I’VE found the best holiday park to spend the Christmas holidays at – and we’re returning as a family again this year.
My family of five has visited Haven, Butlin’s, Center Parcs and Away Resorts for a seasonal staycay in recent times, but we always end up back at our favourite.
Park Holidays‘ Broadland Sands near Great Yarmouth, is our fail-safe every year, even when none of the park facilities like the pool or the climbing wall are open in December.
But for a cosy Christmas getaway, it’s all about the accommodation for us.
With a big open-plan kitchen, dining and living area, there’s enough space (and crockery) to host a sit-down meal for a dozen people, so its ideal for hosting larger families.
It’s so much easier than trying to gather everyone together at home, hunting for extra chairs, working out how we can all fit around the table and cleaning the house before guests arrive.
Instead it feels like a real treat to be staying in a spotless space where everyone can chip in with the cooking without treading on anyone’s toes.
My top tip would be to bring a slow cooker or an air fryer so you’ve got a back-up plan if you can’t fit everything in the oven, especially if you’ve got a lot of mouths to feed.
The lodges at Broadland Sands are tucked away at one end of the park and it really does feel like you’re a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of normal life, waking up to the sun glistening through frosty trees outside.
Next door is St Bartholomew’s, a semi-ruined church that still hosts some Sunday services.
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And just up the lane is the Lodge at Woburn Farm, which offers music nights and food, so you can enjoy a party atmosphere if the mood takes you.
I like to bring a stash of cosy treats, like fluffy socks, matching PJs and hot chocolate with marshmallows so we can really make the most of our comfortable accommodation and take a bit of time to get some R&R during the festivities.
While we love our quiet Christmas away, there’s also something to be said for heading to Haven or Butlin’s for full-on family fun.
Last year we spent Twixmas at Haven’s Seashore park and had a great time, splashing in the pool and watching the panto in the entertainment venue.
But the best bit of the break was wandering along a deserted beach in the late December sunshine and cosying up in our caravan for a family film night.
The festive season is already so busy with nights out, children’s parties and end-of-term activities that we all just want a bit of peace and quiet by the time we go on our Yuletide getaway.
That’s why going to a luxury lodge on a closed park proves perfect most years.
Happily it also tends to be the most cost-effective option.
We spent around £250 for the weekend, compared to the steep £1,400 at Center Parcs Elveden Forest or £1,060 for a seaview lodge at Haven Seashore.
Having said that, we do also enjoy an occasional seasonal staycay elsewhere, especially now so many more UK parks have opened up until the New Year.
We quite often make a cheeky midweek visit to Butlin’s, which is usually a bargain £50 for four nights.
One year, there was even a free ice-skating rink at Skegness, so it really did give my family that festive feel for next to nothing.
Now’s the perfect time to bag a bargain break to end 2025 with a bang, so get booking!