Have you have ever thought that your kids watch too much television or your weekends are always spent doing the DIY, cleaning or gardening ? You may have thought that you couldn't afford to get away, after all a stay in a guest house or hotel isn't cheap and then there is the travel and food to think of.
Lets take a Travel lodge for example. A room for four people for one night is about £61 breakfast included then you have lunch and dinner to consider, lunch £20 for four at a takeaway, dinner £40 upwards, that's £121 and remember this is for 1 night. (Prices for food estimated, price for hotel based on the 12th May 07 for a 4 person room)
So how can we get away every weekend if we wish? The simple answer, is camping.
Before you groan let me just say at this point that camping and caravanning has moved on, if you must have your home comforts then you can.
Lets stay with camping and using a tent to get away in.
OK there is an initial cost to set up but once you have that done that. your weekends are your own. What about costs? You can set up a tent cheaply or you spend a lot, the choice is yours. Lets stay with cheap. If you go for a starter pack you only have to purchase something to cook on. Argos do a good starter pack for £134 for 6 people. Add a stove say £70 and you can be set up and away for about £200. And remember this isn't for 1 night only this is for as many nights as you want. (Prices quoted were correct at time of publication) please see the store for current offers and prices.
Food? You can discount this price really as you have to eat wherever you are so take what you have at home.
Campsite fees? These vary greatly, if you want basic you can camp for a few pounds if you want shower facilities, maybe a swimming pool or club house you will be looking at upwards of £10 a night.
Travel? The cost of fuel depends on how far you want to go but you can go local to where you live or you can grab a train.
But you don't want a basic tent in a field somewhere? OK lets look at what you can get. There are loads of options, you can get a spacious 6 person tent that will give you separate bedrooms and a good living area. For very little extra you can add electrics for lighting and power and heaven forbid a T.V! What's more a lot of campsites now have WIFI so you can plug in your laptop and surf away.
 picture is for illustration only If you go up a notch lots of campsites have swimming pools, clubs and bars, sports facilities, the list is endless. If you are into fishing there are campsites with fishing onsite or close by, in fact most hobbies are catered for.
But in the summer, what better way to spend a weekend than lazing around, having a BBQ, taking a walk or a bike ride, the chill out opportunities are endless, and why stay in the UK for that matter. Chase the sun to France, Spain, Italy or Croatia which is getting more and more popular.
Going back to cost lets sum up and compare the price for a weekend based on the fact you are already set up.
Hotel or guest house for 1 night:
Hotel £61
Food:£60
Total £121
Camping in a tent:
Starter kit: £200
Campsite fees: £20
Food – remember you have to eat at home anyway
Total £220 (remember this is for as many nights away as you choose to take)
Obviously the prices above are only to illustrate but they are fairly realistic based on prices currently been used. If you shop around you could probably get both cheaper or if you want to splash out you go a lot more expensive
Just picture your local area for a minute and think where you could get to within an hour? I bet you can get to some lovely spots and I can almost guarantee there will be a campsite or two available.
If you do decide to give it go here are some links for more information
Our forums: If you have any questions here is a good place to start.
Campsite Directory
The Camping and Caravanning Club
Towsure Camping accessories online
Or look in your local camping shop, Argos or Tesco for some great lines in cheap camping equipment.
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