Cycling UK Forum

Recent trip to NL and I had a bad campsite experience so thought about starting a thread "Your Bad Campsite Experiences"

My bad experience:
03:00am and those US style grass sprinkler system things popped out around my tent and started blasting high pressure water jets at my tent. 3 appeared round my tent and whilst they were rotating jets, vast amounts of water jetted at tent from ground level. Started at 3:00 am and went on for 2 hrs (clearly a time-switch as they shut-off dead on 05:00 am).

And I learnt that tents are designed to protect against rain falling from above (or at an angle from above) not high pressure jets from ground level.

Of course I didn't just lie there for 2 hrs enduring. But I found physical violence against the jets just broke them off and turned them into a fountain (resulting in my getting soaked through). Eventually I found some discarded stainless saucepans by the rubbish bins so covered them but the result was very noisy. Checking in the morning there were several small plastic cogs on the ground around the jet I "took action" against (so I did achieve some damage).

Confronting the site owners in the morning and all I got was "that's not good" (no sorry or offers of refund of the above average cost).

Probably a good job there were not any bricks around as owners house was close enough for even my limited upper body strength.

(I called previous day and "we have space, pitch your tent on grass next to reception office", arrived and confirmed where to go and then paid at reception only 10m from where I was told to pitch).

Anybody got any other bad campsite stories?

Ian

Carrick on Suir the one on the left as you leave town for Tipperary between the road and the riverside cyclepath. Unless it has changed ownership in the last 5 years don't believe the write ups, it is a tip. I stayed there for one night with "jags" of this parish and we could not get away quick enough the next morning. Showers were broken and unusable, the toilet (it only had one) was cracked and badly soiled not having been cleaned in a long time, I would not even risk sitting down on the toilet seat. There was no hot water and the cold was a mere dripple not even enough for a good basic wash. The camping area grass had not been cut for a while and there were feral cats roaming the site. To rub salt in our wounds, they had the nerve to charge us 10 euros each for the night and that was 5 years ago prices.

Sea kayaking in Norway on my first Proper Paddling Trip with our friend Alf who happened to be one of the locals, we were chatting about where to camp. Alf suggested a "stretch goal" of a small, distant island that he said had a hunters' hut on it that we could sleep in rather than camp. Would it fit all 5 of us? "Probably!"
It got very late (but this was June in Norway, so it didn't actually get that dark, and I got very tired but still we weren't there, but something was pointed out to me in the distance that was said to be "it", so on we went. And on, and on... and we got there some time after midnight.

The hut that would "probably sleep 5" was about 1m by 2m, so after a brief "more in sadness than anger" sense of humour failure I went to look for camping space. This was not so much an island but an overgrown skerrie, and for the most part part bare rock, not a good place for a single hoop tent. There was a pile of moss-covered boulders that I managed to get the fly up in amongst, no chance of the inner so I just set it down as a groundsheet and tried to curl myself around the rocks as best I could.

I've had better nights.

Pete.

In the six years since I was made redundant my wife and I have stayed at around 400 different campsites across the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania. What is most remarkable is just how few memorably bad sites we have encountered - they have nearly all been adequate through to excellent!
Probably the worst, most unwelcoming, was just outside Stein am Rhein, in Switzerland. We had bought food at the supermarket, but they didn't sell beer or wine, not a problem, as the site was advertised as having a bar/restaurant, so we would be able to get a beer - it was 30c. We cycled in, to find an almost completely derelict hotel, with just one scabby office open - paid our money (not cheap!) and were directed to a field around the back. It was almost full of derelict and semi-derelict caravans. it had a small swimming pool, full of green stagnant water with all sorts of undesirable life in it, including mosquito larvae. We pitched on a patch of unmown rough ground as far from the dereliction and rats as possible. I cycled off across the border into Germany to a supermarket and bought a few beers for the evening, then on visiting the toilets, the showers were so scabby we wouldn't use them, but the strangest thing was the signs everywhere, in multiple languages, warning to not steal the toilet roll, CCTV, anyone caught stealing toilet roll will be arrested etc! A truly unwelcoming place that I hope has been closed down.

Alston in Cumbria, so bad I went back a second time with a friend who wouldn't believe how bad it is. The campsite is on what I think is an old MoD facility of some sort, now a scrapyard. You go through the yard of smoldering metals, to a residential caravan site, the touring vans and tents go on a rough strip of stony uneven grass. These pitches are separated from the public playing field by a low stone wall you can step over in places, offering zero security. The toilet/shower block is an underground bunker back across the dirty scrapyard, the automatic lighting in the tunnel access doesn't come on till you've stepped in at least one oily puddle. The cleanliness is on a par with a pithead shower block at the end of a shift.
It's friendly and cheap and in the town (Village?) which is a lovely place to stop. It isn't the worst place I've ever camped, it is by far the worst that claims to be a campsite. I don't think I'll be going back unless someone I'm with really wants the experience.

Over a decade ago, first campsite you hit when you go up the river Lahn from its confluence with the Rhine in Germany. Reasonable enough place, but they wouldn't let me pay the night before, even when I said I might head off early the next morning.

Anyways, come the morning (I managed to sleep longer than usual), I pop round to settle up, only to be told I'd lied about my tent. Apparently it wasn't a small tent, but fell into the large category, and I'd be required to pay more than agreed on the previous night. Big argument followed (it was only a couple of Euros difference, but it was the principle of the matter, having already been obliged to cough up for rubbish disposal, despite having none to dispose of, and this extra charge not being mentioned the previous night).

Their argument seemed to be based around the fact that my tent had been measured with Germanic precision and found to exceed the bounds of a small tent. My argument was that my tent was only just big enough for me to fit into, was light enough to be carried around on the back of the bike and therefore could in no wise be classed as 'large'.

I found their attitude threatening and vicious, and I shall never darken their site again.

Galactic wrote: ↑19 Sep 2022, 5:39pm Over a decade ago, first campsite you hit when you go up the river Lahn from its confluence with the Rhine in Germany. Reasonable enough place, but they wouldn't let me pay the night before, even when I said I might head off early the next morning.

Anyways, come the morning (I managed to sleep longer than usual), I pop round to settle up, only to be told I'd lied about my tent. Apparently it wasn't a small tent, but fell into the large category, and I'd be required to pay more than agreed on the previous night. Big argument followed (it was only a couple of Euros difference, but it was the principle of the matter, having already been obliged to cough up for rubbish disposal, despite having none to dispose of, and this extra charge not being mentioned the previous night).

Their argument seemed to be based around the fact that my tent had been measured with Germanic precision and found to exceed the bounds of a small tent. My argument was that my tent was only just big enough for me to fit into, was light enough to be carried around on the back of the bike and therefore could in no wise be classed as 'large'.

I found their attitude threatening and vicious, and I shall never darken their site again.

rubbish disposal? - that's an intereresting bolt-on charge?
me? no really bad experiences apart from swerving a small number that tried to charge bonkers prices for one guy on a bike.
Only bad one was car camping in lake district one summer - clean enough but pitch a regimented square alongside a campsite road - we were all packed in like sardines. Wasn't what I'd call camping. would rather free camp/sleep in a ditch.

Ullapool. No reception just go in and pay in morning. About 0630 next morning thumping on the door and it was pouring rain as well. Couple of thuggish looking heavies wanting cash for the night’s stay. I protested at this time of day but they were adamant they wanted paid immediately. I said I would go and look for cash and shut the door on them as long as I reasonably could before handing the cash over in return for a receipt.
The story was that continental campers left very early to avoid paying which in my experience was probably true but why not open a reception office?
Worse site otherwise was Hushinish on Isle of Harris. Mad owner and to say it was basic is a compliment.

Sweep wrote: ↑19 Sep 2022, 6:19pm rubbish disposal? - that's an intereresting bolt-on charge?

That was the only place I've ever had it in Germany, but it seemed to be standard on Swiss campsites (at least at the time - no idea if it's still the case). It was a flat rate that varied between 50 Rappen and 2F50, which seemed a bit steep considering the couple of jars and wrappers I produced of an evening when compared to the sacks of rubbish thrown out by the camper vans.

Galactic wrote: ↑20 Sep 2022, 4:00pm

Sweep wrote: ↑19 Sep 2022, 6:19pm rubbish disposal? - that's an intereresting bolt-on charge?

That was the only place I've ever had it in Germany, but it seemed to be standard on Swiss campsites (at least at the time - no idea if it's still the case). It was a flat rate that varied between 50 Rappen and 2F50, which seemed a bit steep considering the couple of jars and wrappers I produced of an evening when compared to the sacks of rubbish thrown out by the camper vans.

I've had it on sites in th Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria anf Denmark. IME its always been on the list of charges and has been inescapable much like the 'tourist' tax's. The posher the site the more likely to have this 'add on' charge as well as extra's like hot water, showers etc.

foxyrider wrote: ↑20 Sep 2022, 9:36pm

Galactic wrote: ↑20 Sep 2022, 4:00pm

Sweep wrote: ↑19 Sep 2022, 6:19pm rubbish disposal? - that's an intereresting bolt-on charge?

That was the only place I've ever had it in Germany, but it seemed to be standard on Swiss campsites (at least at the time - no idea if it's still the case). It was a flat rate that varied between 50 Rappen and 2F50, which seemed a bit steep considering the couple of jars and wrappers I produced of an evening when compared to the sacks of rubbish thrown out by the camper vans.

I've had it on sites in th Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria anf Denmark. IME its always been on the list of charges and has been inescapable much like the 'tourist' tax's. The posher the site the more likely to have this 'add on' charge as well as extra's like hot water, showers etc.

breathing?
not possible to say you are taking all rubbish with you?
perfectly easy of course on a bike - generate diddly sqwat.

Sweep wrote: ↑20 Sep 2022, 9:42pm not possible to say you are taking all rubbish with you?
perfectly easy of course on a bike - generate diddly sqwat.

Its never negotiable but why not just include it in the price?

I fully agree with the report on the Alston campsite.
I've also found a couple more sites of similar "Quality" on my travels.

I've been flooded out a couple of times due to thunder storm.
I've also had the tent blown down a couple of times due the storm force winds sifting direction during the night. Pitched with feet to the wind and woke up with the wind side on to the tent.
Not the site owners fault, but still a bad experience.

End of a long day and looking for a wild pitch. You find one that looks reasonable then find out why it's not.
Tent out of the pannier/trailer, tent straight back into the pannier/ trailer, then set off again to go and look for somewhere with less midges.
What looks like a nice flat grassy spot is the middle of a boggy patch.
There's solid rock under the grass and the pegs won't go in or loose sand/gravel and the pegs won't stay in.
You guessed wrong on how much flat space there is and the tent just don't quite fit. But you put it up anyway and then spend a rough night with the tent flapping badly in the wind.

Luck .........

Luck .............

I loved the report on Alston by PH. If it’s the site I think it is ( near the station) I can only assume he arrived in the dark
I cycle past it most years and that’s what everyone should do.
Pitch up at the hostel is my advice.

PH wrote: ↑14 Sep 2022, 10:56am ... so bad I went back a second time with a friend who wouldn't believe how bad it is....

Several years ago in the Netherlands campsite owner called out armed Police to arrest me. They thought I was one of Netherlands "most wanted" who Police were after (because I had a beard, they thought I was Dutch despite my UK passport). Police interviewed me for 20'ish mins and "had words with the campsite owner about wasting their time.

But this year I went back to see if it had improved! They didn't call Police this time but did try and rip me off (they tried to charge me €19 but after "discussion" declared they "made a mistake".

This year I did have a couple of instances of campsites trying to rip me off. Another "trick" was when you need 50 cent coins for shower and they declare how helpful they are being giving you you €8 change in 50 cent coins knowing you wont count them (happened at one site).

Ian