Go on holiday for just £6.40 with the Mail experts' guide to the best bargain trips

Release time：2024-05-07 22:52:52 Source：Planet Pages news portal

We can't guarantee the weather - but on price, these holiday park breaks can't be beaten for family fun this summer.

With places to stay from £6.40 per person per night – less than the cost of a cocktail – Britain's wide array of holiday parks are perfect for budget-conscious Britons during tough economic times.

Staycation prices veered upwards during the pandemic and remained high. Yet rates have kept pleasingly low at British holiday parks, providing great value for family getaways.

Essex's Steeple Bay Park has great deals for June. This stretch of coastline, near Southminster, has boats galore, plus a heated outdoor pool and well-stocked fishing lake are on site

Off-peak Essex

A week from £6.40 per person, per night

Costs tumble in early summer and there's the chance of clement weather. Essex's Steeple Bay Park has Gold Plus two-bed caravans heavily discounted for June. This stretch of Essex coastline, near Southminster, has boats galore, plus a heated outdoor pool and well-stocked fishing lake are on site. 

Nearby attraction: The Mangapps Railway Museum offers heritage train rides, about six miles to the south (mangapps.co.uk).

Book it: Seven nights for six in a two-bed caravan on June 17 from £269 (parkholidays.com).

Parbola Park in Cornwall is a 15-minute drive from the posh eats and harbour views at St Ives

Eco-friendly Cornwall

Four nights from £21.77pp, pn

Sustainable holiday park brand Lovat manages to marry a boutique-y feel with reasonable prices. Bed down in one of the surprisingly stylish holiday homes at Parbola Park in Cornwall over May half term and you'll be just a 15-minute drive from the posh eats and harbour views at St Ives. Ideal for a multi-generational gang, accommodation is set in 16 acres of wooded glades, with a heated outdoor pool and super-fast wifi.

Nearby attraction: St Ives is ten miles to the west (visitcornwall.com).

Book it: Four nights for six in a two-bed holiday home on May 27 from £522.50 (lovatparks.com).

Butlin's fun-filled Minehead site has a new Skypark playground along with its slides at Splash Waterworld

Butlin's summer

A week from £15.39pp, pn

Britain's most famous holiday park brand and its iconic Redcoats continue to bring the fun, with this summer seeing the launch of the futuristic Skypark playground at its Minehead site. Accommodation ranges from budget to luxe, there are big thrill slides at Splash Waterworld and TV star Stephen Mulhern is on the bill for selected nights in the summer.

Nearby attractions: Take a ride on the 20-mile West Somerset Railway heritage line from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard (west-somerset-railway.co.uk). 

Book it: Seven nights for four in a two-bed chalet on July 19 from £431 (butlins.com).

Visit nearby Alnwick Castle while enjoying a five-night stay at Hoseasons' Cresswell Towers park, overlooking Druridge Bay in Northumberland

Northumberland in August

Five nights from £12.63pp, pn

A last hurrah before the summer's end, this five-night stay at Hoseasons' Cresswell Towers park, overlooking Druridge Bay in Northumberland, is a Bank Holiday steal. Staying in a modern caravan (take the grandparents; it sleeps six), guests can access an indoor pool, sports court and kids' entertainment programme, with nearby days out including the Farne Islands and Alnwick Castle – where two Harry Potter movies were filmed.

Nearby attractions: Alnwick Castle and its pleasant gardens are a half-hour's drive north (alnwickcastle.com).

Book it: Five nights for six in a two-bed caravan on August 29 from £379 (hoseasons.co.uk).

Some of the accommodation available at Perthshire's Cruachan Farm Holiday Park

Perthshire Farm Stay

Four nights from £22.25pp, pn

Highland tranquillity for a snip; the caravans for hire at Cruachan Farm Holiday Park sit in the shadow of the seven-Munro Ben Lawers range, and within walking distance of emerald Loch Tay. The owners can fix summer activities, including archery, kayaking and white-water rafting.

Nearby attractions: The Falls of Dochart are four miles to the west (visitscotland.com).

Book it: Four nights for four in a one-bed caravan on July 29 from £356 (largoleisure.co.uk).

Enjoy the beautiful beaches and North Yorkshire landscapes at  The Bay Filey park

North Yorkshire Easter

Four nights from £30.62pp, pn

An east coast seaside gem, Filey has charm in (buckets and) spades. Trendy apartments at The Bay Filey park have all you need to self-cater and cosy duvets on the beds, with glorious North Yorkshire landscapes everywhere you turn.

Take the dog – it's pet-friendly. There's also a gym and swimming pool, plus five miles of beach on your doorstep.

Nearby attractions: Scarborough is eight miles to the north along the coast. 

Book it: Four nights for two in a one-bed apartment on April 8 from £245 (awayresorts.co.uk).

Bustling Glasgow is just an hour's drive away from Ayreshire's Sandylands Holiday Park

Ayrshire adventure

A week from £11.16pp pn

A seven-night caravan stay at Sandylands Holiday Park in Ayrshire comes in at £117 each for a family of four, or around £80pp if six of you share. What's on offer? An indoor pool, live entertainment and supper at the Fish and Chippery. Glasgow is less than an hour away by car.

Nearby attractions: The Scottish Maritime Museum in close by, and Irvine is worth a visit (scottishmaritimemuseum.org).

Book it: Seven nights for six in a two-bed caravan on August 12 from £469 (parkdeanresorts.co.uk).

Stay in on of Hoburne Devon Bay's caravans and have the beaches of Brixham, Torbay and Paignton all close by

Devon heaven

Four nights from £27.50pp, pn

Still a little early for the tourist masses, May might be the loveliest time to descend on the English Riviera. Check into a Classic Plus caravan at the Hoburne Devon Bay park for a Monday to Friday break and enjoy five full days to beach-hop, with Brixham, Torbay and Paignton all close by.

Prefer to kick back on site? The entertainment hub has had a full renovation – with a carousel of local singers and DJs lined up over half-term.

Nearby attractions: Paignton Zoo is two miles away (paigntonzoo.org.uk).

Book it: Four nights for four in a two-bed caravan on May 27 from £440 (hoburne.com).

The Easter holidays are a wonderful time to visit Wales - so why not grab a last minute booking?

Welsh spring

Four nights from £10.93pp, pn

Oh, to be in Wales when the daffs are out in force! Easter is a beautiful time to visit. A Caravan Saver break at Quay West park in Ceredigion puts you in striking distance of beaches at New Quay, where wild dolphins occasionally dip and dive offshore. On site? Kids will love the indoor pool, Nerf gun camp and tree-top aerial adventure.

Nearby attractions: The coastal town of Aberaeron is a 15-minute drive away (visitwales.com).

Book it: Four nights for four in a two-bed caravan on April 8 from £175 (haven.com).

Visit Center Parcs in Sherwood Forest for the idylls of wooden lodges and abundant fresh air

Sherwood Forest fun

Four nights from £54.12pp, pn

No static caravans here, Center Parcs is all about well-situated wooden lodges and has been wooing middle-class Brits since first landing in Robin Hood's stomping ground in 1987. Fresh air forest fun abounds at the five UK sites; each boasts a watersports lake, Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana spa, with chain restaurants including Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas on site at some.

Book it: Four nights for six in a three-bedroom lodge on April 8 from £1,299 (centerparcs.co.uk).

How the great British holiday park is changing

Hang on a minute – is that a trendy Airstream food truck next to a firepit for toasting marshmallows?

Not what you might expect at a traditional holiday park, but that's what you get at Green Hill Farm Holiday Village, on the edge of the New Forest, with the region's famous ponies roaming within view.

Owned by Lovat Parks, 50-acre Green Hill offers activities including archery, fishing and Segway tours – and it's one of a new breed of sites redefining UK holiday parks.

Our glamping lodge had a hot tub and super-fast Wifi, but all budgets are catered for. I wandered past tents, static caravans and shepherd's huts to the shop selling organic treats from local suppliers and a decent selection of wines.

The UK holiday park has been a winning formula for decades, but these shiny new kids on the block are likely to woo a whole new audience.

A four-night Easter break for eight in a static caravan at Green Hill Farm Holiday Village on April 8 is from £720 (lovatparks.com).

Keeping costs down: try these top tips

Booking late can be the best way to bag a bargain.

Go during school term-time if you are without children. The cost of a Center Parcs two-bedroom lodge in Whinfell in Cumbria is £2,148 in the last week of August or £1,248 in the first week of September: a drop of £900.

Book midweek departures. A week in a 'luxury caravan' offered by Away Resorts at St Helens on the Isle of Wight costs from £1,348 beginning on a Saturday, but £819 on a Wednesday – that's £529 difference.

Go north: holiday parks in the north of England and Scotland are often cheaper than equivalents in the south.

Families should check whether schools break up early or late. If so, consider a week's staycation when other schools are still going. See gov.uk/school-term-holiday-dates.

Think big. Booking with others will reduce costs. A week in a caravan at Hoseasons Whitley Bay Park, Northumberland, was the same price for two adults and two children as for four adults and four children this August: £399.

Arrive early and leave late. Some holiday parks allow you to use facilities before and after check-in and check-out.

• Mangapps Railway Museum Home Page
• More than 50 Family Holiday Parks in the UK - Park Holidays UK
• Visit Cornwall | Official Tourist Board
• Luxury UK Holiday Parks From Lovat Parks
• West Somerset Railway | Vintage Steam Train Experience
• Book Family Holidays and Short Breaks at UK Holiday Parks | Butlin's
• Alnwick Castle Tickets | Visit Alnwick Castle | Alnwick Castle
• www.hoseasons.co.uk/
• VisitScotland - Scotland's National Tourist Organisation | VisitScotland
• Holiday Parks in Scotland | Largo Leisure
• Holiday Parks I UK Holidays & Breaks I Book Today
• Home - Scottish Maritime Museum
• Parkdean Resorts | UK Family Holidays from £99 | Book Today
• Paignton Zoo - A Wild Day Out For The Whole Family
• UK Holiday Parks | Self-Catering Holidays & Touring
• www.visitwales.com/
• www.haven.com/
• UK family & short breaks | Forest breaks | Center Parcs
• School term and holiday dates - GOV.UK

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