To be upset that we can't even afford...

[NearlySpring]

To stay in a caravan at the beach this year?

Dp and I always go away with another couple for a few nights in the summer holidays. We usually stay in a friends cottage in Devon for free but it's being renovated this year.

We've left it late I know but I thought that we'd find somewhere cheap and cheerful if we opted for a privately owned caravan near the sea. However, it seems they are all really expensive. We only need 4 or 5 nights, 2 bedrooms (4 adults and 2 toddlers) and to go sometime during 1-14th August. We've been quoted £380-480 for 4 nights! :( Other couple are struggling with money and won't accept financial help from us (understandable). We're really not fussy where we go- but we seem to have wrongly assumed renting a caravan is cheap!

I know I probably ABU and everyone is making cut backs this year, jobs are hard to come by and we should be grateful to have jobs and a home- but I can't help but feel sad we'll miss out on our little break by the see altogether with the kids.

TBH - when we were younger parents we used to go on those Sun deals .... you can't really complain about the price - we just never stayed onsite - it was far easier to make a packed lunch and disappear for the day - the sites are massively over priced regarding entertainment and food. For the evening, disposable BBQ and a bottle of wine, take all your board games and have some quality family time. If you really want a holiday and think self catering isn't a holiday - just google your local supermarkets and Ikea - whizz in there for a cooked breakfast.

If you are of a mind to, you can upgrade from the basic caravan to the premier, for less than £100 per week, for a 2 bed which sleeps 5.

prepares to be flamed to damnation for admitting to buying The Sun for its tokens

i have just booked a week in a cottage in west wales for 6 (2 adults; 4 kids) for less than it would have cost for a caravan for the same number of people for the week. caravanning is no longer a cheap option.

Wow! Thanks for all your replies! Perhaps I gave up searching too easily. They are coming over tomorrow night so we shall look through eBay for last minute rentals and some options on hoseasons too! Travel lodge and camping ate good ideas - we've done both before but we usually do the cottage option to save paying for meals out every
night- we just cook something simple at "home"

Dolce, that's so kind of you- I will PM you now about us buying it from you. :)

Thanks all! X

To stay in N. Devon each year is just costing more and more - more than £500-£600 for a caravan sleeping 4-6 near the sea. We are having to hire a cottage 20 mins drive away from the sea and share with my sister/boyf/Ds and my mum and dad to get the cost under £400 per 1/3 share for a week in the summer hols. To rent a house near the sea (meaning within 10 mins walk) for the same week ranges from £1500-£2500! Completely unaffordable! If feel your pain OP, just got to shop around like a mad thing and compromise on location.

if you can get to north wales on the llyn peninsula, there is a small quiet camp site there for £10 a night per tent or £12 with hook up, if you can get a tent or borrow one oh and price includes showers too.

I second the Sun Holidays - we went on one a couple of years ago, it was great, ok the site was full to bursting point with Sun readers but you know what, they weren't as scary as i initially thought ;) I think we ended up with a holiday for 6 days (we paid £20 to extend a couple of days) and it was fab. We stayed in Exmouth, on Devon Cliffs the largest of the Haven Sites. The entertainment was, well, what you would expect, but we just avoided that side of things - we did go and watch the childrens shows, tehy were a bit naff but DD LOVED it. Will be looking out for the next ones. Also, do you have club card vouchers? Park Holidays allow you to pay with these and they are worth triple!!

We had a holiday through Hoseasons and it was fantastic value, we normally go with Haven, this had fewer on-site facilities, but we didn't find it a problem. Good luck!

why on earth do yuo want to go in the school holidays when your kids are pre school? I would go early july or sept.

Hoseasons is good value

We've just paid £750 for a 4 night break in a caravan in August. We're splitting that between 3 families.

Family of five for under £150 - now that's ambitious!

is maybe they are teachers

Look North - much cheaper than south west.

www.yha.org.uk/ family rooms around the £30 mark for a room. Then you get to take all your own food and use a kitchen with all mod cons to prepare breakfast etc.

Three nights would be £120 for each family

www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/south-west-england/hostels/westward_ho/index.aspx

I have sepndt many a happy day on westwood ho beach, it is a little bit run down and tacky but is trying hard in a weird way.

But rockpooling is free, beach is free, cliff walk is free and the tarka trail is free if your into cycling 30 miles on old railway tracks - of course you don't have to cycle 30 miles and can do as much or little as you choose.

www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/wales/hostels/Borth/index.aspx this one is right on the beach 20 meters walk, maybe closer in petrol and not having to sit on the dreaded M5 wasting petrol for three hours

I got a Tesco clubcard voucher for 2 for 1 at Park resorts yesterday when I did my shopping.

If it does what it says on the tin then a 4 day break should be

This is why now our eldest is starting school MIL lives in ilfracombe 2 min from beach and 10 min from wollacombe!!!! Free holidays!!!! Well accomadation, which means more money for activities and meals out. Will then take kids out of school for a week to go on a proper holiday at some point.

is it too late for a Sun holiday now does anyone know please?