Holiday park expert reveals all her favourite resorts in the UK
THE SUN’S £9.50 Hols Agony Aunt, Tracey Kennedy has tried and tested holiday parks across the UK for over 30 years.
Over her decades of staycations, Tracy’s ticked off popular holiday spots from the Isle of Wight, to North Wales, down to Land’s End in Cornwall.
It’s fair to say that Tracy knows her stuff when it comes to UK holiday parks – whether it’s how to bag a bargain break, or find the best free and cheap family attractions whilst you’re away.
Over three decades of staying at holiday parks up and down the UK, Tracy has ranked her top five holiday parks based on accommodation, entertainment and location.
Plus she’s sharing all of the hacks she uses to save while she’s away.
We’ve paired each park with the cheapest deal available online, including three-night breaks for two for under £50.
5. Haven Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Village
“This holiday park is in a lovely seaside town in Somerset, and I like it so much that I’ve been back several times.
“My tip for booking a Haven holiday would be to book a Haven Hideaway package.
“These are the cheapest breaks possible, and can cost just £49pp. I paid just £120 for a full week away on a Haven Hideaway.
“However it’s worth noting that Hideaway holidays don’t come with a Play Pass as the standard breaks do, so make sure to check which activities are included at each Haven park, and which you would have to pay extra for”.
Entertainment and activities
“There’s plenty to do here without paying extra for the add-on activities. This site has a lovely arcade, which is cashless apart from the classic 2p machines.
“I wasn’t too keen on it being cashless at first, but once you’ve got your card and have topped it up with as much or little as you want, it’s easy to use.
“As for the evening entertainment, I went last year and it was really quite good. The comedy is especially great.
“With Haven parks, if you make sure to download the app, about 2 weeks before it’ll tell you which activities you can book if you have the Play Passes.
“But you dont need passes for the arcade or evening entertainment, it’s just for swimming and paid activities. They can be nice to have, but you don’t have to get them”.
Accommodation
“I stayed in a saver caravan, which is the lowest grade, but it still has heating and everything you need.
“I always go for the cheapest I can but that is still nice, and the saver option here is great if you’re looking to stay on a budget“.
Local area
“Burnham is a quiet town, so it can be quite a peaceful place to stay. There’s also a lovely beach and lighthouse in walking distance from the park, as well as a cinema. But mainly this is a great base for exploring.
“Brean is about a 10-minute drive away, and there’s loads to do there. Brean Beach is gorgeous, plus there’s a splash park, Brean Theme Park and an animal farm, so there’s loads to do.
“You’ve also got Cheddar Gorge a half-hour drive away. You can of course try loads of cheese, but there’s really fascinating caves and clifftop walks there, too.
“If you’re willing to drive a bit further, about 40 minutes, you can also visit Wells. There’s loads of medieval historic sites there, like Wells Cathedral as well as the Palace and gardens”.
Bag a cheap stay
You can book a four-night stay in a saver caravan with a Haven Hideaways deal from £49, based on two adults sharing. This deal also comes with a low-deposit option from £30.
4. Riverside Holiday Village, Bleadon, Weston-super-Mare
“I went to this holiday park last year for my 50th, and had such a fantastic time. I have lots of memories coming here with parents, and now I get to bring my kids!
“One of the best things about this park is where it’s located. It’s less than 10 minutes from Weston-super-Mare‘s seafront”.
Entertainment and activities
“This is quite a small site, but it does have a good arcade, restaurant, and entertainment performances.
“There’s no costume characters for the kids, but if you visit in peak season, there’s a pretty packed activity schedule that keeps them busy.
“It’s a very relaxing site if you prefer a peaceful holiday. There’s a beautiful lake to walk around, and you can pop out into Weston whenever you’d like”.
Accommodation
“We stayed in a large Gold caravan, which doesn’t work out to be too expensive once you split the cost between a group of people.
“We paid £650 total, and the Gold caravans can sleep up to six people, so that works out at around £109pp – which isn’t bad at all for a full seven days during the summer holidays.
“We had wrap-around decking which is lovely to sit on and enjoy your coffee in the morning or a drink in the evening.
“I recommend going as a large group and splitting costs so you can try out the nicer accommodation. This is one of the parks where I’d say it’s worth it”.
Local area
“The surrounding area, Bleadon, is very quiet. There’s just a couple of cosy pubs.
“But if you want a proper day out, then you should drive or catch the bus into Weston-super-Mare itself.
“There’s loads of things to do in Weston. If you want to stick to free things to do, Weston Museum is a great one and has activities for kids.
“Visiting the Grand Pier is a full day out itself – there is a small charge of £2, which is the same for both adults and kids.
“There’s lots of cost-friendly places to eat on the pier, like chip shops, a Costa and a Tiffany’s.
“My favourite though is Revo Kitchen. It’s inside the old Sea Life centre and it has 360-degree views of the sea. It’s dog-friendly, and does amazing, family-friendly food.
“It’s easy to spend the whole day at just the pier. There’s a ball pit, arcade games, fun house, ghost train – loads to do.
“Obviously it can be costly, but there are great-value wristbands available for kids to go on unlimited rides.”
“The Little Kids wristband, with unlimited rides suitable for younger children, costs £15 and lasts all day. The Big Kids wristband costs £20.
“There is also an Ultimate wristband available for £30, which includes unlimited rounds of golf and go-kart races.
“You don’t have to pay the entry fee cost of £2 for those with wristbands. You can buy the wristbands for the Grand Pier ahead of time online“.
Bag a cheap stay
You can book a three-night stay at Riverside Holiday Village in a Purn Gold WF caravan from £169, based on two adults sharing. This deal also offers a low deposit option of £25.
3. Martin Mere Holiday Village, Blackpool
“This park is around 10 minutes’ drive into Blackpool, and there is so much to do there for families.
“They have also just had a major upgrade, with a brand-new restaurant, a refreshed Show Bar, and an expanded arcade added”.
Entertainment and activities
“It’s all about the entertainment with Haven. And the best part is that most of it is free.
“There’s an outdoor pool and lazy river, and you can book inflatables for your little ones to use.
“They’ve got plenty of fun things for families with kids like a climbing wall and a giant football dartboard.
“You’ve also got Linked Bingo at 5:15pm every evening, which sometimes has massive cash prizes.
“They’re also adding four new kids shows ready for summer this year”.
Accommodation
“The caravans are spacious, clean and have everything you need. Even the saver caravans are tremendous value for what you get.
“What I like about the accommodation here is that most caravans are only a short walk to the entertainment, which is great if you stay up late”.
Local area
“There is absolutely loads to do in Blackpool. You can even see the tower flashing its lights at night from the park.
“Blackpool can be as cheap or expensive as you like, but I’ve been going for years and found some good ways to save money.
“One of the best-value places to go is Coral Island Arcade, which has a restaurant where kids eat free.
“Once you’re at Coral Island, make sure to pick up any free leaflets that are there. They often have vouchers inside for discounted attractions.
“We picked one up and got a free go on the camel derby – so always look out for leaflets before you book something!
“Some of my other favourite things to do are going up into the tower, where there’s an arcade, the dungeons and a circus inside the tower itself.
“Then of course you’ve got Pleasure Beach – but if you know you want to go, book ahead of time online.
“That way you can pay £30 for entry rather than £60 on the day.
“If you’re wanting to save money on ticking off the paid attractions, there’s a new card where you can do them all for a fixed price called The Blackpool Pass.”
“The Blackpool Pass starts from £35 and includes unlimited entry to eight Blackpool attractions: Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE, Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Blackpool Tower Eye, Blackpool Tower Dungeon, Blackpool Tower Circus, Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse and Peter Rabbit: Explore and Play.
“You can expect to save up to 70 per cent on attractions compared to booking individually.”
Bag a cheap stay
You can book a four-night stay in a saver caravan with a Haven Hideaways deal from £49, based on two adults sharing.
This deal also comes with a low-deposit option of £30.
2. Lyons Robin Hood, Rhyl, North Wales
“This site is really up-to-date. It’s recently undergone a £1.5m makeover, with all the new developments set to be fully done in May 2026, ready for your summer holiday!
“Some of my favourite things about this park are the enthusiastic entertainment staff, as well as the food – I always really look forward to the food when holidaying here!”
Entertainment and activities
“The pool here is so good that my youngest went swimming every single day. It has a brand-new splash zone, three super slides and even a spa for the adults.
“It’s just had activities like go-karting added to the list of things to do, and there’s new sports courts and trampolines.
“I last went at Halloween and it was just absolutely fantastic, but the entertainment is great year-round too.
“The costume characters come out to meet the kids – all the info on who is coming out when is listed on the wall, so you can meet the characters, comedians and singers.”
Accommodation
“The standard caravans here are slightly different to other holiday parks, for example like at a Haven resort.
“Their highest-ranking option is a platinum. We’ve stayed in platinum and it’s lovely. We had a little bit of a balcony that we had our coffee and drinks on.
“I’ve stayed in three levels of accommodation here, and I liked all of them. Each caravan was clean and spacious, with multiple big bedrooms, so you can’t go wrong here no matter what your budget is.
“I usually like to bring my own food to save money, however the food here is just lovely and definitely worth the money!
“We had cod and chips (£6.95) from the on-site chip shop here and really enjoyed it – in fact, we had it twice because it was that good! Food here is also really good value for money”.
Local area
“There’s a beautiful beach just across the road from the park, just remember to bring some snacks, as there’s no cafe or shop to buy food.
“You might see seals here – we saw some on my last visit and I was so excited.
“You can see them bobbing around in the sea, it’s nice to see them out in the open compared to an aquarium.
“Rhyl is just 5 minutes away, and there’s loads to do there. Shops, a massive marine lake, and my favourite – a little train that takes you around.
“Lots of people go crabbing, too…we caught some massive ones!
“A trip into Rhyl could be a free day out if you planned for it. Pack a picnic, wander through its streets, plus there’s even a free attraction: Rhyl Museum and Arts Centre.
“The only thing you would have to pay extra for if you wanted to would be the train, which costs £4 per adult and £3 per child.”
Bag a cheap stay
You can book a three-night stay at Lyons Robin Hood in a Bronze three-bedroom caravan from £111.30, based on two adults sharing.
Lyons Robin Hood is also available at Sun Hols from £9.50, where a break for four people can cost as little as £38.
1. Lower Hyde, Isle of Wight
“The best holiday park I’ve ever been to is Lower Hyde on the Isle of Wight – that is my firm favourite.
“I’ve returned several times because my family and I really liked it. I like everything about the park.
“There’s loads to do on site itself, it’s actually one of the only sites where we didn’t mind spending the entire day there.
“There’s plenty of nature trails around the park, and there’s also an adventure park on site.
“Lower Hyde also have a restaurant with really good pub-style food called The Barnhouse, plus they also have little food huts such as the Thunderbird Chicken shack and an ice cream parlour.
“They’ve just had a new outdoor bar open up, too.”
Entertainment and activities
“The entertainment teams are top-quality at Lower Hyde and plenty is free compared to other parks.
“I like the archery in the daytime, plus there’s a great pool to make use of, too.
“I watched some brilliant entertainment there last year.
“In the evenings, the entertainment starts off with discos and character meet and greets for the younger kids, with their own show.
“Then there’s some great bingo, followed by an adult game show.
“Later in the evening there’s more acts from visiting acts such as comedians or magicians, or a performance from the entertainment team.
“There’s then a disco until midnight, so you can stay there all night, if you fancy it.”
Accommodation
“I’ve stayed in both chalets and caravans, and the caravans are top-notch, very cosy and warm.
“The accommodation is in a really nice quiet area. There is a little bit of a hill walking down, so do let the site know if that’s an issue if you plan to visit”.
Local area
“The must-visit spot nearby is Shanklin. There’s lots of little artisan shops, and it’s not a far walk, about a 10-minute walk into the centre.
“If you walk further, it takes you into Shanklin Old Village. There’s a lovely little restaurant there called The Crab, with beautiful seafood.
“There is also the famous old thatched cottage from all the postcards. Not only is it lovely to look at, but it does afternoon tea inside (from £7.95).
“There’s also Shanklin Chine, a wooded coastal ravine that is the oldest attraction on the island.
“If you wanted to visit, then you can loop right down to the beach afterwards and make your way back up – that’s the perfect day out.
“Some of my favourite things to do in the area are keep an eye out for red squirrels on nature walks, and go stargazing at night – the Isle of Wight has clear skies where you can see the stars”.
Bag a cheap stay
You can book a three-night stay at Parkdean Lower Hyde in a Bronze three-bedroom caravan from £99, based on two adults sharing.
Parkdean Lower Hyde is also available at Sun Hols from £9.50, where a break for four people can cost as little as £38.
How Tracy saves extra on her holidays
As ouur Hols From £9.50 Agony Aunt, Tracy Kennedy has several tips and tricks up her sleeve when it comes to saving money on your staycations.
Here is exactly what Tracy does to prepare ahead of time and save on her holidays, as well as her top tips for saving whilst you’re away.
She told us: “One of the most cost effective things you can do is cook your own meals.
“I’d make a note of some easy, cost-effective meals that are quick to make so you can get it done and get out and enjoy your holiday.
“I like to pack an essentials box of non-perishable food bits with me, like packets of rice, pasta, and tinned food – just make sure you don’t forget to bring a tin opener, too.
“I also bring a small amount of washing up liquid and cleaning products in little travel bottles so we don’t have to buy full-sized ones. This really helps with the shopping, especially if you’re on a budget.
“Then when you do go shopping, all you have to do is buy the fresh stuff like bread, milk and butter.
“I like to slowly buy bits to add to my box in the months before my holiday, as it spreads the cost out and saves you spending too much in the expensive on-site supermarkets when you arrive.
“Once you’re prepared with food and cleaning supplies, it’s time to start thinking ahead on how to save on attractions.
“Before I go anywhere, I make sure to Google everything there is to do nearby. Especially for days out. See if there are any two for one ticket offers at local attractions, or even places that are free to visit.
“Especially during holidays like Easter, as nearby attractions will often have free events for kids like Easter egg hunts.
“When I visited Prestatyn in North Wales, I did my research ahead of time and found free pottery classes for kids, so we spent an afternoon doing that.
“Also check the National Trust website as well as English Heritage, because sometimes they offer free days out, too. Also check Sun Superdays and Sun Club offers, too!
“If you’re staying at a seaside resort, you can easily spend an entire day out on the coast for free. Check which dates you are there have good weather, and plan to pack a picnic, walk along the promenade, go for a swim.
“Sometimes there will be free children’s Punch and Judy shows, or local festivals – always Google the area and search on local Facebook groups in case there are events whilst you’re there.
“If you’re going as a couple or friends, it can be nice to explore local towns with cheap public transport.
My friend and I visited Lyons Robin Hood last year, and planned to go to Llandudno.
“We bought a £6.50 day saver ticket, jumped on a bus with Llandudno as the final stop and sat on the top deck at the front, and the views we had were absolutely amazing.”
“You can get family saver tickets too if there are more of you, then you can go out for the day, get a great view of the local towns and all you have to buy is the bus ticket. It’s a nice, cheap day out for all of the family.
“Similarly, I planned a cheap day out at the coast a few years ago in Newquay, Cornwall.
“We visited all the local beaches, walked to Lands End, and I planned a walk past the hotel where the Roald Dahl film The Witches was made.
“We also drove out to Port Isaac, and walked around where Doc Martin was filmed. All you have to do in these places is pay for is parking and bring your own food.
Then you can just walk around and see all of these really cool filming locations, and that costs you nothing!
“Definitely research the area before you go to see if any movies or TV shows were filmed there”.
Read more of our Hols From £9.50 Agony Aunt’s holiday park tips
Tracy Kennedy is our Hols from £9.50 Agony Aunt, and has plenty more tips and advice when it comes to UK holiday parks…
