“This can’t be right.” I stared at the screen in disbelief. I’d just been quoted £80 per night for my family of four to stay at a campsite in Pembrokeshire. For that price, I could book a budget hotel room with walls, a roof and actual beds rather than a patch of grass and shared facilities. Since when did camping become this expensive?
Planning our family summer holiday, I’d found myself weighing up the increasingly complicated realities of travel; uncertainty over aviation fuel costs pushing up airfares, the prospect of passport control delays as new Entry/Exit System checks are introduced and the relentless pressure of high living costs on already stretched household budgets.
Perhaps this was the year to stay in the UK and look for a low-cost holiday choice – camping seemed like the perfect solution. There was a certain charm in the thought of dusting off the tent, loading up the car and hitting the road for a wholesome break.
Shorts
It seems many other holidaymakers have reached the same conclusion. With early forecasts predicting a warm and sunny summer, campsites across the UK are reporting strong advance bookings, and some already fully booked for peak-season weekends. Demand is high, but so, seemingly, are the prices.
