On the 16th June 2025, the UK news was alive – the following weekend was set to be the hottest on record. And with that, a thought popped into my head, “Why not go camping?”
For the rest of that evening, I was on the Met Office website, typing in towns and areas across the UK, hunting for the sunniest, hottest pockets of the country. Previously, I had been planning a solo camping trip up to Hadrian’s Wall, and considered bringing this forward. But when I found the only campsite left was £90 a night, that plan quickly melted away.
As luck would have it, my siblings declared that they were free at the weekend. As the Midlands were forecast to be the hottest region on Saturday, the hunt began for a last minute, affordable campsite.
Of course, a trip like this doesn’t leave much room for carefully created itineraries or hour by hour travel plans, like some of Lucy’s beautifully curated blogs on this site. This was a different kind of adventure, and required what I like to call “spontaneous travel planning.”
What is spontaneous travel planning?
Spontaneous travel planning is for the adventurer who thrives on a bit of spontaneity and organised chaos. It’s not about completely winging it, but about having just enough of a plan to throw your gear in the boot, pick a place to stay and chase some memories along the way.
When it comes to last minute trips, I actually follow a pretty similar process to Lucy, just a little looser, and with slightly different priorities. Although I love a spreadsheet, you won’t find any on my blogs, here is how my planning usually goes:
- Step 1: When are we going?
- Step 2: What kind of adventure is this?
- Step 3: Who’s coming with me?
- Step 4: Where are we headed?
- Step 5: Where are we sleeping?
- Step 6: Are there any fun things to do nearby?
Normally, I can pull together a spontaneous travel plan in the evening after work. Something I think it important to note, is that sometimes it works out brilliantly, but sometimes it doesn’t.
Even on our Lincolnshire trip, there were a few moments that fell a bit flat – things that didn’t go quite to plan, or places that didn’t live up to expectations. But that’s part of the deal when you don’t spend hours building the perfect itinerary. Personally I find unpredictability half of the fun, but I know it’s not for everyone.
How did I execute this plan?
If we take the same “spontaneous” plan from above and apply it to how I actually pulled this trip together, here’s how it unfolded:
Step 1: When are we going?
Step 2: What kind of adventure is this?
There’s no better way to enjoy extreme heat than slowly roasting in a tent, right? Camping it is. In retrospect, this probably wasn’t the best idea as the heat was humid and clammy, which, when paired with no way to cool down, made things a bit uncomfortable.
Step 3: Who’s coming with me?
Turns out my siblings were free! And honestly, a sibling getaway sounded like the perfect excuse to escape the usual routine of work and town life.
Step 4: Where are we headed?
According to the Met Office, the Midlands were going to hit 31°C on Saturday – the hottest spot in the country. Decision made. Time to head wherever the sun leads.
Step 5: Where are we sleeping?
This is where it got interesting & required slightly more research. If it had just been me, I would have opted for a bare bones campsite, with barely any facilities and nature all around me. But when you’re travelling with siblings, the bar is (rightfully) raised.
So I started hunting on Hipcamp and Campsites.co.uk, applying every budget friendly filter imaginable:
- Must have toilets.
- Must have showers.
- Non-electric tent pitch.
- Two nights under £90.
There were a few contenders across the Midlands, especially around Nottingham & Sherwood Forest. But most were either fully booked, too commercial, or just not quite the right location.
That’s when I stumbled across Big Sky Hideaway in Lincolnshire. A quiet camping and glamping site with private pitches, clean facilities, alpacas (yes, really), and even an on-site bar with pizza saturdays.
Step 6: Are there any fun things to do nearby?
One of the reasons I booked Big Sky was because the site itself seemed to have plenty going on – from hammock forests, to the alpacas, to the community barn. I’ve gone into more detail on that in this Big Sky Hideaway blog.
But what also caught my eye was its closeness to Boston, a town I’d never visited before, but one with a familiar name – the American city. So surely it would be nice, right? Not quite…
What do you need to think about when booking last minute?
Spontaneous adventures are a great way to turn an otherwise dull weekend into something memorable, but they often come with a catch 22. It might be more expensive than if you’d booked in advance, and by the time you’re ready to go, a lot of the best activities might already be fully booked.
Take Boston, for example. During my research (albeit quite light), I came across a half day paintballing session that looked like a great activity for my siblings, but it required a minimum of six people and we were only four (three siblings and one very tolerant partner!). Had we planned even a week or two earlier, we might’ve convinced a couple of mates to tag along too.
And then there was Hadrian’s Wall, which is a destination I still have my heart set on (I love the Romans). But, the only remaining campsite wanted £90 a night for a non-electric, medium-sized tent pitch – a bit criminal if you ask me, but hey, they were clearly cashing in on the weather. Fair play to them – just not on my wallet.
Saturday in Boston left me feeling a bit comsi comsa (that ‘meh’ middle ground between fun and forgettable). Leaving the amazing campsite out of the equation for a second, the town itself didn’t quite hit the mark.
It had the bones of a lovely market town, with a craft fair inside the St Botolph’s Church (which was cool – in both temperature and style), but many shops were boarded up, the centre felt empty, and the whole place seemed to lack life – even on the hottest day of the year. A bit of a letdown, and if I’m honest, probably not somewhere I’d rush back to. A little more travel planning might have saved us the detour. Sorry Boston!
That said, Big Sky Hideaway completely saved the weekend. It was well priced, easy to book, and delivered in every way. No regrets there – in fact quite the opposite.
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