Haven caravan holiday - what do I need to take?

[BloodyDetails]

The website says the caravans have kitchen equipment but does anyone know what sort and how much? Ie do they have sharp knives and a cheese grater? Are the pans usually vile non stick or ok quality? They say bedding is provided but am I best off taking a duvet and sleeping bags for the kids in case it's chilly or is the bedding nice and warm?

I've never been to a caravan park before, can you tell

Definitely get a shopping delivery to arrive about an hour after check in! (Or whatever timing gives you time to unpack and have a drink.)
Loo rolls etc as PP have said.
But, unless there's a real need (dietary requirement), avoid cooking too much as you deserve a break too!

Also in box are sandwiches bags, matches in case the hob ignition doesn't work , pegs and a packs of playing cards and uno

X-post, OP.
In that case, make meals as simple as possible!

@Neveranynamesleft

Cheese grater Your arms and legs wont drop off if there isnt one, just slice the bloomin cheese instead. It's not the middle of winter, you won't freeze to death but you could take a hot water bottle if you are of a delicate disposition and that would take up less space than sleeping bags and extra blankets. You are going for a few days not moving in, make it easy for yourself, you'll cope.

No, mine won't, but my autistic child who has a grated cheese obsession won't be happy if there isn't one. Thanks for your insight though.

@Racingadmin

I take sharp knives, decent frying pan, t-towels, washing up liquid, kitchen roll, antibacterial wipes .

Also corkscrew, decent size mugs and wine glasses . It all lives in a lidded box in the garage that I just add tea, coffee, condiments and tins to whenever we go self catering .

If you normally camp I'm sure you could put similar together from camping kit

Yep, we will just pack the camping kitchen equipment I think. I just wanted to check if that was actually necessary before I start dicking around with the roof bars to create extra packing space!

Thanks @Sirzy we are really looking forward to it. Going the week after schools go back to ensure good weather and less people

Corkscrew.

We have always had cheese graters, if things like that are missing you can always phone reception and they will get one sent over for you.

Take a note of any activities you have booked and what location they are in. If you are going to the evening entertainment the drinks are pretty expensive so I suggest taking some in a bag for kids and maybe some snacks. I usually find the bedding ok, in fact my 10 year old said she had the best sleep ever😂 always take extra towels! And I always forget salt!! Usually I look for the nearest supermarket before I go to get a shop in.

Actual kitchen equipment is usually pretty well covered. Not always the best quality pans etc but perfectly fine. Bedding is ok too but take blankets as caravans can be chilly!

Don’t forget cling film/stuff to wrap picnics up in, bath mat, t towels, washing up cloth/sponge, antibacterial wipes, washing up liquid, toilet rolls.

You can have a supermarket delivery to your van. Put the holiday parks address on and they’ll phone you before they deliver to find out which plot you’re on, saves sooo much hassle packing shopping and space in the car.

I would take a good sharp knife. I've found the ones in the caravans can be very hit and miss. Also a chopping board. Never had a grater so I'd take one. Ditto baking trays.

Bedding is warm and is bog standard polycotton. I always take my own pillow but the ones provided are comfy enough. If you feel the cold, extras won't go amiss because the caravans can be chilly.

Don't forget bin bags and washing up stuff. I found the laundry was mega expensive (£6 for one cold wash, and that was in 2019!) but if you want to wash, laundry stuff.

There will be big bins dotted around the site where you dispose of your rubbish. They'll be marked on your map.

If you're using the nightly entertainment, don't forget your tickets 😊

@rosie39forever

Loads of bleach and disinfectant

And flip flops.

Our pet free van had a carpet full of dog hair. We helpfully brushed it all off the carpet & into a pile, just so the cleaner might notice it and get rid of it for the next victims.

We left early.

But part of the fun of caravan holidays is making do with the rubbish stuff.

One memorable time we got fish and chips but on the way back the sea was incredibly rough so I put the chippy tea in the oven to keep warm whilst we went back to the beach.

I have an Aga at home. The chip paper caught fire in the gas oven.

No decent knives, limited other utensils, pans crap. Don’t expect to be able to cook unless you have taken everything of your own. Even in a “premium “ caravan it is likely to be dirty with things not working but reception won’t give a d*.

We went earlier this month, took toilet roll, hand soap, washing up liquid, cloths, tea towels, kitchen roll, tin foil, cooking oil, anti bac spray and salt and pepper.
Ours had a cheese grater.

@soupey1

No decent knives, limited other utensils, pans crap. Don’t expect to be able to cook unless you have taken everything of your own. Even in a “premium “ caravan it is likely to be dirty with things not working but reception won’t give a d*.

I’m sorry you've had a bad experience but let’s not piss on the op’s chips eh?

I’ve never had an experience like you describe so it’s not “likely” to be dirty. It’s a possibility, but not likely.

I am happy with wine from a mug

And we won't be doing any evening entertainment, that's a recipe for meltdowns. Mostly we will be on the beach in whatever weather, throwing stones into the sea, because that's a popular past time at the moment. We quite fancy walking up a mountain just so we can say we've done it but unsure how realistic that is!

@therebeccariots

In addition to all the other excellent suggestions I missed a garlic crusher for the bolognese. I found the slow cooker invaluable. Take pegs for the airer and totally outing but I took our robot hoover which saved my sanity with sand and grass getting dragged in

I take my cordless Dyson with me to caravan holidays and centre parcs

We always bring a baking tray. Don't forget seasoning, oil, ketchup etc as you don't want to be buying it from the shop.

Washing up sponge and cloth to wipe sides. Kitchen roll useful too.

Which site are you going to. I always take more towels and plenty of flannels, pillows and pillowcases..

Which site are you going to?

Loo roll, cleaning and washing stuff, foil, tea towels, bath towels unless platinum?, picnic stuff , games etc, kitchen roll, salt, pepper, oil, breakfast stuff, snacks If there is anything else you think vital with a dc with sen, like the grater, just take it. I have done lots of haven holidays with 3 dc, one with severe sen, usually in the almost top of the range caravans, if you think it will be important and “what if…. “, just take it. Remember a corkscrew and a bottle, have fun!

It's just like any other self catering holiday but you're in a caravan rather than a cottage/chalet.

We don't tend to cook when we're at a caravan so don't bother looking at the pans but yes, if you're having sandwiches where you might need to slice anything, take a sharp knife.

The bedding has always been warm enough and every caravan I've stayed in has had an electric fire that's good enough for chilly evenings.

The last time we stayed in a caravan the Wi-Fi was faster than ours at home, which was good because the TV was only the freeview channels.

Bring or buy a small amount of cloths, tea, hand and bath towels, a bit of washing up liquid, soap, shower gel and shampoo, loo rolls, bin liners, milk, bread, cereals and tea bags.

Ooo! I love caravan holidays! Yeay! Have a great time!

Take towels, tea towels and an oven glove. We found the knives were a bit blunt but manageable, although take your own if you’ll find it annoying. We had a cheese grater. Pans were perfectly fine and clean. The chopping board is usually a glass tray under the toaster and is easy to miss. The only thing I can remember missing was a whisk for pancakes but we coped.

At the haven site we were at recently you could have a starter kit in the caravan ready for your arrival (booked via the website). It had things like extra loo roll (there’s only one provided in my experience), hand wash, ketchup, washing up liquid etc. Probably cheaper to take your own but if packing space is at a premium it’s worth it for the convenience. We take anti-bac wipes for cleaning up after ourselves but the caravan has always been immaculate when we’ve got there.

Bedding-wise the duvets are a bit small and thin but we found them ok.

We also take camping chairs for sitting outside when it’s nice.

It might have changed now restrictions have lifted but definitely book some slots for entertainment, swimming etc on the app beforehand as the best times do go quickly.

If you’re used to camping then I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. We’ve had two haven breaks this summer at 2 different sites and have had a brilliant time. It’s not luxury but it’s fun. Have a lovely time

Oh and there were plenty of wine glasses in ours