Welcome, camping newbies! – Tips for your first camping holiday
Camping has always been a pitch-perfect getaway and is constantly gaining new fans – couples, families with children, and single travellers alike. It’s a good idea to plan properly to ensure that your first camping adventure is as enjoyable as possible. It is just as important to choose the right camper for your requirements. This article offers helpful tips to make your first camping holiday a success!
Key takeaways
- Proper planning and preparation are the first steps for any successful camping adventure.
- Camping is a minimalist experience – and that goes for your luggage, too.
- Make a good impression on the campsite and avoid classic rookie mistakes with our tips.
Tip no. 1: Plan your destination and route carefully
Do you want to go on an adventure, or do you prefer to spend two weeks relaxing in one place? There are many sorts of ways to spend a camping holiday. Your decision should take into account e.g. the length of holiday, time of year and destination, factors which may also impact your choice of camping vehicle.
Take your time to decide how you (and any travelling companions) would like to spend your holiday. A camping trip in which you spend each night in a different place and stop off at lots of different locations also requires more organisation than a two-week holiday on one pre-booked campsite.
Tip no. 2: Select a suitable camping vehicle
Vans, caravans, motorhomes: Each camping vehicle has its own unique character and is more or less suitable for different numbers of people and individual travel habits. Take a look at a comparison of caravans, motorhomes, camper vans and camping buses to help you decide which option best suits your holiday plans.
For your first camping adventure it is advisable to hire a vehicle from a retailer or borrow one from a friend: this way you can test whether a camping holiday in all its myriad forms is really for you and whether you want to do it again. You also have the option of renting a caravan first, for example, and then testing a motorhome the next year to get to know the pros and cons of the various vehicle options.
Take your time as well! Don’t set off on your holiday straight from the dealership’s parking lot, but plan enough days for packing and test drives. The vehicle handover is not to be underestimated either: take notes, perhaps even short videos – because it can be hard to remember all the information about water supply and disposal, electricity connections, gas etc. in detail later. Before hiring, please also check whether you have the right category of driving licence for your desired vehicle to avoid any unpleasant surprises at the handover. This article highlights the key things to look out for so you can avoid Rookie mistakes when hiring a camping vehicle.
Tip no. 3: Just pack the essentials
Less is more on a camping holiday! Both weight distribution and space set natural limits, and the less weight you pack, the lower the fuel consumption will be.
The basic equipment can vary widely depending on whether you opt for a rental motorhome or borrow a vehicle from a camper friend. If you hire a motorhome from a retailer, technical equipment such as gas bottles, drive-on ramps etc. are usually included, but you have to pack your own kitchen equipment such as crockery, pots and pans, and cutlery, as well as personal items such as towels, bed linen, clothes, games and books. Some retailers offer sets of camping furniture for hire as well.
You can find an overview of everything that can (but doesn’t necessarily have to!) go in your motorhome or caravan in this Checklist: Initial equipment for caravans & motorhomes – this is mainly intended for camping vehicle owners, but you will find a good overview of potential equipment.
One extra tip – perhaps a bit advanced for beginners, but still useful: check out our article ‘Tips for correctly loading motorhomes and caravans’ for guidance on safe and balanced packing.
Tip no. 4: Consider anti-theft devices too
Your dealer will usually offer theft protection tips and perhaps even anti-theft devices. Before you set off, consider which valuables you can safely leave at home, and make copies of your vehicle and ID documents just in case, to avoid regrets later.
You can find specific tips and products in our blog post on Anti-theft devices for motorhomes and caravans.
Your holiday is finally here – it’s time for a camping adventure!
Let the tour begin – your holiday starts now! So far you’ve learned that camping entails a bit of work, and while you can enjoy a 5-star holiday experience, figuratively speaking, it certainly doesn’t come with an all-inclusive package. There is also always something to do en route, during set-up and dismantling, and while staying on the campsite. Just like in hotels or holiday apartments, campsites and pitches have their own set of rules to ensure everyone gets along – and sometimes those rules even add to the charm.
We have put together a list of the top three typical rookie mistakes on the drive there, on the pitch, and when setting up and dismantling, which are easy to avoid with a little care and attention.
During the journey + setting up and dismantling
- Don’t drive with full water tanks! It is better to drive with the waste water tank empty and the fresh water tank only slightly full if you don’t really need it on the journey. This saves weight and therefore fuel, and it’s also nicer to fill up with fresh water at your destination.
- Always empty the toilet and waste water in good time! You should always keep an eye on the toilet’s fill-level indicator – it's better to empty it more often than to run out at an inopportune moment. If you are setting off from a campsite and have a two-day route to the next campsite ahead of you, we recommend emptying the toilet again, even if it is not full yet. The same applies to the waste water tank.
- Checks for departure! There are always a few tasks to take care of at the campsite before you hit the road – and over time they’ll become second nature. You should always remember the following points in particular when you first start camping, perhaps even with the help of a checklist:
- Are all the doors, windows and service flaps locked?
- Is the awning fully retracted and locked?
- Have you turned off all the drain taps?
- Have you unplugged and repacked the power cable?
- Are any supports retracted?
- Is everything packed? Stepladders, chairs, bathing shoes, bicycle locks and similar items are often left behind.
- Are you parked on drive-on ramps? Then please roll the vehicle off them first and don’t forget to pack them.
At the campsite
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Don’t attract any pests! Food lying around attracts ants, wasps and the like faster than you think. So don’t leave any rubbish, leftover food or sweets outside. It’s also best not to leave any such temptations lying around inside your motorhome, because insects and other small animals can find any gap.
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Pay attention to quiet times and your volume! There are few places as quiet and peaceful as a campsite in the early hours of the morning. Campers care about good social etiquette, which includes behaving considerately and quietly in the evening and early morning especially. This is still the case even if you are inside your camping vehicle, as it doesn’t have thick walls like a house.
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Don’t walk across your neighbour’s plot! “Ugh, newbie campers!” You might hear this uttered if you walk across your neighbour’s plot. That’s because this little square is the camper’s own private kingdom – and under no circumstances should it be crossed without asking or purely for the convenience of a shortcut. There are some fellow campers that don’t mind, but avoiding it altogether is one of the unwritten laws of the camping world.
If you follow these little tips, you will be welcomed as a Camping Newbie on your first holiday and will soon be promoted to the advanced level of Camper. We wish you a wonderful first camping holiday!
