Top ten ideas for Easter trips in your van

Can you believe it – Easter is nearly upon us! The past couple of years have seen more than their fair share of uncertainty and doubt when it came to getting out and about – so, you’re no doubt looking forward to the newfound freedom of the open road this Spring.

You’re probably counting the days already, given the ‘van its annual service and spring clean, and made doubly sure that your touring caravan insurance continues to provide precisely the cover you need and remains fully up to date.

All that might leave you to do is dream up some of the best early spring trips in your caravan that a British Easter has to offer. Here are our top ten ideas and suggestions:

  1. The New Forest
  • be among the first to see New Forest glades carpeted in their annual glory of shimmering bluebells;
  • they are generally in bloom throughout April and May – so Easter Sunday on the 17th of April might give you are an early preview;
  • the Forestry Commission’s Camping in the Forest has ten sites dotted around the New Forest, so there is certain to be one near your favourite spot;
  • try Aldridge Hill for its idyllic location and back to basics simplicity (there is no toilet block, shop or onsite electricity) or revel in all the comforts of the gold standard Holmsley Caravan and Camping site on the southern edge of the National Park;
  1. North Devon
  • the West Country is a haven for touring caravans at any time of the year, but this Easter you might want an exceptionally peaceful, tranquil, yet luxuriously appointed site at Hedley Wood Holiday Park near Bude and the sandy beaches of Widemouth;
  • you’ll be spoilt not only by the natural beauty of the area but the onsite luxury of “ensuite” touring pitches that come with their own private shower and toilet facilities;
  1. Kent
  • a historic city, a stunning coastline and gentle countryside – the Camping and Caravan Club’s site at Canterbury has it all;
  • well within walking distance – or an even shorter bus ride – the picturesque city of Canterbury has history aplenty, whilst the surrounding countryside shows off some of its most colourful and attractive sights in the first flush of spring in this veritable Garden of England;
  • head to nearby Whitstable as your base for some bracing coastal walks and the obligatory seaside fish and chips;
  1. East Anglia
  • the extensive inland waterways of the Norfolk Broads come to life in the spring – and what better and more central a site from which to start exploring than the Norfolk Broads’ Caravan Club site near the villages of, Ludham, Potter Heigham and Horning, not far from Great Yarmouth;
  • there are 111 pitches for touring caravans and, as you’d expect from a site of this size, plenty of amenities and facilities for the whole family;
  1. Midlands
  • who said the Midlands was all factories labouring under grey skies – the heart of England boasts some exceptionally fine and surprisingly tranquil countryside;
  • at Stratford Parks, you can find a berth for your touring caravan right on the banks of the River Avon, just a mile or two from the historic, cultural centre of Stratford-upon- Avon;
  • from here, explore the delights of Warwickshire and its many historic monuments, including Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle;
  1. South Wales
  • the valleys of South Wales are greener than ever these days and continue to rise to the wilder uplands of the Brecon Beacons;
  • if you want an altogether gentler experience of South Wales, you might prefer the world within a world that is the Gower Peninsula – the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s site for touring caravans at Gowerton is close to the stunning promontory of Rhossili, within an officially designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty;
  1. North Wales
  • if you are after a quiet and relaxing Easter holiday, undisturbed by the boisterous play of children, the adults-only Tyddyn Du Touring Park on the north coast of Wales provides a perfectly peaceful setting;
  • you might want to do little more than just admire the stunning sea views across the water to Anglesey and the Great Orme at Llandudno;
  1. The Lake District
  • want to stumble across your very own “sea of golden daffodils”? Then, it’s towards Wordsworth’s Lake District, of course, that you’ll be heading this Easter;
  • the wooded glades of Skelwith Fold Touring Caravan Site on the edge of Ambleside could be the ideal place to savour the taste of Easter’s spring sunshine in the stunning setting of the English lakes;
  1. Scotland
  • the sunshine might come somewhat later north of the border, but that makes Scotland no less an exciting destination for more adventurous trips in your caravan this Easter;
  • the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s site at Kinlochewe, in the Western Highlands, is Scotland at its best – and a site that is rightly described as a “magical oasis”;
  • it sits at the foot of the majestic slopes of Beinn Eighe, and you’ll arrive after one of the most beautiful drives in Scotland from Glen Docherty to Achnasheen;
  1. Northern Ireland
  • Northern Ireland so rarely gets a mention in these kinds of lists of places to visit in the UK – and that’s both an unfortunate yet also no bad thing since it makes the six counties of the province relatively quiet and unexplored;
  • Ballyness Touring Caravans is a multi-award-winning site – with fully-serviced pitches for 50 touring caravans – right by the world-famous Giant’s Causeway;
  • if that’s not enough to wet your whistle, you might also want to take a guided tour of the equally famous Irish whiskey distillery at Bushmills.

Near to home or a pleasant drive away, Eastertime might offer the perfect opening to the coming season of caravanning.