HAVE you ever wanted to go camping but avoid the extreme weather from rain and wind to this summer’s heatwave?
If you want all the delights of a camping holiday without the interchanging weather you can have it – just camp indoors.
While not a new concept. more indoor campsites are starting to boom in popularity.
And more campers could be on the road to testing it out thanks to the recent unpredictable weather.
What you might be imagining when thinking of ‘indoor camping’ is a row of two-person tents lined up inside.
But there are some very cool sites indoor camping sites in Europe with retro caravans, beach huts and cosy communal areas.
In Amsterdam, the city’s only indoor campsite is called Outside Inn.
It’s more upmarket than you’d think with actual caravans inside all with varying themes from vintage, to retro, even a beach house and camping pods.
They’re fitted with beds and ‘outside’ are sets of tables and chairs so you can enjoy the campsite views.
There’s a self-service bar as well selling hot and cold drinks as well as snacks – or you can bring your own food just like you’d do on a camping trip.
There are shared facilities like showers and toilets, a chill-out lounge and games on the ‘lawn’ from badminton to board games.
To give the illusion of being outside, lights are turned down at around 10.30pm with no noise allowed after 11pm.
One visitor said it’s “just like camping. Super cool people from all over the world super nice to share meals together by the almost real campfire.”
Others say it’s a simpler and fun place to base yourself while exploring the city. A one-night stay here starts from £62.
Another similar indoor campsite in Europe is Basecamp Bonn in Germany where visitors can sleep in anything from vintage caravans to sleeper trains.
This campsite is inside a former storage facility and it’s huge with 120 beds inside various transport and trailers.
It’s a funky spot with a blue sky backdrop where there are themed caravans, Airstreams and outside are the trains which have 28 individual sleeping compartments.
Included in the price is breakfast, bed linen, towels, wi-fi and parking – stays for two start from £85.
Then there’s Daheim Indoorcamping which one visitor called a ‘hidden gem of Triberg’ where stays for two start from as £44.
It’s filled with caravans all of which have different themes – one is even kitted up for Christmas.
There are also Safari tents, summer houses, and in one unique case, a hut with a ballpit.
This indoor campsite even has its own brewery where you can pick up its own beer, or local ones.
At the bar, guests can also pick up pizza, pasta and salads.
For entertainment, there’s a foosball and pool table, as well as board games and plenty of books.
So if you’ve ever been tempted to camp but the concept of a wet tent put you off? Maybe this is the new way to test the waters…