While it is entirely possible to have a camping holiday in a small weekend tent, we have found that if you’re staying more than three nights, then you need a larger tent.
A larger tent provides you with a lot more space for all the clothes, more food, and other stuff required to keep your kids happy.
We recommend you find a tent with multiple bedrooms and an excellent living area.
You will want to get some camping furniture for the living area to avoid the tent becoming an unorganised mess.
You will also want a tent that has a good entrance that enables you to come in and out of the tent in the rain without getting the interior of the tent wet.
You should also look to have a large porch area for storing cooking equipment, bikes, and muddy boots.
Larger Family Tents
You can extend many smaller two bedroom tents with add-on porches (also known as tent extensions). Add-ons to the tent mean you can use the same tent for weekend getaways and family camping holidays, only adding the extra space for longer trips. (Click here to see some weekend tents)
However, pitching extensions can sometimes be a hassle, so if you want a more extended stay, opting for a larger tent from the outset is worth considering.
For those of us with a larger family, a three bedroom tent is usually the minimum size. But even if you don’t need the extra room to sleep in, a spare bedroom is excellent storage (walk-in wardrobe) for those more extended camps during the family holidays.
There are a great many tents to choose from. Below are some tents that are worth having a look at.
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There are many tents in our list below. Click on the filter below to help you find that perfect tent your family camping holiday.
The Coleman Vail 6L is a smart-looking, large family tent that's ideal for family holidays where you want a tent with plenty of space.
If you have more than two kids, a tent of this size will be ideal. But even with two older kids who don't want to share, or you want lots of space, this is a fantastic size.
It comes in at a lower price than some other tents of this size. It has fewer features than the Coleman Castle Pines 6L but still has many great aspects, such as a 4000mm hydrostatic head, built-in porch, and a no-trip entrance.
Value for Money
9.3
Features
8.7
Family Friendly
8.8
Quality
9.2
Practicality
8.7
PROS:
Great size for larger families or family camping holidays.
Built-in porch.
No-trip entrance.
CONS:
It has great features, but if you want more like Coleman BlackOut bedrooms and mesh to make your tent bug free, look at the Coleman Meadowood 6L or Coleman Castle Pines 6L.
The Vango Rome Air 550XL is a great holiday tent if you have a couple of kids.
Value for Money
9.3
Features
9
Family Friendly
9.1
Quality
9
Practicality
8.7
PROS:
Great sized living space.
Useful side storage area; ideal for a camping toilet.
Darkened Bedrooms
Built-in porch with door
Additional Side door with rain-safe entry.
CONS:
The tent is quite large. This is ideal for holiday camping where you stay several nights, but the tent might be a bit large for regular one-night weekend camping.
The Vango Valencia II Air 450 Tent is a great tent for families with one or two kids. Ideal for family camping holidays and not too big for weekend camping either.
Value for Money
9.4
Features
9.2
Family Friendly
9.4
Quality
9
Practicality
8.9
PROS:
Great living space with inner living area and porch.
The Coleman Castle Pines 6L BlackOut tent is a great family holiday tent. Ideal if you have more than two kids, you want more space on holiday, or you have two older kids who want their own bedrooms.
The Coleman Castle Pines 6L is a large family holiday tent that's ideal if you have more than two kids or have two older kids who want their own bedrooms or want lots of space for your family camping holiday.
The tent comes packed full of features for a really great price.
The Outwell Grandville 8SA is a massive tent, ideal for larger families - that is, families with lots of kids or taking an extended family such as cousins or grandparents or older children who want their own bedrooms.
Value for Money
8.5
Features
9.5
Family Friendly
9.6
Quality
9.9
Practicality
9.2
PROS:
Ideal if you have a large family.
Darkened bedrooms.
Longer Ambassador Master Bedrooms.
Four double bedrooms.
Massive living space.
Quick and Quiet doors.
A built-in porch that can be zipped up.
6000 mm hydrostatic head.
CONS:
Expensive, which is understandable for the size and features of the tent.
Very heavy and large when packed, as you would expect for the size of this tent.
If you are planning on camping for your family holiday this year, the Outwell Pinedale 6PA will provide you with plenty of space. You won't feel cramped in this tent.
This is a really popular tent and one you can't go much wrong on for most families wanting a base under canvas for their summer holidays.
Value for Money
9.5
Features
9.4
Family Friendly
9.3
Quality
9.9
Practicality
9.1
PROS:
Good layout with plenty of living space.
Front porch for additional shelter.
Useful enclosed side door.
Flexible opening doors with bug mesh.
Larger bedrooms, darkened, and with Quick and Quiet door.
Large vents for better airflow when the weather is hot.
Outtex 6000 Pro tent material with a whopping 6000 mm hydrostatic head.
Steel tent poles.
Tinted windows.
A really good price for the features and level of specification.
CONS:
Steel poles can be heavy. The tent comes in two bags to make that easier, but check you have transport space for both bags and don't leave one of the bags behind when you go to the campsite ;-)
As I've mentioned already, I think the Outwell Oakdale 5PA is a fantastic family tent, with plenty of sleeping and living space, and lots of great features for family camping holidays.
Value for Money
8.9
Features
9.4
Family Friendly
9.4
Quality
9.4
Practicality
9.3
PROS:
Great sized bedrooms
Darkened bedrooms
Really good living space
Flexible front porch option
Good ventilation for when it does get warm
Carpet and footprint available (optional extras)
CONS:
As with most inflatable tents, the packed size of the tent can be large, so make sure you have space to get it to the campsite along with all the other items you'll want to take.
If you are after a large tipi tent, with canvas material, ready to take a wood-burning stove, and yet easy to pitch, then the Robens Klondike Grande could be just the perfect tent for you.
The Robens Klondike Grande is a large Tipi tent at a reasonable price. It's polycotton and easy to pitch, plus it's ready for use with a wood-burning stove.
Value for Money
9.2
Features
8.6
Family Friendly
7.9
Quality
8.3
Practicality
8.9
PROS:
Traditional yet high-tech.
Simple to pitch and not bulky to get to the campsite.
The Outwell Knightdale 7PA provides you with more sleeping options and plenty of living space that you need on those camping holidays. We think the layout of this tent is particularly great if you have older children.
The Outwell Rockland 5P is slightly smaller than the larger Outwell Family Tents but still is crammed full of features. We think this tent is ideal for a family of four, giving Mum and Dad a little more space in the three-person bedroom. :-)
The Outwell Roseville 6SA tent is a large inflatable family tent from Outwell. Although designed for six, we think this would make a great holiday tent for a family of four.
No messing with large tent poles as this tent is inflatable.
Four dark bedrooms with the option to remove them if you don't need them.
Built-in wet-dry porch area.
Additional side-door entrance.
Good ventilation.
Comes with a large case with wheels.
Good features like window drain, lie-flat groundsheet, and easy blinds and curtains.
CONS:
Unless you have a family of eight, this tent is probably a bit large for just a single-night weekend camp. However, its ideal for longer stays where the extra space will be worth it. Check out the 4 and 6 person models if you want a smaller version.
Being a large tent with lots of features, the Coleman Weathermaster 8XL is at the upper end of the Coleman tents price range.
