How to make 2023 your perfect family camping year

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Guide contents

What to do in January and February
What to do between March and May
What to do between June and September
What to do between October and December
1. Late season breaks
2. Storing your gear for winter
Key camping dates for 2023
Expert camping advice to your door!

What to do in January and February

Time to plan ahead

For most people, this is the quiet season for camping and is time to plan your trips for the coming year.

Everyone likes the idea of chucking a bag into the car boot on a whim after work on a Friday afternoon and heading off to a lovely site by the coast for a spontaneous weekend of camping.

But it’s not quite as simple as that, especially when you’ve got a family in tow.

Where to go

The first thing to do is decide where you want to visit during the year. Perhaps somewhere completely new, or an old favourite with a twist.

You could even split a week or two between sites. Try to involve the whole family in choosing a site. At least it spreads the blame, if everything goes pear-shaped!

It sounds obvious, but narrowing down to one region or area makes it a lot easier to search for a site.

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When to go

Choosing when you take your camping breaks is also important. Obviously if kids are involved you’ll be restricted to the school holidays and weekends.

This can be limiting – the laws of demand and supply mean these are the most expensive times and you’ll also need to book early to guarantee a pitch.

Bank holidays are especially popular so if that’s when you want to go, get on to it quickly. Likewise, the peak summer months are incredibly popular, too. There's a full list of this year's key dates here.

Of course, if you don’t have school-age children, then the world’s your oyster! It’s much easier to avoid the popular dates and that means quieter sites and less expensive pitches.

The downside is that sometimes sites don’t have all their facilities available outside the peak season – so make sure you check in advance if you want to take advantage of swimming pools and entertainment.

When to book

Book your summer camping trips early in the year rather than risk not getting the site and dates you want. Look out for early bird offers as well – some sites will give you a discount if you book your pitch a few months in advance.

Get your gear ready

The other big job for this time of year is unpacking and sorting out your stored gear.

It’s a big job but don’t put it off. You’ll need time to check what needs to be cleaned, repaired or reproofed and then get the jobs done.

Our guide to getting your camping gear ready for the new season will tell you everything you need to know.

Cold weather camping

If you’re adventurous, have a go at winter camping during the February half-term break.

There’s a limited number of sites open, but make sure you choose one with plenty of facilities. Heated shower blocks are a must and a communal cooking/lounge area can be great if the weather gets too bad. Look for sites that provide shelter for your tent.

This is also the time of year to go bargain hunting. Visit the shops early in the year and have a look for good deals.

What to do between March and May

The Easter holidays are the unofficial start of the camping season.

Depending on where you live, in 2023 they will start from around 3 April, with the long Easter weekend taking place between 7 and 10 April.

If you can avoid that weekend and maybe take a break midweek, you’ll find the pitches are cheaper and the sites less crowded.

There are usually a couple of bank holidays in May which are always popular and you’ll almost certainly need to book ahead to get a good site.

The early May bank holiday is on 1 May and the late spring bank holiday takes place on 29 May. An extra holiday has been added on 8 May to mark the coronation of King Charles.

The school mid-term holiday at the end of the month is great for a longer break as the weather can be good.

Book campsites now

If you haven’t already booked your summer holiday by now, why not?

Do it now, before the best pitches get snapped up.

Recent years has seen hugely increased demand for UK campsites so it's more important than ever to act fast.

Upgrade your camping gear

Spring is also the time when the new gear and tents arrive in the shops, so you can hit the High Street to replenish your stocks and maybe splash out on a new tent.

Draw up a camping gear checklist. We’ve got one here to help you on your way.

Before the first trip of the year, think about how you’re going to pack your car and have a trial run.

Consider a roof box or trailer to spread the car’s load. Sort out a proper bike rack and, if necessary, get a lighting board.

Now is also the time to check your wiring. Sort out your electric connection and cable now rather than a few days before the holiday.

Check, as well, if your tent insurance is up to date and make sure your policy replaces old gear with new. If you are not insured, consider cover. And find out the get-out clauses.

If you use a trailer, make sure it is road safe. Get it serviced by a specialist if you can, and pay particular attention to tyres. Don’t forget you’ll need a spare.

Travelling abroad

If you are planning an overseas trip in the summer, check all your documents are valid well in advance (especially passports).

Shop around now for good ferry and site deals and arrange breakdown cover.

What to do between June and September

The beginning of June through to the middle of September is the time when we do most of our camping – quick overnights away, weekend breaks and long summer holidays.

By now you should definitely have booked up your main trips, but there’s still the opportunity to get last-minute pitches if you can be flexible on the destination.

In Britain, there’s no particularly “good” time for weather, but obviously the height of summer is more than likely the time that will give you the most sunshine. However, early September can often be surprisingly warm and sunny as well.

If Scotland is your preferred destination, try early in the season, when you often get warm, dry and sunny weather and there’s less chance of encountering the dreaded midge.

Don’t forget Scotland has different school holidays to England, so if you’re based south of the border and fancy heading north to one of the stunning sites on the west coast, you might be best waiting until late August when the Scottish kids are back at school, or go earlier during the English half-term holiday.

Rather than a long summer holiday, you might fancy spending your summer touring.

Planning can often go out of the window with this type of holiday, and it might be a case of finding any site with a vacancy, especially in school holidays. Be prepared to be turned away from busy sites, though.

What to do between October and December

Late-season breaks

Many campsites remain open until after the autumn half-term holidays in October and some stay open all year round.

Weather-wise you might be lucky and catch some late-season sunshine but if you do it right you’ll be able to carry on camping no matter the weather.

You should be able to get onto most sites without pre-booking, but sometimes it’s worth checking, especially if good weather is forecast.

Plenty of you do it but, you need to be really keen to camp in November and December. By now, most of us have packed away our gear until the new year.

Storing your gear for winter

Make a check list and check your gear as you pack it away for winter it, looking out for anything that is missing, broken or damaged.

If required, now is the time to clean and reproof your tent.

Top tip

For a weekend trip you’ll probably prefer somewhere a bit closer to home than if you’re planning a fortnight away.

As a rule of thumb, we use the hour-per-night ratio to decide how far to travel: every hour of travelling requires a night’s stay, e.g. if the site is two hours away we’d need to stay for two nights, while a five-hour drive would mean a five-night stay.

Key dates for 2023

13 – 16 February February half-term (England/Wales)*
3 – 17 April Spring break*
7 – 10 April Easter weekend
1 May May Day bank holiday
8 May Coronation bank holiday
29 May Spring bank holiday
29 May – 2 June England/Wales schools summer half-term*
29 June – 21 August Scottish schools summer holidays*
17 July – 5 Sept England/Wales schools summer holidays*
28 August August bank holiday (England/Wales)
16 – 23 October Scottish schools October week holiday*
16 – 30 October England/Wales schools autumn half-term*

* Guidelines only. Specific dates vary depending on area and are subject to change

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