Norfolk has more than 20 holiday parks to choose from, or more if you include posher lodges and retreats. We've picked 10 of the best caravan holiday parks by comparing onsite facilities, reviews from visitors, location and value for money.
Most of Norfolk's holiday parks are based around the busier resorts of Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth but there are some in quieter spots along the coastline such as Sheringham and Cromer and a few inland sites which are good bases for exploring the Norfolk Broads.
For our price comparison, we looked for the cheapest caravan for a week in August.
So, drumroll please for our top 10 caravan holiday parks in Norfolk....
Most of Norfolk's holiday parks are based around the busier resorts of Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth but there are some in quieter spots along the coastline such as Sheringham and Cromer and a few inland sites which are good bases for exploring the Norfolk Broads.
For our price comparison, we looked for the cheapest caravan for a week in August.
So, drumroll please for our top 10 caravan holiday parks in Norfolk....
1. Hopton Holiday Village, Great Yarmouth (Busy Haven park, indoor pool, beachside)
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Haven has got four holiday parks in Norfolk but we think the best ones are Hopton Holiday Village and Wild Duck Holiday Park (see #2).
Hopton scores 4.5 on TripAdvisor or 8.7 out of 10 on Hoseasons, which is impressive when you consider that big chain holiday parks often get less positive reviews. It’s also jam packed with facilities and it’s right by a sandy stretch of beach so you won’t be getting in the car every day to see anything. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools (I know which I prefer…), a decent minigolf/adventure course, tennis courts, fencing and football and a bowling green for old people with white suits. Most things are free, but you’ll pay a few pounds for some activities. Hopton also has kids clubs, evening entertainment (if that’s your sort of thing) two places to eat and a shop where you can some brightly coloured furry things for your children. Location wise, Hopton is half way between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft so there are a fair few family attractions within a short drive if you fancy exploring a bit. |
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Price comparison: £974 for a ‘deluxe caravan’ (we searched for the cheapest week for a family of two adults and two children in August 2017. Search carried out in June 2017 so you might get a better price if you look further in advance).
2. Wild Duck Holiday Park, near Great Yarmouth (woodland Haven park, great reviews)
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Bizarrely named Wild Duck Holiday Park is the other highly-rated Haven holiday park in Norfolk (Seashore and Caister on Sea get good reviews, but not quite as good).
It’s a different sort of park to Hopton as it set within a woodland with the option of posh Safari Tents, nature activities and the like. On the downside, it isn’t right by the sea (it’s about four miles away from Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth) so you’ll have a short drive for sandcastle building. However, the park is attractive and there is quite a bit to do onsite (not quite as much as Hopton, but still lots more than most parks). The Norfolk Broads spread out throughout much of East Norfolk, so you are well placed for those. Wild Duck Holiday Park has got the all-important indoor swimming pool, as well as an outdoor pool, amusement arcade, pool tables, bike hire, football, archery and minigolf. Some kids activities are included, whilst you have pay extra for some of the nature skills (bushcraft etc). There’s also the usual evening entertainment which you’ll find at most Haven parks. Price comparison: £1023 (although Yurts and Safari tents were a bit cheaper) |
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3. California Cliffs, near Caister on Sea (busy Park Resorts holiday park)
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Park Resorts has got three similar holiday parks in the Great Yarmouth area, but we think the best is California Cliffs (the others are Summerfields Holiday Park and Breydon Water).
California Cliffs and Breydon Water get very similar overall reviews and have similar facilities onsite, but California Cliffs is nearer to the beach which is the clincher for me. Summerfields is sometimes the cheapest optionn and has some plus points, but it doesn’t get quite such good reviews (averaging 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor when I searched) California Cliffs is also a bit more compact than Breydon Water, which is essentially two holiday parks stuck together. California Cliffs has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an adventure playground, sports court, crazy golf as well as the usual shop, bar and launderette. Like most big holiday parks, they also put on entertainment for kids and adults, including outdoor cinema on certain days. They accept pets in some of the accommodation. Price comparison: £713 for a ‘Happisburgh Caravan’ (bronze) for a family of four in August 2017. |
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4. Heachem Beach, Hunstanton (very cheap holiday park for families, good reviews)
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Park Resort’s Heachem Beach Holiday Park makes our list as a well equipped caravan park, which offers low cost family holidays (almost half the price of the Haven holiday parks in our very limited comparison).
In my view it just has the edge over Manor Park, which is a similar park in the local area which is also owned by Park Resorts. They get similar reviews but Heachem Beach has an indoor swimming pool whereas Manor Park has an outdoor pool. Although holiday park pools can be busy, they are a welcome refuge on a rainy day when the children are doing somersaults on the caravan sofa. Heachem Beach is also marginally closer to the North Norfolk coastline, although there’s not much in it. The location is good for anyone travelling from the East Midlands, as it’s a lot quicker to reach than Norfolk’s east coast (Great Yarmouth area). Price comparison: £551 for a week in August in a Wheatear Caravan (bronze) |
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5. Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club, Wisbech (posh inland park, reasonably priced)
**Winner: best value holiday park**I've included Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club as a bit of a classy curveball, which is surprisingly affordable.
OK, so it's not exactly a caravan park and it's right on the Norfolk/Cambridgeshire border rather than by the sea but it is reasonably priced and it's an appealing option if you can't bear the flumes and amusement arcades of some big holiday parks. The main attraction is an 18 hole golf course but there's also an indoor swimming pool, gym and fishing. There's not a huge amount for kids (don't expect a kids' club with a man dressed up as a pink bear) but if you want classy accommodation, a decent pool and a base for exploring Norfolk then it's worth a look. Reviews are very good, averaging 4.5 on TripAdvisor or 8.8/10 on Hoseasons when I checked. It is run by Pure Leisure Holidays. Price comparison: £835 for a week in August in a Superior Plus Lodge |
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6. Searles Leisure Resort, Hunstanton (big park, loads of facilities, near the beach)
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Searles Leisure Resort is a large and well established Hunstanton holiday park, which has been going for decades.
It competes well with big chains like Haven and Park Resorts thanks to a large range of onsite facilities. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, soft play and adventure playground for kids, crazy golf, tennis, restaurants and those funny pedal cars for getting around the site. It's also right by the beach, so it gets a thumbs up for location. As it's near Hunstanton, there are several attractions nearby if you want to explore the area, such as the local Sea Life Centre. Reviews are good, averaging 4 out 5 on TripAdvisor, or 8.3 out of 10 on Hoseasons. In terms of price, it is roughly half way between the cheaper Park Resorts holiday parks and the more expensive Haven holiday parks in Norfolk. Dogs are welcome in some of the accommodation, but not all types. Price: £849 for a family of four for a week in August 2017. |
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7. Norfolk Broads Country Park, near Norwich
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Norfolk Broads Country Park is an inland holiday park, so it's fine if you've got a car and want to see the county rather than one for a beach holiday. It's only a short distance from Norwich and you can get to Cromer or Great Yarmouth in about 45 minutes.
The emphasis is very much on peace and quiet rather than non-stop family entertainment. There are no facilities to speak of onsite but it gets mostly positive reviews and is one of the cheaper options we've found. Perhaps one to consider if you can't think of anything worse than a bingo hall and a shop selling plastic tat... Price: £589 for a family of four for a week in August 2017 |
8. Castaways Holiday Park, Bacton (very cheap park, basic facilities, great rural location)
**Winner: cheapest holiday park**Reviews of Castaways Holiday Park in Bacton are variable but we've included it because it is one of the cheapest holiday parks in Norfolk and it's in a remote location away from the big touristy towns. Overall, it gets 4 out 5 on TripAdvisor and it's a good base for a low cost seaside break.
The park is basic with a children's playground and bar but it's spitting distance from the beach and isn't far from Cromer and Sheringham. It's one to pick if you want a quiet rural holiday rather than the noise and attractions of Great Yarmouth. |
My advice would be to pick your accommodation carefully, as reviews of different classes of caravan vary greatly.
Price comparison: £415 for a week in August 2017 for a family of four in a 'Pebble' caravan. Personally I'd upgrade to the larger Oyster caravan which gets better reviews and was about £100 more per week when we looked.
Price comparison: £415 for a week in August 2017 for a family of four in a 'Pebble' caravan. Personally I'd upgrade to the larger Oyster caravan which gets better reviews and was about £100 more per week when we looked.
9. Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth (cheap holiday park, lots of facilities, close to beach and attractions)
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Parkdean Holidays has two holiday parks in Norfolk - Vauxhall and Cherry Tree. There isn't much to choose between them, as they get very similar reviews and they are only four miles apart.
They've both got indoor swimming pools, adventure playgrounds and various games and sports to fill some time. They also both have kids clubs and evening entertainment When we checked prices, Vauxhall was about £100 cheaper than Cherry Tree for similar accommodation. Plus, Vauxhall is slightly nearer to the attractions and seafront at Great Yarmouth. Price: £543 for a family of four for a week in August 2017 |
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10. Thorpe Forest Lodges, Thetford (basic facilities, quirky woodland setting)
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Thorpe Forest is a little bit posher (and more expensive) than most holiday parks, but it will appeal to those who fancy life as a Robin Hood type character – by which I mean living in woodland rather than robbing from the rich…
Thorpe Forest gets very good reviews (4.5 on average) and offers things like nature trails, cycling and forest walks rather than flumes and kiss-me-quick hats. It's a good one for parents who feel their children should spend their time getting muddy and identifying deciduous leaves rather than staring at a smartphone. It's some way inland (Suffolk/Norfolk border) so you'll need a car if you want to get to the beach. It's run by Forest Holidays, which has several similar sites across the country. Pets are allowed in some accommodation at Thorpe Forest. Price: £1418 for 7 nights for a family of 4 in August 2017. |
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Price comparison of 10 of Norfolk's best holiday caravan parks
We only did one comparison, but this should give you a rough guide as to which are the cheaper and more expensive caravan holiday parks in Norfolk. We searched in June 2017 for a week long holiday in August 2017 for a family of four.
From cheapest to most expensive:
1. Castaways Holiday Park - £415 **Winner: cheapest holiday park**
2. Vauxhall Holiday Park - £543
3. Heachem Beach Holiday Park - £551
4. Norfolk Broads Country Park - £589
5. California Cliffs Holiday Park - £713
6. Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club - £835 **Winner: best value holiday park**
7. Searles Leisure Resort - £849
8. Hopton Holiday Village - £974
9. Wild Duck Holiday Park - £1023
10. Thorpe Forest Lodges - £1418
From cheapest to most expensive:
1. Castaways Holiday Park - £415 **Winner: cheapest holiday park**
2. Vauxhall Holiday Park - £543
3. Heachem Beach Holiday Park - £551
4. Norfolk Broads Country Park - £589
5. California Cliffs Holiday Park - £713
6. Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club - £835 **Winner: best value holiday park**
7. Searles Leisure Resort - £849
8. Hopton Holiday Village - £974
9. Wild Duck Holiday Park - £1023
10. Thorpe Forest Lodges - £1418
