To not go on holiday because it's raining all week?

[Elisabeth3468]

UK caravan holiday predicted rain every single day. Obviously I knew there was a chance the weather wouldn't be great but was hoping for a few dry days at least.
It's only a cheap caravan holiday (what we can afford) and we have a 3 year old and 7 month old.
Involves a lot of packing with two young children and it's a 5 hour drive.
We would definitely be going if the weather looked nicer .
My 3 year old is very energetic and needs a lot of running around/outdoor time. Baby doesn't sleep well in travel cot. We were planning more outdoor (free) things and not to be going to soft plays etc, although there is free swimming and soft play at the caravan site.

If we stayed home we'd do a couple of days out locally and also crack on with some house projects that really are desperate to be done so the time wouldn't be wasted.
We would obviously lose the money we paid for the holiday.
What would you do?
please no snide remarks that "you have to expect rain on UK Holiday etc" I do know that.... it's just predicted horrendous rain for the full week and stuck in a caravan with a baby and toddler without home comforts doesn't sound very fun haha.

Personally I wouldn't . I hate carvavan holidays full stop so a full week of rain would send me over the edge 🤣

I would go on holiday. It’s always nice to get away and make memories away from home. If you’re at a caravan park, they’ll have activities indoors and entertainment. Go away and enjoy. X

Tricky one!

How would you feel if you don't go and then the weather is good? The weather forecast is rarely that reliable ime!

I wouldn’t. We had this once a long time ago in an October half term; we’d got a Sun caravan holiday when they really were £9.50 each and the weather looked shite. On the off chance I looked at late deals and we ended up in Portugal for stupidly cheap. Otherwise we’d have stayed at home.

I would go. The chances are it won't rain all the time. Make sure your 3yo has a good puddle suit and sleeves and embrace the weather. I have fond memories of a caravan holiday in Scarborough when mine were about the same age and it rained a lot. We had a lovely time despite the weather and found that if we drove a little inland the weather was often a little better. Where is it you are going? People can maybe help you with things to do in the area in wet weather.

Sleeves should say wellies!

Go with your gut in this case I think – stay home. Maybe check the met office or accuweather forecast as close to the time as you can, just in case the outlook gets better and it'd be worth going after all. Hope you have a good time whatever you do.

I wouldn't trust the weather forecast!
Why not go, and then come back early if you really aren't enjoying yourself? If there is softplay and a pool free onsite, you will definitely have things to tire out your toddler with.

I would still go.
It's not likely to rain the whole time and your kids will enjoy it regardless, especially the 3 year old.

I'd go. I'm sure it won't rain 24 hours a day. I wouldn't waste all that money and then stay at home.

It's character-building, and a parent badge to wear with pride. Plus, some years down the line, you get to tell your grandkids about how holidays were 'in the olden days'.

Go and make the most of it.

Recent weather patterns are unsettled/ showery rather than constant washout, so there should be opportunities each day to go out and not get drenched. Getting damp isn't a deal breaker unlike repeatedly drenched and struggling to dry gear (launderette tumble dryers can be a godsend in worst case scenario)

If it was camping, that would be different as it's cooler and you'd also have the gear to manage after. We have come back early from a few camping trips while the weather allowed for a dry pack saving hours of work drying out at home. When DS1 was 8m, we did a last minute caravan instead of camping as the forecast was unpleasantly wet and windy for a baby in a tent. It was fine for being in the caravan, and we did have some pleasant weather mixed in.

For a caravan, you can take things like DVDs/ player to make it easier in grotty weather too.

Double-post

Where are you going to? In my area (south Devon) it can say rain but in reality it’s a very mixed bag of sun, cloud and some rain. And it’s rare the rain is so bad you can’t go out with a coat etc. it’s something to do with the weather systems and landscapes in my area.

I’m not sure but mainly because of their ages.
with older kids, 5/7 I would, they’re easier in some ways, bundle up and just make the most of it.
at 3 and a baby I’d not relish the prospect at all!

Where are you going? Cornwall shows showers and sunshine and is windy next week. Same for some of Welsh coast. East coast looks sunnier.
If you're looking at the BBC forecast, each hour shows a predicted temperature and % chance of rain, so maybe for 3 hours there is 30% chance of rain, probably means a short shower. Or the rain clouds may entirely miss where you are, it's just a projection in advance. If there is a large band of rain coming in over the whole country then it's more likely to be accurate in predicting rain.

The forecasts often default to the worse chance of rain too.

Our worst weather was week 2 of a fortnight in Britany when the DCs were 2 & 4. We were grateful for the big tent and were fine.

UK coastal areas can often get mire mixed breaks than inland too.

I would go and see how it goes for a couple of days. If you don’t like it, you could always come back.

i personally love a caravan holiday even in the rain and as others have said, the forecast might change while you’re there. if you think you’d get more as a family doing some day trips and you can afford it, you should do it - but make sure you stick to a plan, otherwise you might end up not doing anything at all! And I agree with the poster who says a rainy caravan holiday could be character building 😃

I would research and plan what to do if it's genuinely pissing with rain non stop.

it won't, but it would give me a better idea if it's worth going or not

there is free swimming and soft play at the caravan site.
if they are decent, that's already a good holiday for a 3 year old! Plus the adventure, and being with parents.

I probably would go - or I would honestly not have booked it in the first place.

Don’t go.

If its paid and it was cheap enough id probably go maybe cut the week short if it gets too much, holidays are never up.to much with babies but go swimming let your 3 year old go to soft play the kids entertainment, let him run about in the rain i am sure it will be fine.

I would pass up a caravan holiday because I think it sounds like he’ll so firstly a huge no with tiny kids. And then to be cooped up in a tiny space without space to run around or their familiar toys - yes would pass that up in a flash.

stay home, do days out and order in food. Sounds much, much more appealing

I think you should go!
Your 3 year old will love the fun of it and won't care about the weather.
For you, it'll be nice to get away. Just a break from the routine of every day life is so good for you. Just being somewhere different, in a different environment, and being away with your family all together is a real boost.
I've been on plenty of UK holidays where the forecast is rain every day, but we've gone despite the forecast, and I have to be honest with you - it never actually is rain all day every day. Ends up being rain in the morning then brightens up in the afternoon, or vice versa, or doesn't even rain at all. I have been on so many lovely days out with my children on UK holidays over so many years where I'm thinking "The forecast said it would rain all day today but it's not and we're out having a lovely time!" that I now rarely believe forecasts to be accurate!
Take wellies & rainjackets, along with your other clothes, and I promise that you'll end up having a mix of using the pool on site and going out and about.
Plus your children are so little that your days are short because they go to bed so early. So you only need a few hours out each day and that's enough for them.
One of my happiest memories is when my DC were very little on a summer caravan holiday in Devon. I'd zipped them up in really warm thick hoodies, put crocs on them, me & DH put warm jackets on, and we went rock pooling with bright neon little kids fishing nets and buckets, and spent the happiest afternoon with them, hunting for crabs and tiny fish to put in buckets of water. The sky was filled with billows of low down huge dark blue/grey clouds - the forecast had been for torrential rain all afternoon but it was dry and didn't rain at all - the sky actually looked beautiful, and afterwards we took them for a hot chocolate at a beach cafe. They had the best time ever and they still remember the fun of that day now they're older!
So go! But take lots of warm clothes.
Give your 3 year old a fun time.
DIY can wait!
I'd love to know where in the country you're going and which dates?

I would go and give it a blast. Take wellys.