Your campsite or caravan park is where guests come to make memories, escape the hustle and bustle of urban life, and unwind. Help your guests to relax from the moment they book with you to long after their departure, by getting acquainted with your campers’ and caravanners’ frequently asked questions. And answering them upfront!
In familiarising yourself with guests’ questions – especially before they think to ask them – you’re helping campers ease into their time with you. Your knowledge of not only your setting but your local area, creates trust between host and guest, and adds to the overall guest experience.
Today we’ll cover why it’s helpful to acquaint yourself with commonly asked camping questions, as well as provide helpful tips for uncovering yours. We’ve also included a number of questions you might expect to receive from visitors at varying stages of their stay, to help inspire your own ideas.
Table of Contents
- Why familiarise yourself with your camping guests’ frequently asked questions?
- Camper FAQs to answer in advance
- How do I uncover my guests’ FAQs?
Why familiarise yourself with your camping guests’ frequently asked questions?
So, what’s so important about getting to know your guests’ commonly asked questions, anyway?
“Can’t I field them as they trickle in?” we hear you pondering.
By all means, you can approach your campers’ questions by taking this route. However, we’re more than positive you’d love to have a spare moment or three in your day when you’re not addressing questions that could otherwise be answered for you and that time spent running your camping or caravan park.
Let’s dive into a few more reasons why it can be beneficial to get to know your guests’ FAQs. Above all, it’s about creating a stellar guest experience and positioning yourself as a caring, informative and intuitive host!
1. Everyone loves a mind reader
After a while of familiarising yourself with your caravanners’ frequently asked questions, you can start to pick up on patterns of said questions from your guests. Figuring out which questions are being asked most often and thereby supplying an answer ahead of time, could save your guest from having to ask it in the first place.
If you’re able to answer your campers’ questions before they think to ask, you’ll truly wow them, not only for your seemingly mind-reading capabilities but also in positioning yourself as an all-star caravan park manager before they’ve even arrived – win-win for all parties involved!
2. It saves your guests time they don’t have
Nothing bursts a guests’ trip planning bubble like not having all of the information about where they’re going readily available at their fingertips.
Save your guests from having to go down Internet dead-ends and email rabbit holes, by supplying all essential information up front.
From what’s included as part of their stay to knowing what to pack, what sort of hiking trails are nearby to what sort of kayak or e-bike rentals you provide – provide this information ahead of time.
Not only does it get your guests excited again about planning their vacation – it also returns valuable time to you to run your business. Spending a quarter of your operational hours answering guest questions is time that could be spent focusing on other tasks – like…
- uncovering your guest avatar
- training your staff to speak in your campsite’s brand voice
- researching key upsells to increase your bottom line
3. It positions you as the knowledge expert for your area
Answering your campers’ frequently asked questions doesn’t have to be limited to your site – it can extend to supplying insight about nearby places, diving into all of the wonderful sites and attractions your region has to offer!
Addressing upfront elements like tour packages or local points of interest, even including that walking trail only locals know about, demonstrates your thoughtfulness and knowledge. Supplying this sort of information makes your guests feel extra special while planning their trip and upon arrival to your caravan park, knowing they won’t find it on any Top 10 TripAdvisor list.
You don’t have to do this manually or on a guest-by-guest basis. Scheduled, proactive communications are very much your friends!
Camper FAQs to answer in advance
While this won’t be an extensive list of commonly asked questions (otherwise, this article would turn into a novel!), we’ll actively surface some camper frequently asked questions that might pop up for you while uncovering your own consistent guest questions.
Feel free to use these questions as a guide – hopefully they’ll spark your own questions to answer as part of the guest experience. Or even include an FAQ category in your Touch Stay guidebook with a topic for each type of FAQ.
Booking FAQs
These sorts of questions might pop up at the time your guests are looking to book with you either via your direct booking site or your OTA listing. Easy to find and easy to understand answers could transform them from potential guests into bona fide guests of your campsite!
- What is your cancellation policy?
- How can we contact you if we have questions regarding our upcoming stay?
- Are children permitted?
- Is your property pet-friendly?
- Is your property accessibility friendly?
Campsite and caravan park FAQs – Check-In
Create a smooth, effortless check-in experience for guests by supplying all they need to know ahead of arrival. Feel free to include information pertaining to extenuating circumstances too, in the event guests arrive later than expected or what you do in the event of an after hours check-in.
- What time is check-in?
- What happens if I arrive after hours?
- Is early check-in available?
- When will my pitch or plot be ready?
- Upon arrival, where should we go?
- Do the gates to the caravan park or campsite have hours or operation (i.e. do they close and open at certain points?).
- Are there quiet times for your campsite or caravan park?
Parkland Camping & Touring provides their guests a quaint reminder in the check-in section of their digital guidebook about where to access handy driving directions.
Directions and access FAQs
Consider addressing these transportation based questions for guests wondering what travel options are available for getting to your campsite. You can also thread these questions when providing guests with things to do, like offering up directions to local attractions and sights.
- How far away are you from the nearest (blank)?
- What transportation options are available in the area?
- How far away is (insert specific attraction)?
- How do I get to your property?
- Directions from major towns or cities?
- How do I know if there’s any construction or roadwork?
Paperbark Camp provides a number of transportation methods to their campers within the Getting There section of their digital guidebook, including driving directions from major cities, as well as options for airport and train station transfers.
Campsite essentials FAQs
The list below contains required information – think the essentials your guests will need-to-know as part of staying with you in order to have a comfortable yet delightful time.
- What do I need to bring with me?
- What’s included as part of my stay via your onsite facilities?
- Are there bathroom facilities onsite?
- Are there laundry facilities onsite? (i.e. coin operated laundry or laundromat nearby?)
- Is smoking permitted on the property?
- What sort of security options are implemented for your property?
- Is there a map of your campsite/caravan park we can access?
- Is WiFi available?
- What is phone reception like on your property?
Plots & pitches FAQs
Give your guests the low down on your campsites’ plots of land, or your caravan park pitches before they think to ask. Guests will likely want to know how far away they can expect to be from fellow campers or caravanners, alongside key information for what’s included as per each pitch or plot.
- How big are your pitches/campsite plots?
- How widely spaced out are your pitches?
- How far apart is each pitch from our neighbours?
- What sort of power options are available for caravans/general electronics?
- What comes included with each pitch or campsite? (i.e. electric hook-up, drinking water tap, waste disposal, picnic bench)
- Our caravan has a flat tire/needs last-minute servicing – are there options available nearby for us to do that?
Nolton Cross Caravan Park supplies happy caravanners all the crucial details regarding their pitches on their accommodation page of their Touch Stay digital guidebook. For instance, pitches 1-5 are hard standing electric pitches (gravel and grass), with each pitch size approximately 7 metres wide and as much depth as needed.
Campsite amenities FAQs
These questions have you covered for fielding guest questions related to groceries, equipment rentals and all those special touches that make camping a memorable experience for guests of all ages.
- Where is the nearest grocery store?
- Do you provide groceries onsite?
- Do you provide equipment rentals (i.e. kayaks, or bikes?)
- Do you have a general store where we can purchase ice, firewood and propane?
- What sort of kids activities are available? (i.e. sidewalk chalk, nature learning experiences, etc.)
- Are BBQs permitted? Do you have BBQs readily available?
- Do you allow day visitors?
- Do you have fire pits? Do you allow open fires?
- Where is the nearest ATM?
- Where can I rent kayaks or e-bikes?
For instance, Nolton Cross Caravan Park supplies campers with all the details regarding groceries within the Before You Leave Home section of their digital guidebook. They include information about their local farm shop, available farm fresh eggs (so long as the chickens are behaving!), as well as larger grocery retailers nearby, like Tesco.
Attractions & sights FAQs
This is where you get to have a little fun, letting your know-how shine as well as all of the amazing activities available to your guests within your region.
Focus on recreational activities your guests will likely be aiming to take advantage of as part of their camping trip – think walks, hikes and water sports. This is in addition to answering questions that appeal to the more urban camper, like shopping and dining options.
- Where is the nearest tourism centre?
- What options are available for us to get around? (think walking, buses or car hires).
- What sort of walking trails are nearby?
- What sort of hiking trails are nearby?
- How far is the nearest beach?
- Where is the nearest shopping centre?
- Can you recommend the best watering holes for fishing?
- What lakes are nearby for canoeing or kayaking?
- What dining options are available onsite?
- Can you recommend a good restaurant for dine-in or takeaway?
- Where are the closest breweries?
- Can you book us an e-bike wine tasting tour of the local vineyards?
- Can you book dinner reservations for us?
Alp Safari Nax provides their campers a number of Top Days Out under their Things To Do section of their Touch Stay welcome book. From easy to challenging walks and hikes, to thermal baths and a stroll with avalanche rescue St. Bernards, they provide loads of suggestions for their guests to do.
Campsite check-out FAQs
Just because it’s time for your guests to depart doesn’t mean the questions will necessarily stop. Providing sufficient information related to check-out times, waste disposal and instructions on how they can leave you a review alongside options to book with you again, will continue to wow your guests as you wave them goodbye.
- What time is check-out?
- Do you offer late check-out?
- Where do we dispose of our waste?
- How should we leave the pitch when we depart?
- If I have an issue, where can I leave it?
- Where can we leave a review for you?
- Where can I find you on social media?
- How do I book in with you again?
- Do you have a loyalty programme?
- Do you offer discounts if we decide to book again with you?
How do I uncover my guests’ FAQs?
Seeking additional tips on how to surface your own commonly asked questions by caravanners and campers? The answers you seek are likely hidden in your past guest communications (or via Touch Stay’s example guides!).
1. Review prior questions
A great starting point in revealing what sort of commonly asked camper questions you should pop into your digital guidebook is reviewing prior guest questions! Having a glance at emails and OTA inbox correspondence with prior guests, can really help you get a sense of the sort of FAQs you need to be including.
Dig even deeper by reviewing your OTA reviews and property listings. Such places like TripAdvisor (in addition to reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and Airbnb), can provide a wealth of insight into the sort of questions guests are asking and the information they seek.
2. Explore example guidebooks
Seeking inspiration from fellow campsite owners or caravan parks managers? Have a look at some of Touch Stay’s example guidebooks for the kind of information Touch Stay users are including for their guests.
It can also be helpful to explore example guides for lodging types outside of campsite or caravan parks, too. While the type of accommodation might differ, all properties are united by the common goal of a top-notch guest experience. Don’t be afraid to explore the sort of information a short term rental or bed and breakfast property manager might be supplying their guests for the purpose of answering your campers’ or caravanners’ questions.
Quell guest questions with a Touch Stay digital guidebook
Provide your guests answers to questions they haven’t thought to ask yet with a Touch Stay digital guest welcome book. Customisable to the wants and needs of any and all campsites and caravan parks, no matter size, theme or location, a Touch Stay digital guidebook satisfies all guest queries, grants you back valuable time to effectively run your business, all while amplifying the guest experience.