Cost and convenience
One of the biggest factors is cost. How much cash do you want to splash — and what are you willing to pay for? Camping is notoriously cheap; all you really need is to choose a reasonably good tent and then find a place to put it. Of course, the costs of camping can add up, but glamping tends to be the more expensive of the two options — and whether it’s value for money depends on your ideas about holidaying.
The premium you pay for glamping covers two things: luxury and ease. Glamping is intended to be a more luxe experience than camping, and that can mean real beds and bedlinen, access to private showers and toilets, electricity, wi-fi, a fully-fitted kitchen — almost any modern amenity you can think of.
There are many different kinds of glamping available, from bell tents to two-storey constructions surrounded by nature. If luxury is your priority, glamping will be a great option for you. Glamping also offers convenience in return for its higher paygrade: you don’t have to erect the tent yourself, clean the sheets, or do any of the running around that’s associated with holidaying under canvas. That’s a load off your mind, and also means more time to do your own thing and go explore.
Getting the full experience
Camping, however, has its own advantages. For one thing, glamping is more restricted by site. While glamping has become far more popular in recent years, camping still has the edge for location, in that you can be more mobile, packing up a tent and moving it to the next campsite at the drop of a hat. Camping can arguably also feel ‘closer’ to nature and the great outdoors, which is partially the reason there are a number of health benefits associated with camping – there’s only canvas and a sleeping mat between you and the grass, you’re woken by the sun and your morning soundtrack is birdsong.
If you have older kids, the adventures of camping, and the responsibility of raising the tent and doing the jobs that come with a camping holiday, may be more fun and absorbing. Very young children, however, may be better suited to glamping, as it’s more managed and there’s more time to devote to their needs.
In the argument that is camping vs glamping, it comes down to personal preference. Fortunately, many campsites these days contain both camping and glamping sites, so you can pick and choose – or even go from camping in one place to glamping in the next. The camping world is your oyster. Whatever you choose, though, no type of camping can change the weather. Glampers and campers get rained on alike!