Conor Pope’s good-value guide to happy family camping holidays

When it comes to good value family holidays, it's hard to beat camping. We're not talking about home-grown camping, mind you. While there are many lovely campsites around Ireland in sometimes breathtaking locations, the coldness of the waters around our coast and the inevitability that unrelenting rain will turn precious summer breaks into Father Ted episodes makes the option unattractive for many.

We're talking about Fancy Dan continental camping. While France is the country with the most evolved network of campsites – and the easiest place to get to in a car – Italy, Spain and even Portugal have plenty of places for people who wish to carry on camping.

A two-week camping break for a family of five can cost just €2,000 in June – including flights or boats – rising to more than €3,000 in high season. Done well, it can be a lot more affordable than many hotel options, and infinitely more chilled out than almost any other family holiday you can think of.

But there are things you should do and things you should definitely not do to get the most of the experience. Here are some of our top tips, plus five sites (tried and tested by yours truly) to consider around Europe.

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Do think hard before staying in a tent
While it might sound romantic to spend your nights falling asleep under canvas to the gentle rustle of trees and waking up to a soothing chorus of birdsong, and although a tent may be a lot cheaper than a mobile home, it can be tough going.

Tents do not come with air conditioning – obviously – and get very hot. They also get mucky with a splash of rain, and there’s nothing by way of privacy. Oh, and it is a long auld trek to the toilet blocks in the dead of night, and the birdsong gets old fast when the cawing and crowing starts at five in the morning.

Don't book at the last minute
You can take a chance and book just days before you leave but, in our experience, the best deals for the best sites are found early in the season. Good places book out fast – sometimes a year in advance. If you book with a recognised camping operator in Ireland, the deposit will be small and you get several months to pay off the balance.

Do go back
Adventure holidays are grand and seeking new holiday experiences is worth the effort sometimes, but if you're in a camping frame of mind and you find a place you love, go back. This type of holiday is, most likely, only a phase of your life and one which will pass faster than you think. The time for new experiences and exotic adventures will come again, so there's no shame in finding a campsite you love and returning to it summer after summer. Last year on a Spanish site the Pope family were returning to, we met people who'd been there every year for more than two decades. And they seemed happy enough.

Don't eat out
In a hotel or small apartment you've little choice but to eat out. The rules change when camping. There are folk on campsites who seem happy to spend their evenings eating in on-site restaurants, but by our reckoning this is a waste of money. Restaurants on campsites are rarely amazing or cheap, and one of the joys of camping is the ability to barbecue every night and eat under the stars. It's fun and cheap and very relaxing. A few chopped-up potatoes in an oven, corn on the cob and burgers or chicken and you can feed a family of five for a tenner. The wine or beer is not included!

Do a big shop
There'll most likely be a supermarket on your campsite but you'll save money and widen your dining choices if you get to a big supermarket early in your holiday. There's sure to be one close to you which Google will find. Doing the Big Shop is easier if you've a car but even if you don't, it's worth getting a taxi to a big supermarket. Buy all the bulky things you need, including water and wine. You'll be glad you did.

Don't go in high season
Obviously there are times when you won't be able to avoid high season but if you can go in June or September, prices fall by more than 50 per cent. If you've children of primary school age and are reluctant to take them out early, then pay close attention to English school holidays. They start at least two weeks later than in Ireland so if you go at the end of June you still miss peak season. This year, for instance, Irish primary schools break on June 26th. English schools don't break until July 15th (schools in Northern Ireland and Scotland close two weeks earlier).

Do book with dedicated providers
You can book many campsites directly – and that can lead to small savings, although that's not guaranteed – but if you book with a campsite operator with an Irish presence you are more likely to have Irish neighbours. On other holidays that might be unwelcome, but when camping you want your children to make friends (they have more fun while you relax) and that's easier if they share a language. eurocamp.ie, Ballinasloe-based KelAir (kelair.ie), Campotel (campotel.com), canvasholidays and vacansoleil.ie are all worth checking out.

Don't automatically hire a car
If you pick a site accessible by public transport, you can save yourself hundreds of euro and avoid the stress of dealing with a car-hire desk. If you don't hire a car, you won't feel compelled to use it, so the pressure to go on random drives disappears.

Do pack ruthlessly
You don't need loads of shoes and ball gowns and suits and the like. While you've not exactly signed up for a Bear Grylls existence, you won't need a full wardrobe. No one cares if you wear the same T-shirt three days running. And if you're at pools and beaches, you won't be wearing anything more than swimming shorts or suits most days anyway. Sandals, shorts, summer dresses, underwear and T-shirts are all you need.

Don't bring towels
They take up too much space. Rent them from the operator and remember sun cream costs much less there than it does here. If you can avoid checking in bags, you can save more than €200 on airfares.

Do time your arrival carefully
Get there early in the morning on day one and hit the pool immediately. Check-in won't be until the mid afternoon but there's nothing to say you need to hang around waiting. After your morning in the pool, have lunch and check in at your leisure. That gives you an extra day on the site. And book your flight home late. Again you'll have to check out at around 10am but you can use campsite's facilities for the full day before you leave.

Don't forget the balloons
And buckets. Until you see them in action, you'll never understand how much kids love water fights. Balloons and buckets, a tap and a bunch of children equal an experience they will remember for years.

Four of the best

La Baume, Fréjus, Riviera and Provence, France
Two weeks in mid-June for a family of four from €1,324, eurocamp.ie

This site on the south coast of France is spotless, well-maintained and bursting with bougainvilleas. Towering palm trees bathe the five large swimming pools on the complex in shade while dense firs shade happy campers outside their caravans.

It is 7km from the sea and the nearest town of Fréjus, so it is a bit isolated. A car is almost essential, although the on-site supermarket is well stocked and could keep a family going for two weeks. There is also a giant Carrefour a couple of kilometres from the site.

There are kids clubs for the over-threes, a large go-karting track and a fun fair nearby, as well as a waterpark.

The main features of Fréjus’s beach area is a long promenade and an expensive dockside full of huge yachts. Some 30km up the coast is St Tropez; the journey offers tantalising glimpses of azure water and rocky coves. And money . . . lots and lots of money.

Playa Montroig, Miami Platja, Costa Dorada, Spain
Two weeks in mid-June for a family of four from €2,618, eurocamp.ie

This campsite is also very popular with Irish holidaymakers. About 100km south of Barcelona and close to the town of Cambrils, it is among the best maintained campsites in Spain, and there are loads of activities on-site to keep families entertained. The water is warm in the two pool complexes – not always guaranteed – and the new pool area complete with baby slides, sprays and sprinkling devices is great.

The campsite is on a gorgeous beach with crystal clear water. There is an excellent water park nearby and supermarkets too. Unlike many campsites we’ve visited, Playa Montroig allows charcoal barbecues, which is way more crack than gas alternatives.

La Sirene, Argelès Sur Mer, Pyrénées-Orientales, France
Two weeks in mid-June for a family of four from €2,729, campotel.com

A quintessentially French campsite, you can expect the gorgeous smell of freshly baked pastries in the morning and rotisserie chicken in the evenings. It is dog friendly, and many locals bring their pets. That’s grand most of the time, but last time the Popes visited we found ourselves next door to a French family with an often unleashed, always unmuzzled Staffordshire bull terrier. But we will put that down to bad luck.

The site is one of many along a busy road leading to the sea. What sets it apart is the virtual waterpark in the swimming complex. The site is full of greenery and the supermarket is grand – in the most Irish sense of the word. The entertainment at night is elaborate and sometimes hilarious, although not perhaps intentionally.

What makes the place great is its proximity to some of the best beaches in Europe. Kilometres of sandy beaches are a short drive or bus ride away, as is the busy seaside town of Argèles. It’s also within easy reach of Collioure, and a short hop to the Spanish border.

Camping Les Varennes, Île de Ré, France
Two weeks in mid-June for a family of four from €877, les-varennes.com

This is a pretty basic campsite in a pretty special place. The pool area is small, as is the campsite. It is on a great beach however, and while the water is a bit chillier than you might find if you move further south, it is a whole lot warmer than the waters that lap the Irish coast. It is cheap and accessible from La Rochelle by bus or taxi.

There is no point hiring a car because Île de Ré is wonderfully car unfriendly. What makes this holiday excellent is the cycling. Bikes can be hired on-site and days can be spent cycling up and down the coast roads on dedicated cycle tracks. Nearby towns and villages are lovely and full of gorgeously French restaurants where you can blow the money you saved by booking a cheap campsite.