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.

I would rather drink bleach than go camping in the rain.

The 5 hour drive would put me off not the holiday itself! Why so far?

It depends what sort of caravan it is, to be honest. Super cheap and cheerful, no where comfy to sit, no where to hang up a wet coat - I’d skip it. Somewhere a bit more comfy (but still in a caravan) i would do it. Holidays when children are little are super hard. You don’t have to stay all week. We travel thst far to visit family so the distance wouldn’t put me off.

We go to that area once a year and the weather is rarely as consistently bad as it is set to be.
and, randomly, the pub at Mawgan Porth beach used to do a great “tinies” meal - cucumber sticks, bite of bread, cheese etc - which I remember various of my babies enjoying whilst we ate waiting for the weather to pass. (My other great pub food recommendation is the Ring of Bells at St Columb Major, the town has a launderette if you need it).

Camping is tents in a field. The OP said it’s a caravan! They have solid roofs, showers and kettles!

The Op isn't going camping.

because not everyone lives 30mn away from Cornwall? 😂

I would go .A change is as good as the rest they say .My DC loved swimming and being in a caravan will be exciting for them .I think even an hour or two break in the weather will be fine.A walk along the beach collecting shells and playing in the sand .

You couldn’t pay me to go with kids that age to be honest. Stay home. It’ll be such hard work.

The last caravan I stayed in was amazing. Do people still think caravans have no running water and a bucket for a toilet?

I think it really comes down to your individual preferences and priorities. I went away in the UK last Easter, and the rain was terrible. We left a couple of days early, and the people on reception at the holiday site were really surprised that we weren’t staying until the end. But the lodge we were staying in was less nice than our own home, and we’d exhausted the obvious indoor options. The weather was also much nicer back where we live.

However, there were loads of families on the site making the best of it in waterproofs and looking quite accepting of the terrible weather, so clearly we aren’t all the same!

I'd still go. We had a trip planned to a National Trust property last week and the forecast showed a % chance of rain every hour. In actuality it was small bursts of rain for 15 minutes then an hour or two dry- even with some decent sunshine- we used brollies and dipped inside at the rain times, get some tea and had some lovely outdoor fun otherwise. I think it looks worse on the forecast than it is in actuality. Exploring tourist attractions somewhere new is always interesting- any museums nearby you could dip out to? Often free and most are really good at having kid friendly activities.

I’ve had plenty of UK caravan breaks over the years where the rain has been bouncing off the roof of the caravan. I’d still go. I don’t recall any when I thought we should have just stayed home. There isn’t a huge amount to do in Cornwall in the rain, but your kids are young and can be entertained fairly easily i’d imagine. I’d stick to caravan breaks within 90 mins so it’s a bit easier if you do decide to return home in future. 5hrs each way is a long old drive.

The op doesn’t clarify her partner’s preference
so safe to assume the partner does want to go hence asking mumsnet.

I’d stay home OP. We are 2 adults with no kids and we are on annual leave this week. Sometimes September can be really nice so we were hoping to have some time away in our motorhome (have a dog we can’t leave to go abroad) but even though it’s comfy etc and we have a telly i cba in this mixed weather. Luckily we have had some lovely breaks with the dog in great weather already this year.

I’d go with the view it’s fine to leave a few days early.

It's not going to rain 24/7 for a week.

Go. If it's really shit, you can always come home early.

Just go, have an adventure and a break - sea air tires out children.
lots of walks and new things to look at - rain is rain wherever you are and you can just have regular food but holiday style in the caravan !! It will be as magical as you make it !!

Is it Hendra? My kids would have happily spent all week in the pool if so (although appreciate that a 3yo might not like the big slides!)
You can do a showery rockpool walk in Newquay and after an hour being a bit damp you can earn a coffee/hot chocolate.

If packing, childcare and grunt work will mainly be done by you I wouldn't go as it will be the same drudge but in a smaller kitchen and living area with wet kids to tend to. But if it's going to be a holiday for you all, joint childcare, eating out etc then go. You can always come home if the weather makes it unbearable. The accommodation sounds like it will be 2/3 bedrooms with enough room to spread out and the facilities will help.

I'd definitely go. It's very rare to rain solidly for a week without a single dry spell. The DC will love the pool. There will be days out to go on from there. You will get a break from the norm and will do more stuff together (no choice!) than at home. The sea or countryside air will be good for your health. If its a holiday location there will be some natural beauty that's good for your soul, even in the rain.

A change is as good as a rest
Kids love puddles and rain
You just need wellies and macs
There probably will be a pool there indoors and an arcade with 2p machines
All our holidays were at haven or Butlins when kids were small ,its all you need at that age
Hopefully a bit of entertainment in the day and evening
Definitely go ..You've paid for it

I’d go and go to the south coast if weather better there or Eden project

Go! Please go! Cornwall is gorgeous and the weather forecast is notoriously unreliable in that neck of the woods.

There are loads of things to do in Newquay which don't cost a lot, boat trips, pretty harbour villages, we went in June and did a few in the rain. It's still lovely, and it won't be raining all day.

I think I’d go but not the full week. So assuming you’ve planned to go tomorrow, aim for packing up and driving back Wednesday night/thursday. If you’ve got a swimming pool and soft play on site, you can spend a couple of mornings doing that, a rainy walk on the beach in the afternoons.

Theres a sea life centre in Newquay that’s supposed to be good.

theres a harbour seal for Newquay harbour, sort of thing a 3 year old would find magical.

if the weather turns out to be better than you thought, you could stay the full week.

it does sound like you’ve had a tough year so some time together would be good.

I would go. It’s unlikely to rain every day all day and the forecast can change quickly. If there’s a pool and some indoor activities then the kids will be happy.