Staycations UK: Why a Touring Caravan or Motorhome Beats the Airport

Staycations UK: Why a Touring Caravan or Motorhome Beats the Airport

There’s a particular British holiday ritual that has nothing to do with sunshine. It’s the pre-dawn alarm, the motorway crawl to long-stay parking, the security queue that folds back on itself, and the nagging worry that your suitcase has tipped over the baggage limit. For a fast-growing number of families, the shine has well and truly worn off — and Staycations UK have become the confident choice rather than the back-up plan.

In 2026, for the first time in years, more of us are planning a UK staycation than a trip abroad — and the people doing it aren’t compromising. They’re touring the country in their own caravan or motorhome: sleeping in their own bed, cooking in their own kitchen, and rewriting the plan whenever the weather (or the mood) changes.

At Davan, we’ve spent 90 years helping families across the South West discover exactly why touring beats the terminal. Here’s the honest, no-nonsense case for swapping the departure board for the open road — plus where to go, what it costs, and how to plan your first trip.

The Great British Staycation Comeback

The move towards home-grown holidays isn’t a hunch — it’s there in the numbers. VisitBritain research found that around 12.5 million Britons planned overnight trips at home over a single recent Easter weekend, worth an estimated £4.8 billion to the UK economy and comfortably ahead of plans to head abroad.

Consumer surveys point the same way. More people now intend to take a UK break than a foreign one, and reports suggest 25 million-plus Brits are skipping a trip overseas in favour of staying closer to home. Forecasters expect the staycation market to keep growing steadily for the next decade — this is a lasting shift in how Britain holidays, not a passing trend.

Why Families Are Choosing to Stay Home

The reasons are refreshingly down to earth: better value, far simpler planning, and a renewed appreciation for the sheer variety on our own doorstep. Holidays in 2026 are also being built around togetherness — multi-generational trips are booming, with nearly half of families now holidaying with three or more generations under one roof. When you’re planning several breaks a year for the whole clan, the maths starts pointing in one obvious direction: owning the holiday rather than renting it one expensive week at a time.

The Real Price of “Getting Away” Abroad

Foreign holidays still have their place. But the friction has crept up year on year, and it’s worth being clear about everything a trip overseas now asks of you before you’ve so much as felt the sun. A UK staycation in your own caravan or motorhome quietly removes the lot.

The Costs and Queues That Bookend Every Flight

• Airport parking. Long-stay car parks can cost more than a couple of nights on a lovely UK site, before you’ve gone anywhere.
• Check-in, processing and security. The shuffle through bag drop, the liquids rule and the belt-and-laptop dance — multiplied by every member of the family.
• Baggage allowances. Weighing cases on the bathroom scales, paying for the extra kilo, and packing a fraction of what you’d actually like to bring.

The Post-Brexit Paperwork

• EU border controls. The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational across Schengen borders in April 2026, swapping passport stamps for biometric registration — fingerprints and a facial scan. It’s meant to speed things up eventually, but the early roll-out has meant longer queues at some busy airports and ports.
• ETIAS on the way. A separate pre-travel authorisation, ETIAS, is expected later in 2026. Once it’s live, UK travellers will need to apply and pay a small fee online before setting off for most of Europe.
• Passport rules. Since Brexit, your passport generally needs to have been issued within the previous ten years and stay valid for several months beyond your trip. A renewal you forgot about can end a holiday before it begins.

The Small Print That Never Sleeps

• Travel and medical insurance. Cover for cancellations, lost bags and overseas healthcare is another bill — and another set of terms to read carefully.
• Unfamiliar food and hygiene. Holiday tummies, fussy eaters with nothing they recognise on the menu, and the lottery of standards you can’t always vouch for.
• Foreign bugs and mosquitoes. Nobody comes home from a UK campsite covered in mosquito bites.

Pack the night before. Leave when you like. Bring the dog, the bikes, the board games and three pairs of wellies — because there’s no baggage allowance on a motorhome. That’s the quiet luxury of a staycation done your way.

Why a Caravan or Motorhome Is the Ultimate Staycation Base

A holiday cottage is fixed to one postcode. A caravan or motorhome turns the whole of Britain into your itinerary. Here’s why touring is such a natural fit for the staycation era.

Total Freedom and Flexibility

Rain forecast for the coast? Point yourself inland towards the hills. Found a spot you love? Stay another night. You’re never locked into a booking that no longer suits you, and you’re never far from the next adventure. For spontaneous families, nothing else comes close.

Your Own Home, Wherever You Park

Your own bed, your own kitchen, your own bathroom, your own kettle making tea exactly the way you like it. Modern caravans and motorhomes are beautifully designed living spaces — warm, comfortable and genuinely homely — a world away from the uncertainty of an unfamiliar hotel room.

Brilliant for the Whole Family — and the Dog

From cosy two-berth models for couples to spacious family-friendly four and six-berth layouts, there’s a tourer to suit every household. They’re made for multi-generational trips, school-holiday escapes and, yes, the four-legged member of the family too.

Holidays That Pay for Themselves

This is where touring really earns its keep. Once you own your caravan or motorhome, the cost of each holiday drops dramatically — no flights, no hotels, no rental fees, just affordable pitch nights and the open road. When you’re taking several UK breaks a year, ownership quickly becomes the smarter long-term choice, and our flexible finance options make getting started easier than you might expect.

The UK Is More Beautiful Than We Give It Credit For

Cornish coves, the Lakeland fells, the Pembrokeshire coast, the Yorkshire Dales — all reachable without a passport, an airport, or a single mosquito bite. And with shows and events running across the country all year, there’s always somewhere new to point the tow bar.

The Best UK Staycation Destinations for Caravan and Motorhome Owners

Part of the joy of a UK staycation is just how much variety sits within a day’s tow. Whether you’re chasing surf, scaling mountain passes or pottering around honey-stone villages, here are some of the finest regions to point the caravan or motorhome.

The South West — Cornwall, Devon and Somerset

Our own backyard, and one of the most popular touring regions in the country. Think golden beaches and surf on the North Devon and Cornish coasts, wild moorland on Dartmoor and Exmoor, and the Jurassic Coast further east. It’s a staycation classic for good reason.

Wales — Pembrokeshire, Eryri and the Brecon Beacons

Just over the Severn from Weston-super-Mare, Wales packs in dramatic coastline, the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) and the rolling uplands of Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons). Perfect for tourers who like coast and mountains in one trip.

The Lake District

The spiritual home of the British touring holiday — glassy lakes, soaring fells and pretty market towns like Keswick and Ambleside. Wonderful for walkers, water-sports fans and anyone who loves a proper view from the awning.

The Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors

Dry-stone walls, sweeping valleys, waterfalls and welcoming villages, with the heather moors and the coast at Whitby within easy reach. A brilliant, slightly quieter alternative to the Lakes.

The Cotswolds and Peak District

Central and easy to reach, the Cotswolds offer gentle countryside and chocolate-box villages, while the Peak District serves up rugged walking country between Manchester and Sheffield. Both make superb shorter UK staycation breaks.

Norfolk, Suffolk and the Scottish Highlands

For big skies and gentle, family-friendly touring, head to the Norfolk Broads and the Suffolk coast. And if you fancy the trip of a lifetime, the Scottish Highlands and the North Coast 500 are made for motorhome adventures.

South West Staycation Ideas on Davan’s Doorstep

One of the quiet perks of buying your caravan or motorhome from Davan in Weston-super-Mare is just how much sits within an easy tow. You can collect your tourer and be set up somewhere beautiful the very same afternoon. Here are a few staycation ideas close to home.

• Cheddar Gorge and the Mendip Hills — dramatic limestone scenery and gentle walking, barely half an hour away.
• Exmoor National Park — wild ponies, big skies and the stunning coast around Lynton and Lynmouth, roughly an hour from base.
• The North Devon coast — the surf and sands of Woolacombe, Croyde and Saunton, ideal for a family beach staycation.
• The Quantocks and Somerset Levels — peaceful, underrated countryside right on the doorstep.
• The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean — just over the Severn bridge, with woodland, river views and castles.
• South and West Wales — Cardiff is around an hour away, with the Gower and Pembrokeshire coast a little beyond.

It’s exactly this kind of easy access to the best of the British countryside that makes touring from the South West so rewarding — no airports required.

Choosing Your UK Staycation Base: Caravan or Motorhome?

Not sure which suits you? Both make superb staycation bases — it usually comes down to how you like to travel.

Touring Caravans

Unhitch on site and you’ve still got your car free to explore the local area, pop to the shops or nip down to the beach. Caravans offer great value, a huge choice of layouts, and they’re ideal if you like to set up a base and stay a while. Take a look at our new caravans and used caravans.

Motorhomes

Everything in one drive-and-go package — perfect for touring several spots on a single trip and simply pulling up wherever the view is best. Browse our new motorhomes and used motorhomes.

Think About Berths and Layout

How many people will travel? Do you want a fixed bed, a roomy washroom, a proper kitchen for family meals? It’s well worth viewing a few layouts in person to find the one that fits your family — our team is always happy to talk you through the options.

The Brands That Make Great Staycation Bases

We hand-pick our range from some of Europe’s most respected manufacturers, so whatever you choose, it’s built to go the distance.

Looking for a motorhome? We also stock respected marques including Auto-Trail, Pilote and Roller Team. Whatever you’re after, there’s a quality staycation base waiting in our range.

Planning Your First UK Staycation: A Simple Checklist

New to touring? The first trip is always the biggest learning curve, but a little preparation makes it wonderfully smooth. Here’s a quick checklist to get your UK staycation off to a flying start.

• Book popular sites early. The best pitches in school holidays and over bank holidays get snapped up, so reserve ahead where you can.
• Know your weights and your licence. Check your outfit’s laden weight against your car’s towing capacity, and confirm your licence covers it.
• Pack for British weather. Layers, waterproofs and wellies — then sunglasses, because you’ll likely need both in a single week.
• Sort your hook-up and services. Pack your electric hook-up cable, a fresh-water container and the kit for grey-waste and toilet emptying.
• Plan your route. Note any low bridges, weight limits or narrow lanes, and allow a relaxed pace — towing isn’t a race.
• Bring the comforts. Games, books and the dog’s bits and pieces. With no baggage allowance, you can actually bring what you want.
• Check your cover. Make sure you have breakdown assistance suited to a caravan or motorhome.

Once you’ve done it once, the rest become second nature — and that’s when the real freedom of staycation touring kicks in.

UK Staycation Touring: Frequently Asked Questions

90 Years of Helping Britain Tour

Davan has been part of the fabric of UK touring for nine decades. That heritage means deep relationships with manufacturers, a real understanding of what families need from a tourer, and the kind of honest, experienced advice that makes buying your first — or fifth — caravan or motorhome a pleasure rather than a gamble.

As an NCC-approved dealership and workshop, we hold ourselves to recognised industry standards, and we’re as invested in looking after you after the sale as we are in finding you the right vehicle in the first place.

Want to see us in person before you buy? We’re out and about at shows across the South West and beyond all year — take a look at where you can meet the Davan team at upcoming caravan and motorhome events and say hello.

Start Your Staycation on Davan’s Doorstep

This summer, swap the airport scramble for the open road. With your own caravan or motorhome and the whole of Britain to explore, the best UK staycation you’ll take might just start on your own driveway.

We’re just 30 minutes from Bristol and around an hour from Cardiff, in St Georges, Weston-super-Mare. Browse the range online, then pop in for a friendly, no-pressure chat with a team that’s been doing this for 90 years.