Our first holidays with our children have been in a touring caravan. It was such a relaxed and straightforward method to introduce them to journey once they have been infants. With a number of years of household caravan holidays below our belts – from the child and toddler years although to eight years-old – I believed I’d share our information to caravanning with youngsters.
Learn on for recommendations on the most effective structure for household caravans, what you have to pack for a caravan vacation and the place you’ll find household campsites and vacation parks across the UK and Europe.
Need extra concepts for household holidays and days out? Learn my ideas for smashing household journey and join my publication.
*This put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks*
Shopping for a family-friendly caravan
We’ve obtained by utilizing caravans designed for {couples} and households with older youngsters. However there’s no denying that caravans constructed for households are so a lot better.
Discover the most effective caravan structure for your loved ones
Format is the whole lot in terms of caravanning with youngsters.
Caravans with bunk beds separated from the primary dwelling area, like within the Bailey Phoenix 650, are our absolute excellent. This lets you put youngsters to mattress and nonetheless have some grownup area with out sitting open air in cooler climate.
If in case you have older youngsters you could be extra involved in regards to the dimension of the toilet. Finish loos have a tendency to supply extra space for laundry and altering in privateness.
If in case you have youngsters they could have outgrown caravan bunk beds and want one thing extra inline with their beds at house. That is when mounted single beds such as you’ll discover within the Bailey Pegasus Grande SE Rimini may be a greater possibility. It’s additionally 8ft large, supplying you with that additional area while you’re dwelling with what are primarily adults.
In the summertime (and winter in case you are hardy caravanners) we will suggest including an awning or shelter to the aspect of your caravan. It will assist you to sit out and benefit from the night with out being pressured to go to mattress early in case your youngsters want absolute darkish and quiet to sleep.
Learn our evaluation of the Coleman Occasion Dome.
Additionally check out this evaluation of the PRIMA Traditional Cover Air Awning 390.
Child beds for caravans
The it involves infants and toddlers you will have completely different preparations.
Check out how we organized our child mattress in a caravan and what we did when the women have been toddlers.
Extra issues to think about when shopping for a household caravan
Different issues to test while you purchase a household caravan, particularly in case you are shopping for second hand, are:
- The heating system – is there an uncovered gasoline/electrical heater? You’ll must hold little ones away from it because the floor could get sizzling
- Seating for meals – are you able to match a child seat or excessive chair on the desk
- Insurance coverage
- The burden and driving licence required to tow your van. NB in 2021 the requirement to have a B+E licence to tow caravans/trailers over 750kg has been eliminated. Now you can tow as much as 3500kg most authorised mass (MAM) on an ordinary driving license.
Issues to tackle a caravan vacation
If you end up kitting out your caravan for the primary time there are some objects you should purchase, like towing mirrors, a hitch lock, wheel lock and water containers.
There are additionally some home items that you simply may like to make use of at house and within the van like cutlery, plates and utensils. Or you should purchase them particularly on your outfit which saves quite a lot of shifting round, particularly in case you can’t retailer your caravan at house.
Check out our important caravan gear packing listing to see the whole lot you will have to purchase or pack to get began.
In case you are renting a static caravan or lodge you may discover my self-catering packing listing useful.
Listed here are some extra issues to tackle a household caravan vacation:
Toys for caravanning with toddlers
When our children have been tiny we had a small bag of books and toys that stayed in our caravan. We’d rotate the contents each few months.
Favourites to take caravanning with youngsters included:
You don’t want a lot as you’ll hopefully be out having fun with walks and sightseeing more often than not.
Right here’s some extra objects we used lots once we have been caravanning with a child and caravanning with a toddler.
Bikes, scooters and curler skates
Now our women are older they need to convey their wheels. Remember that many campsites and vacation parks may have guidelines about biking, scooting and curler skating on the location’s highway methods.
If there’s a ban on youngsters’s bikes and scooters on the vacation park you’re visiting it’s nonetheless value bringing them for utilizing offsite.
Now we have Frog Bikes and scooters* for our women.
Different leisure for caravan holidays with youngsters
We hardly ever depart house with out our pre-loaded Amazon Hearth for Youngsters* now the women are older. We might fortunately reside with out TV for per week or longer however generally a little bit of display screen time is critical for the children.
Different issues that work effectively are paddling swimming pools* in the summertime, card video games, scavenger hunts and different tenting video games.
Sleeping luggage
Now we have discovered that sleeping luggage have been the most effective sort of caravan bedding for our children proper from their first journeys away.
They began off in Gro sleeping luggage* for infants and toddlers with a blanket excessive if it was colder.
Now they’re in child-sized sleeping luggage and each have a Vango Kanto Junior.
You may discover my put up on organise your caravan useful too.
Utilizing your caravan – reserving holidays
My first expertise of caravan holidays have been rallies – weekends and longer holidays organised at campsites by golf equipment. Discover out extra about tenting and caravan rallies and why we love them.
You can even ebook your caravan holidays direct with campsites and thru on-line reserving websites. Keep in mind that you simply may discover a cheaper deal by reserving direct. Examine the costs and reserving phrases on websites like PitchUp after which test the campsite’s personal web site.
The next sections embrace data on the kind of locations you may ebook and a few we have now tried and examined ourselves.
Finest household vacation parks
Earlier than youngsters we’d typically keep on campsites that weren’t far more than a subject.
Nevertheless, when the women got here alongside it was good to have just a few extra services like electrical hook up, rest room blocks and leisure. In addition they love vacation parks with swimming swimming pools.
There are numerous household vacation parks and campsites within the UK and Europe which have electrical energy, rest room blocks, a membership home, play parks and swimming swimming pools, all included within the value of your nightly keep.
Many of those websites are additionally situated close to the ocean or nice locations to go to, so that you’re by no means wanting one thing to do regardless of the climate.
In case you are on the lookout for caravan websites for teenagers then right here’s some you may wish to attempt:
Vacation parks with leisure
Right here’s a number of the family-friendly vacation parks we’ve been to within the UK which have clubhouses and children actions. Some have swimming swimming pools too:
Try extra vacation parks in Cornwall that we charge.
Caravan websites within the UK
These UK caravan websites have electrical hook up, rest room blocks and a few have playgrounds and cafes:
- Seaview Gorran Haven, Cornwall
- Trevella Vacation Park, Newquay, Cornwall
- Ross Park, Newton Abbot, Devon
- Andrewshayes Vacation Park, Devon
- Oakdown Vacation Park, Sidmouth, Devon
- Woodovis Park, Dartmoor, Devon
- Hillhead Caravan Park. Devon
- Strawfields, Devon
- South Lychett Manor Caravan and Tenting Park, Dorset
- Verwood Tenting & Caravanning Membership Web site, Dorset
- Stonehenge Campsite, Wiltshire
- Cheddar Mendip Heights, Somerset
There are numerous extra campsites across the UK however these are just a few we have now been to personally.
Right here’s some extra touring caravan parks in Cornwall that come extremely really helpful.
Vacation parks in Europe
There are millions of campsites in Europe that settle for touring caravans however in case you are on the lookout for ones which are very family-friendly with leisure, actions and swimming swimming pools then look out for Yelloh! Village and HUMAN vacation parks.
Listed here are some we have now stayed at in cell properties that additionally settle for touring caravans:
You can even ebook European tenting holidays by way of the Caravan and Motorhome Membership and Tenting and Caravanning Membership in case you are members (see beneath).
Don’t get caught out by the climate
All the time come ready for the nice British climate. Pack your wellie boots and waterproofs so you will get out if its a moist day.
All-in-one waterproofs* have been excellent for when our children have been small.
Alternatively, pack a number of books and indoor journey video games, and benefit from the sound of the rain drops in your roof. I at all times discover it soothing.
Meals for caravanning with youngsters
Our caravan fridge and retailer cabinets look very similar to they do at house once we are caravanning with the children. Now we have cereals within the morning and the odd cooked breakfast on our Campingaz Get together Grill.
Lunches are very often picnics whereas we’re out or sandwiches or pasta on the caravan.
Barbecues are our go-to night caravan meal. If in case you have younger youngsters like us we discover that sizzling canine, burgers and rooster skewers are at all times successful at time for supper.
We add vibrant accompaniments to our BBQ plate like corn on the cob, salads, roasted greens and flavoured rice. We normally cheat and purchase microwave rice to save lots of on washing up.
Right here’s some extra tenting meals concepts.
Be a part of a membership
There are a number of caravan associations within the UK and every runs its personal native occasions the place you will get to know different households.
I met mates after I was a toddler who I’m nonetheless involved with now. Some have even grown as much as get their very own caravans too.
Check out the Caravan and Motorhome Membership and Tenting and Caravan Membership. Every has regional teams that run native weekend and vacation rallies. In addition they personal and have affiliate campsites within the UK and Europe.
Extra prime ideas for tenting and caravanning with youngsters
If in case you have a tent or a camper van, or are planning a static caravan vacation then right here’s some extra posts you may wish to learn:
Check out extra of our prime ideas and recommendation for travelling households.
Disclosure: this put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks marked with *. If you happen to click on on one among these and make a purchase order I could earn some fee. This doesn’t have an effect on the value you pay.
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