Garden camping for cycle tourers

[middleagecyclist]

One of the things I enjoy doing most on my bikes is taking myself off for a bit of cycle touring. Nothing of any extreme but a few days somewhere in the UK every so often. When I am touring I like to be self sufficient and try not to have too rigid an itinerary so camp most nights. Sometimes I stay in designated sites and sometimes wild camp. Every now and then neither is particularly easy to find so I am going to have another option this summer - camping in private gardens.

Of course, just knocking on someone's door and asking to pitch a tent is not likely to deliver great results but I hope this website - Camp in my Garden is going to prove useful. Its aim is to fix up campers with willing garden hosts. I'll post when I have made use of it and I hope its handy for others too. Has anyone here actually used it and if so how did you find it?

Now, if people in Wales want to sign up as garden hosts it might just make my next tour that bit easier/interesting...

 

[oldfatfool]

I have used both 'warm showers' and 'Couchsurfing' for my upcoming trip to France and have found 7 or 8 kindly folk that are willing to offer room, board, fodder,and laundry. Will have to check out that site as well

 

[growingvegetables]

Neat idea - like it

 

[superbadger]

On my tour to Norfolk and back I ended up in a farmers barn because of horrendous weather and he was a fab host. Tis a great idea.

 

[rollinstok]

I too have found farmers to be very sympathetic when the elements have been against me. A polite request has always resulted in them showing me where I can pitch up for the night and I've never been asked for money. I'm not too sure about this site if the fees quoted are typical ( one wants £20 per person per night), ok for an option but it would be nice if people offered their gardens in a reciprocal manner... perhaps members on this site could arrange something ?

 

[The Gourmet Wanderer]

What brilliant idea. The Dutch have a system similar but I have not tried it yet.

 

[vernon]

I too have found farmers to be very sympathetic when the elements have been against me. A polite request has always resulted in them showing me where I can pitch up for the night and I've never been asked for money. I'm not too sure about this site if the fees quoted are typical ( one wants £20 per person per night), ok for an option but it would be nice if people offered their gardens in a reciprocal manner... perhaps members on this site could arrange something ?

Some of the offers are at a premium to camp site fees which in my mind defeats the object.

 

[vernon]

What brilliant idea. The Dutch have a system similar but I have not tried it yet.

It's a subscription scheme with fixed tariffs if I remember correctly.

 

[jay clock]

I was initially skeptical as it replicates warmshowers. But I love the look and the feel of the website

HOWEVER the first three I looked at nearest to me ALL charge and are around £10 per person per night. So I am now skeptical again

 

[jay clock]

Just looked further, and some do look very nice, and worth paying for, if they have facilities.

 

[Brandane]

Great find, thanks for the link! This could open up a whole new world of travel opportunities for me, as I simply can't afford to go "walkabouts" and stay in hotels/B&Bs for any length of time.

 

[middleagecyclist]

I too have found farmers to be very sympathetic when the elements have been against me. A polite request has always resulted in them showing me where I can pitch up for the night and I've never been asked for money. I'm not too sure about this site if the fees quoted are typical ( one wants £20 per person per night), ok for an option but it would be nice if people offered their gardens in a reciprocal manner... perhaps members on this site could arrange something ?

I agree sometimes asking a local landowner permission to camp can pay dividends but, like designated sites and wild camping, this option is not always possible. Garden camping is one more option. I don't object to paying a reasonable amount to use a site/garden and facilities. What is reasonable is obviously subjective though.

 

[middleagecyclist]

Great find, thanks for the link! This could open up a whole new world of travel opportunities for me, as I simply can't afford to go "walkabouts" and stay in hotels/B&Bs for any length of time.

Glad you like it.

 

[middleagecyclist]

Some of the offers are at a premium to camp site fees which in my mind defeats the object.

I don't see a issue paying to camp in someones garden and use washing/laundry facilities. Some are expensive and some cheaper than camp sites but if it provides somewhere to pitch when the only other option might be a B&B/hotel at £40.00+ it is still a cheaper option. You pays your money and makes your choice!