Old hand at caravanning or new to our fantastic pastime, you can’t deny there’s a lot to learn. From campsite etiquette to getting a good deal on your van, there’s always something new to discover. With this in mind, our special report brings together 21 ways to improve your touring lifestyle, and become an even better caravanner than before!
Be a better caravan site neighbour
Most campsite visitors are friendly, well-behaved and considerate to their fellow campers, but it only takes a little thoughtless or inconsiderate behaviour to change the dynamics.
But establishing what is acceptable behaviour on a caravan site is not quite as clear-cut as you might think – one person’s fun evening with friends could be another’s disturbed night’s sleep.
And while you might not enjoy the sound of children playing outdoors, no campsite can be expected to have library levels of noise. Nobody likes dogs barking, smelly food or banging doors… but a lot of us aren’t that crazy about the imposition of rules, either.
Two words worth keeping in mind are ‘tolerance’ and ‘consideration’. We should all be able to tolerate fellow campers being a little noisier than usual on a Saturday night and hopefully, we can put up with a bit of barbecue smoke or even the occasional barking dog!
By the same token, show consideration for your neighbours and remember that campers are by nature early to bed and early to rise. Amplified music, raucous laughter and traipsing over other pitches can be disturbing and rude and should be avoided, especially late at night. In addition, remember to keep your driving speed within park limits at all times and to dim lights and torches at night, when other people are trying to sleep.
But first things first – begin by picking a caravan site that best suits you. Don’t like being around children? Then choose an adults-only park; there are plenty of these available. Not crazy about dogs? Then look for parks that are dog-free or have dog-free areas. The same goes for space – look online or phone the site to find out how big the pitches are and if there are any limitations on party sizes or the use of additional gazebos.
Many sites prefer not to accept larger groups – if that’s you, find a site that caters for larger parties. The same goes for fires and barbecues: some sites encourage the fun, communal element,
