Rent-a-Tent Campsites

Enjoy all the fun of camping, without the slog of putting up the tent! Pre-pitched campsites may also offer the full range of holiday facilities - joy for all the family. And interesting luxury options are also opening up in the UK.

The real holiday camps

A number of European travel companies (Eurocamp, Keycamp, Canvas Holidays etc) specialise in camping holidays where large numbers of well-equipped tents are ready and waiting for their occupants. Many of these sites are on the Continent, located right next to long stretches of sandy beach, or in the grounds of a château, or deep in a forest dotted with lakes. In addition to the tents, the camps provide a full range of facilities, such as swimming pools, sporting facilities (learn to windsurf, waterski etc), tennis courts, table-tennis, boules, arcade amusements, discos, restaurants, shops, baby-sitting services. In other words, this is an all-in holiday, but still with the unique experience of being 'under canvas'. Children love it - and because they can be entertained all day, the parents love it as well. The holidays are usually sold as packages, which can include ferry crossings, or flights and transfers. As a result, you can get real value for money, but note that some of the more elaborate camps work out relatively pricey (for a camping holiday).

Static caravans

Living in a tent, walking to the showers, carrying water about, is not everyone's idea of fun. Increasing numbers of pre-pitched campsites are installing static caravans. These offer the advantage of an en-suite bathroom, a more solid structure (more able to bat off rain and heat alike), even air-conditioning, plus all the sporting, entertainment and catering facilities of the camp. Expect to pay more than for a tent!

Retro, eco, and ethnic

Both in the UK and on the Continent, campsite owners are tapping into this market for pre-pitched tents and static caravans, but varying the mix by offering unusual lodgings. For camping with a difference, look out for sites offering pre-pitched tipis or yurts, or static veteran caravans (such as the famous American Airstream trailers), or eco-perfect huts in a forest. You get all the pleasures of living close to nature, plus added comfort, as well as that sense of escape that is camping's great pleasure.

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