ury

WHEN it comes to camping-style holidays, the world seems to be divided into two categories - those who love it and those who positively hate it.

The 'hate it' brigade can't imagine anything worse than a so-called holiday where you not only have to do your own cooking and cleaning, but you also have to take your own accommodation with you.

There are millions of camping lovers who will say: "You don't know what you are missing." And most of the critics genuinely don't know what they are missing with modern camping and caravanning.

Because once you have tried it, unless you have been thoroughly demoralised by a wet weekend and an appalling site, you'll be back for more of the go-as-you-please luxury of camping life.

More and more people are abandoning their conventional holiday patterns in favour of self-catering, with many families turning to camping and caravanning.

Those who take to tents enjoy the freedom and comparative comfort at very little cost. Caravanners can take to the open roads with the knowledge that they too can come and go as they please or take meals as they travel along at a pace which suits them.

It makes good sense for anyone who is in doubt about whether the family will take to camping to hire the equipment for the first season.

Usually, however, most people who do take this precaution go on to acquire their own gear for the next season. Once hooked, they seldom revert to their old holiday pattern.

The average tent and equipment, properly looked after, should last for 10 years and a caravan should last quite a bit longer.

Camp sites exist throughout the British Isles and Europe as well as in more distant places.

Their standards vary enormously according to what you are prepared to pay for them.

Many countries like France, use a grading system for their sites so that all prospective customers can get an idea in advance of what they are likely to find on arrival.

Simple UK sites can have as little as a water tap and a chemical toilet disposal point or, in the case of luxury sites, be as lavish as the owner's imagination allows.

Prices also vary considerably, with the small sites generally asking a nominal sum while the very sophisticated ones will have a price for the pitch and the equipment used, plus extra for additional people above a stated number.

Other Europeans see their camping in a different light and it is not unusual for wives and children to spend several weeks on a camp site during the summer vacation while their husbands commute nightly or at weekends.

This usually means the wives are without transport during their absence, making it imperative for it to be completely self-contained and equipped with every convenience.

In the UK we tend to camp or caravan more to escape from our urban existence, so that the aesthetic rural surroundings of a particular site are far more likely to impress a British camper than the sheer weight of swings and roundabouts.

However, a lot more British sites are beginning to install electrical hook-ups on many of their pitches and lots have a shop, social club and showers.

Most enthusiasts tend to join a club, as it puts them in touch with similarly-minded people. Clubs like the Camping and Caravanning Club cater for all types of camping and caravanning, as long as it is mobile equipment.

They operate a nationwide sites network and provide members with a variety of other useful services, such as a Continental touring service, breakdown and recovery at preferential rates, a sites guide and map and a monthly magazine.

The rush is on to the great outdoors - more people than ever are going camping and caravanning.

The 1990s saw a dramatic growth in popularity of camping in tents, caravans and motor caravans in Great Britain, so much so that in the new decade some 70 million holiday nights are now spent in caravans alone.

A touring caravan is a 'home on the road', offering the privacy and comfort of familiar surroundings, transported to the coast or countryside of your choice.

Your caravan is a home, but at the same time it's a holiday and it's there whenever you want to relax and take a break from routine.

But you are never tied down to complicated schedules when you tour with a caravan - you can make up your holiday as you go along.

Membership of the Camping and Caravanning Club, the country's major organisation for all campers, has leapt by 46 percent since 1990 to total almost 300,000, a record figure in the club's history. It was founded in 1901.

Politician Margaret Beckett, an enthusiastic caravanner, reported that a record £1.5 billion is spent in the UK on caravanning holidays annually.

The Camping and Caravanning Club's camp sites throughout the country are seeing their busiest years ever.

The club is now developing new sites to cater for the increased demand.

Director-general David Welsford commented: "More and more people are discovering that camping and caravanning is an inexpensive, healthy and fun way to spend their leisure and enjoy the countryside and open air.

"It provides a holiday or break that appeals to all ages, tastes and family budgets."

British campers and caravanners are also becoming more adventurous and going camping further afield throughout Europe.

France and Spain are still popular - but more and more campers are travelling to eastern Europe, to enjoy holidays in Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland.

The club's overseas holiday booking service, Carefree Travel, now organises holidays at over 100 sites in many European countries. With modern caravans, motor caravans and even tents now providing more comfort and amenities than ever, camping families certainly don't have to 'rough it' on their travels.

For instance, caravans can be just as luxurious as your own home, with central heating, hot running water, tv and electronic goods.