I have only done it a couple of times, a long time ago and I hated it. But now I'm wondering if I should make some changes...

[Cappuccino]

after spending 100s of pounds on staying in a cottage which was decidely all right

and not getting any sleep cos the kids woke at dawn

so I have questions

1. do you actually get any sleep?
   
2. are a lot of campsites disabled friendly ie with toilets and showers and that for dd1?
   
3. (dh's question) are they full of worthy hippy types who will want to speak to you
   
4. how much does it actually cost?
   
5. can you really just set off into the sun or do you have to plan endlessly?
   
6. will it kill us?

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

1. depends

2. not sure, sorry
3. no
4. anywhere from £5-20 a night, I think
5. yes you can, though certain things make planning more important, eg if you are going in the summer hols or have special requirements like accessible toilets etc
6. not if you only go for a short time to start with. A fortnight might.

[Debbiethemum]

1. I always sleep like a log as do the children - dh finds it harder though.
   
2. Quite a few, they are mentioned on ukcampsite.co.uk (sometimes they double up as family showers)
   
3. Not really
   
4. Probably closer to £20 than £5 if you are picking one that has disabled facilities as they also tend to have a lot of other extras like laundry room etc.
   
5. You probably will need to book ahead, but we have only booked 2 weeks in advance for our holiday starting on Thursday.
   
6. No
   
   Top tip: Borrow as much as you can for the first trip to see if it worth buying all the kit. However even buying all the kit can be cheaper than most package holidays.

[Cappuccino]

ooh will look at website

have been offered loan of a tent so will hopefully borrow some stuff, maybe late august, and give a night or two a go

dh will be pleased to hear about hippies

[FeelingOld]

1. do you actually get any sleep? I never sleep very well on 1st night, but usually sleep ok after that, kids sleep like logs though.
   
2. are a lot of campsites disabled friendly ie with toilets and showers and that for dd1? Yes, if you look at ukcampsite as suggested you will find them easily.
   
3. (dh's question) are they full of worthy hippy types who will want to speak to you. No, I have never seen any!! Other campers are usually very friendly though and tend to say 'good morning' etc as they walk past your tent.
   
4. how much does it actually cost? Wehave paid anything from £10 to £20 per night (there are 5 of us).
   
5. can you really just set off into the sun or do you have to plan endlessly? We keep all of our gear in large storage boxes and keep it all together in the garage, and we keep sleeping bags etc in those vaccumn bags in cupboard in the house so that when we decide its going to be a nice weekend all we have to do is get together some food and clothes and we can be off. I sometimes ring a site on Friday morning when we want to camp after picking kids up from school on friday teatime, can usually get in one of our favourites.
   
6. will it kill us? Nooooooooooooo, you will love it.

[UnquietDad]

I'd love to go camping again (used to go on camping holidays with parents when young, but DW won't countenance it as she wants her home comforts (hairdryer etc), hates creepy-crawlies (I mean, really hates them - will run screaming from anything larger than a money-spider) and can't imagine trudging over to the toilet block in the middle of the night.

Advice please?...

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Take the kids yourself while DW goes for pampering weekend in spa?
Explain that the money saved by you and children living in creepy-crawly-ridden hell will enable her to have lots of lovely spa treatments (if she likes that kind of thing).

[UnquietDad]

hmm, thinking about that one, kathy!

[Fennel]

One good thing about camping is that if you have a crummy holiday with 3 small children then at least you haven't also spent lots of money on it. Cos let's face it holidays with small children can be a bit grim, so you might as well camp and at least then you've saved the money for something else. And sometimes it can be really enjoyable, if the weather's right and the children sleep.

We don't plan, we wait for the good weather and then go. We are going tomorrow, if we get around to packing tonight and phoning to find a campsite.

we are worthy hippy types but we don't speak to strangers on campsites unless they speak to us. first.

[Blandmum]

yes
yes (dolbryn in west wales had a good disabled loo/shower facility, immaculatly clean, dd might need some help getting down the hill to it)
no, full of normal people like me and my mate
£11 a night last year with electricity, £8 without
Yes, but book if you have a particular site in mind
no

[ejt1764]

Cappuccino

1. do you actually get any sleep?
   Yes - not necessarily the first night, but after that it's fine - try to beg / borrow / steal the self-inflating foam mattresses to sleep on as they are way more comfortable than airbeds.
   
   
2. are a lot of campsites disabled friendly ie with toilets and showers and that for dd1?
   Yes - but they do tend to be more expensive - the caravan and camping club have a really useful site-seeker where you can specify which facilities you need.
   And you'll probably make the registration fee on the first booking you make!
   
   
3. (dh's question) are they full of worthy hippy types who will want to speak to you
   No - although everybody does say hello and smile ... and will help out if you have a disaster ... (or even if you're trying to put your tent up in a gale as has happened to us in the past)
   
   
4. how much does it actually cost?
   about £20 per night should see you right.
   
   
5. can you really just set off into the sun or do you have to plan endlessly?
   As you have dd1, you'll need to do some planning - but you can just set off into the sunset - just make yourself a good list of things you need to take, and print it off every time you go away.
   
   
6. will it kill us?
   No, and the children will love it!
   
   Unquietdad
   DW wants her home comforts (hairdryer etc),
   

• most of the toilet blocks have hairdryers - and you can get an electric hook-up at many sites which mean that you can take your hair straighteners if you need to!
  
  hates creepy-crawlies (I mean, really hates them - will run screaming from anything larger than a money-spider)
  
• get a tent with a built in ground sheet ... guaranteed to keep out the creepy crawlies ... failing that, try a camper van!
  
  and can't imagine trudging over to the toilet block in the middle of the night
  several suggestions:
  

1. Take a potty ...
   
2. buy a portaloo ...
   
3. get a campervan with a loo compartment ... or failing that, go in a caravan!

[Cappuccino]

this is all v positive

I particularly like the point about not spending money to have a holiday with kids

would rather spend money on nice meal out on return to make up for the disaster zone that is taking our kids out for lunch

I would like to clarify the worthy hippy bit - we don't mind talking to people, unless, in dh's opinion, they are 'hippies'

(this includes perfectly nice friendly well dressed people who like folk music)

[UnquietDad]

Do people often commit folk music on campsites? I suppose it's the preponderance of camp fires and guitars. And blokes with beards.

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Oh God no.
The ones we go to have people in football shirts lying outside their tents surrounded by empty cans of lager while popular music blares on their car stereo.

If there were any folky ones I think I would probably prefer them.

[Blandmum]

Not im my experience (folk musc that ir).

Mine you, a mate of mine did suffer horribly from slavic accordian music on one exped she went on !

I spent £77 for a week in the summer hols last year cappachino, that left us with lots of loverely cash for eating out!

[Mercy]

Kathy, I think I prefer the folky type too!

Cappucino and Unquietdad - you need to go for a weekend and see how you get on. G'wan, you know you want to!

(MB hasn't mentioned bucket with a lid yet)

[Troutpout]

1. do you actually get any sleep?
   yes...i can survive on only about 5 hours a night though...
   
2. Are a lot of campsites disabled friendly ie with toilets and showers and that for dd1?
   Don't know about lots...but they are out there yes.
   
3. (dh's question) are they full of worthy hippy types who will want to speak to you
   They are full of (for the most part) very friendly people i find...with the occasional obligatory group of tossers thrown in for good measure
   
4. how much does it actually cost? least i've spent is about 12 quid a night for a family of 4..most is 20
   
5. can you really just set off into the sun or do you have to plan endlessly?
   I'm a planner...but yes you can...
   
6. will it kill us?
   I would start off small and see if you still hate it...or see if you get bitten. I love it...and if we could guarrantee decentish weather, i would probabably pick it over any other holiday

[FillydoraTonks]

pmsl at you cappy, just TRY IT fgs.

ok re questons

1. do you actually get any sleep? YES. kids shattered after day. WORST case scenario is that it takes a day or two to acclimatise ON YOUR FIRST TRIP and then they are ok.
   
2. are a lot of campsites disabled friendly ie with toilets and showers and that for dd1? A fair few. You can certainly find them, eg a lot of the camping and caravaning club ones are. I'd flag up to them that you're coming though.
   
3. (dh's question) are they full of worthy hippy types who will want to speak to you Not on the caravanning and camping club sites, no. Thats why we avoid those sites like the plague
   
4. how much does it actually cost? oooh thousands
   
5. can you really just set off into the sun or do you have to plan endlessly? Yes you can. But there are lots of anal campers who will say differently. Really, you need to pack a tent, airbeds, clothes, POSSIBLY cooking stuff, a bin liner, a football or two and perhaps a diablo. Thats it.
   
6. will it kill us? Yes. There's your problem.

[FillydoraTonks]

btw, i commit folk music. sometimes we take a different insturments to heighten the experience.

Its probably a good thing that I go to those hippy type campsites that everyone else avoids really, isn't it?

[FillydoraTonks]

think unquiet dad has a bit of a problem though

creepy crawlies are a bit of a given. You can't entirely keep them out of the tent, not unless you NEVER open the door. And have a completely built in groundsheet (most have one just for the sleeping area)

And hairdryers on a campsite is just WRONG WRONG WRONG

[Aitch]

where are your hippy sites, filly? i'd slit my own throat if i had to listen to someone else's car stereo. that bit's just Put Me Off trying camping again.

[expatinscotland]

Same here, Aitch. I've just read one too many Neds Night Camping stories to want to bother, tbh.

[FillydoraTonks]

well bascially, look for a site that allows campfires.

Can recomend several great ones in the sw and wales but that is prob not much use to either of you.

And its just ME playing folk recorder usually . So if you just go when I am not there you will be fine.

[Aitch]

lol. i used to play the recorder. it's a rather beautiful noise i think. esp with the wiggly bits.
i'm surprised that people would play a stereo on a campsite, though, wouldn't that be the height of bad manners? or have things changed A Lot since i was a nipper?

[expatinscotland]

I would have thought the point of camping was to get away from the sound of peoples' damn stereos.

[FillydoraTonks]

well i have never come across it, aitch, no

occasionally you will hear a quiet radio 4 or radio 3 from a wind up radio at 5 in the afternoon as the washing up is being done (sometimes its my wind up radio) but really-thats fine IMO.

But I don't go to ned campsites . I go to organic farms with fields.