Campsite must haves???

[Iwannalivebythesea]

my dh has dreamt forever of owning a campsite and now finally we are in the position to move forward and actually maybe do it!! its all very exciting and will be a drastic change of living for us if it happens.
But I was just looking for some general opinions/advice about what would be your campsite must haves. We would be a family run campsite aimed at families.... what would you want or need in a campsite??? Pool? Kids club? Bar/resturant etc etc??

A million thank yous in advance for any help!!

oh yyy

charging extra for a utility tent. Drives me CRAZY when the combined footprint of my tent + utility is about 50% less that the ginourmous behemoth mofo pitched next to us.

Modern, clean, warm showers and loos - kept clean all the time and lots of hot water all the time. Similarly washing-up areas.

Large pitches with hedges / others round individual / small groups of pitches to cut down on wind factor and aid privacy.

Campfires / bbqs allowed, even if only in specific spaces.

Large grassy area for footy / other plus trees / bushes etc for hiding and exploring (DH and I like to do this before bed)

Shop that sells essentials, open from early in the morning to late at night.

Friendly campsite staff who will enforce quietness rules between say 11pm and 7 or 8am

Where do I start?

Free, hot showers.
Free freezer
Don't pack too many people in.
Clean loo block - I don't need underfloor heating just basic cleanliness.
Enough loos for your capacity
Don't have th eloos too close to showers/ sinks as other people's poo smells are
No thank you to 'style over substance' sites that are all poncey slate signage and compost loos but charge £1 for a shower that scalds then freezes whilst my hair is lathered up and charge £25 a night
But most of all, no caravans. [cwink]

I tend to avoid sites with kids' clubs and bars TBH.

I like a shop, especially one which sells fresh bread (even if you have to order it the night before). Local produce is nice in the shop too, eg some local cheeses and jam or locally made ice cream.

Clean loos and showers are a must, as is hot water. I like a lauderette as it means I can pack fewer clothes.

I like a basic playground, but more important is a space where kids can just play (ride bikes, kick a ball around etc) without annoying anyone.

I also want the site to be quiet at night.

most important thing is that you don't tolerate severe yobbishness and curfew-breaking; nothing is worse than when someone has a loud party into the small hours despite the curfew being 11, or someone lights a fire close enough to your tent to get holes from sparks, and the owners do nothing.
if you're not going to enforce rules, don't have them, and then we can all have parties and campfires.

best ones for kids IME are the ones where there is an area where kids naturally gather, whether that is a play area, a big space in the middle of the field as Slubber described, or a stream, or some fallen trees.

we usually stay at caravan and camping club sites. they are great - because...

friendly and easy going (low on lamination)
not usually noisy
free showers (more because having change for them is a faff than the actual cost, and also because pay showers are often timed)
clean loo block.
washing-up sinks.
lots of space.

the only thing i like that you don't usually get at club sites is the ability to have open fires (though off-ground BBQ can suffice for late-night warmth).

dh has always wanted to do this too and in the South West!
Safe area for children to play (ds has SN)
Clean loo's and showers definitely
Shop stocking useful camping items that may be needed in emergencies e.g spare pegs/guys etc..
No bar/clubhouse - most people like a bit of peace on campsites

Best of luck to you

It might be easier for me to say what I hate about some campsites! I went to a place called Higher Harlyn near Padstow, if you are able to go there and visit, that is everything that a campsite shouldn't be!

No tarmaced roads with bloody lights everywhere. A pool, bar and entertainment are not needed.

All you need for a campsite is a good field (and or woods) that drain well, a decent and clean shower and loo block with somewhere covered to wash up. Allow fires. Don;t allow caravans. Don;t allow drums, bongos etc Don;t overcrowd it either.

Oh and you absolutely must give mnetters a discount!!!!

Good luck

We are tent campers.

Level pitches
Hot showers and working plumbing
Clean enough loos and washup area
Near mountains/beach/good walking country
A view
A nearby pub
Shop or at least sell milk (we don't EHU so don't have a fridge)
Campfires allowed
Freezer for iceblocks
Drying room and a washing machine/dryer pretty useful
Somewhere for children to play, either a climbing frame or space to kick about
Friendly to dogs, bikers, children, groups of walkers as well as families.

Great Langdale in the Lakes is a great campsite, only problem is its popularity.

wow! Thank you all so much, I knew this was the place to ask!!! Keep em coming!!!! You have no idea how useful all this is!! And of course there will be a MN discount when we are up and running!!

why no caravans??

People shower at night and then the morning showering people get dirty showers - I would like the showers cleaned twice a day, early morning and afternoon.

i would like a place that is well kepts, the grass and the layout pleasant but with a teen play area and a childrens play area, near each other but not so the little ones get hurt by the bigger ones who also want to play

Encourage people to leave there cars off site

thats my lot

Why no caravans?

I know I'm being harsh and judgy but them sitting in their caravans watching farkin' Eastenders drives me crazy! Stay at home if you want soaps.

Also, if a small child goes near their caravan with a ball they sit there with their cat's bum mouths or shout at them.

They just don't tally with my idea of a campsite.

so not caravans but cats mouth people who watch tv on campsites. Ihave seen tents with tv's so you really need to make sure its a no tv signal area at all so no one can watch tv and put sign up in entrance no cats bum mouthed people needed here

I'm in Ivy. [csmile]

Slubberdegullion, I completely agree with the comment about double draining areas at each sink. I have also thought about that. And the sink for washing dishes could do with being massive! I like campsites to be fairly secure obviously and with minimum traffic (toddlers!). It would be great, although I don't know if feasible, for people to park away in a car park, once the tent and everything is unpacked. I have never seen this happen at any campsite (perhaps others have?) but have often thought it would be great. Lots of grass - hard standing areas are horrible, spread dust, and my kids are preoccupied by picking up the stones ... grrr! Nice views from the tent! Loads of hooks in each shower compartment. Enough for adult and child. Plug for hairdryer at each sink in the toilet block.

I like the no cars, even if they pull on with their tensts etc to unload, just keep them off the rest of the time would be great for the dc

I disagree. car goes next to van. sites that demand otherwise are mostly tent-only so far as i have seen (in fact i've only seen one: Edale in Derbyshire) . in-van televisual entertainment is an essential of a camping holiday where there is any chance of rain.

gavel

i might add, the sites we camp on are v. quiet and people don't tend to tool about - some large commercial sites the level of traffic sometimes very close to pitches is very offputting. I think that's as much an issue to do with cramming people in than cars being a problem per se.

what swrong with a good book or a pack of cards, a board game or a conversation?

we had a family joke for years about "diculous" after a two hour rain storm, thats what camping has been about - family time, jokes and stories when it does rain

Oooh how exciting! Ok, so my ideal campsite would be ...

1 - Absolutely no pool, kids club, bar etc.

It's just not what I want from a campsite at all, and in fact, it would really put me off.
The only 'entertainment' I would want on a site would be a good children's play area and a field/paths for them to play ball/ride their bikes/do cartwheels etc.

Curfews are a must, and must be enforced. We camped at a shithole site in North Wales where inconsiderate fuckwits other campers where still blasting music out and swearing like sailors at gone 2 in the morning!! Hideous!

2 - Location

Somewhere where I could park the car up and walk to where I want to go would be bliss!
Generous pitch sizes

3 - Provisions

A small, well-stocked shop is very handy (milk, bread, sausages, ice-cream etc).

Good washing up facilities.

Lots of toilets/showers so no queuing.
Free hot water (underfloor heating in shower block is a wonderful touch of luxury!)
Freezers for ice-blocks

4 -The Most Important Factor - Cleanliness!

Without a doubt, the most important thing for me is the cleanliness of facilities.
Clean toilets with lots of toilet roll

Clean showers with mop and bucket available
Clean washing up area, with lots of room and bins available

Good luck! I'm very

I absolutley love sites that have a hedge border on each pitch, and you can park the car within said hedge border.
Stayed at one campsite, and you can pre-order a morning paper and breakfast rolls for the following morning that they delivered to your tent!!

Caravaners and tent campers are a different breed! If you must have them, have them in a different field!!