European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 22, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Avoid the dirty work. Euro amp a euro amp tent has More luxuries than most campers Are used to. The company has Sites at270 campgrounds. Sit Back and enjoy your vacation while this company does the hard party John Taylor staff writer do you enjoy family camping but hate lugging All that gear setting up a tent after a Long journey and getting dripped on in cramped quarters when it s raining too hard to go out take heart. There is a solution. Several camping companies in Europe will set you up in a Roomy tent and do All the dirty work for you. All you need to do is take your sleeping bag. The Cost is quite reasonable. It will be More than a night of camping normally costs but considerably less than staying at a hotel. Our family of four recently spent a week at a campsite in Southern France operated by euro amp a British company that has been in business since 1974. Euro amp like its rivals purchases Sites at private campgrounds for a certain period of time erects and equips tents then rents them to individuals. Euro amp takes care of its tents the Camp operator takes care of the rest of the Park. Staying in a euro amp tent comes with More luxury than most campers Are used to. The tents Are about 16 feet Long 17 feet deep and tall enough to stand up in. They Are divided into two sections. One is a Large living area equipped with an electric ice Box and Gas powered cooker the other is a sleeping area partitioned off into three compartments with bed frames and mattresses. The Kitchen area comes with pots pans dishes eating utensils and naturally a Teapot. As added conveniences there is an ice Chest for Day outings a Broom and a mop to keep the Interior clean and two Small electric lights for late night Reading. Outside is a Large table with four chairs and an umbrella that can be used for Shade on sunny Days. When the rain a the curse of All campers a comes All can be moved inside so you can eat or play cards in relative Comfort. And if you re travelling with older children who need a Little space for themselves Junior tents big enough for two can be erected on the campsite right next to the big tent. Many of euro amp s Sites Are in Europe s better equipped campgrounds which Means they Are Likely to have a swimming Pool playground Small restaurant and shop. In addition the euro amp staff runs daily programs for children and conducts social nights for the whole family so All eur campers can get to know each other. Since most of the campers will be British dutch or German americans Are virtually assured of meeting someone new. Julie Wong a euro amp spokeswoman said the company has Sites at about 270 campgrounds in 14 countries. Most of them Are in France with others in such countries As Italy Spain Greece Switzerland Britain and the scandinavian countries. Quot we Are constantly reviewing the campgrounds Quot she said. Quot each year we add a few to our list and drop a  camping fees vary depending on the time of year size of the group and various options. Instead of tents some euro amp Sites have Mobile Homes which include even More luxuries a such As a Shower and toilet and Cost anywhere from $21 to $45 More per night the Standard Price includes two weeks of camping and for those crossing the English Channel round trip ferry fare for two adults and a car. There Are additional charges for extra adults older children and depending on the time of the year for younger kids. Prices Start at 269 pounds around $400 during the cheapest season and go to 755 pounds during High season. But Don t let that fool you. You can Knock off substantial amounts if you Don t need a ferry crossing if your Auto insurance is Good on the continent if you stay less than two weeks and if you will accept a regional Holiday instead of selecting a specific campsite. In a regional Holiday you pick the area you want to visit and the company decides which Campground in that area to Send you to based on what spaces Are available. By the time we took All our savings the Cost Carpe to. $30.60 per night. High season from july 10 to aug. 20, in addition to being the most expensive is the busiest Wong says those hoping to get spaces in the most popular areas such As Southern France during this time should make reservations several months in Advance. However during other times of the year reservations can be made just weeks before you wish to travel. A Catalon describing All euro amp Sites and explaining the different fees is available by calling one of the company s reservation offices in Britain 0565-626262 the Netherlands 033602727 or Germany 02151 750094. Wong said English is spoken in All offices. Keep asking for various options or savings until you get exactly what you want we had three different prices quoted to us and picked the lowest All reservations can be made Over the phone and All payments can be made by credit card eliminating the need to Purchase pounds. 6 stripes Magazine july 22, 1993