Frequently Asked Questions
What does Ryanair know about camping? 
The camping holidays offered on this website are organised by Alan Rogers Guides under an agreement with Ryanair. Alan Rogers has published the market-leading European campsite guides by the same name for over 40 years and has a close relationship with a vast number of quality campsites throughout Europe. Alan Rogers’ technology partner, CtoutVert enables individual campsites to provide up-to-date availability and pricing and make unique special offers to Ryanair passengers. By booking your camping holiday through this site you are booking directly with the individual campsite concerned and paying the lowest possible price for your holiday by cutting out the middleman.
I haven’t been camping before – will I like it?
Forget all memories of Barbara Windsor in ‘Carry on Camping’ – this is modern-day camping on modern-day campsites which are more like holiday villages than windswept fields. Today’s camping in Europe is an ideal and cost-effective holiday solution for families with young children or teenagers as so many campsites offer fabulous swimming pools, games areas and plenty of evening entertainment. Couples too can relax on quieter sites with convivial bars and fine restaurants – you can find whatever you’re looking for when camping in Europe.
Do I have to take my own tent?
No you don’t. All our campsites offer ‘pre-sited’ accommodation, usually a mobile home (also known as a static caravan) which will have a minimum of two separate bedrooms, hot and cold running water, kitchen, a hot shower and fully-plumbed toilet. Many sites offer a variation on the mobile home – wooden chalets are particularly popular. If you prefer to take your own tent, that’s perfectly possible too. From the search menu, simply choose ‘pitch only’ and you will be able to book your own patch of ground ready and waiting for you to arrive with your own camping gear.
What else do I need to take with me?
This obviously depends whether you are booking pre-sited accommodation (a mobile home, chalet or perhaps a ready-erected tent) or whether you are planning to take your own camping gear with you. If you book pre-sited accommodation then you’ll usually find all the necessary kitchen equipment, crockery, cutlery etc waiting for you together with indoor and outdoor table and chairs. You will often need to take your own bedding (pillows and blankets are often provided and sheets can sometimes be hired) but you should check the individual description for your chosen accommodation for full inventory details. If you are planning on booking a ‘pitch only’ you will need to take all your own camping gear as well – the booking will just be for an area of grass on the campsite!
How accurate are the campsite descriptions on this site?
It is the responsibility of each individual campsite to provide the written description of their campsite and list all available facilities. We do not double check this information as we only provide the technology for you to make your booking with the campsite and believe the campsite is in the best position to describe what it has to offer. That said, all campsites that are included in the Alan Rogers campsite guides and which have been recently inspected by us, do have a link to the description published in our guides. This provides a useful ‘second opinion’ in many cases.
Are campsites open all year round?
Some are but most are not. Camping is a pretty seasonal business and sites in northern Europe tend to close when the weather is unlikely to favour camping! If you search availability outside the main holiday months (April to October) you may see a limited number of campsites listed. This isn’t because there are so many sites that are fully booked, just that they are closed.
Will all facilities listed be available at all times of the season?
The simple answer has to be ‘no’. Camping, unlike hotel or villa holidays, is quite seasonal and campsites tend to be operated as seasonal businesses, staffing up for the peak period in July and August and often viewing other months as the ‘off season’. Whilst it is perfectly reasonable to assume that major facilities such as swimming pools should be open at all times the campsite is open, there may be other services such as entertainment that could be unavailable outside July and August. Campsite bars, shops and restaurants can also open for restricted hours outside the main holiday period. If a particular service or facility is of particular importance to you we suggest you email the campsite in advance of booking to clarify what you may be able to reasonably expect.
Should I hire a car?
It depends! Many of our campsites are relatively self-contained with a bar, shop and restaurant at your disposal and depending on the sort of holiday you’re looking for, you may feel content to stay on site for most of your stay and save the cost of car hire. Many sites also offer a free or paid-for shuttle service from the nearest Ryanair airport and failing this, a taxi transfer is often a reasonable option. That said, to get the most from your holiday, we would often suggest hiring a car for all or part of your stay. Many campsites are located a couple of miles from the nearest town and some are located in regions which deserve discovering with the odd trip out!
How are prices calculated?
All prices are shown in local currency and are based on the campsites’ own public prices (special offer prices for Ryanair passengers often apply). The price you will be quoted will be for your whole party rather than per person but it is important that you enter details of all party members (including ages) as you go through the booking process as the final price may depend on the size of your party and the number and age of any children travelling with you. The initial ‘from’ price quoted on the search results page is a ‘base price’ before we ask for your party details. This price will be updated as you add this information.
How do I make a booking?
Simply search for a campsite close to your destination airport and choose the accommodation you would like to book for your chosen dates. The information provided about the campsite and the accommodation is supplied by the campsite itself and availability information is also maintained by the campsite. When you make your booking you will need a credit or debit card to pay a deposit (often around 30% of the total cost but varies by site). The final payment will be made direct to the campsite either prior to or on arrival (depending on the campsite's terms and conditions). The price of your holiday will always be quoted in local currency and will be based on the campsite’s public prices (special offer prices for Ryanair passengers often apply).
Is my booking confirmed immediately?
All pricing and availability information is kept up to date by the individual campsites featured on this website. When you make your booking and pay your deposit you are making a booking request directly to the campsite concerned. The campsite will need to make a final check of your booking and latest availability and then confirm the booking to you by email. This can sometimes be immediate but can sometimes take up to 48 hours if over a weekend when the booking office might be unmanned. We encourage speedy response and we remove campsites from this website if they refuse a significant number of booking requests. The average level of booking acceptance is over 95%.
Is it safe to use my credit card information on this site?
Certainly. Your credit card payment will be taken through the secure pages of the secureholiday.net system. All information is encrypted online and transferred securely direct to the campsite who will debit your card. We accept Visa, Visa Electron, Mastercard and Maestro cards.
I haven’t received a confirmation, what should I do?
After you make your booking and pay your deposit you will receive an immediate email confirmation explaining that the campsite will then make a final check of your booking and confirm the booking to you by email. If you do not receive the first confirmation email within minutes of making your booking please check your Spam or Junk Mail folders to make sure the message hasn’t been deleted automatically. If you do not receive this initial confirmation, please contact us. You should receive a final email confirmation very quickly and usually within 48 hours but we recommend that you wait until 72 hours have passed before contacting us. if this final confirmation isn’t received.
I need to change my booking, what should I do?
You should contact the campsite directly to request a change to your booking. Contact details are given on your confirmation e-mail. It helps to quote your booking reference number in any correspondence with the campsite. Changes to your initial booking will inevitably be subject to availability and are always at the discretion of the individual campsite. If a change to your booking is not possible, your deposit and booking fee are usually non-refundable.
Is the deposit refundable in the event of a cancellation?
No. You should make sure that you take out appropriate travel insurance including cancellation cover in case you need to cancel your holiday through unforeseen circumstances.
What if I simply change my mind and want to 'back out' after booking?
Once you have made your booking and paid your deposit you have entered into a contract with the campsite concerned. In making the booking you will have accepted the campsite's own booking conditions which will usually mean that no refund of deposit is possible. If you realise that you have simply made a mistake when booking and just need to alter dates or party member details you should contact the campsite directly to request a change to your booking. Contact details are given on your confirmation e-mail. It helps to quote your booking reference number in any correspondence with the campsite.
What happens if I don’t arrive and haven’t contacted the campsite?
In the event of a ‘no show’ the campsite may often charge your credit card for the total outstanding amount due. Each campsite has its own booking conditions which you need to agree to before making the booking. Please check these conditions carefully as they should explain their rules in relation to this.
Do I need to reconfirm my booking before I arrive?
No, this should not be necessary. You will have received a booking confirmation from the campsite itself which you can show on arrival so you can be sure that your booking has been made and is secure.
I need to cancel my reservation what do I do?
If you need to cancel your booking you should contact the campsite directly using the contact details on your booking confirmation. Please remember to quote your booking reference in any correspondence with the campsite. In the event of a cancellation, the booking fee and deposit are always non-refundable. In addition, there may be other charges levied depending on the time left before your booked arrival. Each campsite has its own booking conditions which you need to agree to before making the booking. Please check these conditions carefully as they should explain their rules in relation to this.