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.😥

Has anyone ever gone glamping more then once? I know a number of people who've had a glamping weekend, then crossed it off their bucket list and moved swiftly on. Like a shepherd's hut, the idea is better than the reality. (Cute but tiny and impractical: I know, I made the mistake of booking us three nights in one)

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

That is double OP's budget though so not particularly useful!

I think the ferry costs to France would be prohibitive with the OPs budget. We used to do this every year as a child but again, it’s not really a cheap option anymore. I haven’t checked this year though.

I'd go to Goodrington in Paignton rather than Torquay with children. It is right on the beach, steam train station a 2 minute walk away, water park the same. Paignton Zoo is fantastic and is about a 20 minute walk away (all uphill though) but you can bus it. So for a week from 5th August it is £639 for the week for a family of 4 but is non refundable so probably a good idea to have travel insurance on top.

I know food would cost more but have you looked at a family room in travel lodge, holiday inn express (get free breakfast there) or premier inn . Some are central too.

I always stayed at Parkdean when DC was younger, oftern 2-3 times a year, usually in Cornwall, but also Devon and Dorset.

They definitely have caravans, chalets etc, for less than £1K.

https://www.parkdeanresorts.co.uk/?resnet_source=Google&resnet_medium=cpc&resnet_campaign=Holidays_Brand_Brand_X_X_X_Top_England+%26+Wales_Exact&resnet_content=Brand_Brand_X_X_X_Top_England+%26+Wales_Parkdean+Resorts_X_X_X_X_X_X_Exact&resnet_term=parkdean+resorts&ds_rl=1253537&gad_source=1&ds_rl=1253537&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2uiwBhCXARIsACMvIU3EtEDITMLOJSthB0wWGgZ-FBf2VZgUs8Nu2MR5fUcpNHATue99b38aAn2REALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

We have got the seafront Travelodge in Paignton this year, its under £550 for 4 nights, for 3 of us. No self catering facilities obviously, but we take snacks with us, eat breakfast on site (free for my DC), and eat out each night.

Meant to say in my previous post the torquay seafront one premier inn is only 650.00. Monday to Friday. Best to avoid Saturdays and Fridays when booking hotels as cost more.

A basic caravan in Dawlish Warren so nothing fancy is £980 for a week in August. Its grim but not everyone can afford a to go away expecially with all the cost of living increases. I hope you manage to find something we havent yet.

Just like to point out to the OP that Bude is in Cornwall, not Devon 😂 But is on the border so Devon is accessible if that’s where you want to visit.

Yeah 😂

It's crazy. No way would I pay that. I'd rather not go.

You can have 3 nights in the Travelodge in Swansea in a family room in late July, breakfast included for £275. By the beach, lots of things to do, great swimming pool if raining all the time.

Yes I totally agree🤣. But glamping is quite fashionable atm ( even if only as a bucket list tick), as is Devon, and I think the prices reflect that.

Try a small cottage rental OP esp somewhere else in the UK. Or put the money aside and go abroad next year if you aren’t wedded to the uk. There are some really cheap deals if you are prepared to be led by the offers that come up. I honestly think you would even find something for that budget this year if you look and wait; but I understand that if going abroad you might feel more comfortable with a “ buffer” to the budget.

https://www.cottages.com/search?adult=2&child=2&infant=0&pets=0&range=7&nights=7&accommodationType=cottages&start=13-07-2024&regionId=21997&regionName=Devon&destinationURL=%2Fengland%2Fdevon&page=1&sort=priceasc

Devon, summer hols, +/- a random week in July. Start at £535. It's an actual building. I put two adults and two children.

https://www.visitwales.com/destinations/west-wales/swansea-bay/things-see-and-do-swansea

I've been glamping more than once and I'd do it again! I think it's the whole experience, being in the outdoors, surrounded by countryside but with modern comforts. I love outdoor baths/ hot tubs listening to owls and star watching. It's an activity rather than somewhere to stay.

@TerfTalking I'm the biggest snob out when it comes to homes and holidays but Benidorm is great if you have both older kids and younger kids , it has such a lot on tap, water park, zoo safari type place, shops, fabulous white sand beach and the train station if you want a day out somewhere more Spanish feeling like Altea . Lots of apart hotels too - my tip is to try and stay near the old town or up on the poniente side of Marina- tapas bars and Italians and burger type stuff all available depending on taste. I have honestly been to eat crappier places.its really clean too. I kid you not I way preferred it to Dubai if taking kids! (Same kind of skyline) my grandparents lived in Altea for 10 years so I went lots

Caravan holidays is what you need to look into. Shore field are great and I have heard park dean are too xx

I would second Youth Hostels. Private rooms, some with en-suite. Gone are the days of having to share a dorm with young backpackers partying all night (although if that’s what you’re after they are also available!) YHA are great but so are some of the independent ones. If you don’t mind a bunk bed (and it’s not much different to some tents) I’d look into that. I really hope you find something as that area is just beautiful.

Glamping is not cheap. You're paying a massive premium for the novelty factor. It's basically the Emperors new clothes of holiday accommodation. You will get more comfort and better value in a B&B or even a few nights in a Travelodge in a nice place.

I agree, but any business model that starts by trying to kid you that camping is glamorous is going to be a rip-off.

I'm on my own with 2 children and this is why I take them abroad, I usually do a week in July. Even factoring in fines (which I've been fortunate enough to never receive) it is much cheaper than going away here.
I do it as cheap as possible so I search prices from low to high but we've never ended up anywhere awful, in fact they've all been lovely. I always use tui, with a free child place and they do a code for £100 off for a single adult traveling with children.
I used to get a week all inclusive for £900, it's slightly gone up but still cheaper than a week here and food and day trips added in.
It probably helps that I live 10mins away from a London airport so I don't have to do hotels at the airport etc.
UK holiday prices are ridiculous.

I don't think glamping is supposed to be particularly cheap OP - you're probably not the target demograph for it. It's not just "camping but they've put the tent up already when you're there". I'm with you though - if I had £1,000, I wouldn't spend it this way. Unless it was at a festival, which would be lush 😍 A girl can dream...

I’d cut it down for 4 days and stay in a premier inn type place. That said, premier inns vary a lot so do trip advisor.

We do Park Resorts but Mon-Fri. Makes it much much cheaper