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Hello from a newbie!

I'm thinking of buying a tent and was looking online at sites in the new forest. When I entered my details into a forestry commision site it said they only take 6 people per pitch and I phoned to check and was told I'd need to pay for 2 pitches even though I'd only have one tent and car as there would be 2 adults and five children (one a year old). This would effectively double the cost of my holiday and make it pointless so I was just wondering if this is common practice?

I'd appreciate any advice.

Quote: Originally posted by izaseth on 11/4/2007

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Hello from a newbie!

I'm thinking of buying a tent and was looking online at sites in the new forest. When I entered my details into a forestry commision site it said they only take 6 people per pitch and I phoned to check and was told I'd need to pay for 2 pitches even though I'd only have one tent and car as there would be 2 adults and five children (one a year old). This would effectively double the cost of my holiday and make it pointless so I was just wondering if this is common practice?

I'd appreciate any advice.

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Welcome to ukcs.

That's just one site.  Some charge in this way but others charge differently.

Use the campsite search facility on this website to find a more suitable campsite.

Hello and welcome.

I just had a look at the web booking form, and it seems to reflect what you say. I would call back and ask to speak to a manager and suggest that there is little point in having a booking system that differentiates between age groups, if the total bodycount goes over 6 peeps, even a 1 year old is being treated as an adult!

Good luck. 

It can be a problem, yes, particularly when attempting to book online (maybe their systems can't cope with anything outside their 'normal' ranges?). We have a large family and, when they were all younger and so all came with us, we found that some sites - especially those with hedging boundaries to pitches - would not accept us as our party numbered more than 6. Sometimes, they will overlook this, if you ring and ask them nicely, but sometimes not (and we have also been refused sites in France, on this basis, when we have tried to pre-book though, interestingly, not such a problem when you just turn up on spec - maybe they expect you will be riff-raff if you have a large family?).

I understand the rules are there to stop pitch overcrowding, which is fair enough, but when it is a single family booking it does sound like discrimination. Maybe big families are just rather unusual, in this day and age?

I have never minded paying per person, but don't particularly like having to explain that we have a big family (and all well behaved, nice kids).

No problem now; most of them are adult and so we are now considered 'normal' family size (though I fear we will never will be a 'normal' family! ).

From the Forest Holidays terms and conditions.

Extra Adult and Extra Child can be purchased up to a maximum of six people on one pitch (Extra Child is a person aged between five and 15 years old) Children under 5 go free. If your unit accommodates more than 6 people, you will be required to book two pitches.

Not exactly clear if your free under 5 is classed as an occupant or not.

have you tried 'phoning forest holidays ?? they are more flexible on the phone than online.

oops.. you said you phoned and that was what you were told!

try ringing again. I found them very helpful but have had duff information once.. as did someone else from this forum :(

they may also have trouble interpreting the terms and conditions!

at the other end of the scale, oap discount is only available if you book by phone.   I think this is to stop people just ticking boxes for discount.

Quote: Originally posted by morrisbob on 11/4/2007

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 If your unit accommodates more than 6 people, you will be required to book two pitches.

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you could also take that as anything bigger than a six person tent.. regardless of the number of people

izaseth, don't give up on the new forest, it is so lovely for the children (provided they don't try to tease the horses who will kick back!).

i am sure a one year old can't tip the balance to a 2 pitch booking.

Hi Izaseth

Although my wife and I are now enjoying caravanning just the 2 of us! when we began camping we were accompanied by 5 children  At the start of our family camping days the kids were aged 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. ( 2 year old is now 19!!!).   We tried family camping with a couple of  small tents we had used in our pre-kids days when we found hotel hols were getting too expensive for our large family.  When we found we had all enjoyed it we move up to a 6 berth frame tent.  We bought our tent secondhand and we have loads of wonderful, cheap holidays with it.  We have never been turned down for being too large a family and many UK campsites charge by the pitch and not by the number of people on it. 

We did find a bit of shock when we graduated to camping a la France in 1994 as French campsites DO tend to charge per person and "adult" rate can start as young as 7 years old!!! 

I'm sure you will have wonderful holidays if you take the plunge into camping - we certainly have.

Incidentally it's worth having a look at the second hand market for tents and camping equipment as people do find that they don't like camping and sell off nearly-new equipment cheaply.  We got our frame tent secondhand from a local camping shop.  It was used but in excellent condition and a good price.  We are teachers and so used it for many short holidays and long Summer ones over 10 years and it is still fit to be borrowed by our, now grown-up kids. 

Vive La Camping

All the best

Tim and Cary

We've come across this problem twice i the last year, we're a family of 6 & when one of the kids wanted to take someone on holiday with us the site weren't going to et us on. We were told we'd need a 2nd pitch. We could actualy sleep 9 in our caravan & two annexes.

Saying that about pitch limits, I often compalin to places like Shires & Flambards because of their "FAMILY" tickets. These tickets often only admit 2+2 sometimes 2+3 but we've never fund anywhere where a "FAMILY" ticket actually admits the family. Perhaps something like this forum could push these places & try & get them to change their policy. It might sound tight but we don't go to places very often because of the high cost of getting through the gate & we're now restricted from taking any of the kids mates with us due to 6 people pitch limits. 

BB   

Hi,

we are a large family (6 children) and we have been in the same position as you many times. We now know which sites limit there numbers to 6 and if our older ones come with us, then we avoid them.

We're  finding it different now as the older ones tend to stay at home or they're nans house as they are now working but it does start to get expensive when you end up paying for extra persons or 2 pitches. There are sites out there who charge soley for the pitch regardless of numbers and we have stayed on some lovely sites and had a great time. Have a look on the campsite search as they are out there!

Good luck,

Michelle