By William Coleman
Caravan holidays are on the rise and we have seen some major numbers over the past 3 years, and despite the traditional British weather giving us a soggy summer so far, the UK is the number one destination for caravanners in Europe according to a new study.
Safeguard Insurance analysed data looking at the number of caravan/camping sites, total number of nights spent, number of trips taken, amount spent on renting sites and the number of new caravan registrations to create a hot spot index, with the UK championing over Sweden and France.
The Countries In Europe Most Passionate About Caravans
1- UK
2- Sweden
3- France
4- Switzerland
5- Denmark
6-Germany
7-Slovenia
8- Netherlands
9- Belgium
10- Ireland
With around 1500 camping and caravanning sites in the UK (compared to over 8000 in France), the camping and caravan industry here is ever-growing. UK caravan fans spent over £4.3 million in 2017 on renting sites for a break.
The UK takes the most domestic trips with over 11 million taken in 2017 – showing that the lack of camping sites in comparison to other countries in Europe does not deter devoted caravanners from spending time on home turf, enjoying a staycation.
The UK also spent the most nights in caravan or camping sites both home and away, indicating that whilst Brits like to spend time enjoying the countryside and seaside landscapes, they also enjoy heading overseas for a holiday – perhaps in search of better weather or experiencing a different culture.
Brits are so invested in caravans that they are choosing to own one. Over 24,000 new touring caravans and 14,062 motor caravan registrations were registered in the UK in 2017.
What other destinations in Europe are popular?
The second-biggest nation of caravan fans in Europe is Sweden. There are 550 camping and caravan sites in Sweden with a mixture of lakeside locations and coastal spots. France rounds out the top three – unsurprisingly, given that it has more caravan sites than anyone else in the top 10.
The CaravanTimes team spent 3 weeks caravanning around Europe and Asia with Bailey and we can strongly recommend Slovenia! From the foos to the people the whole place is amazing.
Look up Camping Bled and you may never ever want to return.
What is your favourite thing about caravanning in the UK?
