Annoying minimum night rules

[ClownsandCowboys]

Went to book a Campsite we've been to before and loved, for the last few days of May half term, 3 nights. Except now they run a 5 night min in all school holidays.

We can't do that due to annual leave, but mainly because dd has ASD, and 3 nights away is really her maximum.

It seems like more and more sites have these minimum stays, which are longer and longer.

Nearly all the sites I go to have a 2 night weekend minimum, or 3 on bank hols.
For the more holiday-park orientated places with bars and entertainment you can see their point: they will
lose a whole week’s booking for a weekend. In that way they keep the prices down by being fully booked and bar takings up.

It is annoying though.

Maybe ask for recommendations for sites that do 2-3 nights on one of the big camping Facebook groups like Family Camping Group.

That is annoying but I can understand why they do it. If they can impose the rule and still have enough bookings, it must cut down on admin time.

Camping is so cheap you could just pay for 5 nights and go for 3? It's not compulsory to be there all 5.

Agatha That's what we've done in the past, but we can afford to. One less meal out.

Campsites with no minimum stay are few and far between but I’m sure they’re missing the fact that lots of families want to break their journey en route to somewhere else.
If we’re going down to Cornwall, we like Freshwell www.croydefreshwellcamping.co.uk Wooda campsite in Cornwall itself has a no minimum stay for some areas.
If we’re heading north, we sometimes break the journey at Tattershall Lakes which is no minimum, and the owners have another site on the Isle of Wight.
We also like Housedean Farm, which does have a 2 night minimum on the last weekend of May and all weekends in June, July and August. But it’s only two nights so we don’t lose much if we only do 1 night, and it’s only at weekends too.
Avon Tyrell in the New Forest has no minimum stay and doesn’t charge extra for bank holidays.

Just remembered that Denfurlong in the cotswolds is also no minimum even over bank holidays.

Is it an expensive site? If not just pay for the 5 nights and go home when you want.

*AgathaVanHelsing

Camping is so cheap you could just pay for 5 nights and go for 3? It's not compulsory to be there all 5.*

Well that's the most self absorbed post ... people's finances differ wildly. For some people camping is a stretch and it's not always cheap

@Curiousmum69 OP mentioned two issues and neither of them are money

Thanks. It's a quiet site, campfires and toilet block basically. I hadn't thought about booking 5 nights, it's about £30 a night.

I don't mind 2 or 3 night min, as I understand those. But 5 nights seems a lot.

A happy update though - the campsite have agreed to waive the min due to my dd's difficulties. Thanks for the suggestions!

I think I just remember a time where you rocked up stayed a night or two for £5 and then moved on!

I think I just remember a time where you rocked up stayed a night or two for £5 and then moved on

Yes sadly those days have long gone.

There are still some campsites like that but they're few and far between

Not had this issue before, I have just booked 2 sites for 2 nights at each, we never do more than 3 due to dd(ASD) not being able to cope with more.

I am glad you are sorted OP.

5 nights / an extra £60 does seem unreasonable for that sort of site.

I have never stayed more than 1 night in a campsite and it's never been a problem - never heard of minimum stays.