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.

we are going to Newquay Cornwall

The holiday was originally booked for June but we didn't go because had a very tragic family bereavement. So that's why we re arranged it for these dates. We've been away in September before and it's often been glorious weather.

Yes this is what we've said. 3 year old would love it I think and is easy when entertained. Baby is crawling everywhere and pulling to stand which is hard work even being at home.

I’d go. It never rains 24/7.

Cornwall Newquay is where we have booked to go

Honestly just go if you can be bothered baby will be fine in the pram if you are out and about, if it gets too much just go home.

I would go and see how you get on. You don't have to stay if it is torrential rain and you've exhausted all the inside stuff.

I’d go and probably come home a day or 2 early if you’re not having fun and there are projects to do at home.
3-4 days will be plenty then you get the best of both worlds. I’d travel 7pm-midnight.

A five hour drive in the rain with small children??? My idea of hell for absolutely all of you from the start.

We did caravan holidays when we were kids, with large dog too. They could be fun - but being cooped up in a tiny box when it rained especially as we got older and bigger ...

Honestly, if it's going to be that bad, I'd say let it go.

Do the staycation and find out all the things you can do locally (especially free) or within easy reach. Art, stories, exercise, looking at wildlife, exploring your area, and doing the things at home that might be preying on your mind when you're five hours away sound SO much better.

Have fun.

I would go! I just got back yesterday from Scotland with 2.5yr and crawling 6mo. Was quite apprehensive but it ended up being the best holiday as a family - we checked the weather and went out exploring when it looked driest. Only got caught out once. Then on the one day it was truly torrential I stayed back with baby and husband took toddler to an aquarium (our one splurge)
we indulged in a bit of screen time (films on tv) in early evening. But honestly worked really well.
also - there is a brilliant soft play in Newquay - it’s massive - and we once went there 3 times in a week with toddler during a wet week away.
maybe have the caveat that if it’s awful you come home after a day! But you never know! Good luck!

Also - Lappa Valley is good for changeable weather. Little trains/ parks etc but also massive soft play for when the rain comes in!

It depends on what you're like as people and what you'll enjoy. I bloody love a UK holiday, it usually tips it down for at least half of it, and one year in Whitby we actually got snow - made for a very atmospheric (if slightly wet and chilly) walk around the abbey 😅

We tend to just pack a mixture of clothes to cover all eventualities, and crack on rain or shine, or if there's a particularly horrific day, that becomes movie and board game day.

That being said, if you know all of you will have a miserable time, and think it'll be more stress than it's worth, then you're absolutely not unreasonable to give it a miss. Your happiness is more valuable than forcing yourself to have a horrible time just because it's already paid for.

I'd go as it's nice just to get away, then leave a bit early if you get sick of it. In future I would not book somewhere 5 hours away with two young kids!

Come. It’s not that bad a forecast. Plenty to do in and around.

Are there any kids clubs during the daytime for the 3yo? I would go because it's still a break away from home and you might get some good weather hours.

Swimming and soft play every day will take up quite a bit of time. Take some games with you to play, take waterproofs and go for a walk on the beach if it isn't too bad. One of you can stay in with the baby and the other go out with the 3yo, take it in turns.

If you get a break in the weather then head out somewhere for a couple of hours.

Check out local attractions that are undercover and see what they cost and see if you can afford at least 1 of them to go to on the worst weather day. Do a search online for any discount codes. There is an Aquarium, Lappa Valley and other places.

I don't know which weather forecast you've been looking at, but I've been keeping an eye on the weather in Newquay as we're going next Saturday for the week, and it's showing sunshine and showers for the next fortnight. Hardly torrential rain! Get yourselves off and have a lovely break 😊

Sorry for your loss Op
id definitely go and have a break!

I would go. A change of scene is good for the soul.

Go.

Caravan with very contained space has benefits at pull to stand stage.

As does soft play.

As does a week of not looking at all the jobs to do at home.

Cornwall doesn’t tend to get settled weather so straight rain is unlikely.

Rough outline for rainy day.
Breakfast in caravan. Parent 1 loads both children into weather gear and sets off for soft play. Parent 2 stays in caravan, clears up break fast in 4 minutes because it’s a caravan and then chills in peace for an hour and a half. Pootles over to soft play.
Family together time.
Repeat pattern over lunch but swapped and with swimming.

I wouldn’t bother going. There will be other opportunities to go away.

We have our own touring caravan, and we once went away for a week where the forecast has been rain every day, not looking forward to it. As it turned out, the rain, such as it was, was half an hour or so of light drizzle in the evenings once we were back in the van for the night. The days were dry, with plenty of sunny spells, and we had a lovely holiday.

I do think the forecast often tends to be all doom and gloom these days. It doesn't always turn out as bad as predicted. Have a great time if you do go; fingers crossed the weather won't be as bad as you fear.

We just had an absolutely fab break in a caravan with our 2-year-old where it rained two of the four days. I would say definitely go! We grabbed the one sunny afternoon for a beach day, then did a day out to a local steam train/play park where we did get massively rained on but all had wet weather clothing including puddle suit and wellies for toddler. Then a day indoors at the caravan park where we swam, had lunch, did soft play, and then it brightened up and we had a lovely afternoon playing mini golf (to toddlers’ rules!) and going in the outdoor playgrounds. She also went to the indoor stay and play sessions in the morning. There was a woodland walk as well to get outside in dry spots. We had a wonderful time and made lots of happy memories. It was really cosy in the evenings and there was an electric fire to help with drying wellies etc.

I would say take ear plugs as rain on a caravan roof at night wakes you up (although it’s a nice sound!). And maybe an extra clothes horse so you can get stuff drying outside in sunny spells, the one in ours was tiny. We only did four days, I probably wouldn’t want to go for a week without proper drying facilities as that was the main challenge.

I think it depends on what sort of caravan site you're on and what is around it.

We own a caravan on the east yorkshire coast and it always seems to bloody piss it down when we go.

We book in swimming, clubs, activities on the site, local soft plays, pub grub, and we all still manage to have a good time.

I’d definitely go but pack for the weather. It won’t rain all day everyday anyway & the kids won’t mind. Had you been staying in a tent I probably would have said to stay home instead.

I had 2 weeks away in July/August. It was forecast heavy rain every single day. In reality, if it did rain, it was evening/overnight, and once on the way to somewhere. Just go.