Renting a holiday caravan or a static caravan is a very cost effective way of getting a self-catering holiday without spending a fortune. Caravans are generally cheaper than a lodge of a holiday cottage and yet the accommodation inside can offer a high level of luxury.
Where to go
We have over 400 holiday parks in the UK that offer caravans to hire for holidays. Coastal counties tend to have more parks than counties more inland. You can get a very wide choice of location at the various holiday parks as some are very close to popular beach areas where as others are in quieter more tranquil locations.
Types of caravan
There are a wide variety of holiday caravans on offer for holiday rentals. The larger operators tend to only use relatively new caravans for hires with the option to book this year model so you can be sure of a caravan in good condition. Listed with In the holiday parks section you will also find privately rentable caravans, the age of these will vary. However, just because a caravan is not brand new doesn’t mean it’s not cean or have a high level of luxuries. Older caravan rentals do tend to be a bit cheaper so if you are looking for a cheap self-catering holiday they could be an ideal choice.
Often when you book at a holiday park you will find they have different grades of caravans on offer to book. Factors that make up these grading’s will vary from park to park but generally cover factors such as:
- The age of the caravan
- The level of luxury with that caravan e.g. bathroom / shower etc.
- What’s included with a rental e.g. some rentals include hot tubs and BBQs etc
- How much space is inside and outside the caravan e.g. lounge and kitchen size and the size of the veranda or outside seating area.
- The make of the caravan. As with cars there are many different makes of caravans on offer and the quality and price of these caravans varies a lot.
You will also find a wide range of caravan sizes with some offering 3 – 4 bedrooms which are ideal for larger families or groups.
Costs of caravan rentals
This is a little like ‘how long is a piece of string’ as the costs to rent a holiday caravan can range from around £100 to £2000 plus per week. The costs vary for many different reasons and we can only touch on a few of the big reasons…
When you are going on holiday
This is an important factor and the time of your holiday will have a big impact on the costs. School holidays are nearly always more expensive than breaks outside of that period. Summer months are the most expensive. It’s basically supply and demand – summer holidays are when most people want to go on holiday park based holidays because the children are off from school and the weather is better (usually!!)
The caravan quality
An owner is likely to charge more for a caravan that cost more to buy or that is newer. Also the best locations on site tend to cost a little more to rent e.g. if there are sea views you often pay more for a caravan with a view of the sea.
Location of the Park
As you would expect holiday parks with a great location will be more expensive than a less popular or sought after area. Cornwall & Devon in the South West of England are very popular locations for holiday because of the of the warm weather.
What’s on the park
Many parks have fantastic facilities on site including heated indoor swimming pools, gyms, pamper facilities, restaurants and much more. These make the caravan rentals on these parks more sought after and caravan owners can charge a little more.
There are other factors that will affect the rental price but if you are looking to save money on your holiday then consider the following:
- Look at older or more basic caravans
- Compare caravan prices in different locations on the site
- Pick a park with less facilities or that’s not so close to the beach for example
Other ways to save money that MAY be worth considering are:
- Often cancelation insurance is offered when you book, you can save money by removing this. However, if you need to cancel you will lose more money as a result
- Travel insurance – again this is often offered when you book. If you don’t want it then remove it but do read what it offers before as you need to make an informed decision about that.
- Some operators may charge a fee if you pay by credit card to cover what the credit card companies charge them (and more in some cases). You could opt to pay by debit card or cheque. However, paying by credit card may offer some protection if the operator goes out of business before you complete your holiday. You can see when you book as to what protection is available when you book e.g. is it a well-known company, do they belong to an association etc.