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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Holiday Village/caravan sites - Made me feel a bit sad

89 replies

Girlwhowearsglasses · 08/04/2015 14:38

Have just come back from one of the many many Holiday Village type camp sites in the UK. This one is very well kept, and cost as much to stay in a double glazed mobile home as a cottage on the beach would have (I have since discovered). It was located in one of the truly beautiful parts of the UK. In other words not at all unusual, and very similar to lots of others..

I have come away feeling a bit sad; and also that I'm a bit of a snob. I just don't get it.

Basically even though there were beaches and stunning landscape, great pubs and cafes and restaurants serving great food, lots of local stuff to see and lots of other attractions; a large portion of the people there spent most of their time in the camp. Aside from the crazy golf, playground, swimming pool etc, quite a lot if this time seemed to be spent drinking and gambling. The children also seemed to be spending a lot of time trailing their parents watching them drinking or playing bingo, and there was a large children's amusement arcade with a lot of expensive games which as far as I could see were training the kids to gamble. My DP took the DCs in once and they were hooked instantly and begged to go in there all holiday.. There was one 8 YO boy there who had around 70 cards from a machine which cost £1 per card (sort of collectable cards with a game involved) - he'd spent his entire time in there. The food and drink in the camp was at least as expensive as to buy much better nearby.

The mobile home was clean, but cramped and uncomfortable (beds always terrible in Mobile homes). We spent our time doing all sorts of things off site, and didn't end up doing a lot of the the stuff on offer in the camp - all of which cost £££ extra (climbing wall etc). Honestly we could have spent so much money in the camp - its not a cheap option at all.

We could have stayed in a really nice self catering and had some really fancy meals out for the same price.

AIBU not to get the point and wonder why they come to such a beautiful place and don't look at it?

OP posts:

Gottagetmoving · 08/04/2015 14:41

Horses for courses.
People do what THEY want on a holiday.
YANBU for wondering though.

StrawberryMojito · 08/04/2015 14:43

How do you know they didn't look at it? Most families probably did a mix of things. And for those that just stayed on site...as long as they all enjoyed themselves, does it matter?

0x530x610x750x630x79 · 08/04/2015 14:45

i felt the same at center parcs, up in the lake district

PtolemysNeedle · 08/04/2015 14:46

YANBU to not get the point, but YABU to feel sad at other people enjoying their own holiday in their own way.

Original poster

Girlwhowearsglasses · 08/04/2015 14:48

Center Parcs is different though cause the whole point is to stay on site. (And don't event mention how much that costs!). Its the gambling thing - I think I'm a prude but I think its pernicious - watching the effect it's had on the kids has brought it home to me.

OP posts:

Jackieharris · 08/04/2015 14:52

Our holiday would be hell if we were to drag DS around 'sightseeing'. That's what DP & I would do if we were having a couples holiday. It's not enjoyable with DCs.

If I went to somewhere like that it would be just to relax and let the DCs run off and play around the site. I wouldn't give them £70 though!

These campsite places are good for a certain type of holiday but I can see why they aren't everyone's cup of tea. I think it also very much depends on the age of DCs.

MrsMoggy · 08/04/2015 14:55

Surely the whole point in staying at this type of place is to do things on the camp otherwise you may as well just stay anywhere! We go to haven and butlins etc and yes we do go off site but usually eat and spend the evenings in the bars on the site for the entertainment. My 3 year old loves the 2p machines, I hardly think he's going to have a gambling problem when he's older.

expatinscotland · 08/04/2015 14:57

YABU. People do all kinds of things they want on holiday.

SisterNancySinatra · 08/04/2015 15:00

Some families save up all year their spending money so they can spend what they like for two weeks on what they like. In this country the weather is always crap so I think it looks worse, I've been in Majorca and watched whole families sit by the pool drinking all day and play bingo and arcades in evening. When you work hard all year you don't always want to keep going walking .

basgetti · 08/04/2015 15:00

We spent last week at a haven site. My DS loves the arcades and onsite entertainment. It's a few days a year, I'm happy for him to do whatever he enjoys.

Original poster

Girlwhowearsglasses · 08/04/2015 15:01

My oldest has ADHD and I can't trust him to go to the playground by himself - he has to be watched - and actually they now say no unsupervised kids on the playground entrances - so the supposed advantage I thought we'd get to let them get on wih it and relax on the patio doesn't work. When we stayed in campsites I did indeed go off by myself and play. We have to go out as our kids fight really all the time- so running about on the beach or going a walk is what we have to do - not so much 'sightseeing' as keeping hem occupied

OP posts:

IHaveBrilloHair · 08/04/2015 15:07

I'm going to one in a couple of weeks and don't plan to leave, my friend and I havevthree teen girls and they will be off on their own in a safe place.
I am not a gambler, but we will go to the bingo for a laugh, and check out the entertainment, a few drinks might even be had.
I am really looking forward to it, it suits us now.

soverylucky · 08/04/2015 15:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FloatIsRechargedNow · 08/04/2015 15:28

So you don't have as many options as the other holidaymakers because your kids fight all the time - so you "have to go out". Well maybe the other holidaymakers looked at you and thought "how sad - look at those fighting kids - not much of a holiday for the parents if they can't ever relax". And before anyone jumps on me for ignoring the eldest's ADHD, I'm not - but the other holidaymakers wouldn't know and would be looking and judging OP's parenting too. Or maybe they were too busy enjoying themselves to notice.

At least you know to book a cottage by the beach next time.

mswibble · 08/04/2015 15:38

I speny my childhood holidays at Haven/Pontins/Butlins. Days would be spent elsewhere, tended to go to the Yorkshire coast so Scarborough, Whitby, RHB, etc but nights would be spent in the cabaret bars so we kids could dance and run about and the parents could have a sit down and relax!
Plus I spent my holidays obsessed with 'grabbers' and the 2p machines ... now I dont gamble at all. No lotto tickets, no Grand National bets, just doesnt interest me so I dont agree that those kids are being trained to be the next generation of casino goers.
And finally not every family who holidays at these camps has a car. You can get trains, coaches there but once you arrive you are at the mercy of the local bus services which from my limited experience are v patchy.

Sureimgrand · 08/04/2015 15:39

Agree with you OP. On all of it. We went "camping" to one of those sites last summer. Cost a lot as it was school holiday time and I was very disappointed. It was completely nor what I was expecting.
I thought it would be camp fires, beach entertainments, outdoors type things. There was a pool indoors.
Which you had to reach by walking through a gaming arcade.
You also had to reach the naff overpriced restaurant by walking through the arcade.
My ds wanted to play it each time we passed, so 9 times out of 10 he was unhappy when I said no. The other times, I let him try them and he was dissappointed when the claw thing missed the peppa/teddy/whatever and I was a little bit broker.
The staff were so bored and robotic it was depressing.
I felt ripped off and deceived but I guess I should have done my homework.
Beautiful town nearly too, which was the only good thing about the holiday.
I think my lesson learnt is to do more research. I did also give the resort feedback to say the arcade is the main reason I'm not going back.
It's depressing if the UK is going all that way. We came from Ireland to visit.

ChipDip · 08/04/2015 15:51

Agree with float, you were on holiday but actually seemed to spend a lot of time bothering about what other people did.

RichPetunia · 08/04/2015 15:58

Totally agree with OP. In the same vein, I've never understood people who go abroad and then go no further than the hotel pool. Why bother?

jonicomelately · 08/04/2015 16:02

I bloody loved the slot machines at the caravan site we went to when I was a kid.
I've barely gambled since, have travelled fairly extensively and have a healthy curiosity in exploring new places and ideas.

Mrsjayy · 08/04/2015 16:02

Well the bingo would only be on once a day maybe the kids got a couple of quid for the machines and that was it or maybe they saved money to spend on their holiday im not sure why you felt sad for them maybe they felt sad for your kids for something

Quitelikely · 08/04/2015 16:11

I'm shocked that you were surprised that when you visited a caravan park that people were using the facilities.

I'm surprised that you think that if people do not investigate the nearest local town then somehow their children are missing out.

If you did not want access to these facilities then I'm confused at to why you would pay a premium to stay somewhere with those particular facilities?

fairgame · 08/04/2015 16:11

I didn't see any of the lake district when we went to Center Parcs because they kind of trap you on site!
We always went in holiday camps when i was little and my parents always used to go off camp.
I'm going to spain in august. Our hotel is on the beach with pool etc and we will probably just stay around the pool and beach. We might have a wander into the town but DS will be happy swimming and i will be happy sunbathing. Trying to sort out a trip out on a bus to an attraction in a foreign country is my idea of hell. If i was staying in the UK then i would probably go offsite because i would have my car and be able to get around.
DB often goes to Haven and he never leaves the site. They spend all their time in the pool/arcade and disco. I wouldn't like that sort of holiday but for him the kids are happy and he and sil are happy.
Everyone has a different idea of the perfect holiday.

phlebasconsidered · 08/04/2015 16:14

I love all sorts of holidays. Once a year we go as "wild" camping as we can, just me the kids and the dog and a field or a wood. Other times, we go to one of "those" sites. Kids love both types. We save up our coppers all year for the 2p machines and they LOVE it. They obsessively pop 2ps until they get the keyring and then it's the best thing EVER. Even I get quite caught up and we nearly always have 2ps left over at the end of the holiday.

You don't have to be in the clubhouse, you know, or eat there.

And there are plenty of holidays sites with a nice little bar, shop, and nowt else. My fave is already booked for us in August, lovely little shop, great play area,some 2p machines and a range of other board games and outside games(big connect 4, that sort) indoor pool, tons of woodland and a fishing pond and no loud nights at the clubhouse, it's just a bar, really. they also give out glowsticks in the evening, and do bat / owl walks. Perfect. You just have to look.

MrsFlannel · 08/04/2015 16:17

I'm surprised you went there at all OP! Haven't you ever been on holiday in the UK before?

I also hate that type of place. Despite my sister constantly telling me I'm "mean" for depriving my DC of caravan holidays and also for choosing "non child friendly destinations"...I've never gone to one of these places.

My DC come to the beach, walks or rides in the countryside...museums, castles etc...just walking round towns and villages...popping into shops and cafes.

They don't like kids clubs. Some do...fine.

Now tell me...why did you even book it?

MrsFlannel · 08/04/2015 16:18

Fairgame how on earth do they "trap you"?

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