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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider a £9.50 Sun holiday?

151 replies

Passthepigs · 04/01/2019 18:31

On maternity leave from March so on a tight budget and will have new baby plus a 2.5 year old.

I’ve never read The Sun and don’t like large caravan parks with lots of other other families. Am I crazy to consider it as a cheap something to do for a few days next year or will I hate it?

OP posts:
Suchan1d10t · 04/01/2019 19:07

gamerwidow

Ps under no circumstances whatsoever should you go to Pontins at Camber Sands!!

^ this!

Grotty freezing cold draughty chalets!

howonearthdoyoucopewith3 · 04/01/2019 19:07

I wouldn't. We like eurocamp and have always found it very wholesome and people respect the rules of the campsite and it's a really relaxed holiday. This summer the site we went to had some Daily Mail offer people on it and it was a nightmare. They were playing music outside, boozing outside their mobile homes till 1am and generally behaving really anti socially. I would never go with eurocamp again for fear of Daily Mail / Sun people turning up!

IHeartMarmiteToast · 04/01/2019 19:07

We've done a few. Love parkdean ones. We went to a Pontins and wouldn't wish it on an enemy!

There are so many to choose from just research the parks. Some are fab

LagunaBubbles · 04/01/2019 19:09

We stayed in this Eurocamp on Brittany last year through the offer, and can really recomend it.

To consider a £9.50 Sun holiday?
NettleTea · 04/01/2019 19:10

I did one to Sardinia. it was OK except the bed was really uncomfortable

sola82 · 04/01/2019 19:12

We've done it before. Went to Woolacombe and DS loved it. We've since returned (though both through Sun as during summer holidays). Accommodation was basic but clean and facilities and night time entertainment great for kids. DS(7) is very upset we're going abroad this year instead!

Nowhere will be that busy during term time.

slappinthebass · 04/01/2019 19:13

You would be extremely unreasonable to buy the Sun, yes.

MacarenaFerreiro · 04/01/2019 19:14

don’t like large caravan parks with lots of other other families

this sort of holiday is pretty much exclusively large caravan parks with other families.

So no, you'd hate it.

And they can give holidays away for £9.50 for a reason. You get what you pay for.

Sunshinegirl82 · 04/01/2019 19:16

We've done several and always had a great time! We upgrade to the maximum level and the accommodation has always been great. It's not 5 star luxury obviously but for a cheap getaway you can't complain.

If you're looking at Cornwall you could look at Hendra Holiday Park. It's outside Newquay. Newquay itself isn't great but the beach is nice and the park was very well kept and had a nice pool. They don't accept single sex groups so no hen/stag parties. We just used it as a base to explore. Rockley Park near Poole was also nice.

TheDogAteMySock · 04/01/2019 19:17

We booked one once, a Haven in Wales, but just before we were due to go, we found it cheaper online and that included free activities as well. Luckily we managed to negotiate, or cancel and rebooked (can't remember which), so don't be fooled into thinking they're such great value. By the time you've put some necessary extras on, you might find it better value online and you don't have to touch the filthy sun newspaper.

AlexaAmbidextra · 04/01/2019 19:17

I would never go with eurocamp again for fear of Daily Mail / Sun people turning up!

Oh dear. You obviously need to find a camp for Times/Guardian people. 🙄

TheDogAteMySock · 04/01/2019 19:18

Also, we booked a budget accommodation and it was very basic. Clean but very worn and tired and very very basic.

Harryo · 04/01/2019 19:20

Pack some cleaning things, plenty of towels, blankets, bedding etc

No don't take anything like bedding! Think bed bugs.

IAmAlwaysLikeThis · 04/01/2019 19:20

Definitely read reviews and try to pick somewhere nice. I’ve had lovely ones that were quiet and clean, I’ve had awful ones with fights breaking out etc.

Darkestnight · 04/01/2019 19:21

Never go to pontins in Brean either. Grotty dirty and rundown place

Til89 · 04/01/2019 19:21

I’ve done 3 and they’ve been nice. Pay a little bit extra for an upgrade if you can.

Tr1skel1on · 04/01/2019 19:22

We went many times on 9.50 holidays when the kids were pre-school age. We all loved it. We went during term time.

We then stayed on a Haven park during the school holidays, totally different experience, I wouldn't recommend it.

IAmAlwaysLikeThis · 04/01/2019 19:23

macarena that’s not true at all, I’ve been to some nice small places.

And we are not the type of family that generally do that kind of holiday, my mum’s face the whole week we went to Butlins once is etched in my memory for life. ‘Family entertainment’ is not her thing.

VerbenaGirl · 04/01/2019 19:24

I have 3 friends who do these regularly with their families, and they all enjoy them. They are basic - but if you choose a location you like, it's just a base for that. I'd say go for it if you want to get away on a budget.

averythinline · 04/01/2019 19:27

we have done a couple - 1 dreadful 1 ok - if you use the mobile as a base then they are fine when dc small we woudl use the pool early and go out...didnt do the entertainment not my thing but we got to go away when we otherwise couldn't afford too..
caravans are fine - just would take a heater if going out of the summer as most dont have heating in bedrooms - we have been lucky and always been clean the horrible one(kent) was the other people not the caravan!
the ok one (haven exmouth ) again caravan ok but the soft play in sea of slot machines and children sat eating in it whilst the parents all played slots/video games and the beach was empty! -depressing rather than anything else... good for us as we had the beach to ourselves pretty much...again think of it as a base a cheap holiday then you are probably fine...

Neverunderfed · 04/01/2019 19:28

We did one a few years back, it was fine.

CheekyNandosForMe · 04/01/2019 19:29

Not done it via the Sun.
But if you book them in advance you can get some nice ones for very little. I did this at Christmas for the Easter coming, a few years ago. Brilliant idea.

LagunaBubbles · 04/01/2019 19:30

And they can give holidays away for £9.50 for a reason. You get what you pay for

Nope not true regarding France. Can't say for this country.

Louiselouie0890 · 04/01/2019 19:30

Plus with having babies I imagine your not going to spend most of your time out. So where we stayed was important to us. We were back for naps or tea then 7/8pm so didn't want to sit in a grot hole. Depends if your more bunker down at night and be out all day or of the facilities are important. Having kids it was important for us anyway

Miljah · 04/01/2019 19:34

I've cut to the end.

We did several of these when the DSs were young (think infants, early juniors). That was a good 10 years ago so things may well have changed, but what we did was take the DC out of school for a day to get a 'weekend' out of it, non-school holidays; we always upgraded one notch; we made sure it was caravans, not chalets (as sites can tow an old caravan away and replace it; rather harder upgrading a chalet); check the water-park facilities (often the big draw for us); check the surrounding area for day trips; avoid the 'entertainment', especially after 9pm; take earplugs so your neighbours, hauling their drunken, sorry arses home, complete with shouting teenagers and screaming, desperately over-tired toddlers at midnight- was less of an issue.

Our 'mistakes' were a March one where they hadn't yet heated the pool; a chalet park on the IoW, just recently bought by Haven but not yet renovated (grim); and Butlins in Bognor. Run-down flats, noisy neighbours, and bullying little bastards everywhere.

However, we had far more good ones!

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