Book your sites early for 2022!

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The past two years have seen higher numbers of people opting for caravan and motorhome holidays in the UK than ever before. This is largely due to the pandemic hampering people’s plans to travel abroad, making staycations in the UK a more viable option.

2022 is likely to bring much of the same behaviour as the COVID numbers show no sign of falling and the number of people wanting to stay close to home is expected to remain high. With this in mind, if you’re planning a few caravanning trips yourself for the coming year, it’s a good idea to start planning ahead and get your sites booked! Delaying may mean your favourite sites are full or that you are unable to get the dates you were after.

Choose your dates 

The first thing to do is to take a look at the calendar and select the dates that you think you’d like to get away. Next spring/summer may seem like a long way off but you’ll be surprised how quickly it’ll come round! Book your time off work if you need to and then you can start your holiday search safe in the knowledge you know the dates you’re looking at.

You may be concerned that having to plan this far ahead removes any spontaneity, but there’s also the option to book ad hoc trips nearer the time too, you’ll just need to be more flexible and go for what’s available - but that in itself will be an adventure!

Choose your destinations

Make a list of the places you fancy going; these could be places close to home or further afield, on the coast or inland - the choice is yours! We’re so lucky to have so many fantastic cities, towns and villages in the UK, that you could vacation here your whole lives and never get bored. 

You could even choose to take your adventure a step further by travelling across water! You could visit the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Skye, the Isle of Mann, Jersey, Guernsey or even Ireland! Find out more about taking your caravan on a ferry and all the things you’d need to consider. 

Once you’ve made a list, prioritise them and then you can work from the top down, booking places for your upcoming trips and moving to the next location if the campsites aren’t quite right or are unavailable.

If you’re unsure where to go, there are loads of great options, some right on your doorstep if you’d rather not travel far. Check out our destination blogs for some inspiration:

Hampshire

Dorset

Somerset

Devon

Get your sites booked

Once you’ve decided where you’d like to go - get your sites booked! You can Google ‘caravan sites in Hampshire’ (or destination of choice) and see what comes up, or you can use caravan site finders such as Pitchup.com, Campsites.co.uk, Caravanclub.co.uk, Caravansitefinder.co.uk. 

These are great because they are often sites that have been reviewed so you can read these and see the ratings of each site. There is also a filtering system so if there are facilities or features that are essential to you, such as being dog-friendly, having a launderette on-site or being adult-only, you can select these and then only sites with those features will appear in your search.

Research your destinations

Once all your trips are booked, spend some time researching each destination in detail so you know what to expect when you get there. You can look into what there is to do in the area, places to visit, places to avoid, locations for nice walks and good places to eat. This will make you feel more relaxed - and excited - about your upcoming trips and you’ll also be able to book some of these things the week before you go if you wish, so you’ll know your places are secured.

If you’re not sure what to look for when researching an area, why not Google ‘top places to visit in Hampshire’ and see what comes up? These lists will usually include places of historical interest such as ruins and castles, cultural interest such as art galleries, theatres and museums, architectural locations such as unusual buildings or cathedrals, nature places ideal for walks and other outdoor pursuits and of course eateries!

Top tips for stress-free trips

• Make sure you pack protective clothing for every eventuality! This could include items such as warm clothes and jacket, waterproofs, umbrellas and wellies, walking boots and trainers - and for the other extreme - sun hats, sun cream, sandals and lighter clothing.
• Take a few of the shopping essentials with you, such as milk, bread and a few nibbly bits to keep you going, but why not consider doing an online shop ahead of time to be delivered to your caravan site after your arrival? This way, you won’t be lugging bags of shopping in the car with you and it’ll all be ready for your first evening meal! If online shopping is not your thing, be sure to look up the shops local to the campsite so you can pop out and grab some groceries after you arrive with ease.
• Don’t forget your evening entertainment - devices for watching Netflix, books, cards and board games are all popular choices! Remember your chargers and did you know that you can buy portable wifi boosters that will ensure your connectivity is great throughout your stay? Give our accessory shop a call on 01962 714 844 to find out more.
• If you’ve got outdoor activities in mind for your trip, plan how you will transport all your equipment along with you, or research local places to hire to avoid disappointment.
• Plan your journey in advance and make sure you leave plenty of time to get there so you don’t feel you have to rush. This is especially important if travelling during weekend peak times, bank holidays or school holidays. Check the best routes on Google Maps and plan in rest stops along the way - if you’re travelling with kids it’s a good idea to stop and let them have a run around at a local park too!
• Consider booking your trips away with other caravanning friends; it’s a very sociable scene and lovely to spend evenings together outside around the firepit with a BBQ and a few drinks!

Please get in touch if you have any queries that you’d like our advice on - we’re a knowledgeable bunch! You could also pop into our on-site accessory shop if there’s anything you need for your upcoming trips, we have thousands of items to choose from, many of which are available online too. If you can’t see what you’re after, ask us as even if we don’t have something in stock, we may be able to order it in for you!

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