Pricewatch: 11 good reasons to carry on camping

Pricewatch’s childhood holidays were almost always spent under canvas. After a fractious cross-country drive in a way-too-small Ford Escort bursting at the seams with tents, airbeds, sleeping bags, food, cookers, clothes, fighting children and smoking adults, we would arrive at destinations with unpromising-sounding names such as Boyle and Kilmuckridge.

A tent would be pitched, almost always in driving rain. The rain and the fighting would continue for two long weeks, after which we would head for home, tired and grumpy and full of promises not to carry on camping.

Eventually those promises were kept and camping all but completely faded from memory, to be filed away with nylon trousers, and milk added to Soda Streams as regrettable 1970s experiments not to be repeated in the 21st century.

But time heals all wounds, and in recent years we have come to actually appreciate the joys of camping, particularly when it involves leaving the rain of Ireland behind and heading somewhere sunshine is a possibility. Like many converts, we have become proselytisers and believe its praises should be sung from the rafters.

1 Camping is cheap – well, cheaper than a hotel or fancy villa. Just how cheap depends on when you go. If you have children of school-going age, you might be tied into travelling in July and August, in which case you will pay a premium, but if you can go in June or September, the price can fall by more than 50 per cent.

Whenever you go, we reckon that if you plan your days with military precision and pick the right campsite, you could easily get away with spending less than €2,000 on a two-week summer holiday somewhere sunny. And that would include accommodation, flights, food, drink and all activities.

2 It is always an adventure, no matter where you go or whether you decide to pitch the tent yourself or opt for a fancy caravan.

3 When you decide to go camping, you make a decision to spend almost every waking hour of your holiday outside. Hotel rooms have the allure of large, comfortable and convivial indoor spaces, and villas and apartments have all the comforts of home, including couches and TVs.

Mobile homes and tents are not so well-appointed, so you are forced to live an outdoor existence. You barbecue every day, kids play exclusively outside and the adults sit on the wooden decking – or dusty piece of grass – every night, sipping cheap wine. Or at least we do. What’s not to love about that?

4 There can't be any other family holiday that is as safe as camping. Sites tend to be cut off from passing traffic, and the cars that are allowed on site go very slowly.

5 If you pick the right site, everything you need will be on hand and you most likely won't have to walk more than 200m to get to restaurants, supermarkets, beaches, pools, water slides, discos, kids' clubs and ice-cream parlours. Okay, you are most likely ruling out an adventure-packed holiday, but the very essence of a camping break removes the pressure to "do stuff".

6 When you spend all your days outside, you are going to sleep better.

7 You don't need a car once you do your research and pick a site that is accessible by public transport or taxis. This saves you the stress of dealing with a car-hire desk when you get to your destination and before you depart. The absence of a car also removes the pressure to use it, so random drives go out the window. And it could see you knock at least €400 off the total cost of the holiday.

8 Home-grown websites such as eurocamp.ie make it easy to find the ideal place. And almost every destination you can think of is served by airlines that fly out of Ireland, which makes it easier to put together your own package.

9 You can pack light. You have signed up for a Bear Grylls existence – minus the drinking of your own pee and eating animals you have killed with your bare hands – so pack accordingly. Expect it to take a couple of goes before you get packing for camping right.

The first couple of times, most people bring too much. Sandals, shorts, summer dresses, underwear and T-shirts are all that is needed. There is no need for real shoes, long trousers, going-out clothes or jumpers. And if you pack properly, a party of four will not need any checked-in luggage. That can save more than €200.

10 Children who make friends on their holidays are virtually guaranteed to enjoy themselves, and there is nowhere easier for kids to make friends than on a campsite. One of the keys to this is to book your holiday through an agency that has an Irish wing.

You can book many campsites directly – and that might lead to savings, although there are no guarantees of that – but if you book with an Irish operator you are more likely to have Irish neighbours. You might find that mildly annoying if you’re not the sociable type, but your children will most likely be delighted to have people they share a language with. It is true that kids are very adaptable and can overcome language barriers more effortlessly than adults, but it makes playtime easier if everyone understands the rules of the games.

11 If you want a car and you pick the right place, you can bring your own. Brittany Ferries is having a bumper year as more and more Irish holiday-makers discover the joys of travelling by boat. Yes, it does take longer, but once you get into the rhythm of an overnight ferry crossing, it is a very pleasant way to travel.

EARLY BOOKING BARGAINS: PEAK-TIME VALUE
We had a quick look at the website eurocamp.ie and found all sorts of offers, with discounts of up to 50 per cent for people willing and able to travel in April and May. You can get seven nights in a campsite on the French Riviera called La Baume for €154 in April. Pricewatch has stayed on the site and can testify to its relaxed atmosphere. It is a short drive from Nice airport, although be warned that if you rent a car there, you will find yourself on a busy motorway almost as soon as you leave the car-hire depot, so make sure you become very familiar with the controls of your car very quickly.

A caravan in the Internacional de Calonge campsite on Spain’s Costa Brava is on offer at a price of just €123 for seven nights from the end of April.

In June, discounts of up to 30 per cent can be found for sites throughout France, Italy and Spain. A week in a two-bedroom caravan that will comfortably sleep six or seven people (as long as some of them are small) can cost anything from just under €400 to less than €600.

Prices inevitably climb in July and August, but bargains can still be found: Eurocamp has caravans in a campsite called Bel in the Vendée for €809.

Another campsite worth looking at is Playa Montroig, just south of Barcelona and less than 30km from the Ryanair- served Reus airport. The site has a large pool complex with all sorts of bendy slides that will keep kids – and let’s be honest here, parents too – amused for days on end. It is on a beach and within easy striking distance of Portaventura with its terrifying roller coasters and water parks.

TIPS FOR HAPPY CAMPERS: TORCHES, TOILETS AND TIMING

• Caravans make things much easier, but staying in a tent is fun too. Bring a torch. You will need it for middle-of-the-night walks to communal toilets.
• Time your arrival carefully. The key is to arrive early in the morning, ready to hit the pool. Then, when check-in opens, you'll be good to go.
• If you don't want to deal with an early-morning flight, fly the previous evening and stay in a hotel nearby for a night. It won't add much to the total cost but will ease your stress levels considerably.
• Bring less than you think you will need.
• Don't forget cards, Scrabble, Top Trumps or whatever you think you might need if it rains.
• Until you see them in action, you will never understand how much kids love water fights. Balloons, a tap and a bunch of children equals an experience they will all remember for years.
• There is bound to be a big supermarket near the site. If you don't have a car, get a cab to it on day one. Buy all the bulky things you will need, including water and wine. You'll be glad you did.
• Don't bring towels. They take up too much space. Rent them off the operator or buy them on site.
• Sun cream can cost much less over there than it costs here.
• Relax. Being a happy camper will reduce your stress levels.