Is this the camping trip from hell.

[Redgreenfroggy]

Just want to start by saying we camp 2 or 3 times a year and have loved it. Don’t know if we have been really lucky with campsites.
yep there has been the odd annoyance but on the whole great.

Arrived at a campsite yesterday and the family in the tent next door just seem to yell at each other all the time. If they are not yelling at each other they are yelling at the dog. The adults are constantly swearing at each other and the two little girls just seem to scream

To make it the 2 girls aged about 5 kept running in our tent laughing and running out again. At one point when DH and DS had bobbed to the campsite shop and I was looking for something in the car I looked back at the tent to see both girls coming out of our tent with one of my sons board games. I stopped them and said they should not take things that dont belong to them and to stop coming in our tent. All I got in return was them both sticking their tongue out at me.

When my DH came back he went over and had a word but they parents could not seem to grasp while we didn’t want their little darlings on our tent and said they would only be borrowing the board game.

Woke up this morning at 6 to the girls running around our tent screaming and shouting for my son to wake up. My son is 12 and wants nothing to do with them. Luckily it stared raining so they went back to their tent.

Later this afternoon came back to the campsite after a day out and not only has a new family pitched their tent right up next to ours so we could literally reach out and touch their tent from standing inside ours, they have pitched over were the car is meant to go.

all the tents are pitched so there is a tent and then a car on the right hand side but they have 2 cars and have just taken up their pitch and half of ours. I did point out this to them but I just got a shrug of the shoulders.

We did mention to the owners of the campsite this had happened and they did say they would have a word if we really wanted them too but could we just put our car by reception. We got the feeling they did not want any confrontation. So our car is now by reception. Not a huge deal but still a bit inconvenient.

i am now in our tent listening to an argument from the family next door. The kids screaming and the dog going bat shit barking. Plus the ones that are right up next to us the bloke keeps hacking at the time.
So you get that massive hack noise as if he is trying to bring something up. The women with him had a cackle laugh that would put Amanda Holden and Alisha Dixon to shame.

My DH has gone out to get ear plugs

Can you name the site, so we know to avoid. I use sites where management and owners have proper rules in place and stick to them and will confront other campers if need be. The tent right next to yours is dangerous and a fire hazard as well as the lack of privacy.

OMG this is my worse nightmare. I love camping but my fear is to end up in a situation like yours so we only ever book three nights in a row and then move on to somewhere else just in case.

Definitely this 🤣

I'm guessing this was a field style campsite without well defined spots. We camped a few times in the hereford area and they were all like that. We try to avoid peak summer camping for places that aren't defined. Sites tend to be emptier when over night temps are below 10C. I like some of the Welsh sites because you are more likely to get a proper cove with tree cover so neighbors aren't close by.

Could you not have moved to another peg.

I haven't read everything; but tents should be pitched a certain distance apart for fire prevention purposes so the campsite owners should absolutely be having a word.

You have been really unlucky OP. We only go to places now where pitches are marked out, and I always ask the site team to send us a map of the site when we book, ask what pitches are available and make a request to be as far away from the toilet and shower block as possible. My reasoning is, we don’t have young children, we have been known to drive to the shower block/toilets in a push (we don’t drink so driving isn’t an issue), also people tend to be noisier nearer the toilet blocks as everyone walks past those tents. And I read reviews on UKCampsite NOT trip advisor. This ensure we generally have a good experience, but all the best will in the world can’t stop the Clampits from pitching next to you :(

I try to use campsites that are not aimed at families. Our DC finds it difficult to relax near dogs so we went for Dog Free ones. Bliss. We had a problem with our initial pitching site so we just moved to a different one as there was plenty of room. Some people just don't get camping etiquette. And going in your tent is theft. I'd be reporting it and mentioning "Police Report" in conversation...

Sadly there's a certain type of person who has discovered camping and they have no idea of etiquette or what is acceptable The owner is out of order though Dealing with problems avoids conflict I only ever camp in sites that have strict rules and excellent reviews

The car should be moved and the tent pitched correctly for distance. Tell the owners that you will leave a review about your experience. Report the other campers for letting their kids steal your stuff and only stopped by yourself because you came back on time.

I don't camp in the UK any more, unless on a tiny C&C club site. Every time there seems to be someone making antisocial noise, or large groups who are up late being loud. On the other hand, have camped many times on France and never been disturbed by any noise, including on some big sites. Even the British campers seem to manage to stay quiet.

The best site I stayed on had lots of kids, but strict noise curfews strictly enforced. Staff made clear if you needed more than 1 warning they would throw you off site with no refunds.

Even in a caravan you can’t always escape family (families) from hell. We have a caravan but on Eurocamp site in Dordogne we were put next to a Eurocamp tent. My daughter was sleeping in annex in awning and on first night she came in caravan at about 2am to tell she couldn’t sleep because of noise from tent next door. This happened 2 nights in a row. Finally DH had enough, stormed next door to find a tent full of 12 -16 yr olds (about 6 of them), drinking and smoking. No adults. Following morning went to complain to site manager. Turns out 2 mums (don’t know where DH were) had come on holiday with their DC, booking 2 tents, one for each family but they put older DC in one tent and they stayed in other with younger DC +, According to other holiday makers, spent most of the time drinking heavily. Their tent was over 10 min walk from tent next to us. They were warned they had to sleep in tent booked with own DC but clearly this was too much as they only lasted 1 more nights. Site workers were astounded by the number of empty alcohol bottles and cans left by women.

If you don't want to name and shame the campsite on here @Redgreenfroggy I'd at least put a review on UK Campsite on how much of a wet lettuce the site manager was!

I love camping, but this sounds miserable. both neighbours sound dreadful and inconsiderate.

Because they can't afford any other type of holiday in the school holidays.

we had a massive campsite nightmare it was awful
I walked the length and breadth of the site and I found tents that were empty we offered to completely clean and sanitise our tent an they let us move to another part of the campsite

we never saw those people for the rest of our holiday - they were all about being at their tent
really oblivious to anybody else

How good news OP enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Poor buggers

Which is why we generally stayed at home

Be the ultimate complainant and insist on another pitch. Threaten shocking reviews and don’t stop pestering until they move you. They will eventually.

The campsite owners should have made the neighbours move their tent.

I'd demand a refund, not good customer service, apart from everything else.

Hope the earplugs work - I always take earphones and something to listen to to drown out noise at night.

I feel your pain OP- not Hell...but on the near neighbourhood!

We (long-term keen campers) no longer bank-holiday camp.

Most campsites and most campers are quieter and more reasonable than the bank-holiday crowd ones! I have no idea why but experience like yours put us off this time of year.

I hope you enjoyed the rest of your holiday.
Unfortunately the type of behaviour you describe seem to be getting more prevalent in society in general. There are so many selfish, entitled half-wits about - playing loud music on public transport, kids with tablets pumping out Peppa Pig at full volume in restaurants, more very aggressive and dangerous drivers, stoned people. I could go on but it's all so depressing.
I happen to love camping and can afford any type of holiday I fancy. I love when it's a dark, quiet, warm evening and I can just sit in my camping chair and stare into the flames of the campfire for hours on end. I find it's just about the most relaxing thing in the world, genuinely!

Camping and pot holing could both be used on me as forms of torture. Is there any way you can take yourselves off to a hotel?