How to make Haven more enjoyable?

[Shnowfairy]

We’re deciding between several Haven holidays or one holiday abroad this year. Haven is obviously loads cheaper and our then 4 year old absolutely loved it last year, but me and DP were bored to tears and desperate to get home within a few days.

We’d go to a much bigger park if we do wind up going this year and we’d have the car this time which will make things easier, but does anyone have some tips for enjoying it as adults?

Exactly this. Choose somewhere where there’s lots to see and do. Dorset is a good shout imo.

We took a 5 year old and a 2 year old away last summer. The things that made it a holiday for us too were: take grandparents thus lightening the load of childcare a little. Also, have a planned activity for most days, with a little time left flexible. Across a week we did one activity that was an all-day thing, and several that were just a morning/afternoon and then used the holiday parks pool/playground/go for a walk and chill a bit for the other half of the day.
I find my kids can get very out of sorts if they’re overtired/overstimulated so I planned in downtime.

We've been to Hafan Y mor a couple of times. We really enjoyed it and it's cheap as chips. If you are taking the car there are some nice towns etc you could visit like Abersoch and there's loads to do onsite.. the restaurants aren't amazing to be fair but not horrible.

We went in October and it was quite grey but we didn't get bored.

I think non-drinking adults are going to struggle
To enjoy haven. In my limited experience it's full
off multi-generational families drinking from lunch time and ignoring the kids (all assuming the others are watching them I guess)

We don’t drink at all. We still love it! At the end of the day it’s just a self catering van in a site with stuff to do… you can do whatever you like or go off site all the time, no different to if you stayed in a b and b elsewhere, but with a swimming pool and playground to use as well.

We flew France, hired a car and eurocamped.
Lovely weather, great food, kids liked pool and tumble tots activities, within walking distance of a beach and lots of places to take day trips to.

DT's were 3 and it was our first great holiday with them.

We liked the Haven in Tenby. Smallish site but walking distance to the town and brilliant beaches, loads to do locally.

DH & I usually go to Haven sites and use the caravan as a base. We don't bother with the shows or entertainment.

We have lovely days out and come back to the caravan late or cook our evening meal there and watch TV.

I would recommend a Haven that's bot far from some fun activities or lovely walks.

Just to flag that this is a great site but is probably 2+hrs drive from Paris, I think.

only way to make Haven enjoyable is not to go. Do some work on a few of their sites couldn’t think of a worse place to spend my holiday.

but I have a simple rule - club / entertainment - avoid.

@Shnowfairy if you're looking at Yorkshire then I've been to primrose valley near Scarborough and Thorpe park near cleethorpes and enjoyed both. Both big sites with lots To do and also lots of local things to do too

We’ve been to this one twice with young DC and Paris or Eurodisney is doable as a day trip from there.
we really enjoyed the site both times. Good kids activities, the pool area is a bit grotty but this was a few years ago, the little beach bar area is fun. Interesting castle near by which is ok for a half day trip etc. And as a PP said - it’s abroad so it’s just more fun! Nice cheese and wine.
never been to Haven but why ten days, OP? That’s just far too long in a place like that.

@Unicorn2022, @HarryLimeFoxtrot thank you so much for suggesting Lalandia Billund. And it is so close to Legoland. My kids would love to go (only found out after I booked Madeira for July). I love Mumsnet!

I’m not surprised you were bored if you never left the site! It will be very different if you have a car and go out for day trips.

Parkend Resorts are better than Haven, look for someone who rents a caravan privately, chances are you will get a much better caravan for your money & then you can choose if you want to buy passes to use things like the pool & activities. I always take things like a good kitchen knife, chopping board & my own frying pan & usually do a shop at the nearest supermarket to pass the time until check in time. We have stayed in the top grade caravans & have never had any problems, when we returned to a park we had previously stayed at we were able to state we wanted the same caravan again. We have been to Kessingland Beach 4 times, Withernsea once, Barmston Beach once, Skipsea Sands twice.

We did a haven holiday in burnham on sea . Only stayed for part of it as the caravan was filthy and it was like trying to sleep in a baked bin tin just so hot. I was really shocked by how much the site and area had gone downhill. I don’t think I’d do another holiday with them again although people have said other sites are better.

My kids loved that castle! It was gorgeous. Yes agree it's a great park and an easyish drive from the ferry.

It was dull and grey in July 2023?!

Would you stay in your own home and garden for ten days and not go anywhere? If the answer is no then don’t plan that for a holiday! Holiday camps are good as a base and somewhere to sleep, apart from that you need to plan your entertainment in the way you would plan any day trip.

Camps in europe tend to be both cheaper and have far more facilities on site, lots of great ones that are a reasonable drive from the ferry, many near lots of nice towns, some near Euro Disney.

Berwick upon tweed (the one in the town) is good. Small, quiet, beach access. You can walk to it from the train station and the Northumberland coast can be accessed by bus. You can walk into Berwick to eat.

Going without a car was probably the issue. There isn't that much on any Haven site I've been to, we use it as a base and go on day trips to local attractions, beaches, country parks etc. We also do the same with Airbnb houses. Bring activities for adults to do in the evening like board games etc so you don't have to just sit there once the kids are asleep.

10 days is quite long as well, I think 4-5 nights is about right for a UK holiday.

Well not everybody is drinking all day ignoring the kids thats an unfair stereotype of people who go to holiday parks.

Op going without a car can be difficult but .buses usually come in and can take you to the .town, you just need to put a bit of research in and honesty mon'-friday .just do that. Or look for other holiday parks if Haven isn't your thing.

Go to a park that has things to do outwith the park. We only ever use it for somewhere to sleep, most of our holidays are spent off site.

Pick one where you can walk to other places)as well as drive.

Primrose Valley is nice as you can walk along the beach to Filey.

We like Berwick on Tweed best. It's only small so not as much on site as some of the others but we enjoy the walk into the town and around the walls.

We only tend to do a weekend/ four nights. Some years we've split and done two different parks.
You get good at packing so there is limited unpacking and it's not a massive effort!

we only used as a base and then went to the beach/attractions....
evening entertainment not my thing..
same with the food ...most seemed poor quality and would rather go local restaurants or micro dinners/cook...
i would go to best pool and near to places we would want to visit eg stayed at one in kent to use the mini steam train (although was awful site so never again)
pools was the thing we used most...
sunnparks in Belgium quite close and much better pool complex
centreparcs overseas even better but dearer accommodation
friend went to butlins which had funfair and better entertainment....

Go with friends or family. DHs family love haven type holidays and it’s fun because we hang out with them and share the children entertain each other. We won’t be holidaying ourselves for as long as I can stretch it.