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CAMPING AND CARAVANNING
 

Eco friendly guide to help you choose from campsites and caravan parks throughout the UK and across Europe 

 

 

  CAMPING AND CARAVANNING OPERATORS GUIDE

Eurocamp + 

Eurocamp calls itself the market-leader in self-catering holidays to Europe, offering the widest choice of camping options in over 180 parcs in 9 countries with facilities for couples and families and activities ranging from canoeing, cycling, horse riding, windsurfing and diving to simply playing in the pools and water features. Its Green Team aims to protect the environment, conserve natural resources and minimise pollution and parent company Holidaybreak has received the prestigious AITO 5-star award for responsible tourism. 

Forest Holidays  

Forest Holidays owns and operates 21 caravan and camping sites in stunning locations in England, Scotland and Wales in partnership with The Camping and Caravanning Club, plus 5 cabin sites. The company operates entirely within the estate of the Forestry Commission, a Government Department. Each area has its own selection of Active Adventures, from pony trekking to sailing, plus expeditions with the Rangers. The company’s aim is to be as close to 100% environmentally friendly as possible. It has joined the Green Tourism Business Scheme and some of the sites have been presented with David Bellamy Conservation Awards.

Haven Holidays +

Haven Holidays owns and operates 35 family holiday parks throughout England, Scotland and Wales - close to some of Britain’s most beautiful beaches and brightest resorts. Accommodation ranges from caravans, chalets, apartments, tents and yurts. There are pools, kids clubs, sports facilities, and family entertainment. Environmental concerns are taken seriously and measures include water conservation, recycling and reducing energy consumption. Four Parks have prestigious Green Tourism Business Scheme awards, one with Gold status. 

Hoseasons +  

Hoseasons describes itself as the UK's leading self-catering holiday specialist, selling over a million holidays a year on behalf of the owners of a range of family holiday parks, chalets and caravan parks - plus other accommodation and boat hires - in coastal, city and countryside settings throughout Britain, Ireland and mainland Europe. The company’s environment policy aims for savings of energy and resources, and the reduction of waste and effluent. It encourages holiday park owners to gain recognition for their efforts and of the 300+ locations featured about one in eight hold David Bellamy awards.

Keycamp Holidays +

Mobile home and camping holidays on over 100 sites, in 7 European countries. They are ideal for all age groups from families, with children’s clubs for tots to teenagers, or couples seeking an activity holiday – from scuba diving to sailing, cycling to horse riding, windsurfing to canoeing. The firm’s environmentally friendly practices have been recognized with the Five Star Award for Responsible Tourism by AITO. 

Parkdean Holidays +

Operates 24 Holiday Parks in the UK. Accommodation ranges from caravan holiday homes, lodges, apartments and chalets, available for short breaks and longer holidays throughout the year. Caravan and camping pitches are also available at many locations. Many of the holiday parks have been given the David Bellamy Conservation gold, silver and bronze awards.  

The Camping and Caravanning Club

The world's oldest and largest club for all forms of camping has over 100 top quality camp sites with excellent facilities throughout the UK, the majority of which have achieved Gold David Bellamy Conservation Awards. There are a further 1,200 smaller 5 van certificated sites which are exclusive to members, set in some of the most beautiful parts of the country. The club has a 100-year history of respect for the environment and has an active Countryside Care section. Also on offer is Carefree, its specialist service for international travel.

UKParks.com

This is an online guide featuring members of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association. It has more than 2,900 listings for Holiday Parks, caravan, camping, touring, chalets and lodges. These include over 600 of the most environment-friendly parks that have won David Bellamy Conservation Awards. You can search for which parks hold gold, silver or bronze awards.

 

 

 

 
 OFFERS 
 

ecofriendlytourist.com features camping and caravanning deals plus offers for hotels, ferries, car hire, activities - and more

 

Visit our special offers page ►

 

 ABOUT THIS GUIDE  

 

 

To decide which eco-friendly camping and caravan site operators to list we rely on our own professional research plus recommendations by other writers.

 

Unfortunately there is no universally accepted set of standards for eco-friendly tourism and dozens of bodies provide inspection and certification.   Some of these have rigorous vetting procedures while others just require payment of a membership fee. 

 

A number of the operators included in this guide have won environmental awards or belong to specialist responsible travel groups. For instance:

 

The trade body BH&HPA (The British Holiday & Home Parks Association) represents owners and managers of holiday, residential, tenting and touring parks. It operates the David Bellamy Conservation Awards (named after the well known botanist, broadcaster and environmental campaigner). Gold, Silver and Bronze awards are made each year to parks which can demonstrate active concern for the environment. Assessors, assisted by local nature groups and holidaymakers, examine every aspect of park management  from the protection of plant and animal habitats to the efficient use of energy and recycling.

 

The trade body AITO (The Association of Independent Tour Operators) lists on its website members saying they practice responsible tourism and a star rating system. It also gives awards.

 

  

HOW IT WORKS

 

There are direct links to each tour operator’s own website. Some of these links are to sites with which we are affiliated. If you click through to these sites or make a purchase from them this may result in us receiving a fee or commission. These links are clearly indicated with this symbol: +

 

There are also links to sites which do not pay us. Any link or other information is only be included if we believe it is useful and reliable - not whether we are paid.

 

To suggest an operator for inclusion please contact us

 

 

 ABOUT GREEN CAMPING AND CARAVANNING 

 

 

Camping holidays have traditionally been considered eco friendly. With their large open areas and relatively few permanent structures many sites can, if required, quite easily be restored to their original state. There is a boom in camping holidays, especially since they are cheaper than many other options. According to market research by Mintel, there is a trend towards ‘glamping’ – glamorous and lavish camping. Yet some of the extra frills on offer could have a damagaing environmental cost.  

 

The National Caravan Council, a trade body, says there are about 500,000 touring caravans in use in the UK making caravanning among the most popular holiday choices. It has set up the Green Caravanning website to help people make more informed choices. It compares various sample holiday journeys in terms of the number of grams of carbon per kilometre per passenger and features a simple calculator. 

 

Whether using an established campsite or caravan park or just doing your own thing away from the established sites here are some tips to make your stay greener: don’t drop litter and do recycle it; avoid making fires but do use a camping gas stove or even solid fuel for cooking – beware of polluting and damaging the ecosystem; no paper plates - use good camping plates, bowls, and cutlery; be sparing of water usage and don’t dispose of dirty water near rivers and streams; and do follow the Countryside Code. 

 

 

 CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

 

Visit our guide to where to buy clothing, kit, equipment and accessories for your holiday.

 

Find out more ► 

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