I've been trying to book a weekend camping, but the last 4 sites I have tried only offer 3 nights over the weekend!
This is extremely infuriating as we are both in work Mon-Fri, so how can we possibly camp for 3 nights? I just want to book a Friday and Saturday night.
It definitely seems to be a growing trend, along with not allowing pup tents on the same pitch. With a teenage daughter who comes along with her friend it is far more appropriate for them to have their own sleeping tent, so it rules us out of so many sites.
------------- Finally camping under CANVAS.
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Quote: Originally posted by melpa on 26/4/2025
I've been trying to book a weekend camping, but the last 4 sites I have tried only offer 3 nights over the weekend!
This is extremely infuriating as we are both in work Mon-Fri, so how can we possibly camp for 3 nights? I just want to book a Friday and Saturday night.
It definitely seems to be a growing trend, along with not allowing pup tents on the same pitch. With a teenage daughter who comes along with her friend it is far more appropriate for them to have their own sleeping tent, so it rules us out of so many sites.
I think sites may be feeling the pinch a bit this year. A combination of price increases, cost of living crisis, and the Covid boom being over is probably hitting their incomes. Weekends is clearly where they make their money, as many sites over the past few years seem to be packed at weekends and half-empty all week. Being retired now we find that many sites that appear to be fully booked are nearly empty on Mondays and it is often easy to get a pitch even with just a few days notice.
I feel your pain as we have been there in the past, with 3 kids and being tied to school holidays. Even most of our grandchildren are grown up now though.
I think it's been common for many years that many sites will only take full w/e bookings in busier times at least. It's always worth asking if they'll do only Fri/Sat, especially nearer the date, from the owners point of view a 2 days booking is better than none!
On the other side of the coin, I curse w/e only bookings filling sites, because they prevent me making week or longer bookings - the camp sites lose out on 4 or 5 extra days because the w/e bookings stop people making a longer booking that runs across or includes a w/e!
Sites would likely rarely sell a Sun night if they didn't bundle it in! On sites where I've stayed across a w/e, the place can be to capacity Fri & Sat, but like a ghost town Sun after midday!
They are commercial enterprises, so have to sell pitches in a way that makes it a viable business. The alternative would likely be higher pitch fees as they based their income on only 6 days a week max occupation!
Nothing says you have to stay 3 nights. I know it effectively bumps the cost per night up, but tent pitches are often the cheapest pitches you can find, so likely not too costly.
As to pup tents, think that one has become a bit of a money spinner to sell two pitches rather than just the one! Camping is no longer the casual affair it used to be, it's now a hard nosed exploitative business in many cases! Sometimes seen conditions that pup tents are permitted if no cooking facilities, and only used as sleeping quarters. Friends certainly manage to use pup tents for their teenage daughters.
I totally understand that a lot of sites are empty on a Sunday eve/night, and so it does help them with that shortfall they are always encountering. It is just frustrating that we have to pay a premium (as in 3 nights when only using 2) because we are confined to the weekends/school holidays.
I know I am moaning, but there is the added benefit of not having to rush up and pack away on a Sunday morning. If booking 3 nights we could go mid afternoon and take our sweet time.
I'll be asking each site if we can bring a pup tent if we took it down in the morning and popped it up at night just for sleeping.
Despite everything, we will still go camping as we love it.
------------- Finally camping under CANVAS.
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I've friends who book an extra day wherever they go, simply for the luxury of being able to break their enormous (ridiculously!) large set up (main 6 berth tunnel tent with TWO extensions, pup tent for the kids, utility shelter used as a all singing, all dancing kitchen with all mod-cons, plus 3 or 4 beach shelter type sun shades for the dogs) more or less at their leisure, rather than try and beat a 11am or midday deadline to clear the pitch! Typically 6-8 hours to erect and same if not more to break down with 4-6 people grafting! Normally never get away until mid to late afternoon! They have to tow an enormous twin axle 'camping' trailer that weighs as much as my 4 berth caravan to haul all that gear! - MADNESS!
Keep trying to talk sense into them - "get a caravan", but no luck so far! - even bought another tent when the one they had got totally trashed in a storm when it blew away!
Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 26/4/2025
On the other side of the coin, I curse w/e only bookings filling sites, because they prevent me making week or longer bookings - the camp sites lose out on 4 or 5 extra days because the w/e bookings stop people making a longer booking that runs across or includes a w/e!
Not sure how it works but I have never had a problem booking a week or two weeks by starting on a Monday, even though it has taken me through one or even two supposedly fully booked weekends.
I learned quite quickly when I returned to caravanning after a break of several years that now with automated booking for sites the "bots" that do the booking seem to simply take your first night. If that happens to be a Friday or Saturday, and that is booked, they will simply say "no availability" for the whole week or two weeks. Try booking again for the same week or two, but starting on a Monday, no problem! Then when we've turned up the place is half-empty, despite the original enquiry telling me that there was "no availability". Consequently, ever since we have started all of our holidays on Mondays and never had a problem, even when only booking a few days in advance. A simple trick but so far it has worked every time. We don't ever go during school holidays though so the same thing may not apply then.
I’ve found that if the computer says “no, you can’t stay a week”, if I go for 3 days then the following 4 days, I can get my week. This is on sites where you are allocated the pitch & we will probably have to move to another pitch, which is fine in a MH.
On sites where you arrive & choose your own pitch, the week usually isn’t a problem.
As for minimum number of days, CCC is especially guilty of this, especially at popular sites like Moffat. Makes stopovers on a long journey more difficult to find.
Never had to move pitch yet, even on a two-week stay on a supposedly fully booked site. That Monday start seems to make all the difference. I may be able to choose a pitch on some sites, or be allocated one on others, but as the site is usually at least half-empty I'm there for a week or two.
The only site I've booked where moving pitch part way through was a CAMC one. I wanted an awning pitch, but my arrival date and the next couple of days only had small no-awning pitch vacancy, so I booked a split pitch stay so I could at least have the awning for part of my two week stay.
As the arrival date neared, an awning pitch became available due to a cancelation, so I grabbed that as a change to the booking. No extra costs involved, all pitches the same price, helpful CAMC site wardens just upgraded by entire stay to the larger awning pitch.
Moving a caravan 'on site' part way through a stay is a bit of a PITA, but nowhere near as bad as setting it up to travel by road to a different site entirely.
The only times I generally come across 3 day weekend bookings is over the bank holiday.
I appreciate all businesses are suffering from increased costs, but for a long time now, especially since Covid, sites are looking into how to squeeze as much out of holidaymakers as possible. Minimum night stays, additional costs for pitches with more than 2 people, gazebos, pup tents, the list goes on.
I booked to go camping abroad this year and we have a pitch with an ensuite & shower for the same price per night as some of the more commercial sites in the UK. The only thing pushing the price up is the ferry, our European neighbours must be so disappointed when they choose to camp over here.
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Quote: Originally posted by RainMagnet on 29/4/2025
The only times I generally come across 3 day weekend bookings is over the bank holiday.
I appreciate all businesses are suffering from increased costs, but for a long time now, especially since Covid, sites are looking into how to squeeze as much out of holidaymakers as possible. Minimum night stays, additional costs for pitches with more than 2 people, gazebos, pup tents, the list goes on.
I booked to go camping abroad this year and we have a pitch with an ensuite & shower for the same price per night as some of the more commercial sites in the UK. The only thing pushing the price up is the ferry, our European neighbours must be so disappointed when they choose to camp over here.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Infuriating - 3 nights?
via mobile 29/4/2025 at 9:35am
