There are more than 50 holiday parks in Yorkshire, so we’ve narrowed the choice down by picking ten of the best. We looked at caravan park customer reviews, awards, onsite facilities and locations. We also did a price comparison to see which offered the best value for a family holiday.
In case you didn’t realise, Yorkshire is huge so choose your location carefully. If you want a beach holiday, start with caravans parks in East Yorkshire within reach of a resort like Scarborough or Bridlington.
If you want to see the Yorkshire Dales or Yorkshire Moors, take a look at West or North Yorkshire. If you're looking for nightlife or city breaks, try holiday parks near Leeds, York or Harrogate.
In case you didn’t realise, Yorkshire is huge so choose your location carefully. If you want a beach holiday, start with caravans parks in East Yorkshire within reach of a resort like Scarborough or Bridlington.
If you want to see the Yorkshire Dales or Yorkshire Moors, take a look at West or North Yorkshire. If you're looking for nightlife or city breaks, try holiday parks near Leeds, York or Harrogate.
1. Thornwick Bay, near Bridlington, East Yorkshire (new Haven park, indoor swimming pool)
**Winner: best value holiday park**
|
Haven has got four holiday parks in Yorkshire, all of which are along the East Coast near to the resorts of Bridlington and Scarborough.
Personally, I’d go for Haven’s newest park - Thornwick Bay on the Flamborough Headland – which scores well with reviewers (4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, 9 out of 10 on Hoseasons). There is lots on site including an indoor swimming pool (it’s more of a fun pool really with slides and activities so don’t expect to spend all week practicing your backstroke). Other free stuff includes the kids’ clubs, which have moved on a bit from the knobbly knee competitions you might be expecting. There are also loads of sports and all-weather activities which you pay a bit extra for including archery, fencing, football, painting, pottery art and junior bike riding. It’s a 10 minute walk to the coast, which is good for clifftop walks or to the stony beach. If you want a bucket and spade beach trip, your best bet is the short drive to Filey or Bridlington. |
|
Price comparison: £711 for a standard caravan (our price comparison looked at the cheapest accommodation available for a family of four staying for a one week in August 2018. We searched in September 2017.)
2. Primrose Valley Holiday Park, Filey, East Yorkshire (big Haven caravan park, lots of family facilities)
|
Primrose Valley is another Haven holiday park which makes our top 10 Yorkshire caravan holiday parks.
It doesn’t score quite as well with reviewers as Thornwick Bay but it is much closer to a big stretch of beach at Filey, which may well be the clincher for sandcastle fans. Primrose Valley is one of the bigger Haven holiday parks, so you could easily spend a few days onsite (although, I would suggest doing a bit of exploring if you’ve travelled for hours…). There are two indoor swimming pools with the usual slides and flumes to make children squeal (earplugs not provided), as well as a fishing and boating lake. Things like football, play areas and tennis courts are free but you have to pay extra for activities like crazy golf, rope courses, go karting, archery and fencing. Price comparison: £824 for a standard caravan for a family of four for a week in August 2018 |
|
3. Tollerton Holiday Park, near York (quiet caravan park, central location for exploring)
**Winner: cheapest Yorkshire holiday park**
|
If the thought of a noisy swimming pool or a children’s entertainer dressed as a pirate fills you with horror, then I’d consider Tollerton Holiday Park.
It doesn’t have the facilities you’ll find at the best Haven, Parkdean or Park Resorts holiday parks but it does offer peace and quiet. There are fishing lakes, if that’s your thing and it gets decent customer reviews (9 out of 10 on Hoseasons when I checked). You’ll need a car – it’s a 15 minute drive to the edge of North Yorkshire Moors National Park, or a 25 minute drive into York. It’s not really one to consider for seaside trips though as it’s more than an hour to the beach at Bridlington. Price comparison: £489 for a silver caravan for a week in August 2018, for a family of four |
4. Flamingo Land Resort, near Malton (busy resort, access to theme park)
|
Here’s one to consider if you’ve got a darling child constantly nagging you to take them to Florida’s theme parks.
Admittedly Flamingo Land Resort isn’t quite on the same scale as the US equivalents, but you get unlimited access to a popular theme park and zoo as well as a holiday park with plenty to do onsite. The holiday park itself has indoor swimming pools, a sauna and gym as well as things like archery and a climbing wall. The advert shows a nauseatingly perfect family with sparkling white teeth, but they let normal people in too. And of course, the main advantage is that you won’t bankrupt yourself or have to get on a plane… Price: £1229 for a family of four in a Woodlands Gold caravan for a week in August 2018 |
|
5. Skipsea Sands, near Bridlington, East Yorks (cheap family friendly coastal park with indoor swimming pool)
|
Park Resorts/Parkdean Resorts has got four holiday parks in Yorkshire, including two near Bridlington (Barmston Beach and Skipsea Sands), one near Scarborough (Cayton Bay) and one nearish to Hull (Withernsea Sands).
Personally I think Skipsea Sands is the best of the four if you’re bringing a car, as it has a decent location and good onsite facilities. TripAdvisor Reviews average around 4 out of 5, slightly better than Cayton Bay and Withernsea Sands. Skipsea Sands has an indoor swimming pool, whereas Barmston Beach only has an outdoor pool (a little optimistic in my opinion). Skipsea also has a fishing lake, sauna, sports court, soft play, ten pin bowling and a restaurant. It is by the coast, although the more accessible beach at Bridlington is a short drive away. If you want direct beach access, Barmston Beach is a better choice. You’ll generally find that Park Resorts holiday parks tend to be a little bit cheaper than Haven caravan sites. Price: £589 for a bronze (‘Wiske’) caravan for a family of four for a week in August 2018. |
|
6. Allerton Holiday Park, near Harrogate (country park in central location)
|
Allerton Holiday Park – or Allerton Country Park as it is sometimes known – makes our Yorkshire top 10 because of its strong reviews, which are generally around 4.5 out of 5.
It’s certainly not one for families looking to spend a whole week onsite (unless your children particularly enjoy launderettes) but it’s a decent base if you don’t mind doing a bit of driving. It's also easy to access, as it's near the A1 - though not too near, you'll be relieved to hear. Pretty Harrogate is nearby whilst you’ll be in the Yorkshire Dales or Moors in about 30 to 40 minutes. York and Leeds are also near enough for a day trip. Beside the caravans, there are also some lodges, although they were about £300 more than the caravans when we searched. Price: £595 for a family of four, for a week in August 2018 in an Allerton Caravan |
Pretty Harrogate is worth a visit
|
7. Bowland Fell Park, West Yorkshire (indoor swimming pool, edge of the Dales)
|
Bowland Fell Park near to Skipton is one of the best Yorkshire holiday parks for exploring the Yorkshire Dales. It’s popular with reviewers, averaging 4.5 on TripAdvisor or 8.5/10 on Hoseasons.
It’s got an indoor swimming pool and a restaurant, which is quite unusual for these independent, quieter holiday parks. There’s also a children’s play area and shop onsite but you won't be spending all your time onsite. It is right on the edge of the Dales, or you could even manage a day trip to Windermere if you don’t mind a bit of a drive. It's on the edge of the Forest of Bowland (see the video, not my work) I wouldn’t go for Bowland Fell Park if you are after a beach holiday though, it’s about an hour to Morecambe Bay. Price: £509 for a family of four for a week in August 2018 in a Lifestyle Silver caravan. |
|
8. Cayton Bay Holiday Park, Scarborough (indoor swimming pool, cheap family holiday park)
|
Reviews of Cayton Bay caravan park aren't quite as good as some others on this list (about 4 out of 5 on most sites), but it's a decent choice if you're looking for an affordable family holiday in the Scarborough area.
The beach is a short walk away and there's plenty onsite to keep energetic children occupied, including an indoor swimming pool, soft play, crazy golf and a sports court. It is owned by Park Resorts, which is one of the bigger chains of holiday parks. You'll usually find their caravan parks are a bit cheaper than those run by Haven. Price: £629 for a week in August 2018 for a family of four in a 'Sewerby' caravan (which seems like an unfortunate name for a coastal caravan..) |
|
9. Skirlington Leisure Park, near Bridlington (beach access, indoor pool)
|
Skirlington Leisure Park in East Yorkshire ticks a lot of boxes for me and certainly deserves a place in our best Yorkshire holiday parks guide.
It's near to busy Bridlington for a day out, but it is only a short walk to a quieter stretch of beach. It's also got lots onsite, including an indoor swimming pool, fishing lake, play area, pitch and putt, sauna, diner and mini ten pin bowling. It is also family run, whereas most of these well-equipped holiday parks are part of big chains like Haven or Parkdean Resorts. The caravans have regal names like Windsor and Kensington, though I can't confirm whether or not royalty has actually stayed onsite. Reviews are positive, generally around 4 or 4.5 out of 5. Price: £635 for a Windsor caravan for a week in August 2018 (family of four) |
|
10. Weir Holiday Park, near York (basic facilities, great reviews)
|
You'll often find that holiday parks with the fewest facilities onsite get the best reviews. That's certainly the case with Weir Holiday Park, which is in Stamford Bridge (no, not that one).
There's a children's play area, but not a lot else so it is one to consider if a) you want a base for exploring Yorkshire and b) your idea of family fun is board games and conversation rather than flumes and climbing walls. Reviews are some of the best we've found, averaging 9.4/10 on Hoseasons when we checked or 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor. Weir Holiday Park is only a few miles out of York, but you can expect to do a bit of driving if you want to explore the Yorkshire Moors or Dales, or if you want to head to the coast for a day out at the seaside in Bridlington, Hornsea or Scarborough. Price: £595 for a Weir deluxe caravan for a week in August 2018 (family of four) |
Price comparison of 10 of Yorkshire's best holiday caravan parks
OK, so our comparison was only based on one week during August 2018, but it's still worth a look. We looked for the cheapest accommodation for a family of two adults and two children, for a week's holiday in a caravan. We carried out the searches in September 2017.
From cheapest to most expensive:
From cheapest to most expensive:
- Tollerton Holiday Park - £489 **Winner: cheapest holiday park**
- Bowland Fell Park - £509
- Skipsea Sands Holiday Park - £589
- Weir Holiday Park - £595
- Allerton Holiday Park - £595
- Cayton Bay Caravan park - £629
- Skirlington Leisure Park - £635
- Thornwick Bay Holiday Park - £711 **Winner: best value holiday park**
- Primrose Valley Holiday Park - £824
- Flamingo Land Resort - £1229
