YEAR-ROUND touring is becoming increasingly popular with serious
caravanners and a growing number of caravan sites are staying open
all year to cater for the growing demand.
Roll up at a site midweek between October and March and you’ll
be able to take your pick of the prime pitches and enjoy a few
days’ peace and quiet away from it all on some of the best sites in
Britain.
You’ll also save yourself some money as many sites usually
operate a low season tariff and the commercial sites often offer
special off-peak rates – particularly for stays of three nights or
more. Spend the difference on a meal out or a little treat!
City sites are increasingly getting booked up all year round by
couples and families enjoying a low-season city break, and over the
New Year period, when many of the sites which are open get very
busy – so book early.
Believe it or not, it’s also possible to go skiing in your
caravan – without even crossing the Channel. There are a number of
sites which stay open for the winter season in the Scottish
Cairngorms and some even have their own ski lifts to get you to the
top of the pistes!
Towergate Insurance, specialist providers of Caravan insurance have come up with some great
winter destinations:
The Lake District
Autumn comes early to the Lakes and all the indications are
pointing to a spectacular display as the region’s rich deciduous
woodlands turn a thousand shades of red, gold and auburn over the
next month.
Enjoy a low level walk alongside one of the Lake District’s
beautiful lakes or admire the autumn colours cloaking the valleys
from the summit of one of England’s highest mountains before
tucking into local produce and real ale in front of a roaring fire
at a traditional Lakeland inn.
Stay at: Park Coppice Caravan Club Site, Coniston, Cumbria LA21
8LA. 01539 441555 www.caravanclub.co.uk
Lincoln Christmas Market
As well as being a fantastic destination all year round, Lincoln
is famous for its huge Christmas market. This annual festive
extravaganza had to be cancelled last year due to the adverse
weather conditions, but the organizers are determined this year’s
event will be better than ever.
This year’s event is scheduled to take place on December 1 – 4
inclusive. Thousands of people travel to this spectacular event
from all over the country, so book early and make use of public
transport to get into town as parking is a nightmare! Visit http://
lincoln-christmasmarket.co.uk for visitor information.
Stay at: Lakeside Caravan Park, Barlings Lane. Langworth,
Lincoln LN3 5DF 01522 753200 www.lakesidecaravanpark.co.uk
The Cairngorms
Snow in the UK is a fickle thing, but if we get a repeat of the
last two winters, there’s bound to be a scramble for accommodation
in the principal ski resorts of Glenshee and Aviemore, high in the
Cairngorms National Park.
Caravan pitches are in pretty short supply, with only a few
sites in the area, and even fewer staying open year-round. There
are however a handful which you could try – including the Caravan
Club’s excellent Invercauld site at Braemar (01339 741373), which
was purpose-built for skiing caravanners.
Stay at: Glenmore Caravan and Camping Site, nr Aviemore,
Inverness-shire, PH22 1QU. 01479 861271 www.forestholidays.co.uk
London
Shop till you drop in the sales or see a show, enjoy a gourmet
meal or soak up some culture, watch a Premiership football match or
get a sneak preview of the Olympic village. The choices on offer
with a winter city break to the Capital are infinite. There are a
handful of campsites inside the M25 and plenty of sites with
excellent transport links into London and just think of all the
money you’ll save on hotel rooms!
Travel off-peak and you can get into, out of and around the
Capital on bus, train or tube for just a few Pounds and by paying a
small supplement, you can even cruise up and down the Thames –
which is a great way of seeing some of the biggest landmarks at a
more leisurely pace.
Stay at: Abbey Wood Caravan Club Site Federation Road, Abbey
Wood, London SE2 0LS. 020 8311 7708 www.caravanclub.co.uk
York
The history of York spans the millennia from pre-Roman times and
it’s a fantastic destination for a weekend getaway – largely
because you can pitch up and explore the city on foot, by bus or
even by bike without using the car again until its time to head for
home.
The Minster consistently amazes and delights all who visit it,
but to add an extra dimension to the experience, time your visit to
coincide with Evensong at around 5pm. It’s worth the extra
admission to see the Crypt and the Central Tower – as long as
you’re fit enough to scale the 275 steps! And no trip to York would
be complete without a trip to the National Railway Museum (0844
8153139), which, unlike most of York’s attractions, is completely
free.
Stay at: Rowntree Park Caravan Club Site, Terry Avenue, York,
North Yorkshire, YO23 1JQ. 01904 658997 www.caravanclub.co.uk
