Are people seriously paying this for a caravan?

[goodnightgrumble]

Just looked at booking a cheap week away in August for the kids and they love caravan parks. Had a quick look at Haven in Wales or the lakes and they are 2k plus.
The cheapest one started at 1300? For a week!
I was expecting to pay up to a grand for one of the better caravans but 1300 for a basic one?? Looks like I had better dig out the tent for a UK holiday!
I cannot imagine them getting any bookings!
Who on earth pays this amount?

@Eatglass

We stayed in a lovely 3 bed caravan in Camarthernshire on the coast last august - it was £750 for the week i think, we stayed 3 nights. Booked privately through holiday homes uk facebook page. Had to buy entertainment passes separately though.

Ooh what was the name of it?

Self catering prices have gone absolutely loopy in popular areas - I was looking for October half term and it’s about 2x what I paid last year.

That’s lovely, but it could have been pissing down solid for the entire time. You were only lucky
We've had many a holiday abroad affected by bad weather. In Rhodes it rained solidly the whole week! And we've experienced storms and flash flooding in France. I could go on but you get my point.

I would definitely recommend booking private - it's always worked out well for us and you are picking your exact caravan so you can check out outside seating space, position on park etc, which seems very vague when booking through Haven. I don't know where you are looking in Wales but we've had lovely private caravans at Quay West and Lydstep. There is a Quay west caravans for hire Facebook group, and an actual lydstep caravan hire website. We've also used Ukcaravans4hire and static-caravan.co.uk etc. This year we're having having short break in Devon in a caravan booked on airbnb, finger crossed! It's still more expensive than it used to be but worth a try!

Can you change the dates?

I take mine away for a caravan holiday early September, middle of September and it always costs less than £200.

School are always fine about it but I think that's because they know I'm a single mum and can't afford prices any other time of the year

It’s insane.
I was looking at those camping pod things for May (not even a school holiday week) and they were £110 a night. It’s a glorified shed!! I’m going abroad for less than that per night with flights, food and activities included!

I dont know why people exclaim about the prices for companies like that, of course they are expensive, thats why we have never been able to afford them!!

We go self catering and book cottages/apartments though cottage websites or airbnb, much cheaper as long as you book well in advance.

It was like this last year, the cheapest van available in July in a facility-free Haven between me and SIL's house was £1750 for two nights!! Absolutely bonkers. Price gouging, pure and simple - we've had some brilliant short breaks away in the Scottish half terms and I recognise those were bargains as our holidays don't link up with England, but the summer holiday gouging has really put me off Haven.

I spent £2.3 for two weeks last summer. I looked at Easter and prices were coming out at about a grand for 4 nights.

Park Sean was significantly cheaper than Haven / Hoseasons.

We have booked a week's cruise for 6 adults and 1 child for 5k including all drinks, tips and WiFi. That's for 4 cabins in total. We looked at staying in the UK but the prices were ridiculous, all self catering so have to spend a fortune on food on top. I know a cruise is hated by MN but this will be our 9th cruise and we love them.

@ItsSnowJokes

We have booked a week's cruise for 6 adults and 1 child for 5k including all drinks, tips and WiFi. That's for 4 cabins in total. We looked at staying in the UK but the prices were ridiculous, all self catering so have to spend a fortune on food on top. I know a cruise is hated by MN but this will be our 9th cruise and we love them.

During school holidays though?

I looked at this a few weeks ago. As it's self catering for that price it's almost better to look at all inclusive abroad.

That’s nuts.
Readycamp is your friend.

We usually pay around £1400 but webook early before the prices go up. We also book two caravans and split the cost between three families as we usually go as a family group with 12-13 people.

Works out less than £200 per person even if we went on our own it’s less that £300 per person. You aren’t going to get a week in August with facilities for that price elsewhere.

@RayofFunshine

£2k for a week in the UK?? Jesus! We've paid less than that for two weeks in Spain in June.. no way would I spend that amount to sit in a poxy caravan park (or a holiday cottage for that matter) with our unpredictable/miserable weather!

Well yes but that is term time. Prices for Spain would be more in August so you aren’t comparing like for like. Most parents can’t go on holiday in term time and take advantage of cheap holidays. Nor can those who work in education and are restricted to school holidays.

That does seem excessive.

DM bought a Fiat campervan in the 80s (the seating folded into a double bed, there were 2/3 single beds in the roof area, plus a kitchenette thing in it. We still tell her she shouldn't have sold it!

I suggest 2 websites to look at where owners advertise their caravans privately. We have done this several times

Www.directholidayhomes.co.uk

www.ukcaravans4hire.com

So much cheaper and you can search by date/location

You would have to buy entertainment passes separately.. but still works out cheaper

@goodnightgrumble

But these are not private owners. This is Haven itself. Just had a look at private owners and they are a lot cheaper yet they are the ones with the price hikes in site fees. I would rather support an owner than greedy Haven.

A lot of the caravans haven let out are owner vans, especially the 'better' ones.

If it doesn’t need to be coastal your welcome to PM me, my log cabin sleeps 4 and as I said upthread I don’t need to charge ridiculous amounts as it’s my second home not a business! It’s on a holiday park so has facilities! I haven’t opened up for summer holiday bookings yet so I have tons of availability

@Sirzy yes sailing on the 25th July. Day after kids break up here.

Prices have shot up OP. I think lots of companies (and private owners in some cases) are trying to recoup losses from when we couldn't go away because of restrictions. Hoeseasons likewise are crazy prices.

We were looking to go away for a ling weekend in May to a nice lodge style place. 4 families. It was so expensive we have looked at alternatives and are going on an all inclusive three night cruise to rotterdam/cherbourg together for less than just the accommodation at the lodge place. Lodges were 1300/1500 self catering per family, cruise is 900/1300 per family and includes all meals and drinks.

@Dumdeedahdumdeedo

Can you change the dates?

I take mine away for a caravan holiday early September, middle of September and it always costs less than £200.

School are always fine about it but I think that's because they know I'm a single mum and can't afford prices any other time of the year

I am a teacher so no chance

@Dogmum40

If it doesn’t need to be coastal your welcome to PM me, my log cabin sleeps 4 and as I said upthread I don’t need to charge ridiculous amounts as it’s my second home not a business! It’s on a holiday park so has facilities! I haven’t opened up for summer holiday bookings yet so I have tons of availability

Would you be able to pm me as I don't know how to do it?

Caravan parks have always been expensive, my dc are all grown up now but we stopped going on caravan holidays when we realized that you could book hotels in the UK with indoor pool, games room, breakfast etc for about the same price. And not that much more money to go abroad.