Do you think we might have left it too late to book a site for August?

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

I'm browsing through campsites online and many seem to be saying they're fully booked.

Have we cocked up? I'm wondering if it's true that many more people are in the UK this year and therefore the sites are all full.

How are you finding it?

[wibble]

We've booked our main trip but I was hoping to do several 'spontaneous' 3 nighters if the weather is fine.

I have faith in my shiny new C&CC big sites book for finding me somewhere that isn't fully booked.

I wonder if the smaller, fewer facilities/basic sites would be a better bet.

and I think you are right, I bet a LOT of people (newbies and veterans alike) will be camping in the UK this year as the exchange rate is so bad. I have two lots of friends who usually go to france but are camping here this summer.

The place we stayed at recently is a first come first served sort of affair - no pre booking, and was lovely if you're not after lots of facilities aside from the basics.

here

Mary - where have you looked? Then I can find you somewhere Plus where did you want to go and what sort of things did you want to do?

Mary I found that too - mainly in popular areas, so SW, Dorset, etc - lots and lots of sites saying already full and one even said he was now taking bookings for 2001..

meant 2010. It's been a long day...

Ivy, you are the travel queen aren't you

Slubber, I'm sort of guessing / hoping that the last minute 3 nighter will still be possible. I think most people are tkaing bookings only for a week, but i'm sure that when it gets nearer the time they'd take shorter bookings to fill up.

Fill up. Gosh, it's really not what you want is it, a full campsite...

We're looking at 5 nights in North Cornwall, then 5 nights in South Hams (Devon)

But tbh, since my flap earlier, I've been looking at the uk campsites website and I hadn't realised just how many sites there are in Cornwall. Doh! And so many of them look nice. There must be something, surely.

JRocks, that place looks lovely but we need to book in advance. DH isn't the sort to handle going elsewhere if it's full

Keep going MaryMother - I gave up on the SW and went for Wales and got a site quite easily. But then I have a very low attention span. I'd bet you'll find if you seek..

I just booked in North Wales

The bigger sites with online presence may get booked up but we never book and there are always lots of sites to choose from, we go a lot in Devon and Cornwall and many sites don't even take bookings. They tend not to be the ones you find online though.

It's certainly not too late for a smaller site with fewer facilities, which is what we like.

this campsite

North Cornwall, a walk from Bude, so no need to pay for parking and beaches are fab at Bude - just watch the swimming in the sea.

Then you can go visit

here

Dont go to the visitor center - just park a little way down the road and walk down the path - you dont have to pay to go to Clovelly only to go in the visitor center

big sheep for a rainy day Take a picnic and visit in the dry or wet.

milky way Take picnic and have a good day wet or dry - prefer the milyway to big sheep

best pub meals

tarka trail cycle rideing Torrington has a car park and you can cycle though to Bideford and Instow beach and have an ice cream.

I think it depends a lot on the type of campsite you are looking at.

Mostly I don't book more than a month in advance, usually it's more like a week or two, but it's for very basic simple campsites near climbing hotspots, rather than the more usual picturesque sites of the uk!