UK campsite prices for solo travellers

[raleighnut]

Some good tips here.

http://www.phred.org/~alex/kenkifer/www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/humor/howtocam.htm

 

[psmiffy]

You mean in the UK? I've paid over 30 euros for a small tent and 2 adults in Italy.

UK prices I have found to generally be very reasonable - @rich p ditto Italy Ive paid €30 or more just for myself (it was a very poncy campsite near Florence - I cannot remember exactly how much it was - I think I have mentally blocked it out) - Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Southern France the prices can be nearly as eye watering - however, I find it is swings and roundabouts - often get very cheap and sometimes free as a cyclist "just 50cents for the shower" adding in the odd nights wild camping out of necessity ive never found im very far out in my budget

 

[Blue Hills]

Italy Ive paid €30 or more just for myself (it was a very poncy campsite near Florence - I cannot remember exactly how much it was - I think I have mentally blocked it out)t

Got to ask psmiffy, how did it exhibit this certain ponciness?

 

[contadino]

You mean in the UK? I've paid over 30 euros for a small tent and 2 adults in Italy.

Yes. In the UK. Camping in Italy is a no no in my experience. Dreadful.

 

[contadino]

Some service stations in Switzerland, France and Germany have coin operated showers. Normally one or two euros will get you clean.

 

[contadino]

And campsite owners need to pay people to cut the grass, clean the toilets, run the reception, pay to heat the water, pay for the water, light the campsite etc etc etc. And that's not counting the initial capital costs and the cost of having to refurbish - which I guess you'd need to do every ten years or so.

The wife was looking at 5van this morning and struggled to find a pitch for caravan with hookup for more than £12.

 

[bikingdad90]

What about air b and b? Get to stay in someone's house/flat each night.

 

[psmiffy]

Got to ask psmiffy, how did it exhibit this certain ponciness?

First off - I had practically to beg to get in - electric gate - with cctv and intercom - my Italian is basic at best

next it was a "no money" establishment - had to have a card which you had to top up - also was used for entering toilet blocks and dispensing shower quota - shop was more couture than fishfingers - restaurant more michelin than marios.

 

[Blue Hills]

Some service stations in Switzerland, France and Germany have coin operated showers. Normally one or two euros will get you clean.

Good tip contadino. Do these tend to be on roads you can actually cycle on? - ie: non motorway?

On a separate Italian point, do some italian railway stations still have pay per use showers?. I remember them from my interailing days.

 

[Blue Hills]

Yes. In the UK. Camping in Italy is a no no in my experience. Dreadful.

Care to say more? Might be an overlap with some of my sardinian campsite ecperiences.

 

[psmiffy]

Camping in Italy is OK - sometimes a bit pricey - if it is not overpriced it can be a bit idiosyncratic - but that is all part of the Italian experience - Sardinia I found to be much more Northern European in its approach to campsites

 

[contadino]

Good tip contadino. Do these tend to be on roads you can actually cycle on? - ie: non motorway?

I think that even motorway service stations have service roads that you can get into by bicycle.

I've used two such services - one near the Gottard tunnel and one near Mulhouse - to freshen up. Clean facilities. A bloke on a ferry told me it's getting quite popular in France.

On a separate Italian point, do some italian railway stations still have pay per use showers?. I remember them from my interailing days.

The toilets have been shut up at stations around here, so I wouldn't bank on finding a shower. Can't say I've tried the facilities at bigger stations.

 

[Ajax Bay]

How does it work with sports centres? [ . . . ] Do you pay entry for some supposed sports activity and then just head for the showers?

In my experience, most sports centres will 'sell' you a shower for, say, (last price I paid was) £1.50; one doesn't have to pay for a spurious activity, though it may be a good swim is well worth it.