What makes a good camp site

[brightonlad]

Several times I've been to campsites that people talk about in ridiculously glowing terms - not just word of mouth but reviews in newspapers - both times they've been good but I've always felt like I'm missing something.
Once a campsite has decent toilets and showers what else is there?
In my view the most important thing is the people you are sharing the site with, something the owners have very little control over and will vary from one stay to the next.

Decent sized pitches - tent manufacturers recommend at least 6m between your tent and the next to minimise the risk of fire spreading rapidly. And it also gives you a bit of privacy and peace.

No clubhouse/entertainment/bar thingy!

One that 'settles down' as the night draws in, so that at about 10 pm all you can hear is the quiet murmur of families chatting, not radios blaring or groups of people yelling.

Friendly, helpful staff (have taken this for granted previously but never will again after this year's experience!)

Plenty of hot water.

A little shop for bread, milk and the paper in the morning.

clean toilets and showers are a must.
A pitch that is a good size so your not too close to neighbour.
One where the grass doesnt flood and electric doesnt blow easy 5 mins.
Safe and sercure for the kids
prefer somehwre i can freeze iceboxes

and thats it

Clean toilets, clean, hot showers where the water doesn't cut out every five seconds - so tedious when one has to wash one's hair

A zero tolerance on car stereos being played - one beat and you're out.

Nice big spacious pitches

No large groups of young 'uns

Nice safe play area for kiddies within easy sight of most pitches

Decent bar area

Nice views etc.

Actually there's one in the Loire Valley that matches up to all of that - it's near Saumur called Chantepie.

Maybe I'm a camping snob but all of those things seem like absolute bare minimums!

I went to an acquaintances wedding party at a camp site and they had a massive sound system going until about 4am, I felt so bad for the people camping there.

"bare minumums" isnt that what camping is about?

slayerette has it spot on.

I recommend that some British campsite owners have a look at how things are done on the continent.

Agree Brightolad, IMO they should just be the bare minimum and it's a shame that so many campsites fall short of such basics.

You're right, you have v little control over who you camp with and for that reason I'm not a great camper. We went this year and it was all perfectly OK but I like privacy, peace space and for those three reasons I'm reluctant to do it again next year.

There are meant to be some good places in the Lake District . It's all a bit of a lottery really.

slayerette you still stalking me??

Agree TB there are some good ones in the Lakes...so I've been told. I'm not far from there in the north east so will go in the near future.
One that dp's friends recommend in the lakes is castlerigg

Lisad123 -Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Saw your thread about campsites in East Anglia and was just about to post saying I didn't know any of them and thus couldn't help at all but then thought 'God she'll think I AM stalking her!'

Everything that slayerette said.

Family bathrooms aren't essential but when you camp with small children they can make all the difference between washing being a hellish nightmare and a perfectly pleasant experience.

Little things that show the campsite owners are actually thinking about everyone who is using them. The site we stayed at in the lakes had provided a couple of those Ikea steps next to the hand basins. This meant that the dds could wash their hands independently without me having to lift them up to the taps.

Free use of the freezer for iceblock exchange is good (C&CC you need to think about how much you charge for EHU vs the 50p PER BLOCK you charge to cool box users )