How much would you pay for a week in a caravan?

[Gardenwalldilema]

We really love caravan breaks, dc love all the onsite facilities etc. I usually book cheapies in term time.
Now eldest dc is of school age I was having a look for a week next August, the prices are eye watering!
Does anyone happily pay 800+ for a week? Does it feel good value or do you end up wishing you'd gone abroad?

Pre-pandemic we were paying £1300/week for a reasonably new static with 3 bedrooms & verandah, on a site with indoor/outdoor pools and direct beach access in August school holidays. This year I noticed the prices went up by nearly £1000 - hopefully next year they will drop again when people have more holiday destination options.

I’ve been in a few holiday in static caravans in Norfolk, Cornwall, Dorset. Pre covid was paying over a thousand for a week at a holiday park with swimming pool, crazy golf, restaurants etc. It’s standard. The caravans are huge and not that different to a small cottage. Not sure why people are being so snotty about them.

I'm not snooty about a static caravan but I know what I'd pay for a self-catering cottage/house abroad. I'd consider a caravan to be inferior to that so would adjust my price expectation accordingly. Pricing in Covid profiteering, I'm guessing £800 is about right. But I'd really resent it.

Apologies for appearing snooty about caravan holidays, I did not mean to, I just find it very noteable how they are priced compared with a cottage. I actually really want to stay in one, hence knowing what they cost but so far I have only felt able to afford it off season. Perhaps I should adjust my expectations of what I should pay in the UK. I still can't get over £1000 for a mini break and £4000 for a week though.

Nothing
My idea of hell

@MargaretFraggle

Apologies for appearing snooty about caravan holidays, I did not mean to, I just find it very noteable how they are priced compared with a cottage. I actually really want to stay in one, hence knowing what they cost but so far I have only felt able to afford it off season. Perhaps I should adjust my expectations of what I should pay in the UK. I still can't get over £1000 for a mini break and £4000 for a week though.

The thing is lots of people especially with those with kids would actually prefer a caravan site to a cottage...I do. My kids want the mini golf, pools, arcade, go karts etc!

I won't pay thst kind of price whilst I can get a cottage for the same price. I expect caravan holidays to be cheap and they are apparently not.

I understand that, hence wanting to stay in one Comedy. I agreed with you earlier and maintain that caravan holidays can be a very expensive holiday in the UK.

By pulling me up on my opinion twice are you saying £1000 is good value for a three night stay? Genuinely interested.

@MargaretFraggle

I understand that, hence wanting to stay in one Comedy. I agreed with you earlier and maintain that caravan holidays can be a very expensive holiday in the UK.

By pulling me up on my opinion twice are you saying £1000 is good value for a three night stay? Genuinely interested.

I'm not pulling you up on your opinion. Just making the point that they are often seen as more desirable than other holidays and accommodation depending on the person.

Good value or not ..things cost what people are prepared to pay! UK holidays are much more expensive than usual at the moment for obvious reasons!

I like a caravan, you can often get one far closer to the beach than a cottage. Plus I think "cottage", whilst summoning a certain image, is too often applied to a mediocre semi with a courtyard garden and nautical decor in the arse end of nowhere.

To the question, assuming school holidays usually about £1000 as we scale up. I paid more than that last year for a cabin in the IOW.

I was looking for next year, but I think I'll probably leave it closer to the time, hopefully overseas travel will be allowed and prices might inch down a bit.
I've done cottage breaks before, just feels a bit too much like being at home, having an entire house to keep reasonably clean and organised.

I think that price is about right OP - and ignore the goady snipers who seem to get some sort of cheap thrill out of insulting this sort of holiday.

£300 max. I don’t understand people who pay 1k+ to stay in a caravan.

@FrownedUpon

£300 max. I don’t understand people who pay 1k+ to stay in a caravan.

Have you seen these static caravans though, and all the facilities on site at holiday parks? They’re not caravans like those being towed behind a car on the motorway

I’d rather stay in a caravan than a cottage, personally. I’m quite fond of caravans.
I’d rather go abroad than either, but that’ll have to wait for next year.

Plus you can park near your caravan read some of the threads about cottages with no parking.

Also these same posters seem to drag the entire contents of their freezers having batch cooked like a bastard for months.

"I like to arrange and pop a frozen lasagna in the oven while I Zoflora to my own home standards"

I like to pop the cork on a bottle of Prosecco, waiting for my Sainsbury delivery, whilst sitting on the terrace overlooking the bay.

I would pay maximum £800 for a caravan holiday in the summer holidays pre covid. Usually a last minute deal for a decent caravan. I’m sure this year it’s silly prices that I wouldn’t pay. If you go off peak like the October or February half term you can get a very cheap caravan holiday. I’ve done that before.

I think people can get the wrong idea about caravans. The one we go to is huge; sleeps 8, massive lounge/dining area, all mod cons. Great for the kids because it’s on a site that has direct access to the beach, no having to drive anywhere. Has indoor & outdoor pools, on-site bar & restaurant & a lovely lovely location.

I’ve paid £1700 for 10 nights & it’s only 5 of us going, so they’d still be space for more in our caravan. I think it’s so hassle-free to go on site when you’ve got small children; much less stress for parents. I have done holiday cottages before, & they have been lovely. But I would reserve them for more adult-age holidays as there’s an awful lot of driving around to do & you don’t get the luxury of having everything on tap (including meals & drinks for those nights when you’re just frazzled & don’t want to cook!)

We've paid £850 for a 4 berth caravan on a nice park in Devon first week.of school holidays. Loads of facilities and indoor and outdoor pool etc. It's just a base to sleep and shower isn't it? They are cramped and can be a bit spartan but not as spartan as a tent. I personally don't get camping but.know some people love it.

There's an appeal to having a pub/swimming pool/beach within stumbling distance that holiday parks provide and cottages don't unless they are £££££.

But then I am the mum smiling indulgently with my cider whilst DS does Gangnam Style

I love a caravan holiday.
We do the £9.50 ones
Not helpful to you for school holidays but they are currently doing them atm for September onwards

Whether it's worth it depends on how much you'll use the facilities. Don't expect it to cheaper than a holiday cottage/flat/house as you're paying for the conveince of entertainment on the doorstep.

Personally, I can't stand those places, I was horrified at how much MIL spent when she booked us into one with the DCs. I pay £5-600 for an Airbnb and go exploring, because that's what we like to do. But if you like arcades and kids entertainment and a pool, then it's good value as you save on days out. So you have to factor in how much you'd be spending entertaining yourselves otherwise.

I love some of these responses just buy one OP! I mean sure you would then have to make sure you could tow it with a suitable car and tow bar, stock it with everything required, tow it, park it and the fact it’s 1/4 of the size of a static. Or the ideal country cottage (nothing more unappealing to us as a family) with bigger all to do locally after 5pm from memory of going as a child.
We had to change our end of may bank holiday week 2021 to next year, 6 birth static, 7 nights, £700 at Haven, about right and similar to what we have paid previously, everything we need on our doorstep, can’t wait!

I paid £550 for a 3 bed one on a Haven site (split the cost with a friend) but I wouldn't pay more than that

We've just booked one in Suffolk for four nights during the second
Week of the holidays. It's a six berth and costing us £400. There's no on site facilities though I'd be happy to pay up to £1k