Top tips for Caravan Holiday

Mummy+2

Hi,

Going on my first caravan holiday, I went as a child but this is first I have booked/organised. It's also my first holiday alone with the kids (5 & 20 months)

Please can I have your top tips, money saving or otherwise as I feel a little lost & daunted, even the drive is worrying me!

Thanks

ragz_2

Plan meals before you go and then do the shop when you get there. I often take the first meal, cooked, with us and have it when we get there. Pack extra snacks, if you have access to a freezer then buy ice lolloies/ice creams, saves a fortune on buying them from vans etc.
Have stuff to do indoors and in the evenings, like games and dvds if you have tv.
Don't expect to keep to normal bedtime... add a few hours on to that, at least they will be tired when they are put to bed, otherwise you are fighting a losing battle trying to get them to sleep while other kids run around outside screaming!

What facilities will you have?

prowla

Top tip: stay clear of Clarkson!

whodathunkit

Are you holidaying in the UK or abroad?

Mummy+2

It's at a uk haven holiday site, one of the Sun £15pp holiday deals Monday to Friday

optimistic

When the children were little I used to try and take lots of 'treats', if there's a bath, then bath fizzers and bath crayons.
I found puzzle type or colouring books, kept specially for the holiday were good and of course a brand new comic or magazine to enjoy!

We used to try different foods - fruit etc and now even though they're not little, i would still pack treats - face masks, hair moisturisers, nail kits, magazine and scented candles. Have fun!;)
ps lots of the summer magazines have the bonus of freebies too!

gayle1

relax breathe its ure holiday too hotdogs fishfingers a exta pizza or 2 (i hate cooking on holiday just make it simple make a packed lunch and take it with u take a camera plenty of photies and give ure littles a hug xx there only wee for a wee bit xxxxx

LadyCoupon

prowla wrote: »

Top tip: stay clear of Clarkson!

Apparently he has a caravan.

savetosave

We order our shopping online and have it delivered to the caravan on the first evening. Nothing kids hate more than being dragged out shopping when you've just arrived.
If kids are old enough we used to go to local charity shops and find things to make costumes for the kids fancy dress competition.

cattysmum

We take our grandchildren away on a yearly basis to Haven Caravan, the Haven sites are lovely but everything so expensive. We always take bulk packs of pop to use on days out, they have a treat a couple of times a week from the ice cream hut but very expensive so we pop to the towns local tesco most days and buy a multi pack of ice cream/lollies, (we take 4 grandkids with us). If we go out on an evening to the local for a couple of hours I always take multi pack of mixed snack sized choc bars for them for nibbles, they are usually too preoccupied in the pub playground to eat them but again sweets so expensive in the pub. We limit them to a £1 a day in the amusements, when its gone its gone and they are encouraged to save up during the year for their own spending money for extras. Hths x

[Deleted User]

Depending on where you go, a few years ago when my DDs children were small we went to Caister twice, and it was really nice.The five children loved it as the caravan was far enough away from the club house for us not to be disturbed when it closed at night (can be noisy at times).But we used to take stuff for the first night like a cooked chicken and salad and lots of tinned bits and pieces, then DD and I would go to the nearest bi Tesco's for a shop the next morning to top up what we already had while my son-in-law took the kids off to either the beach or the playground for an hour or so.That way we wern't dragging five protesting kids around the shops.Because of limited storage space we couldn't buy a great deal and food was of the sort that we quick and easy to prepare.For five days the kids ate mostly stuff they wouldn't get the chance to eat at home as DD ,like me prefers to cook from scratch, but they were happy and so were we as we didn't want to spend time trying to cook in a limited area..I do recommend you take a fold up airer to help get your clothes dry as you will at some point want to wash odds and ends,also some pegs and a small amount of washing line so you can rig up something to dry bits on if you can.We tried to get the kids to use their clothes alternate days as it saves on the washing and a launderette is expensive.They won't expire if they have to wear the same PJs two days running
Also a pack of cards and maybe a Monolpoly set.We took the children crabbing at a local spot near Caister and at the RNLI station on Caister beach not only told us how to get there, but one of the lads gave us some frozen chopped fish for bait.With a couple of lines the children had a great time catching crabs for an hour or so,which were then gently put back into the water.A couple of buckets and spads and a cricket bat and ball were taken with us and we did lots of picnics for lunch times.With a large family money reallly didn't run to meals out very often.I took a good stock of biscuits as the children would run in from playing outside for a quick biscuit and they are cheaper than multipacks of crisps.(easier to store as well)
I hope you have a great time we did when we went, but you have to realise its not home, so improvising and making the best of what's available is what you have to do.DDs youngest ,then 2, hated the shower as it frightened him for some reason so we had to sit him on the draining board and give him a good wash down every night :) he's 10 now so I don't think he would like that now :)
also spare shoes as I guarantee children shoes will get wet.The camp shop was only used for emergency stuff as its quite expensive.But mainly just relax and enjoy it is what it is, a nice cheap get away for a few days holiday.At the time we enjoyed it and the children loved it.

As the children grew bigger it became more of a chore, and now we rent a holiday cottage where we all have more room and a few more home comforts I am off to the Isle of Wight in 8 weeks time with DD son-in-law and children now a lot bigger ,but we still have a great time self catering