How does glamping differ to camping?

The standard of accommodation is the defining factor of glamping.

If your accommodation is in the boot of your car or in your rucksack, you’re camping; if you’re turning up to your already assembled (or built) accommodation, you’re glamping. Glamping spots come in loads of different forms, from geo-domes to cabins and lodges, but one thing they all share is not being a self-assembled tent.

One of the main reasons many people choose to glamp is the bed and bathroom facilities. Beds and bathrooms can be found in all sorts of shapes and sizes depending on the sort of glamping retreat you choose, but they’ll almost certainly be a significant step up from sleeping on the floor or digging a hole in the woods to do your ‘business’. Toilets, showers, and even bed linen are all likely to be provided when glamping.

Cooking is usually fairly easy and convenient when you’re glamping. You’ll sometimes be provided with a kitchenette or BBQ, although not always. Sure, it’s a little less adventurous than cooking things up on a little camping stove but you’ll probably be able to cook up something much more interesting from a culinary point of view. Fridges, kettles, and ovens are often, but not always, present and they’ll obviously make for a much easier (though arguably less exciting) cooking and coffee-making process.

Other things that you might find at glamping spots is heating, insulation, and a greater, more reassuring, sense of security.

Two important things to consider when glamping are the location and price of your trip away. Where camping offers explorers the freedom to choose (within limits) where they want to pitch up for the night, glamping spots are usually rooted to the spot and embrace a specific area of the outdoors. Glamping will also, almost certainly, set you back more price-wise. For some though, the opportunity to have a more comfortable outdoor experience is likely to make this extra cost worth it.

How Much Does Glamping Cost?

Average price-per-night for a stay in the UK:

• Wild camping: £0 (providing you have all the gear – and the ideas)
• Normal campsite: £5 – £30
• Glamping: £100+

Of course, it varies depending on how luxurious the camping option is but, as an example, as of last year, Three Cliffs Bay in Penmaen, Wales, charge £68.50 for three nights of camping at their site (a site complete with power showers and a shop) or £454 for three nights of glamping in their yurts. It’s quite the difference, but remember you’re paying for a place to stay rather than just the entry fee to the spot of land.

In the grand scheme of the UK ‘staycation’ scene, it could be argued that glamping offers an environmentally-friendly alternative to more traditional types of holiday accommodation.

With limited costs on heating and water (you’re unlikely to have a TV, and electricity in a yurt, for example), locally sourced produce to be had (depending on where you’re staying), and little-to-no carbon footprint (especially if you travel to your destination in a more eco-friendly way), glamping has the potential to be a more sustainable holiday experience.

Whether you’re getting a night’s sleep in a yurt or setting off in that flying saucer, there’s definitely a green angle to be considered when weighing up whether glamping in the UK is right for you. It’s certainly better for the environment than flying to an all-inclusive resort on the other side of the world.

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