As a family we love to travel and yet with being a larger family it isn’t always easy. Hotel stays involve two, sometimes three bedrooms at a time; apartment holidays mean splitting the family in two with Gaz taking two of the kids in one apartment and me taking two in the other, which means our quality time together is split, and our travel costs are doubled. And so a couple of years ago we came up with an idea of how we can travel as a family of six and the kids were keen to get on board – camping!!

I’ve grown up in a family that loves to camp, both in tents and in caravans, and we have had some amazing holidays over the years both in the UK and abroad, pitching a tent, hooking up a caravan, and enjoying the great outdoors. For me, being outdoors is what it’s all about, ever more so it the weather is fine and the children can run wild, but as much as we loved our first Summer of camping together I have to be honest, it was hard work!! 

Anyone who has pitched a tent in the torrential rain, whilst supervising four children, will appreciate that the initial set up is never fun, and waking up at 3am on a punctured air bed, to trek across a muddy field for the fourth time that night for a wee, isn’t the most fun either. So that left us reassessing our plans to camp and looking at ways to make the experience a little easier for all of us. And it turns out it was quite easy….

1. Go abroad

Putting up a tent with kids is always going to be hard work but let me tell you, it’s far easier when you’re doing it in the sunshine!! Camping abroad in the Summer usually guarantees you the dry weather and when you can live outdoors and simply use your tent to sleep in, it makes life so much easier! We had some amazing camping holidays in Spain over the years and there is nothing quite like falling asleep, in lovely warm temperatures, looking at the stars through the tent sky light. Those are the memories I want to share with my children, not the wet and muddy fall outs as the tent collapses on our heads!

2. Book a camping rental

Even better if you want to try camping, book a camping rental! There’s no equipment needed, no stress of setting up camp, and everything you could ever need right there waiting for you at your destination!

I’ve been looking at Yellow! Village with 84 sites across France, Spain and Portugal, with a luxury accommodation from furnished tents to mobile homes, chalets to holiday cottages, and there is something for every budget, and every family.

As well as providing free of charge services and amenities they offer kids club and evening entertainment (bonus!), sports facilities, aqua parks, bathroom facilities and even spas, and for us, wanting to enjoy the outdoors whilst still having those home luxuries, this sounds like the perfect solution!

3. Plan your travel

I think planning your travel in advance is such an important factor, especially for those wanting to keep down costs. Booking flights or ferry crossings in advance can make you huge savings and so being organised and pinning down dates is crucial. I love that with furnished tents or mobile homes abroad we could simply fly to our destination with just our clothes, and be set for the whole holiday. For those taking their own tent then a ferry crossing may be preferable as there’s a lot of equipment needed but the fun part is, that can all be part of the adventure!

I am really looking forward to seeing where our summer camping plans take us but for now, I am dreaming of sunshine, white beaches, luxury camping accommodation, and a large glass of wine with my feet up!