How To Choose The Ideal Campsite

Trying to decide which campsite to stay at can be a difficult task, with so much choice out there.

Follow our five tips and you should be able to find the perfect site to match your camping needs.

1 MAKE A CHECKLIST
Identify what you are looking for in a site before starting your search (see below).

2 USE TECHNOLOGY
Online search engines like our own Campsite Finder let you filter your search to match your needs

3 ASK AROUND
A personal recommendation is invaluable when it comes to choosing a site.

4 KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
Look out for sites in the area when you’re on a trip, for future reference, and make a note of the interesting ones.

5 LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Sometimes the best site is the one nearest to the place or event you want to visit, not necessarily the one with the best facilities.

FAMILY SITE CHECKLIST

Is there a place to play? A good kid-friendly site doesn’t need to have a formal playground but make sure it has lots of space to play ball games and ride bikes, or natural play areas like woods or rocks.

A swimming pool or leisure centre can come in handy especially when the weather’s not great

Check out whether the site has any no ball games or no bikes policies.

Enjoy sitting round the campfire? Many sites don’t allow them so check in advance if that’s your thing.

A well-stocked campsite shop is important, if nothing else for buying ice creams on hot days!

On-site entertainment isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time but it can be fun

A site on a working farm where there are sheep, cows and horses in the neighbouring fields will go down a storm with younger kids.

Who will you be sharing a site with? Some sites have a families/couples only policy and a quiet time from around 11pm. This reduces the chances of being stuck beside rowdy fellow campers.

A family-friendly pub within walking distance might come in handy

What are the rainy day options like? Is there a local cinema, museum or even an indoor games room on the site?

A site that has activities organised on site, such as water sports, will give the kids the chance to try something new

If you are camping with a baby or toddler, you might want to add a family bathroom or even disabled facilities that double-up as a baby-change area, to your checklist

For a weekend trip, try a local site.

If you’re planning on bringing the family pet, make sure the site allows dogs