FAQS

Please browse our frequently asked questions using the subcategories below.

If you have a question that isn’t mentioned then please give us a call on 01384 398 870 and we will be happy to help. Alternatively, you can use our contact form.

What time is quiet time?

Although there is no set time to quiet down, we do ask that you take into consideration that there are other guests in your Village and on the site elsewhere that may be trying to get to sleep.

What are the toilet and shower blocks like?

The shower & toilet facilities vary at each Adventure Camp.

The Ardèche Adventure Camp has unisex facilities, however all individual toilets, showers and washbasins have closed & lockable doors.

At our Mediterranean Adventure Camp, you are accommodated in cabins which have an en-suite toilet and a shower room (there are also public shower/toilet facilities by the pool).

All other Adventure Camps have plenty of separate facilities for males and females with disabled access, which are always near to the Village.

What are the tents like?

Acorn tents are basic and comfortable. They are only used for sleeping, as our self-contained villages each have their own play area and central marquee for eating and socialising.

All tents are standing height, pre-erected and have solid floors and metal, sprung beds.

Our Primary tents are normally be equipped with items such as an Inner Tent to provide a small bedroom area, a wardrobe, lighting, and sometimes a patio table and chairs. Overseas we also offer a fridge and electricity.

Standard tents contain solid floor and metal-sprung beds.

What are the cabins like at the Mediterranean Adventure Camp?

The majority of our wooden cabins in Cala Llevado provide two separate sleeping areas, a lounge area, a toilet and separate shower room and a verandah for relaxing in the evenings.

We also have some 4 and 6 berth cabins which are open plan with a seperate shower and toilet.

Is there somewhere safe to keep my valuables?

At each Adventure Camp, we have a safe in the office and we are happy for you to use it to keep any money and passports if you wish. Just ask our staff when you arrive and they will ensure your items are stored safely.

Please check with your insurance provider if you are planning to take expensive items away with you to ensure they are covered in a camping/outdoor environment when not securely locked away.

Due to the nature of our holidays, we don’t recommend that you bring expensive jewellery with you because these items can’t always be worn on activities and you may have to leave them unattended.

What do families tend to do in the evenings?

There is varied evening entertainment with activities such as tug of war, parachute games, competitions and a whole lot more. However, many parents prefer a slower pace of life in the evening and tend to enjoy socialising with each other, either relaxing over a glass of wine on centre while we entertain the children, or visiting the local area as a family.

We’ve got children who are under 7. What can we do?

Families with children of all ages are welcome at our Adventure Camps. Unfortunately, for health and safety (and insurance!) reasons, children under 7 years of age cannot participate in activities organised by us at our overseas Adventure Camps. If you have a young child that you want to bring, give us a call – we can often give good discounts for young children.

Children as young as 5 may participate in the majority of our activities at our Brecon Beacons Adventure Camp in Wales.

Is there a minimum age restriction for children for the different activities?

Children seven years of age and over may participate in all of our activities. The date of birth defines when they can participate, so they don’t need to be seven at the time of booking, but do need to be seven on the day of activities. Sometimes children turn seven during the holiday – in these cases they can participate from their birthday onwards.

Children as young as 5 may participate in full at our Brecon Beacons Adventure Camp in Wales, although not all activities are appropriate. Please ask on booking, for more detailed information.

Children under 7 (overseas) or under 5 (UK) are always very welcome at our Adventure Camps, and whilst they can’t participate in the activities, they can still enjoy the holiday. Parental supervision is required but there are often younger children around and parents take it in turns to ‘babysit’. We’ve found this to be particularly common when two or more families travel together as friends.

How does the activities programme work?

All activities are included in the price of your holiday and are delivered by our qualified/assessed instructors.

Our Adventure Camps offer multi-activity programmes, offering you a taste of a whole range of adventurous activities. Our structured programmes typically consist of 2-3 supervised activities daily, which will be planned for you in advance.

When you arrive, our team will give you your activity programme which will detail your activity group, what you will be doing and when.

A typical day consists of a morning activity after breakfast, an afternoon activity after lunch and activities or entertainment continuing into the evening. Some of our programmes include a free day for you to explore the area which will be listed on your sample programme in the brochure and on our website. Many families welcome this opportunity to relax or go and explore further afield.

How difficult will the activities be?

Although we can adapt the activities to match the abilities of each group, the activity sessions are introductory or taster sessions designed to be accessible to all participants and ages. Our focus is very much on families having a great experience together, rather than technical instruction for different abilities.

What is the food actually like?

We always receive great reports about our food – even from fussy children! In general the meals are as follows: a continental breakfast, a light buffet style or packed lunch, followed by a two/three course home cooked meal for dinner. Special dietary requirements are, of course, catered for (but please let us know in advance of your holiday.

For a sample menu, or if you have any questions, please call us on 01384 398 870

Is there a bar on-site?

There is a café/bar at our Ardèche Adventure Camp that serves drinks and snacks and there is also a café/restaurant/bar on Mediterranean Adventure Holiday which serves drinks and food.

Although our other Adventure Camps do not have bars, we are more then happy for you to take you own alcoholic drinks. To find out more information about your chosen Adventure Camp, please visit the holiday page on the website or request a copy of the holiday brochure.

Can you cater for special dietary requirements?

Yes, we’ve got lots of experience catering for pretty much any kind of special dietary requirement. To help us prepare, please let us know in advance if you have any special requirements. If we aren’t advised in advance, we may struggle to cater for you and we don’t want this to spoil your holiday.

At some of our overseas Adventure Camps gluten free products such as bread and crisps are not easily available in the shops and so we recommend you bring your own along if you wish to have these products during your holiday. Please get in touch about this and we will happily chat through your requirements to ensure you can have a relaxed and enjoyable dining experience.

Halal meat can sometimes be difficult to find in some locations and where we are unable to provide this, we will offer a vegetarian alternative.

Are all meals really included?

Yes!  How’s that for a holiday!  No expensive eating out, no need to spend half your holiday shopping, no cooking, and no cleaning – we even do the washing-up!

We provide full-board accommodation at all of our Adventure Camps which means we will provide you with breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday throughout your stay. Also, there will always be tea / coffee / juice / milk available to you in the Village marquee.

What do we need to bring?

You will receive full kit list with your confirmation pack when you pay your first deposit which contains  suggestions of what you will need to bring, but here are some suggestions:

You will need to bring your own bedding to all our Adventure Camps – that should include: sleeping bag/duvet and pillow.

For the Journey:
Snacks, Drinks, Entertainment (DVD’s, CD’s, Books), and some warm Clothing. We recommend that you keep your pillow with you on the coach for a comfortable sleep throughout the night.

For the activities:
Footwear – full toe protection is a requirement for both land and water-based activities (not open-toed sandals, crocs etc.). We recommend you bring wet/water shoes for water activities, walking boots and/or a pair of trainers with a good grip for the climbing activities. Flip-flops are also useful for the showers.

Clothing – several pairs of full/three quarter length trousers/ tracksuit bottoms/ combats for full protection, t-shirts – make sure you bring some with a high collar for protection from harnesses (e.g. Polo shirts), fleece tops and jumpers for evenings, swimsuit.

Other recommended kit – sun hats, sun glasses, a few clothes pegs for the drying lines, cagoule/waterproof coat, towels, torch, travel adapters, water resistant sun cream.

Ardèche Descent:
We strongly recommend you bring a sleeping mat for extra comfort as you camp at the Bivouac Site under the stars!

How many excursion days will there be during our stay?

On some holidays we include a day out for you to explore the local area and to take time out with your family and new-found friends.

These could range from a day out in Barcelona (Mediterranean Adventure) to a visit to the local caves in the Ardèche.

Please note, the coach is available on excursion days to our families booked on our coach holidays. Those on self-drive holidays can do their own thing, or they can agree to meet up with other families, or follow our coach should they wish to join that group. Sometimes there are free places on the coach, but we can not guarantee this.

You are of course free to stay on camp on the excursion day if you wish to do so but we strongly recommend that you to go an explore the local area because there are so many exciting places to visit.

Any entry charges are not included in the price of your holiday because this is a `free day` for families to choose what they would like to do. There are plenty of free things to do and our team will let you know what the area has to offer.

There are more than six people in our family! How can we book?

Don’t book online, but call us instead on 01384 398 870. We can make special arrangements for large families, or groups of families, and can often work out some better prices for you!

Paying online

Book online
Most of our bookings are made directly online.  Paying online is safe and secure, using Sagepay.  It means that you don’t need to write down your card details or tell them to anyone over the phone.

Book by phone
If you don’t want to book online our office hours are 08h00 – 17h30, Monday to Friday. Call us on 01384 398 870.

Can we bring pets?

We love pets. However, because of the nature of our holidays, we cannot allow pets at our Adventure Camps. Sorry!

Will I need to use my car whilst on holiday?

If you choose a Self-Drive or Fly-Drive holiday, you may have to use your car to access some of our activity sites.

You will of course be welcome to go off-site at any time for excursions or days/evenings out, although we find that many families only choose to do so once or twice during their holiday with us.

There is free parking available at all of our Adventure Camps.

Why should I choose a coach holiday?

Our coach holidays are more popular than self-drive or flying, and are always the first to sell out.  Coach travel is ideal for families, particularly single-parent families, who don’t like the idea of long drives or driving on the wrong side of the road! They are also a very good way of keeping down the hidden costs of travel.

With our coach holidays you don’t have to fork out for some or all of the following: petrol/diesel, car wear and tear, ferry/eurotunnel costs, road tolls, extra car insurance, extra roadside recovery, etc., etc. The coach is always available for transfers to activity sites where necessary, and is also used for excursions and evenings out whenever required – allowing you to make the most of french wine without having to worry about driving! Also, the coach travel to and from centre continues throughout the night while you sleep – cutting the perceived journey time for all the family.

Where will the coach pick up points be?

Our coach pick up points have been carefully selected, based on customer feedback, to include locations that are easily accessible by public transport.

Our coach pick-up points for all coach holidays include:
* Manchester Piccadilly Train Station
* Birmingham International Train Station
* London Victoria Coach Station
* Dover ferry port

There’s only coach holidays on the dates I can travel, but I want to drive!

Just because we have a coach going out on your chosen dates doesn’t mean that you must travel on it! You can still book that holiday and then drive or fly. The price remains the same as we don’t sell ‘your’ seats on the coach so that they are available for you when on centre and on excursions or journeys to activity sites should you want.

How long does it take to get to the Adventure Camps?

The approximate timings below are from Calais and are based on you travelling by coach, allowing for rest stops. You will need to add any additional UK travel time depending on where you will be meeting the coach. Remember that you travel through the night so the journeys seem to pass quicker.

Ardèche Adventure Holiday – 14 hours
Mediterranean Adventure – 18 hours

We offer self-drive and fly-drive options at the majority of our Adventure Camps, if you would prefer to make your own way there and extend your stay.

Please can you confirm what your price includes for your activity holidays?

Our prices are fully inclusive and include ALL food and accommodation, ALL activities, ALL specialist activity equipment and ALL instruction. There are no hidden costs at all, and there are no ‘local’ payments to be made.

For our coach holidays our price also includes transport to and from the UK.  If you are comparing our price with anyone else please remember to include all of the above in your calculations – it’s amazing how much food or extra activity charges can add up if they’re not included!

Full details of what is included in each of our holidays is provided on the holiday website pages or in our brochures. Alternatively please contact us on 01384 398 870 to find out more.

Do you charge any hidden supplements?

No. The price shown on the pages of this website, and of the brochure, is the price you pay. There are no expensive unavoidable add-ons. There are no hidden supplements. There are no obligatory ‘local payments’. Our policy is always to be very clear and honest with our pricing.

Our prices typically include:
* Full board accommodation
* Full activity programme, including evening entertainment (and on longer stays a free day to explore the area)
* Executive coach travel (coach holidays only)
* Ferry crossings (coach holidays only)
* Instruction and use of kit & equipment
* Use of on-site facilities

Full details about what is included in the price of your holiday can be found on the pricing sheet supplied with the brochure, or in the holiday sections of our website.

Why Choose Acorn?

all in

Great value, fully inclusive & organised holidays from £188 per person

adventure camps

Carefully selected locations to offer the best outdoor experience

qualified team

Qualified team of instructors delivering your action-packed activity programme as well as entertaining you in the evenings

family time

Quality ‘family time’ in the great outdoors, with other like-minded families

Abta Bounded Company

ABTA Bonded company, ensuring your financial protection

deposit

Only £200 deposit required on booking, followed by 2 other instalments, helping you spread the payments over the year.

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