From Caravans to Lodges: How British Holidays Quietly Changed

British caravan holidays have been part of our lives for generations. The format hasn’t really changed — you arrive, you unpack, you try not to lose the keys, and you immediately forget what day it is — but the accommodation itself has evolved more than many of us realise.

This isn’t a buying guide or a history lesson. It’s just my personal take on how caravans quietly changed over time, from childhood holidays in the 1970s to family breaks with my wife and our twin boys today. And if you’ve ever woken up to ice on the inside of a window, you’ll probably recognise a few of the steps along the way.

Trecco Bay, 1977

One of my earliest holiday memories is Trecco Bay in 1977. There were about eight of us squeezed into a caravan that would barely pass for a touring caravan today. Two Ford Escorts were parked outside — both of them now vintage, though they were just “cars” back then. The site itself was basic in those days, nothing like the holiday resort it has become.

It was freezing. There was ice on the windows. We wore overcoats indoors and didn’t think twice about it. And yet we didn’t care — we were young, we had beer, and we were away from home. That was enough.

What still amazes me is that nearly fifty years later I found myself holidaying on that same site again — but this time with my wife and our 12-year-old twin boys. That thought would have seemed ridiculous to 1977-me.

Trecco Bay – nearly 50 years later (our stay)

We filmed our most recent Trecco Bay stay — not as a review, but as a continuation of that same story.

We didn’t have a camera in our pocket

Another big difference is that we didn’t document everything. We didn’t have a camera in our pocket, and even if someone brought one, it came out occasionally — not constantly. There was no filming every meal, every laugh, every minor disaster, then sending it to everyone back home in seconds.

There was an unspoken rule that what happens on holiday stays on holiday. Not because it was secret, but because it belonged to the moment. Looking back now, that feels almost as different as the caravans themselves.

Comfort crept in — quietly

The shift from “basic” to “comfortable” didn’t happen overnight. It arrived increment by increment: better heating, better insulation, fewer draughts, less of that constant low-level chill where you can’t decide whether you’re cold or just damp.

At some point, a caravan bathroom stopped being something you tolerated and became something you actually liked using.

Bathrooms improved, showers became normal, and suddenly “holiday park” didn’t automatically mean flip-flops to the facilities block in the rain.

Kitchens became proper kitchens — not just a tiny workspace you worked around.

And the kitchens changed too. Instead of a cramped corner where you cooked because you had to, you got proper ovens, decent hobs, and enough space for someone to make a cup of tea without accidentally sitting on the bread.

It still feels like a caravan holiday — it just doesn’t feel like a compromise.

Living rooms became warmer and more “home-like”. You could sit down at night and relax rather than huddling around a heater wondering whether the condensation was winning.

Same idea, different generation

For the boys, this is just normal — and that’s the point.

When our boys stand outside a modern caravan now, it doesn’t feel like a big deal to them. That’s probably the clearest sign of change. What once felt basic now feels normal. What once felt luxurious now feels expected.

And yet it’s still the same idea. A base. A place to sleep. A reason to spend time together.

From caravans to lodges

We’ve done holiday parks through every stage of family life.

As our family grew, so did the accommodation. Somewhere along the way we moved into lodges — not because we suddenly became posh, but because comfort quietly became part of what we wanted from a break.

Decking, space, and a completely different feel — but still a holiday park at heart.

A lodge gives you breathing space. Separate bedrooms. A bit of privacy. And if you’ve ever tried to get kids to sleep in a tight caravan while someone else is clattering around in the kitchen, you’ll understand why that matters.

Why we still choose caravans and lodges over hotels

This is the bit we’d miss in a hotel — the space to just be.

Hotels are fine. But caravans and lodges give you something else entirely: space, privacy, and the simple pleasure of sitting outside with a cup of tea without feeling rushed.

You’re not really “checking out”. You’re just staying. And for family breaks, that difference matters.

And it didn’t stop there

Of course, it didn’t stop with caravans and lodges. These days you can stay in luxury treehouses, yachts, converted aircraft, railway carriages — just about anything that can be made warm, dry and vaguely practical.

We’ve tried some of the more unusual stays ourselves (including a yacht on the Isle of Wight and a barge in Paris), and that’s a whole other blog waiting to happen.

If you prefer watching rather than reading, this video follows the same journey — from early caravan memories through to how we holiday now.

Coming full circle

Same coast, same idea — but the experience has changed massively over the decades.

Standing on a caravan park today, it’s easy to forget how far things have come. But if you’ve ever wiped ice from a caravan window, or sat outside one with your kids decades later, you know exactly what changed.

The holidays didn’t really change.

We did.