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Family camping: a guide to the bestest family holiday ever
Think ‘family holiday’ and you might be tempted to run, screaming, for the nearest hills. But a caravan or camping trip is one of the easiest types of holiday to take the kids along to.
Whether it’s a camping pod, family sized yurt, caravan for hire or tent on a family campsite, there are thousands of family camping options available - no screaming required. Here are a few of our popular family holiday parks and campsites, with tips below on keeping kids and big kids happy:
Lady's Mile Holiday Park, Devon
An award-winning park near the Blue Flag beaches of Dawlish Warren, and with pools, evening entertainment, bar, play area and wifi access. Accommodation includes pitches with electric hook-ups and three-bedroom holiday homes sleeping up to six.
Merley Court Touring Park, Dorset
Another award-winning park, with a pool, play area, games room and bar serving meals. Guests also have access to the 20+ activities at Oakdene seven miles away. Pitches aere for tents, tourers and motorhomes, and all have electric hook-up.
Bude Holiday Resort, Cornwall
A family-friendly holiday park just half a mile from Crooklets beach and less than a mile from the sands at Summerleaze. Accommodation includes tent, tourer and motorhome pitches with optional electric, and two and three-bedroom caravans sleeping six or eight.
Family campsites in south-west England
Have a family camping holiday with a difference in the camping pods at this Ceredigion farm site five miles from Cardigan Bay, with private trout fishing lake, outdoor play area, trampoline and hot tub. Pods sleep up to three or four.
Family campsites in west Wales
Callow Top Holiday Park, Derbyshire
Another award winner! Callow Top has a fishing lake, evening entertainment, a pool, games arcade, volleyball court, games field, bird hides - and its own brewery. Pick a pitch here or book into one of the static caravans or fully-equipped holiday cottages.
Family campsites in Central England and the Peak District
Castle Point Holiday Park, Dumfries and Galloway
Luxury holiday homes a short stroll from three sandy beaches on the coastline of Rockcliffe, near the 7stanes mountain bike trails (get teenagers to try them) and in a wildlife haven with species galore to see. Take your tent, tourer or motorhome to this viewsome spot, or book a fully-equipped holiday home with sea views and wifi.
Family campsites in Dumfries and Galloway
Camping Mané Guernehué, Brittany
All ages will find loads to do on and around this family-friendly park, with kids' clubs, sports activities and evening entertainment for teenagers, fishing lake, high rope adventure course, horse-riding farm and water park with pools, Jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath. The park has grass electric pitches for tents, tourers and motorhomes, and two and three-bedroom holiday homes with terrace and garden furniture.
Camping La Rosaleda, Andalucia
Camping pitches and cosy cabins less than a mile from the beach, on a holiday park with swimming pool, sauna, gym, outdoor playground, restaurant and supermarket.
And onto the tips to have your bestest ever family holiday:
- Look through our hundreds of family friendly campsite or holiday parks first, then use other filters according to what your family wants – you can look for family-friendly campsites where dogs are allowed, holiday parks and campsites by the beach or in one of the country’s national parks.
- All our listed sites have details of what’s on nearby, from theme parks to beaches to walks, in the 'Local Attractions' tab, and you can narrow your search further by using our dozens of filters. If you've something specific in mind, filter your search by what's available on site, such as sites with fishing or a play area, or what leisure is nearby, like horse-riding or a leisure/theme park.
Stuck for inspiration? We have a batch of blogs on family camping to help. There’s our guide to family-friendly camping, with tips on bathing a baby in a washing up bowl, making sure everyone pitches in to help with everything and even how to get your teenager to put down the DS and come with you to that nearby stately home. Tips on camping with babies and toddlers are here, and if you possess an older specimen, we have camping with teenagers here.
- Save cash for your family campervan with the tips in our camping on a shoestring blog and finding sites where campfires are allowed so you can do your own cooking – our campfire cooking blog has some ideas. Older kids and teenagers will also probably enjoy learning how to build a campfire, if only so they can roll their eyes when you burn yourself with the matches.
- For specific family-friendly sites, we have ten top holiday parks here where everything you need is on site. We also have info on keeping the kids happy on a budget, our top ten family beach activities, tips on camping with small people in wet weather and quirky British museums to take them to. And if they're going camping on their own for the first time ( = parental lie-in), we've also put together a camping checklist for kids.
- If you want to do something energetic, have a look at our best family bike rides and cycling and camping blog – there are loads of cycle trails all over the country, and you can also look for sites with cycle hire (add this to the ‘family-friendly’ filter to get the best options).
- For budding bookworms, our literary Britain blog gives details of some children’s book events around, such as the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Buckinghamshire or The World of Beatrix Potter in Kendal. Think your offspring might laugh if your face if you suggest something bookish? Have a look at our water theme park and best theme parks in France roundups.
- Finally, read our blog on camping etiquette to ensure the best ways to ensure peace and love all round (man): because it's always fun trying to explain manners to children.
