant offers on for October. Okay, the weather isn't so good then but we still enjoy it.

Next year try and book early. Haven do a price promise if it goes cheaper and let you pay in installments.

https://www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/france/vendee/clos-cottet-campsite

This is fairly inexpensive for La Vendee in later July, and there is also an Eco glamping option

Same.

It makes me laugh that those properties are being advertised on a website with cottages in the name.

@SaffronYellow

Yha??.. We have stayed in yha many times.

If you join you get a discount and then they also do yearly offers. I think breaking up breaks, a two night stay here and there would make more sense... Yha have private en suite rooms with triple beds, a double bed and bunks..

Not the height of comfort but far far cheaper than 1 grand glamping and dry. The food offering is always super cheap and we take cereal and save on the breakfast and usually have a meal out or in the garden hostel.

I've lived in an uninsulated house and there was no point bothering with heating as it couldn't hold the heat, surprised a tent can!

Travelodge?

Can you though? Honestly if you can then please send me a link because I can't find anything in the school holidays abroad for that price for a family.

Ryan air flights from stansted to Alicante then either a hotel in Alicante or Benidorm

Not the most luxe hotel mind but the flights aren't at anti social hours

Can you link some details please?

A cruise for 3 people to Alaska for under £1000 in the school hols sounds amazing value!

Use the money to buy camping equipment ?
but you need to factor in that many campsites are also quite spendy these days.
older static sites with less amenities and private remake would be cheaper and still get you a holiday ?

Is somewhere like a premier inn an option?

Is some sort of caravan site/Haven type of thing more affordable (and more comfortable)?

Haven or similar caravan parks are much more affordable

Some good suggestions here op. Classic Cottages do put last minute cancellations and unsold cottages on their Last Minute section but it is of course a gamble with only a week or so's notice. Sometimes it is the bigger more pricey properties but you could get lucky. Might not suit you, but it is always an option.

That seems a huge amount seeing as we’ve booked a cottage Cornwall for august with shared pool and walking to the beach for £1000. We did book a while ago though so I guess they put their prices up as it gets closer to summer?!

We've not stayed a week but 4 days - brixham holiday park via haven and John fowler holiday park. I think it's called south bay. The views were outstanding and I think £500 odd during Covid.

There is a beach nearby that's quite secluded and just simply amazing. A long walk down but if you took time, I imagine you could do it.

I found an apartment hotel in Benidorm for 2 adults, 2 children with pool leaving 13th July for £1572.

Yes, it's Benidorm but you've guaranteed sunshine and a pool, our kids spent years when younger on these types of holidays as they were all we could afford. You can spend very little on these type of SC holidays when the sun is always shining and there's a pool and beach nearby.

If you stay in a tent and it's pissing it down all week you can spend a fortune on meals and day trips.

Also, if you are not well, you can find a shady sunbed and rest and read. Would something like that be affordable?

@Riverlee

A lot of youth hostels are really nice - the Stratford upon Avon one looks like a mini stately home.

We stayed at the Stratford one a few years back & it was a really nice big old house done up. Penzance is also similar. I think both have glamping pods in the gardens.

Link, please?