Are you seriously thinking of going camping this year?

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

In this weather????

Are you brave enough to risk it?

I am feeling quite smug that we booked to go to Corsica (camping) way back in January.

Of course that's for August, so there's still time for a heatwave to hit Northern Europe (which I'm sure it will, seeing as we are driving 1000+ km to get some sun

Been once already, booked to go twice more :)

Yes, already survived done Anglesey during Easter.
Lake District in July, then France for some sun in August.

We have a weekend booked for the middle of July, then a week booked for the middle of August. Maybe slip in another couple of days here and there if the weather is good.

Have been over Jubilee weekend and fully intend to go twice in August if it's not pissing down.

Went in early May, but not been since .
But going to south of France in August
Will do a weekend or two if it ever stops raining!

Been 3 times so far - 3 nights each time - easter, may bank hols and june bank hols. Got 2 nights in july booked - and a weekend in late July, and 2 in august when we are planning on camping. However, after last weeks torrential rain and wind we might wait on the weather forecast as it was sooooo grim. I had been thinking of doing a week in September - but the weather is so unpredictable we may look for a cottage instead.

We're going on a class camping trip next weekened ds will be fine even if it rains, with all his friends. I have a very large gazebo to sit under with friends and drink wine

Camped in April and no chance I'm camping now - I have a weekend booked in July and time in August buy really wonder if we will actually go!!

LostInWales how much did the ferry crossing to Spain cost?

Its around £750 for us poppy but we have to have two cabins as there are 5 of us. It varies a lot depending on what crossing, car, cabins you have. I think you can do it for around £500 for the 26 hour journey and there are restaurants/swimming pool/cinema/entertainment/bars, and my favourite, nature rangers on deck so you can do whale and dolphin watching, it's not a bad deal to get south without the hassle of airports. Your holiday starts the minute you turn the car engine off on the boat. Plus (for me anyway) you have the joy of having all your stuff with you on holiday as well as your car, I'd hate to be stuck in one place with only one suitcase of things. I'm panicking to justify it now because written down it looks loads but last year we managed (food, campsites, treats) on about ?30 a day which you would probably spend feeding and entertaining children at home in the holidays.

We went in the half term gales only 2nd time as a family and it was fine. Didnt rain every minute of the day showers were good and kids couldnt care less I even managed to read my book in my tent wiht the rain pouring down outside it was actually relaxing.

Camped last year for two Weeks in Norfolk and it was the most relaxing holiday we have ever had. The kids just went off and played and we read lots of books. We camped last week in the rain and although cold and wet it was nice to be away. We have booked to go again to the same site in Norfolk right next to the beach and I can't wait.I love the freedom camping gives the children and the back to basics lifestyle , although given the choice financially I'd be in five star luxury abroad ;-)

Colly which site is that?

We didn't go this weekend after all as DH has been ill, it's been dry and sunny but incredibly windy so think it was the right decision!

LostInWales thank you for getting back to me, with 2 adults, 2 children would we need one cabin ? Do they sleep four? We're trying to think of all options for somewhere in Europe , we just can decide what to do with so much choice! Can't decide whether to fly or what. With ferry/euro tunnel we can take our bell tent though rather than teeny tiny tent....we just want to go on an adventure really. Is it super hot camping in Spain or is that a stupid question?!

Meg it was waxham sands just a short drive from great Yarmouth. Quite basic in terms of facilities as toilet block was a bit dated but the sea views and seal watching really made up for that. Plus they only charged 14 pounds a night for a family of five.

That's very reasonable, we've been looking at Clippesby but baulked at the price (nearly £40 a night! Could stay in a hotel for that!). Does it have a decent play area, that's essential for the DSes!

Yes Meg it had two large play areas plus a field to play ball games and a crazy golf. My three children also enjoyed jumping around in the sand dunes. The only drawback with the play area is that it's a bit of a distance from the actual pitches which wasn't a problem for me as my children are old enough to go on their own unsupervised but if you've got very young children you can't keep an eye on them from your pitch. We stayed at Clippesby a couple if years ago and while it was an immaculate very well run site I wouldn't pay that much to stay there.

We did four nights in Northumbria at half term.

::not as wimpish as I thought::

poppy The cabins fit four in, bunk bed style. If you do the crossing to France they aren't essential but compulsory on the longer crossing to Spain. They aren't massive unless you fork out extra for one of the posher ones (about £90 for the longer journey, about £20-30 to France) Euro tunnel is much cheaper and really, really easy, but you get deposited in the north of France and last year it wan't until we hit the Italian coast it stopped raining .

It was very hot in the day in the south last year, I had spray water bottles ready to cool the tent, we made sure we went somewhere with air-conditioning at lunchtime (supermarkets in France have some fantastic cafe's) but by the evening it was lovely and we had no trouble sleeping (30+ degrees durning the day not sure at night.).

It was the best holiday we have ever had, the boys still like looking at the pictures (11, 9 and 4 at the time), you just have to be able to zone out the bickering in the car...

yes 3 weeks booked for August. I wont last the whole 3 weeks if this weather continues but have camped in some pretty horrendous weather before now.

It does get a boring after 3 or 4 days of constant rain and at that point I start to think of returning home.

We usually camp with a large group of friends which helps ease the misery of it as does a few boxes of wine.

Have camped 5 times so far this year. In a campervan which is cheating I bit I guess, but we have had only one night of rain in that time. Trick is to decide at short notice when a nice weekend is coming up!

We went for a 1 nighter the weekend before the Jubilee because the weather was so gorgeous - we were meant to go away Easter and the Jubilee weekend but ended up cancelling (Easter DH had just got over pneumonia and weather was too foul, Jubilee I had flu and weather was foul).

We are booked for 2 weeks in France at the end of July and IT WILL BE SUNNY

I am also hovering over the 'buy' button for the weekend before the BH in August at Bedgebury. Went last year and it was idyllic, but we had glorious weather.

Didn't you do two days in North Wales as well Lovecat? I'm sure I heard you mention it back in May

How could I have forgotten? :o