Camp Site Reviews

The black art of moving from A to B on foreign soil
NeilM
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Camp Site Reviews

Post by NeilM »

Like a few folk here I suspect, I am currently planning some of my trips for next year and despite riding motorbikes since the late 1970's this is all a bit new to me.

So, a method I developed earlier in the year when planning a seven day trip to Scotland and back, was to sort out a start point and an approximate finish location for the day, pick a town / village and then ask google / consult a few camp site web site for suitable places to stay. Once I had a couple of choices I would then look at a few review sites to see what people have said. This method worked well and pretty much all the sites I stayed at were as described.

Fast forward to the last week or so, sitting out the horrible weather, I have been spending more time planning more trips to North Wales, Creiff, Lowestoft and a few other spots, and I have to say that reading reviews has become a bit addictive, especially the bad ones, some of which are brilliant.

Am I alone in this wicked pleasure? I have to say, a few of the best ones have really made me laugh.
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gbags
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by gbags »

I like to camp and this is interesting but where do you find camping reviews?

I’m a spot-one-and-turn-in kind of camper. Where do you find campsite reviews?
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mark vb
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by mark vb »

ioverlander, maybe. Works for me abroad, but never used it in the UK.
Tonibe63
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by Tonibe63 »

We have used Pitchup.com in previous years to prebook campsites and read the reviews, usually when we are in the van with blow up awning so need toilets/showers etc and electric hook up. Never had a bad experience but not done bike camping for over 5 years.
Open your eyes and you see what is in front of you, open your mind and you see a bigger picture but open your heart and you see a whole new World.
NeilM
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by NeilM »

If you google 'camp sites near xxxxx' it will produce a little map and a number of suggested sites.

As soon as you pick a site a box will open which has all sorts of details, including reviews.

Trip Advisor also has some good info as does pitchup and my current favourite ukcampsite.co.uk.
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Godspeed
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by Godspeed »

Neil, I’m the same as you, love looking through the Booking.com reviews when I’m heading for somewhere to stay and quite often put lowest reviews as a way of having a laugh 🤪
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by bikenav »

from my experience many of the more basic/cheaper campsites have little or no online presence which is a shame, booking.com, google etc dominate any kind of search, if you want to save a few quid circumnavigate them where possible. I camped some where up in Scotland back in the summer just came across the place on the side of the road and knocked the farmhouse door and paid something like 50% less than the guy next to me who had pre-booked through one of the main camping booking websites. Perhaps one day someone will create an open source type map for campsites, or perhaps they have and google and their friends wont show it. Bit old now but here is something or does anyone know of something more up tp date? http://www.archiescampings.eu/by-countries_eng/ apologies kinda gone off topic a bit really.
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by NeilM »

Godspeed wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 8:42 am Neil, I’m the same as you, love looking through the Booking.com reviews when I’m heading for somewhere to stay and quite often put lowest reviews as a way of having a laugh 🤪
Glad it's not just me.

I was beginning to think I my sense of humour was somewhat warped..... which it is.
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by NeilM »

bikenav wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 10:29 am from my experience many of the more basic/cheaper campsites have little or no online presence which is a shame, booking.com, google etc dominate any kind of search, if you want to save a few quid circumnavigate them where possible. I camped some where up in Scotland back in the summer just came across the place on the side of the road and knocked the farmhouse door and paid something like 50% less than the guy next to me who had pre-booked through one of the main camping booking websites. Perhaps one day someone will create an open source type map for campsites, or perhaps they have and google and their friends wont show it. Bit old now but here is something or does anyone know of something more up tp date? http://www.archiescampings.eu/by-countries_eng/ apologies kinda gone off topic a bit really.
I don't book using any of the online providers, I just use them to find sites. Even sites with a low on line profile usually have an email address and all of them have a phone number.

Your warning is fair though. When I was planning my trip to Scotland I found a site just outside Inverness that had really good prices for a single biker with a tent. Except, when I tried to book through their web site, the price went up a fiver! I emailed the owner and she came back and told me that the higher price was right, so, naturally I went on line and found a different site, which was cheaper, on my route and turned out to be really excellent.
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Re: Camp Site Reviews

Post by catcitrus »

I use the "nearly wild camping " org as it lists nice basic sites that have minimal facilities and are small--usually good enough for a night or two, typically cheap and friendly, and best of all NOT a favourite for motorhomes and camper vans--so you get peace and quiet.
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