Glamping: a different kind of outdoor vacation

Opinions about camping are sharply divided: some shudder at wet tents, flat air mattresses, extreme heat and long lines in front of public bathrooms. Others revel in the incomparable freedom and nature. They sleep on their own sheets in the fresh air, are happy to put a steak on the fire and delighted by the quiet and simplicity – they camp for its own sake. It's their hobby.

Everyone prefers something different on their vacation: a tent or a suite, an air mattress or a king size bed, a candle or a chandelier. But demand for outdoor vacations is clearly growing. As life gets increasingly hectic, many people long for a slower pace and turn to nature for rest and relaxation. They feel rejuvenated by waking up to birds chirping and not by painting the town red at night.

Nature lovers and families particularly love to go camping: from simply putting up a tent in the outdoors to traveling with well-equipped RVs or caravans. Children love campgrounds since they're a great place to quickly make friends to play with. Sleeping in a tent – showering together? Most children think it's awesome and exciting, but many parents merely shudder. They find it too inconvenient, too impersonal and – if it rains – much too wet. For them, a vacation without some luxury is completely out of the question. This sentiment is shared by many businesspeople who want to relax during their vacation, not set up tents or pump up air mattresses. So: yes to the outdoors, but only with the creature comforts of a hotel.

The travel industry is increasingly catering to this desire, offering beautiful and luxurious outdoor lodgings all over the world: circus wagons, mobile homes, chalets, tipis, yurts, safari tents and even tree houses. Campsite owners are also increasingly offering luxurious and comfortable lodgings with innerspring mattresses, wood burning stoves and bathrooms. Luxury camping is known as "glamping", a portmanteau of glamor and camping. This comfy camping is booming in Switzerland, too: at Lake Zurich, for example, vacationers can rent luxurious safari tents – and sip champagne for breakfast. Most glamping offers are in the Canton of Ticino, followed by Wallis and then by Thurgau.(source: www.glamping.info).

Strong demand for glamping sites shows that people want certain comforts in nature. However, the accommodations are permanently installed, just like hotels, and lodging prices vary depending on the degree of luxury provided. Those who want more freedom turn to DO IT YOURSELF glamping, or DIY glamping for short: campers bring upgraded gear, and not just the bare necessities. They equip their RVs or caravans with comfortable bedding, espresso makers, tablecloths, napkins and champagne flutes. Then, for example, they add loungers, grills and decorative lighting for the exterior.

Anyone who arranges their own glamping vacation combines nature and luxury with freedom and spontaneity. This type of vacation is gaining in popularity in Switzerland, too. In 2000, there were only just 23,000 RVs in Switzerland; in 2020 the number had more than tripled, to around 71,000 vehicles. People who travel with caravans tend to spend two to three weeks at campgrounds, while RVers drive longer distances and switch campgrounds more frequently. Incidentally, the boom in RV sales is a pan-European trend. However, modern-day camping has changed considerably and has little in common with camping 25 years ago.

In most European countries, you will have to use campgrounds if you travel with an RV or a caravan as wild camping is either prohibited or severely restricted. However, campgrounds come in all kinds of flavors: everything from a simple meadow with a wash house to well-equipped miniature villages with supermarkets, restaurants, swimming pools, saunas, TVs and fitness centers and WiFi.

Whether you're traveling with an RV or a caravan, there are several things to consider when you hit the road with a total weight of about 3,000 kilos. Here are the most important tips:

• Take up the whole width of the road. Trailers need more room than a car, especially on roundabouts and at corners.
• Keep a wide birth when maneuvering: if you turn a corner, make sure not to turn the steering wheel until the caravan's wheel has also reached the corner. If you turn before that, the caravan will not swing around the corner.
• When you back up, you have to turn the steering wheel to the right to steer the caravan to the left (in the direction of travel): think ahead when steering your vehicle and plan your maneuver before you start driving.
• Brake gently and early. Cars with heavy loads have a longer brake path than the cars you usually drive without loads. Also, curves must be rounded at slower speeds with loaded cars.
• Passing other cars is much more difficult with a caravan: follow them patiently until you get to a clear spot and there is absolutely no oncoming traffic.

Check all the connections between your car and the travel trailer: is the safety switch green, the lever firmly pressed, are the power and brake cables connected and secured (must not touch the ground), is the jockey wheel retracted and secured and is the trailer's emergency brake released? Once that's done, check the lighting and turning signals on your car and trailer, switch the refrigerator to car battery, close the gas cylinders, close all doors, closets, drawers, windows and the skylight of the trailer and check that everything is battened down so that it won't slide. You may also have to adjust the tire pressure (including the spare tire): pump up the rear tires on the towing vehicle to 0.3 to 0.5 bar above the specified value. The tire pressure on the trailer should generally be 3.5 to 4.0 bar. Adjust the side mirrors properly and enjoy your vacation.