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Aldi’s summer camping range launches this weekend and includes a tent that promises to transform your car into a comfortable place to bed down – for less than £70.
Car camping – where you push down the back seats and use the extended boot as a makeshift bed has become increasingly popular in recent years…with tourists turning the country’s car parks into places to stay.
Fans of the cut-price holiday trend say car camping is more comfortable than sleeping directly outdoors under canvas, and promises assured shelter from poor weather.
Until recently, it’s a pursuit that has required a certain amount of improvisation, with Facebook groups dedicated to sharing tips on how best to get a decent night’s kip in the great outdoors.
However, Aldi’s latest camping range includes not only a tent that attaches to the back of a vehicle but also an inflatable double mattress that fits around wheel arches.
The tent, which comes in beige or grey and folds into a portable bag with handles, is on sale for £69.99, while the mattress, which includes a pump that connects to the charger in a car, retails at £19.99.
Available as Special Buys from Sunday 22nd March, there’s also black-out blinds at £2.99 each to ensure your tent-car doesn’t let too much light in.
The brand is hoping to capitalise on a bumper year for staycations in the UK, as uncertainty continues around holidays abroad following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
The Car Camping UK group on Facebook, which has more than 200,000 members, sees fans sharing advice on how best to convert your car into a hotel room for the night.
One recent post saw a car camper transform a Honda Jazz using ‘conservatory cushions inside a duvet cover as my mattress’.
They also had a portable, folding loo, hanging storage and fly netting to keep out bugs.
Car camping is allowed in the UK provided a car is parked in a space legally, although adding a tent to the rear of a car may see it take up more than a designated space.
With predictions of a bumper staycation summer ahead, it’s a holiday trend that’s likely to become ever more popular.
UK travel companies this week said they’re already seeing ‘similar patterns’ to during the pandemic when it comes to people making the decision to holiday at home this summer.
The Special Buys leaflet from Aldi highlights the range, including black-out blinds at £2.99
Richard Young, CEO of selfcatering.co.uk, told the Daily Mail the holiday rental site has seen a 37 per cent rise in UK staycation searches and bookings since the conflict began.
He puts the increase down to ‘more travellers opting for the reassurance and value of staying closer to home’.
Young added: ‘Changes in global conditions and rising fuel costs can quickly shape how people approach their holiday plans and when travelling abroad becomes more expensive and feels less certain, many start to consider options closer to home.
‘We saw a similar pattern during the pandemic, as well as periods of airline disruption and previous fuel price spikes.’
Google searches for several spots across the UK are currently soaring compared to this time last year, suggesting holidaymakers might be looking for stays closer to home.
Enquiries for ‘UK holiday cottage’ have surged by 260 per cent this month, while the rolling hills and scenic views of the Lake District are pulling in 129 per cent more compared to the same time last year.
The Cotswolds is seeing a 128 per cent increase too, and other popular staycation destinations like Wales, Scotland and Norfolk have experienced a rise in interest, according to data collected by holiday home insurance specialists Schofields Insurance.
Awaze, the parent company of Cottages.com, Hoseasons and James Villas, reports a surge in demand too.
Bookings in July for Cottages.com and Hoseasons are up 26 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
CEO Matthew Price puts it down to British holidaymakers ‘prioritising escape and calm over the stress of long-haul travel, choosing the convenience and beauty of a UK staycation instead’.
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