Is camping a people holiday?

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Always rather envied people who have got the hang of camping. Husband who's a bit of a townie is willing to give it a go and I know the children will adore it. And it sounds cheap. I like outdoors and fresh air and walking and I'm easy going about children getting grubby.

My resistance is down to the fact I don't like noisy places for a holiday. And the campsites often sound quite large. I looked one up with Forest Holidays in Hampshire. Looked beautiful but 200 pitches! That could be loads of people.

Do you think that you have to be easy going about crowds to really enjoy camping?

not really
you are outside so you still get your own space
the showers & toilet blocks could be an issue for you

camping is great though

The Forest Holidays one said it had no toilet or shower blocks. So chemical toilets and bottled water I guess. Or dirty faces for a few days. I do find the idea of toilet blocks a bit strange. Are there queues? And a general awkwardness around the sinks. Are they mixed?

A strange etiquette seems to prevail, whereby people are friendly, say good morning etc, but then manage to ignore each others goings on.
Toilet blocks are usually single-sex, and have cubicles with basins in, so you can have a wash in private.

We're a bit like you, but last year went to a lovely campsite on the Welsh border near Hay on Wye. It had only about 8 or 9 pitches, well spaced out and with immaculate loos and showers. It was my first time camping and we had a lovely time.

We found it by googling "campsites, clean toilets"!

If you like camping without the people, DP's family all like the camping and caravanning sites, where there's only about 5 lots of people on a field with very few facilities. And I think the people don't talk to each other much (they just snoop at each other through their caravan windows).

Some campsites are blissfully quiet. But then you have to worry about your own darling children being the noise-makers who are disrupting everyone else's peace and quiet.

There is a forest holidays one in the new forest near Brockenhurst that has shower and toilet facilities....Hollands Wood I think. It has about 600 pitches, we went in August and it was heaving. Not too noisy though. Just got a bit peeed off with how close some numpty pitched their tent to ours.

There is a campsite review website which will give you an idea of which campsites are best avoided if you don't like noise. Just google campsite reviews.

The quietest campsites don't all advertise, to keep things small and quiet. We find them sometimes by looking on Ordnance survey maps, there are lots more on the maps than you'll find on the web or in Tourist Information blurb.

I can't bear packed campsites. We only go to ones attached to farms which are basic - ie no swimming pools or shops but that's what we prefer.

Thanks everyone. I shall look into finding very small campsites. Five people in a field would be bearable.

we do the caravan and camping holidays, they ahve 'bigger' (I use the term loosely LOL) sites, but also loads of sites of only a max five pitches. Its about £35 for a fmaily per year, excellent avlue really.

And btw my 2 asd kids (ie not easy going and no crowds) love camping.

the camping and caravan club

when you sign up you get the site directory that includes all the small sites

HTH

mumble

whichwhichwhichwhichwhich near hay?

peachy do i get more stuff than just a directory for joining the camping and caravanning thingy?

now i know you have joined, obviously i know it is not just for codgers, which was my prior primary objection

hmm am clicking through the membership services, its real codger stuff...

£35 for a directory seems kind of dear...

Oi I am no old codger

if you fancy the sites ion there give them a ring- they will charge you a small supplement. However all the best sites (I think over a thousand) are in the directory and are exclusively members only. Thats what you join for- the hideaway small sites that only take members with cards, they also monitor and accredit all their sites so they are at a high standard.

FWIW even their 'big' sites are probably 20 units to a field or so, no more.

oh feck i meant to say "i know SINCE you have joined it can't be for old codgers"

aaaargh

have had long day being snided at in IKEA by a smug mummy with shiny hair

ps its filly in odd disguise

UK Campsite is a good site for checking out potential campsites. It tells you all the important stuff, number of pitches, facilities etc, but also has members reviews, so you get an idea of the pros and cons from the people actually using the place!

ooooohhhh I seeeeeeeeee

int hat case if you emailed I might lend you my book if youre around this way anytime

Charlie and Lolas Mummy, Sorry, can't remember the exact name but it was definatley Pant something. To recognise it, Google "Small campsites, clean toilets". It was basically a field with a toilet/shower block. From what I remember it was a tudor looking farmhouse, have been racking my brains but can't remember the name of the place.

The camping and caravanning club sites do look very nice (I went past one in Lynton yesterday) but the only members I know could have had the term "old codgers" invented for them.

TBH quite a few are older, but there's always several famillies on site. And as they actually run the forest holidays now, I suspect that the famillies will head that way- we go to those as much as the 'proper' sites, and find they ar very family orientated. many sites seem to work quite well by having a field where they put mainly famillies (often with a central play area) and then putting oldies on another (amusingly near the toilet block)