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ON THIS PAGE
Check-in
The Tent Outside
The Tent Inside
Sleeping
Cooking and Eating
Shopping
Toilets and Showers
Parking
Security
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Most times the location of your pitch
will be less than the best. The reason is that the company
will have negotiated the lowest price for a set number
of tents on a site. These tents will then be allocated
certain pitches, sometimes on their own and sometimes
in twos or threes, but more often than not it will be
away from the prime locations. For this reason expect
to be further away from the beach or facilities. This
can be an advantage for those who like to be away from
the hustle and bustle of livelier sites.
If you have any specific questions, send
me an email and I will provide an FAQ. |
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Check-in
When you arrive at the site your first contact is
either the campsite reception or the company courier.
Look out for the courier's tents, which are normally
near the entrance to the site. There are usually two
or more courier tents, one of which will display various
information about the campsite and it's surrounding
areas, the others will be their own accommodation.
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Larochette,
Luxembourg 98 |
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Here you will check-in and then be shown
to your tent. If there is no courier available, for
instance if they are out cleaning tents or propping
up the bar, they will leave a note telling new arrivals
where they can be found.
When you are introduced to your tent you
will also be given directions to the necessities such
as nearest water supply and shower/toilet facility.
If there are any restrictions specific to the site
such as charcoal barbecues not allowed, then you will
be informed about it now.
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| The
Tent Outside
This will vary from one company to the next but all
are quite large and in the company's own colours.
To make things a little more comfortable on those
hot summer days there will usually be a hammock or
two, or maybe a sun lounger as well. The table and
chairs are of the garden furniture type and can be
used outside the tent together with a parasol. If
barbecues are permitted there will usually be one
available but charcoal will be the responsibility
of the camper. A clotheshorse is supplied for drying
washing although on wet days the campsites usually
have tumble dryers available, which may be operated
by tokens.
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France 91 |
The child size tent is normally an extra
and must be booked in advance.
Not all days are sunny. The day after this picture
was taken, the tent opposite those shown blew away
during a severe storm. The occupants were left lying
in their beds in complete darkness, needless to say
it was not long before other campers equipped with
torches came to the rescue.
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Bidart, France 94 |
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The Tent Inside
The inside of the tent can be divided into three
areas; bedrooms, kitchen and living areas. The bedrooms
are in a separate inner tent offering some privacy,
the rest should be considered as open plan. Canvas,
as far as we can remember have the only design with
two doors.
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Bedrooms
The most common reason that people are put off camping
is due to a mental image of sleeping on the ground
with little comfort. This is so far from reality.
The beds are rigid, metal framed with normal mattresses
and there will normally be one that is a double size.
Bed linen is the camper's responsibility; sleeping
bags or ordinary sheets and duvet are both equally
suitable.
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CaSavio, Italy 00 |
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Kitchen
The kitchen and cooking facilities are
well equipped and would impress most people. There
is a good-sized electric fridge with freezer compartment,
a two or four burner cooker with grill and a host
of crockery and utensils. There is no sink which means
washing up has to either be done in a bowl or taken
to washing up station.
Water is not on tap, at least not on tap
in the tent. You will have to fetch water from a communal
tap, usually placed every fourth or fifth tent. A
small table for food preparation, a cool box, a mop
and bucket and a broom complete the kitchen area.
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Boucanet, France 95 |
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Living Area
The remainder of the tent is what can
only be described as the living area. There is room
for the table and chairs and where you would sit to
eat if the weather is unfavourable.
There are usually two or three electric lights each
with it's own switch.
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Innsbruck, Austria 00 |
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| Sleeping
There aren't many things that will keep you awake
after a good days fresh air. Low temperatures at night
sometimes causes problems, especially in the north
and later in the year. There is little that can be
done about this other than use more bedding. If you
are like me it is more likely to be the heat that
keeps you from having a good nights sleep.
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| Tent walls are thin, because of this any
noise outside the tent will appear to be very loud,
and not only noises caused by other campers either.
One night in France we were kept awake by a troop of
hedgehogs that insisted on using their own leaf strewn
thoroughfare alongside our tent, within 12 inches of
my ears. The following night they found their way barred
and had to find a much longer route for their night
time foraging. |
St Catherine, France 99 |
If you are a light sleeper you may lay
awake complaining about a particularly noisy snorer
200 yards away, or about the person opposite with the
weak bladder who keeps zipping the tent door up and
down every ten minutes.
Personally, and most in our party would agree with this,
liberal amounts of the local wine on the night will
ensure a good nights sleep. |
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| Cooking
and Eating
Without the use of an oven you might find
the choice of menu a little limited. Alternatives
are; campsite fast food, campsite restaurant, or a
nearby restaurant. Whatever meal you choose to cook
you will find the fridge invaluable. A couple of tips
here, we use the cool box for bread, not only does
it keep cooler but it also keeps any insects out.
We also take a secure sugar container for the same
reason.
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Of course the ideal meal is a barbecue.
Either use the charcoal barbecue supplied or on some
sites it may be possible to hire a gas one.
Here we have our party's resident BBQ chef, Colin, preparing
a magnificent feast for fifteen. Four families of the
same clan in 99, four cars, four tents. |
Ile de Re, France 99 |
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| Shopping
Our shopping is limited mainly to perishables as
most of our food supplies are brought with us, having
said that, we do seem to visit the local supermarket
quite often.
Most campsites have a shop, the selection of goods
varies greatly though from one site to another and
the prices are very often higher than a normal shop.
The couriers will be able to direct you to a good
local shop.
If you want fresh bread then you will have to order
the night before or make sure you get to the shop
early enough to find some.
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| Toilets
and Showers
Not having a toilet within a few yards of your tent
is not really a problem. Depending on your ablution
habits you can always incorporate a visit on your
way to or from somewhere else, at your convenience,
if you will excuse the pun. Don't forget the toilet
roll.
Showering really is no different as far as inconvenience
is concerned. You do have to take the necessary items
required so a special journey is needed, but we are
not talking about a great hike here, maybe a couple
of hundred yards at the very most. There is no need
to take your clean set of clothes with you either;
you will see many walking back to their tents in a
dressing gown. In hotter weather further south you
would probably be well dry on your return anyway.
Showers used to operate by tokens or coins but there
are very few of these nowadays, they are mostly free
with plentiful hot water throughout the day.
Each campsite shower does have it's own little quirk
though, a button that needs pressing every thirty
seconds or one particular cubicle that refuses to
give anything but cold water.
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| Parking
As I've said earlier, pitches are far
smaller than in the UK, and so there may be occasions
when there will not be enough room for your car next
to the tent. If you have a trailer, as most of our
party have, then the lack of parking space could present
itself more often.
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The picture on the right is of two tents;
the occupants of the one behind have nowhere to park
their car other than directly in front of their door.
The tents are too close to each other, disregarding
the safety aspect; the bedroom of one is a mere 12 inches
from the bedroom of the other. This means you could
be sleeping within 2 feet of, and having to listen to,
complete strangers. |
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| Security
Tents, for obvious reasons, are not very secure.
Any valuables should not be left inside the tent even
if they are out of sight, unless of course they are
under your supervision. Expensive personal items should
be locked in your car boot, not only is it far more
secure but you can then more or less forget about
them. We also padlock and chain our bicycles to the
trailer or a tree.
Please don't think that the continent is crime ridden
and that 'foreigners' prey on the tourists, it is
no worse and no better than the UK. Better safe than
sorry.
Our joint family total for camping in Europe amounts
to around 850 days/nights and we have not had a problem
with theft, we are not on the other hand, careless.
To put your mind further at rest, most continental
campsites are more secure than in the UK and quite
a few have night time security guards.
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