Pitchup.com’s guide to where to holiday with babies and toddlers

Options that offer something for all

Facilities and amenities to make for a perfect holiday

As Kate and Wills welcome their daughter to the Royal Family, Pitchup.com offers advice on how to find a family holiday that suits everyone from the newborn and toddler through to mum and dad…and even the dog!

The outdoor accommodation provider offers some fantastic destinations for campers, glampers and caravanners with over 1,000 bookable family friendly sites in 13 European countries. Baby-friendly amenities include:

• Cots and high chairs at no extra cost

• Baby baths with free hot water

• Shops selling toys

• Paddling pools

• Parent and baby washrooms

• Car parking by the pitch

• Family rooms with built-in baby baths

• Toddlers’ play areas

Port Lympne Reserve, Hythe, Kent:

Children from toddler age and above will be amazed at the wildlife experience offered at Port Lympne Reserve. This wild animal park sits within 600 acres of beautiful surroundings looking out across Romney Marsh to the sea, with around 100 acres dedicated to the African Experience, giving visitors the chance to take a safari and spot the animals roaming free. Children will enjoy seeing all the spectacular animals including several endangered species. They can also take time out in the play area while parents relax at one of the cafés  or guests can take a relaxing family picnic in the fields.

The two-bedroom lodge tents offer the most spacious accommodation for families and can sleep up to eight people.  A three-night stay starts from £600 and includes full access to the park.

Tiny Wooden House, Southam, Warwickshire:

This unique concept for luxury glamping is entirely family friendly and ideal for those who want something that is more like a home from home. Located on a working arable farm, Tiny Wooden House sits in one acre of mown pasture for the exclusive use of guests, their children and even their dogs. It is just a short walk from a host of village pubs and a farm shop and within a short drive from Royal Leamington Spa, historic Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon, so there is plenty to do to keep everyone entertained. Guests can enjoy all the home comforts and more as there is an all-weather indoor barbecue and family-size hot tub. This two-bedroom lodge offers a two-night stay from £250 for five people.

Broadhembury Caravan & Camping Park, Ashford, Kent:

This award-winning park has the best of both worlds. For couples and adults, the relaxing Meadows area has quiet surroundings to watch the stunning sunsets - perfect for taking in the pretty scenery. Alternatively, families looking for a fun-filled break in the great outdoors will find pitches in the family camping area which has a children’s play park set back from the road for that added peace of mind. There is also a separate under-sevens play area for the really little ones, and for when the British weather does its best, there is an indoor games room.

The site is fully equipped with modern amenities such as centrally heated showers, toilets, family bathrooms, baby rooms and an ensuite block with wheelchair access. For any budding chefs in the group there is a campers’ kitchen and a herb garden to add some extra flavour to dinners, while a well-equipped on-site shop has all the essentials and a large Tesco is only a short drive away.  Pitches for tents, tourers and caravans cost from £23 per night.

Newperran Holiday Park, Newquay, Cornwall:

Families who want five-star facilities and everything under one roof will love Newperran Holiday Park near Newquay. The site has a brand new heated indoor pool with a separate heated children’s pool meaning that little swimmers can enjoy the water in safety.

After a dip in the pool the whole family can soak up the sun on the terrace or for more active youngsters the adventure playground has areas for both toddlers and older children. Wet weather days are equally well catered for in the site’s big games room where there are video games and pool tables.

Other facilities on site include shower/toilet blocks, disabled facilities, family room with baby bath, launderette, shop and restaurant.  The park is surrounded by hedges and farmland away from the main roads and enjoys panoramic views of the countryside and coast. Pitches start from £20.85 per night or for added luxury there are two-bedroom caravans available from £299 for seven nights.

Smytham Manor, Great Torrington, Devon:

Situated in Devon, Smytham Manor is in the grounds of a seventeenth-century manor house in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, part of the North Devon World Biosphere Reserve. Children will love catching sight of the wildlife that visit the woodland and ponds on site.

There is a friendly-family bar, children's games room and play area as well as an outdoor heated pool with sun terrace, adult-only pool table and putting green, so there is something to keep everyone happy. Other facilities include a shower block, baby changing area, dishwashing area and a shop. Pitches start from £16 per night and there is also a family camping pod which sleeps four from £52 per night. The pod features an outdoor porch area complete with table and chairs.

Camping L’Etang de Bazange, Bergerac, Dordogne:

Great family sites are not just restricted to the UK as Pitchup.com has over 300 places to stay in France, including Camping L'Etang de Bazange in Périgord. The site has an excellent range of facilities for those travelling en famille including a heated swimming pool with waterslides and a paddling pool for junior guests.

Dads will love the two-hectare fishing pond filled with carp and roach and the whole family can take a break from cooking and enjoy ice creams, drinks, fresh bread, pastries and pizzas in the on-site bar. Mainstay facilities include a laundry room, barbecue area, and a pétanque court with high season extending activities and workshops to include guided countryside walks, cookery workshops, a mini club, astronomy and campfire nights, sports tournaments and water games.  Accommodation ranges from tent and touring pitches from just £10.04 per night through to five-person family holiday homes from £186.32 for seven nights.

Camping Riu, Gerona, Cataluna:

For families who prefer a real outdoor-style holiday, Camping Riu is ideal.  Located in the heart of the Aigüamolls de l'Empordà nature park, the site has a great range of outdoor activities for the whole family including kayaking, fishing, birdwatching, hiking and cycling.  On-site facilities include a swimming pool with paddling pool and Jacuzzi, gym, playground and a restaurant serving meals all day long. In high season families can take advantage of additional activities including magic nights, discos, and mini club.  There is a wide range of accommodation on site starting from £13.81 per night for a pitch through to £50.36 per night for a fully-furnished family cabin.

For more ideas about how to make the most of an outdoor family holiday, visit the Pitchup.com camping with babies and toddlers blog. 

For media information:

Contact Samantha Marsh at White Tiger PR

samantha.marsh@whitetigerpr.com 07711 265666

About Pitchup.com

Founded in 2009 by former lastminute.com man, Dan Yates, multi-award winning Pitchup.com is a free guide to all types of outdoor accommodation in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Croatia, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland and Switzerland.  Pitchup.com, which currently lists over 5,800 sites, provides users with a simple platform in which they can search and book an outdoor holiday with total ease: the customer journey from landing on the homepage through to booking a holiday can be completed in as little as four pages.  The site also goes beyond traditional searches by allowing users to search for accommodation based on more than 80 criteria, such as adults only and campfires allowed, and view nearby events, Good Pub Guide pubs and VisitBritain attractions.  It’s also possible to check out water bathing water quality in the surrounding area with data provided by the European Environment Agency.  Users can also search on the offers page to find the best deals available.

In 2013 Pitchup.com became the first business of its type to launch a bookable mobile app and site, making the site easily accessible to users of mobile and tablet devices.  The mobile site now accounts for 21% of bookings.

Pitchup.com enables users to search for all types of parks and sites from the major brands right through to one-off campsites and unique outdoor accommodation options, which may not have previously had a web presence.

Awards include Best UK Travel Website of the Year at the British Travel Press Awards 2011, and most recently Best Travel / Leisure / Sports / Mobile Strategy / Campaign at the Marketing on Mobile Awards 2014.