For years I’ve heard people say “we’re doing Eurocamp” without really knowing what they meant.
However, this summer we decided to book a last-minute Eurocamp holiday after a colleague recommended a site in Croatia.
Having never been before, I didn’t really know what to expect. At first, the campsite felt like a secret club where everyone knew what they were doing except us. Over the course of the week, we gradually got to grips with it.
You can take your own tent, stay in a tent that’s already there or hire a mobile home. We stayed in an Azure mobile home. We didn’t use the kids clubs, book any on-site activities or go to the evening entertainment. To be honest, The Bears were mostly interested in exploring the swimming pools and the sea and they were shattered by the end of the day. They both love water so they were both in their element. We also did a couple of day trips.
If you’re thinking of “doing Eurocamp”, I’ve put together 10 Eurocamp hacks you need to know before booking a holiday which will make things a bit easier. These are all things I wish we’d known before we went. This isn’t an ad/collaboration. We booked and paid for the holiday independently.
1. Shop around to get the best price
Eurocamp is just one operator on the campsite. The campsites will have several operators so check and compare prices. Don’t forget to check prices with the campsite directly too as they may have their own accommodation which could be cheaper.
If you do decide to book with Eurocamp, look at the country’s own website as it often works out cheaper than booking through the UK site.
2. Go in the last two weeks of the summer holidays
It can work out cheaper at this time because most people are keen to go at the start of the summer. Even better, if you can go outside of school holidays, you’ll get a real bargain.
3. Take your own linen and towels
If you’re driving, don’t forget to take bed linen and towels to avoid hire costs. We flew to our campsite so we hired ours, although we took our own swimming towels. If you’re driving, consider taking pillows too. The ones in our caravan were flat and hard.
4. Don’t plan to use the campsite shop
No matter which complex you go to, prices in the on-site convenience stores will be considerably more than just down the road. We had a Lidl plus three other large supermarkets within a five minute drive from our campsite. They were also useful for buying cheap inflatables and buckets and spades for the beach.
5. Take the basics
If you’re driving, you might want to take some basics with you to save forking out for more than you need when you get there, including: washing up liquid, tea/coffee/sugar, oil, toilet roll, dishwasher tablets (if you have a dishwasher – we didn’t), foil, clingfilm, small bin bags (the bins in Eurocamp caravans are little more than bucket size), tea towels and Dettol wipes.
6. Don’t forget blackout blinds
One of the best things we took with us were portable blackout blinds for the bedrooms. The website said our Azure caravan had blackout blinds but when we arrived we found they were only in the toilet and the bathroom. Not very useful when you’re trying to keep kids asleep.
7. Or a bath mat
This was something we didn’t take but looking back would have been really handy. There aren’t any mats in the caravans so save the precious towels from the bundle you’ve hired and bring an old bath mat with you.
8. Take a few toys and games
There won’t be any entertainment in the accommodation so don’t forget to take a few books, toys and games with you. We took a sandwich bag of dinosaurs, which Little Bear played with happily everywhere, plus some little toy story figures. With hindsight, a dumper truck would have been good for him to play with in the sand at the playground (he was very jealous of another little boy’s vehicle). I also picked up a travel version of Guess Who in Aldi which was a handy size for our trip.
9. Orientate yourself on your first day
These campsites are huge and it can all seem a bit overwhelming the first time. Grill your Eurocamp rep for information or go to reception on the first day and find out what entertainment and activities are on offer, if that’s your thing, plus how and where to book as it may not be obvious.
Be prepared to put the work in to find things out. There was a land train on our campsite but finding out where it went from and at what times wasn’t straight forward. Reception didn’t have the information because it was run by a separate company.
10. Don’t forget your Eurocamp rep
The reps are friendly and helpful but this isn’t a Club 18-30 holiday where they might check in on you every day. Unless you seek them out, it’s unlikely you will see your rep during your holiday after your first day. If you’re struggling or if there’s anything you need during your stay, use the mobile number they give you on the first day.
And there you go, we had a great time but there are definitely things we would do differently if we went again now we know some of these things.
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- What’s your best Eurocamp hack? I’d love to know in the comments below
- You might also want to read: How To Be A Super-Organised Camper