Guest post by Nicola from Mum on a Budget
My family are big fans of Haven holidays. In my view, they are a wonderful and affordable way to get away with the kids for a few days and there is never a shortage of things to do. We have been lucky enough to go on all sorts of holidays over the years but we keep going back to Haven resorts time and time again. We’ve just returned from a long weekend at the Haven Haggerston Castle caravan site, in what was our fourth trip there – we’ve also enjoyed several holidays at the Craig Tara site over the last few years. One day we will branch out further afield but these two locations are perfect for us.
Since we are seasoned Haven holiday go-ers, I thought it would be helpful to outline a list of things to bring when you are hiring a caravan direct from Haven. Obviously if you are hiring a caravan from a private individual then the below will vary – check with the owner to see what you need to bring, for example, often you will need to bring your own bedding.
Essential items
These are all things I would definitely pack for a Haven holiday:
- Washing up liquid
- Dishwasher tablets (we didn’t have a dishwasher but our friends who came with us and stayed in a different caravan did – we had the same level of caravan so it’s just luck of the draw)
- Dish sponges
- Tea towels
- Bath towels and swimming towels
- Bath mat for the floor outside the shower
- Bin liners
- Kitchen roll
- Shampoo, conditioner and shower gel
- Hand soap x the number of sinks
- A pound coin or two for the swimming lockers
I would also recommend going via a supermarket on your way to the Haven site to buy your food and drink for your stay. There is always a little supermarket on site but in my experience these shops, whilst convenient, tend to be quite expensive.
Optional items
These are things that aren’t fully necessary but if you have space in your car I really think you won’t regret bringing them
- A bluetooth speaker for playing music.
- An airfryer if you are planning to cook lots in the caravan – a lot less fiddly and more predictable than using the gas oven!
- A cordless vacuum cleaner – hear me out – neither our nor our friends’ caravans had a vacuum cleaner, the crumbs accumulated quickly as we ate most of our meals in the caravans – especially with 4 kids between us – and it was pretty grim not being able to do anything about it. It was bad enough after 3 nights, so it would be pretty awful after a week.
- Kids plastic plates, bowls and cups – Haven only provide actual crockery so if you have little ones this is something to consider.
- An Amazon firestick or similar – definitely not an essential but if the weather is terrible it might be nice to have the option to watch a movie, especially if you are going with kids.
- A way of making coffee e.g. a cafetiere plus ground beans if you are a caffeine addict like me!
I hope that you have found this list useful and that you have a fabulous time on your Haven holiday.