Daily budget for Eurocamping

[Foxsticks]

We are going on our first Eurocamp holiday in June with our 2 year old. We are staying five nights in one camp in Brittany and 6 nights in Vendee.

I'm assuming there will some sort of fuel calculator we can find on line so we can figure out our petrol costs. We aren't planning on having day trips everday as I am pregnant and am looking forward to lots of relaxation. We have chosen camps next to the beach and with great water parks to keep our daughter entertained. How much do you think we need to budget per day for food shopping and the odd meal out? Any views/experience would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance

We're on our first camping experience this year in Italy (albeit in a mobile home!); normally self-catering I reckon on €80-100 a day max; that's including food shopping, a meal out every other night, ice-creams/drinks etc. I've got 2 teens and last year self-catering we spent well under €1000 in 14 days! Visits to waterparks, etc are the things that cost, and as I said eating out every other night, and eating in the others, with an evening trip to the bar or for an ice-cream, saves €€€s. Every year I take Marmite, sachets of hot choc(!), and this year I'll be taking those fab Robinsons 'Squash'd'; take up no space, 20 drinks in them (and I can never find bottles of squash abroad).

That is really really useful 3cats, thank you :-)

We are in a mobile home too - I wasn't brave enough to try sleeping under canvas! We are really excited though, I'm really looking forward to seeing my little girl enjoy the beach and pools!

My parents took us on loads of Eurocamping holidays growing up - I have such brilliant memories and we will be doing the same with our family.

It was too long ago to give you an idea of budget, but I can tell you what we did.

Do you get a barbeque? Most sites either have them with the campers, or there are lots of well placed communal ones. We had barbeque almost every night - if you bring a basic store cupboard from home, it really keeps the cost down. There is nothing quite like huge tomato salads, tiny new potatoes, steak hache and merguez washed down with cheap (but lovely) French wine and lager after a day at the beach!

Breakfasts were normally croissants and pain au chocolat with yoghurt and fruit, lunches were French bread, pate, cheeses, crisps etc on the beach.

It's an amazingly relaxed environment - we always ended up making friends with other families and meal times often ended up being lengthy, chilled out affairs that seemed to fit perfectly. We rarely ate out as a result!

Day trips don't have to cost the earth either - we normally took a picnic or grabbed bread and stuff while we were out and about.

Kally, we did exactly the same growing up! My memories of euro camping are so good thats why we decided to go this year. We used to do pretty much the same food wise - I practically drool at the memory of potato frites bought from the camp take away!

Do you remember the trek to the sinks to do the washing up and the nightly visits to the shower blocks in your pjs! We used to take swing ball with us and spent hours playing in front of the tent. Like you we had so much freedom and always made friends, usually with dutch kids who spoke perfect English I really hope our holiday can live up to my memories!

Ooh yes, we've got a BBQ with our mobile, that will be used a lot! Last year in French customs I somehow managed to have a bottle of tomato ketchup in my hand luggage! It was confiscated along with another lady's expensive perfume and someone else's equally expensive face cream. The three bottles lined up on the conveyor belt caused great mirth; the 2 other women were looking at me pityingly - well, it's bloody expensive, ketchup, in France!!

I shall remember my ketchup - but not in my hand luggage! Those Robinsons squash'd lookgreat too, especially as I'm pregnant, I get bored of having water all the time!

I usually budget 100 euros a day. But over the whole trip so this covers shopping/eating out/days out/extra petrol etc. Like 3cats eating out every other night or so. Last year we were in a gite and my idea of 2 pool days/1 day out went down very badly with dd who was bored rigid as no kids her age - budget severely compromised. We are back with a mobile home this year with all the onsite activities and more chance of making friends.

Thanks Porto, it looks like I might have to set aside a bit more money then I thought. Best get on with Ebaying!