How do you choose quieter family campsites after a difficult first trip?

[PaperLanterns]

We’ve just been on our first camping trip as a family of four - I’ve got 2 DS (7 and 5) and it was a nightmare. We’ve hired motorhomes around Scotland and Norfolk and glamped in a couple of places and really enjoyed the vibe so I bought a tent off eBay (Berghaus 4XL) and kitted up.

The problem wasn’t the kit.

It was the other campers. People were staggering about drunk around the play area, smoking, the amount of shouting and swearing that was going on (from the adults and even more alarmingly, the young kids) made me cringe - my kids aren’t used to this. People just camped where they liked, ignored the rules about gas and bbqs due to the drought and a dog in the field behind barked all day and all night. We paid for four nights and we stuck with it - going for big days out on day 2 and 3 but it’s made me really concerned about going again.

I know this makes me sound snobby but I’m a DDSL in a school and spent the whole time wondering if I should be reporting people.

I guess what I’m asking is - is there a hack to choosing campsites? We went for this one because it had a play area, electric (first time campers making it easier) and walking distance of a National Trust and heritage railway. There was also a 10pm noise shutdown (didn’t happen) and wardens were meant to patrol.

It was just disappointing as it took loads to convince DH to come along with this and then was a disaster!

https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk

Have a look through here.

If your're a teacher you may find your people at the YHA. You can camp in the grounds of some and its probably the exact vibe you would enjoy even though god forbid the YHA serves alcohol!

We recently stayed on a very nice camp site with a bar that was empty in the lakes and I was so suprised at the amount of weed being smoked. Posh tents niace cars and the strong smell of green.

Not sure OP, a safeguarding lead, would be taking her dc to a site where being naked in the pool was mandatory 😅. Unlike many others I don’t avoid amenities as I like certain comforts. Have been to some lovely small sites in Scottish Borders and East Lothian with good facilities that there has never been any trouble - you maybe need to go more remote/further afield but can keep the showers and hook up! It’s probably time to upsize your car.

I think I know that campsite you were on; we had an awful experience. As mentioned look for:
No bar
No pool
small playground
Good loo awards prizes ( I’m very particular but this shows pride in campsite from owners),
Trip Advisor reviews

we always have EHU so that hasn’t impacted us.
This was our most recent one in Kent- it was lovely and quiet apart from the farmers tractor!
https://www.paintersfarm.co.uk

I think I know which one you mean, we stayed there at the beginning of the summer holidays. First few days were ok as it was before any of the local schools finished and it was fairly quiet. Last few days were exactly as you described. It’s a shame as we liked the location in general and being walkable to national trust ect but will not be going back.

Read reviews from different sites. I always do carefully.

@Seagulldancing Camp fires should be banned now. Scotland has banned them I think. Wild fires started by people wild camping are not acceptable.

I’ve been on sites with facilities and no issues. The worse one we ever had wasn’t noisy at night after late but was all day. It was dirt cheap and off grid on a farm. Only about 20 pitches. But several tents had TVs in and loud in eve. (never seen this before). Lots of loud kids running wild from 6am - 11pm - on the camping bit as no where else to go. We were only there two days but was glad of that

Join the caravan and motor home club. A wide variety of sites for most tastes. Never stayed on a rowdy one in 30 years.

We stayed in a campsite on the Norfolk broads once. No clubhouse or facilities but crows woke us up squawking and shrieking at 4.45am every morning, it was deafening . I know its back to nature but....🤣

This is true - it’s a shame - I’ve only had this role for a year now but I see creeps everywhere!

Agree about the car - got my eye on a Volvo, but, you know, expensive….

Thanks - so many good reccs and advice. The campsite I went to sounded like Lark Barm..

Haha, annoying but better than Steve shouting at everyone in his family about how pathetic they all were!

Absolutely this. I could give you loads locally, Scottish Borders. Give an area and MN great for stuff like this.

L’Atlantique near Fouesnant

No complaints at all about behaviour and clientèle (plenty of British and Irish).

As previous posters have said avoid weekends and go for places with onsite staff. Camping and Caravan Club sound good for this and campsites in the New Forest are the same. We went to a beautiful campsite on the South Downs last year, Wednesday and Thursday nights were lovely, very quiet, gorgeous views and people stuck to their numbered pitches. Friday night was utter chaos, there was no staff onsite so more people turned up than pitches, people too close to each other and a family from hell next to us. Lesson: go midweek and where they have staff to monitor, official New Forest sites have a barrier for instance to allow access.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club isn’t for tents. The equivalent for camping is the Camping and Caravan Club. Their CS sites are smaller, quieter sites. We always used the small sites, as they were nice and quiet.

Have you looked at reviews of the one you stayed at? I'm curious to know if you can read any warning signs between the lines.

Our boys are teens now, we've been camping with them since they were small for a week every year. DH and I are keen hikers and wild campers at heart and DH is allergic to other people so we've always gone for quieter sites, but with two small kids in tow we also needed decent facilities so have had to find a balance.

As pp have said, the key is to look for small site, ideally no more than 20 pitches, and limited facilities, deffo no bar or play centre. No vans allowed, ideally no (or limited) EHU. Make sure the curfew is clear on the site rules and I always call them and check that they implement it.

A lot of the camping search portals list these as "tiny" sites. The other good keyword to use on google is "individual mown pitches" which will give you places with more private zones in a main field.

These days I also ask on here because you get some great recommendations.

Sometimes you can be unlucky - the year after Covid we were in a tiny site in Cornwall and two of the five pitches were taken by two families who hadn't seen each other since lockdown. They were up till 1am partying but after DH had a word they were mortified and quiet as a mouse the next few nights.

Some of the best sites we've stayed in in recent years (not near you but gives you an idea of the vibe that works) include...

https://www.bertskg.com/

http://www.baconsthorpemeadows.co.uk/

https://www.rydalhall.org/stay/camp-site/

Yes, go to France. Even the sites that have evening entertainment, everyone is quiet as soon as it's finished. I agree the ones with lots of Dutch campers are the quietest of all. Even when PP above was disturbed at a French campsite, the group were promptly evicted the next day. If there is a noisy group on a UK campsite it doesn't seem to matter how many times you complain, nothing is done other than "having a word" which they ignore. You can be sure that if a group is being noisy one night then they will carry on being noisy for the rest of the stay.

Mid week is quieter with fewer groups. I prefer places where you choose your own pitch so they wouldn’t have electrical hook ups for your tent.

We’ve stayed at these places and they might be suitable for you ?….

https://cedarvalley.co.uk/camping/
It has 2 fields - one is described as being better for groups (groups tend to be louder and up later in my experience).
As they are quite large fields and you can choose where to pitch your tent you can try and find a quieter spot too.

https://www.holdenfarm.co.uk/book-camping/
A large field that doesn’t accept hens/stags. But is a working farm so we did have a bad night when they were working a nearby field a few years ago.

Yes, seems like it was just a rookie error with that particular site!

Post a factual review about drunk adults swearing around DC and noise after 10pm, with nothing done.

You sound overly concerned about your DC disturbing others: wouldn’t worry about that unless you mean they’re loud at night or very early in the morning (before 7)

Yes, that’s the one we had an awful experience at. Location was superb; Clientele dubious and all squeezed in. I do have a list of campsites if you want to PM me.

No EHU.
Invest in a big IceyTek or Yeti cool box, which should be good for 3 days; buy milk daily, locally, or take a brick of UHT for each day. Make the most of tinned foods and what you can buy locally. Powerbanks and solar panels for any tech.

National Trust campsites are generally lower key, clean & quieter. They often have a “family field”.

Read the reviews very carefully. Any with reviews that complain about 'gestapo' wardens expecting them to be silent at 10pm are winners for me.
And definitely no bar/clubhouse etc!
Try to avoid electric hook up too.
We like national trust and yha sites.