By Emma Dodd

With so many people holidaying in the UK this summer and social distancing rules meaning caravan sites are operating at reduced capacity, it’s becoming difficult to book a pitch.

Luckily, one travel expert has spoken out about a way to increase your chances of finding a spot for a caravan holiday.

Lisa Minot, travel editor at The Sun, told viewers of ITV’s Lorraine that signing up to the Caravan and Motorhome Club will open up lots of sites to them.

She said: “45 per cent of us intend on taking a camping holiday this year, but getting availability has been a bit of an issue. My tip for that would be to join the Caravan and Motorhome Club.

“It costs just £54 a year, but it gives you access to over 2,700 sites across the UK and abroad.”

There are a number of ways to become a member, but via the website or by calling 01342 318 813 are the most convenient.

If you join online, it can take up to 48 hours for your membership number to arrive, but you can start booking caravan sites in as little as an hour after joining.

The extensive network of sites includes some privately-owned locations, offering more opportunities for staycations.

Ms Minot added that thinking about slightly less obvious destinations can help holidaymakers find spaces on caravan sites.

She recommended Northern Ireland and the north east of England as destinations with a lot to offer that often get overlooked.

While staycations definitely do a lot for local economies, many coastal areas are finding it difficult to cope with an influx of visitors during the hottest periods of the summer.

Caravan owners are reminded to respect the areas they visit and to observe social distancing rules to ensure new outbreaks of coronavirus do not occur.

By Emma Dodd

Staycations are more popular than ever this summer and with your caravan you can head off to any part of the country for a well-earned break. In this edition of Dream Destinations, we ‘re focusing on the Yorkshire Dales, an outdoor lover’s paradise that often gets overlooked in favour of the Lake District.

The Yorkshire Dales is characterised by its rugged beauty, with miles of moors and interesting geological features. Punctuated with pretty villages, monasteries and castles, there’s so much to explore, you’ll be planning your next caravan holiday before you’ve finished your first one.

Where in the Dales you decide to base yourself will impact the type of scenery you experience and the activities you enjoy. The Northern Dales are great for walkers and full of hidden waterfalls and glens to discover, as well as the town of Richmond with its imposing castle.

Pitch your caravan in the Southern Dales to take advantage of historic towns like Otley, with its cobbled streets and market town traditions, and Skipton on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Visit the impressive Malham Cove, a natural 260-foot limestone cliff that forms the centrepiece of a walk with captivating views.

Of course, the Yorkshire Dales is also home to the Three Peaks Challenge, which sees hikers trying to conquer the three highest fells in just 24 hours. The route, which takes in Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside, covers 24 miles and is a popular way to test endurance.

If that sounds a little too strenuous to undertake on your caravan holiday, you could tackle one of the peaks on its own. Climbing Ingleborough will allow you to see some fascinating caves, while Pen-y-ghent has good paths and is therefore an excellent option for all the family.

Take on Whernside for the most impressive views, as it’s the highest point in Yorkshire. On clear days you can see as far as the Howgills, the Lake District and Morecambe Bay. This walk starts at the Ribblehead Viaduct, making it dramatic right from the beginning.

Which staycation destinations have you got in mind for a caravan holiday this summer?

By Emma Dodd

A caravan site in Dorset has been granted permission to extend its season in a bid to help boost the economy and many others may follow suit.

The traditional period in which the majority of caravan parks stay open is between March and October, but the governments of the UK kept them closed until July this year due to the pandemic.

A shortened season has financial implications for all the parks involved and a number of them are now seeking approval from authorities to stay open longer and service the demand for holidays at home.

One such park is the Creek Caravan Site at Ringstead, which has been granted permission by Dorset Council to remain open until January 15th, before welcoming visitors again from March 15th.

The park had requested an 11-month season stretching from February to January each year, but some locals felt that it could ruin the peace and quiet they enjoy during the winter months.

A letter from the owners of the Creek Caravan Site said that removing the imperative to close in October would provide added security for the future of the business and boost the local economy by extending the season.

They reassured locals by saying: “This would not change the character or appearance of the site or its impact on the surrounding countryside and landscape.”

Local planning authorities have been encouraged by the government to exercise their discretion in relation to extending seasons for caravan sites, campsites and holiday parks in a statement that was released on July 14th.

Westminster granted the written ministerial statement as a way to support these businesses, which could find themselves being forced to close if they can’t recoup lost earnings as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The statement will remain in force until December 2022, unless the government puts a counter statement in place.

It’s therefore likely that caravan parks across the country will take advantage of the rule change and request permission from their local authorities to remain open for longer.

With uncertainty surrounding foreign travel rife and nervousness due to COVID-19, caravan holidays are proving more popular than ever in 2020.

By Emma Dodd

Caravan trips are the holiday of choice this year, with more people than usual choosing a staycation in a motorhome over a trip abroad.

This means a greater number of people are likely to be towing caravans, leading to some advice being issued by the Admiral insurance company.

Analysis of its data shows that nearly half of road accidents involving a caravan occur in June, July and August, which makes sense, as this is traditionally the biggest holiday season of the year.

What many people don’t know is that fines of up to £1,000 can be incurred for failing to comply with the rules around caravan towing.

Drivers should make sure they fully understand towing regulations, feel comfortable behind the wheel and have the right insurance before embarking on a caravan holiday.

Clare Egan, Head of Motor at Admiral, said: “Before setting off on their journey, motorists will need to double check that their driving licence covers them to tow and they’ll need to make sure that the vehicle used to pull the trailer is up for the job, so they can have a safe and enjoyable trip.

“Remember, you could be fined up to £1,000 and get three penalty points for failing to use suitable towing mirrors which would put a real dampener on your holiday, so make sure you’re fully prepared before you set off.”

Admiral has also provided a checklist of jobs to complete before towing:

· Close gas taps and lift connectors off the gas bottle or bottles

· Switch off all interior lights and other electrical equipment

· Disconnect the mains supply and carefully stow the cable

· Empty the fresh and waste-water tanks

· Stow all loose equipment and belongings with heavy items as low as possible

These tasks need to be done after every overnight stop, not just when leaving the house initially to go on holiday.

First-time caravanners can benefit from having a copy of such a list to hand in their motorhome to remind them of what to do before setting off each time.

By Emma Dodd

In this edition of Dream Destinations we’re heading to the land of sandy beaches, fossil cliffs and cream teas. Devon has been popular with watersports enthusiasts and walkers for years, and offers caravan owners all the best of a British staycation.

As a county, Devon is blessed with two coasts and each one has its own personality. In the north, you can enjoy world-class surfing and a wilder seascape, while the south is home to small, sheltered coves and picturesque harbour towns.

Step away from the main Torbay stretches of sand and discover Oddicombe Beach with its dramatic backdrop of red cliffs. Perhaps you’d prefer to paddle at Fishcombe Cove, whose small shingle shoreline often escapes the crowds.

It’s not just about beaches, however, as Devon is home to Dartmoor, with its rugged landscape, ruined castles and idyllic caravan sites. Explore on foot, by bike or on horseback to see all that the national park has to offer, or take to the water for some kayaking or wild swimming.

Take a tour of Tiverton Castle and soak up the magic of secret passageways, ghost stories and the fortification’s impressive collection of armour from the Civil War. The castle has stood on the banks of the River Esk since 1106 and has since been made into a grand country house.

Pecorama Pleasure Gardens has no fewer than five gardens and each has its own theme. As well as taking a wander around the plants and flowers, you can sit back and enjoy the surroundings from the Beer Heights Light Railway. The miniature steam and diesel locomotives operate on one mile of track around the grounds.

Devon’s rich food and drink culture means you might like to enjoy a tour of the oldest working gin distillery in the world. Plymouth gin is then used to make cocktails that are served to guests in the medieval Refectory Hall.

It would be a shame to end your caravan holiday in Devon without sampling one of its famous cream teas. Controversially, the cream must always be placed on the bottom, before the jam to differentiate it from its Cornish equivalent. Ancient manuscripts suggest monks at the Benedictine Monastery in Tavistock started the tradition back in the 10th century.

Which destinations are you taking your caravan to this summer? We’d love to know.

By Emma Dodd

In this edition of CaravanTimes Classic Gold we head back to 2013 when our reviewer bought a 2010 Knaus Azur caravan for windsurfing trips to the Dutch islands with her husband. Joyce Pashley was very pleased with her purchase overall, but there were a couple of little niggles along the way.

Let’s start with the positives… Ms Pashley loved its modern design and fittings and was impressed with the amount of cupboard space at a moderate price. She found it easy to clean and that the layout suited their needs as a couple.

Without an oven or microwave, our reviewer and her partner took to having barbecues outside the van, which seems to have suited their needs on their annual trips to the Netherlands. They also seemed to have made peace with the fact that the small water tank on board the Knaus Azur meant showering at caravan site facilities instead of in the van.

Among the niggles pointed out by our reviewer were a slight draft under the fixed bed when the weather was cooler, not enough sockets and no full-length mirror. The couple got around these issues with ingenious solutions and ended up reasonably happy with their purchase.

Ms Pashley concluded: “It has been such a pleasure to live in these last two seasons! A pleasure to wake up in and we love the fact that it has two big windows in the bedroom area. We enjoy our first tea or coffee in bed looking out at the day. We love the big lounge area with windows on three sides and the huge roof skylight over the kitchen-lounge.”

Did you have a Knaus Azur back in 2010 or any year after? Let us know how you got on with it.

By Emma Dodd

Caravan owners can count themselves very lucky that they have their own motorhomes, as it’s becoming increasingly difficult to rent one this summer.

Demand for leisure vehicles is outstripping supply in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the situation has only been exacerbated in recent days with the introduction of a quarantine when returning from Spain.

The tentative return to foreign travel has been dealt another blow, putting more pressure on the staycation market.

As a result, caravan and campervan holidays are seeing an unprecedented level of interest this summer, as Brits attempt to holiday at home.

Looking into the availability of rental leisure vehicles, the Daily Telegraph got in touch with six leading motorhome rental firms and found that none could supply a campervan in the next three weeks.

Nick Lomas, chief executive of the Caravan Club, said this summer is shaping up to be among the busiest the organisation has ever seen.

He told the Telegraph: “There is a natural feeling that [a campervan] is a self-contained space, you have that element of control, being able to travel place to place and being able to explore the coasts and countrysides of the UK at your leisure.”

Since caravan sites were not able to open until the beginning of July in England – and later in Scotland and Wales – it’s thought the season is likely to be extended.

Many people may see their annual holiday taking place in September or October, as demand starts to fall off when children return to school and the days draw in.

The Caravan Club has reported a ten per cent increase in bookings for this August, making an already very busy time of year even busier.

Mr Lomas added: “It’s a level of demand we haven’t had for many years. I would say in terms of the bookings on our site, we’ve never been as busy as we’ve been this year for the main summer season, and I’ve been involved for 15 years.”

Most caravan sites are now operating at close to capacity, meaning spontaneous trips away are almost impossible to undertake, as coronavirus continues to impact all areas of life.

By Emma Dodd

A caravan park in Wales saw 300 bookings being taken in just 24 hours and its website crash after the sites in the country were allowed to reopen.

Three Cliffs Holiday Park in Gower is now full until September, as Brits turn to staycations to salvage something of the summer.

The family-run site has been rated five stars by VisitWales and is usually popular from May through to September, with its enviable position on the Wales Coastal Path.

It reopened to the public on July 25th and has seen unprecedented demand for pitches, with the owners needing to deploy an extra member of staff to take bookings over the phone.

Thomas Beynon, owner of Three Cliffs, told WalesOnline he and his team had spent lockdown considering the best ways to reopen safely when the time was right.

Among the measures they have put in place are plastic screens at reception and on the counter in the shop; hand sanitiser points and social distancing signs; and more frequent cleaning of the showers, toilets and washing up facilities.

Mr Beynon said: “We’re fully booked right up to September. The feedback we’ve had so far has been really good and people are reassured with all the measures we’ve put in place.”

The Gower Peninsula was recently named the top place in the UK for a socially distanced staycation in money.co.uk’s 2020 Safecation Report.

Visitors to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty can expect to find sandy beaches; walking routes, including the Wales Coast Path and the Gower Way; and local delicacies like cockles and laverbread.

Alison Hutchings, a teacher from Monmouth, is currently enjoying a stay at Three Cliffs with her family.

She said: “I haven’t noticed too much of a difference from our usual stay here, we’ve been coming for years. As you can see – there is plenty of space for social distancing.

“I’ve got five other camping trips planned over the summer to keep us busy.”

By Emma Dodd

The Radfords, Britain’s biggest family, have gone on a caravan holiday to Scotland, after plans to travel to Australia were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sue and Noel, along with their 22 children, started their trip with a visit to The Kelpies, the famous 30-metre high horse head statues in Falkirk.

Mrs Radford said: “We’re staying with our friends in their caravan, they have some caravans at a site in Edinburgh, so we’re staying there until Monday – and then going to another caravan site with them for the rest of the week.

“We’re just getting ready to leave for Scotland. It’s been crazy, crazy busy trying to get everybody sorted and in the car.”

Packing for the staycation has not been straightforward, with each of the children having a bin bag full of clothes, which is labeled with their name to keep confusion on arrival at a minimum.

The couple live with 19 of their children in Morecambe and the youngest, Heidie was born in April, while their eldest, Chris, is 30.

Like many families, the Radfords are now waiting to get the money back on their cancelled family holiday abroad, but the caravan trip to Scotland seems to be a success so far.

They shared pictures of the children playing happily together, cycling around the caravan site and eating ice cream to their Instagram account.

With the school summer holidays now officially underway in England and many caravan parks reopening, staycations are proving popular.

Caravan owners are advised to book in advance and be aware of new rules to help stop the potential spread of coronavirus during their stay.

Most sites that have managed to open are operating at a reduced capacity to ensure there is adequate space between pitches.

Cornwall, the Lake District and Scotland, where the Radfords are currently enjoying their staycation, are all proving to be popular for family holidays this year.

By Emma Dodd

The Caravan and Motorhome Club is offering leisure vehicle owners insurance to give them peace of mind while heading off on trips in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

It has highlighted the varying needs of owners due to the many differences in circumstances and motorhomes throughout the caravanning community.

One thing all of them have in common, however, is the desire to protect their vehicles against theft and damage, so the Club has designed its Caravan Cover with its members’ priorities in mind.

The benefits include new-for-old replacement of the caravan and equipment in the event of loss; cover for storm and flood damage to awnings; and up to £50,000 personal accident cover.

As the Caravan and Motorhome Club is member owned, purchasers of its cover can rest assured any profit will be channelled into its sites and services.

Harvey Alexander, director of marketing at the Caravan and Motorhome Club, said: “As we are a membership organisation, and caravan cover is not a legal requirement, we have been able to establish a product just for our members where all aspects of cover are dealt with by the Club and we have a wide and inclusive acceptance criteria.

“We want to reassure members we’re here to help, every mile of the journey, and to help provide peace of mind with ensuring their caravans and trailer tents are covered against loss, theft and damage. We have decades of experience in providing insurance and cover products for our members.”

Caravan Cover starts at £59 and there is a Super Cover option available. The Caravan and Motorhome Club was founded in 1907 and has been offering insurance for more than 45 years.

It has a claims handling customer satisfaction score of 9.1 out of ten and 4.95 out of five for service and resolution.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club represents the interests of some one million members and operates more than 200 sites in the UK.

By Emma Dodd

It’s rather fun when you stumble across a vintage review for the CaravanTimes Classic Gold series where the enthusiasm of the motorhome’s owner pours from the page. Lawrence Phillips was so taken with his Adria Adora 642UP when he reviewed it in 2012, he rated the van five out of five in every category.

When doing his research for buying a caravan, Mr Phillips’ main concern was finding one with a double bed wide enough not just to fit two humans, but a terrier too. The answer was the Adria Adora 642UP, as it was the only standard-width caravan on the market at the time with a proper-sized double bed.

This is achieved by two very wide single beds being mounted on a track and slid together to create the double. Luckily, for our reviewer, the motorhome also performed beyond just the dimensions of the bed.

Mr Phillips said: “The separate shower unit has proved a boon as one does not have to wait for the bathroom to become free before showering. The all-plastic washroom/WC is well fitted with shelves designed so that you don’t have to empty them or pack them before travelling and things stay put.”

He added that the washroom being all plastic made an excellent drying room for coats when it had been raining and was complete with a rail for the purpose. We’re getting quite a vivid insight into the way of life of these caravan owners and their pet pooch.

Let’s give the last word to our reviewer and his wonderful phraseology: “A lovely galley area with a peninsular worktop and a fabulous cavernous corner cupboard with fiddles and shelves to help hold things in place. Speaking of fiddles, the shelves in the lounge area all have these; an excellent idea to stop items sliding off the shelves.”

Have you owned an Adria Adora 642UP and if so, were you as enamoured with it as our reviewer? Get in touch to let us know.