Holiday Plans

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With Xmas out of the way has anyone got their holidays for summer planned?

Ohh, that's OK then - make sure you have enough batteries for the pump!

If you're going somewhere really hot, duvets might be more use than sleeping bags - so you can kick them off if you need to. And if you can run to one of those powered coolboxes you will appreciate it for cold drinks and keeping milk fresh. Otherwise you want one or two good coolboxes and enough icepacks to rotate every night (I think most continental campsites do overnight freezing even if English ones don't).

We have approx. this stove - 2 burners and a grill, and a random assortment of cheap non-stick pans. We keep a camping bucket with teatowels, washing-up stuff, small floor brush, fly spray and ant powder, matches, ball of string etc in, and a small washing-up bowl with cutlery, utensils etc. Oh, and we have a new gaz lantern plus several torches. And you need a water carrier.

(Of course you may have all this organised already...!)

The campsite is renting us a fridge! So my wine will be chilled.....oh and the kids milk I suppose Is the grill good? And I'm dithering again over camping gaz light or an electric. One thing I have already got are some glow sticks for the kids to use as night light. How sad am I? I swear I am more excited about this than the kids!!

Which campsite is it? Do tell! Renting a fridge sounds a fantastic idea!

Can they also rent you an electric light? In that case you wouldn't need a gaz one. Gaz lamps are the brightest, and you can adjust them - noisy though and no idea how they compare for usage cost.

We mostly use the grill for toast, although French bread isn't the best for that (but you can buy sliced stuff if you really need it!) And you would have to get one of those big gas bottles and a regulator. If you aren't going to cook much (ie have barbecue and salad mostly?) you could just get a couple of this kind - there are cheaper ones, will find you a link.

OK-what would you do with a skintish family of 6 (44,39,15,11,9 and 6) Where are all these cheap hols? I looked at Pentewan today, place in Cornwall, lovely site but basic amenities, about 850 pounds for one week!!!!!! We have a Peugot 806, no roof rack at the moment and were thinking of getting a "van" and awning. BUT my kids fight and it's bad enough in one of those 35' vans, what the hell would we sound like in a tent? Butlins is really expensive and so are Haven sites, 600 pounds per week Ok but over 100 quid for entertainment passes, linen extra never mind the bloody food?!

Jollymum, if u can do it (and not everyone can) then do a last minute deal. we booked a haven holiday 3 weeks b4 we went, for £99 in june. but neither me or dh have work commitments and my kids werent at school then.

Yes - for a third time we are going back to the Playa Gardens in Playa de Muro in Majorca in August - taking MIL with us - took nanny last year who was less than less than useless - but NANA rules. Looking forward to it. Also taking two eldest sons to London in March.

Just been reminded by DH that this will be our fourth year - fantastic place for kids - entertainment fab - quiet if you want it to be - just love it!!!!!!!!!

BTW if anyone is thinking of going to the Los Zocos in Lanzarote - avoid like the plague - to to the Playa Gardens - WE LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!1

We have to have the kids in school now and even our Nursery Unit, which I hlp in, is so strict about holidays. You can legally lose your place at nursery school now if you have more than 10 days off in the school year. Big kids have no grounds for holidays now, unless you're working abroad for 6 months etc and have to go. Holidays are a NO NO!

jollymum, have you tried camping? I mean do they actually fight in a 35' van, or do you just assume they will? IME they generally get on better on a campsite because they can all bugger off and do different things, they're not hanging around the house getting on each others' nerves and fighting over whose turn it is for the playstation. Might be worth trying...?

And if u get a nice week, and a palce with a pool, then they'l lspend most of the time in there anyway. i know we used to when we were kids

Off to Normandy in August. DS starting school in September but by stopping his nursery, only paying half for DD's nursery and getting DS's deposit back we will be half way to the accommodation/ferry costs and DH's fuel allowance will get us to Portsmouth and full tank to take on the ferry.

We're going to Balamory for a week in June! Lets hope it doesn't rain.

Janh we are going to the wonderfully named Camping Pong! It was recomended by a number of people and is in an area that we like. We tried to book a rather posher site but it was already full for 2005 in Sept! They are also renting us the BBQ.

Thanks, hmb - I have just shown the wonderful Camping Pong to DH and he is quite keen!

I looked at their mobile home prices too, they look to be much cheaper than eg Eurocamp's - a small one is 450 euros a week at high season - not bad at all.

We go camping - in mobile home every year. This year have booked with Matthews Holidays - extremely cheap compared to Haven who we always went with before. Try their website - type Matthews Holidays into Google. Best bit about the site is the discussion forum about all sites. journeys etc.

They have been very, very helpful so far. Madame's English is about as good as my Frence but we laughed our way through the booking procedure!

It is a smaller site (232 pitches), there is access to a lake and as you saw of the website the pool compex is good. The pitch sizez are variabl and most seem to have some shade. There is a kids club but not an English based one (fair enough, we will be in France after all!). It was recomended to me by the nice folks at UKcampsite when the one that we wanted was fully booked. Several families said that it had been idea for their kids, small enough to let them have some freedom, which I think is one of the joys of this type of holiday.

It is about 15 mins drive from the sea, the local area has lots of things to do, let me know if you want a list! It has also got a good write up from Alan Rodgers which I think is a good sign. If you go there and see a rather harassed Welsh woman, it will be me

I went to the sales today and got a picnic table and chairs folding set for £19.99! I'm in a hoilday mood!