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6 tricks to save money at Isle of Wight holiday parks, caravan parks and lodges
Caravan holiday parks are often the cheapest type of accommodation you'll find on the Isle of Wight, unless you can tolerate camping or are lucky enough to have an aunt in Bembridge with a spare room.
However, during peak season a family of four might end up paying £1000+ for a week's holiday.
Here are our six favourite tips, tricks and loopholes to save money at the Isle of Wight's holiday parks and caravan parks.
However, during peak season a family of four might end up paying £1000+ for a week's holiday.
Here are our six favourite tips, tricks and loopholes to save money at the Isle of Wight's holiday parks and caravan parks.
1. Don't arrive on a Saturday
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Saturdays are the busiest 'changeover' days at the Isle of Wight's holiday parks. As a result, some caravan sites will give you a decent discount if you arrive on a weekday.
For example, we searched for a week's holiday starting on Friday August 6th 2021 at Thorness Bay Holiday Park and found that the cheapest accommodation available was £799. If you arrived a day later, the cheapest accommodation available was £959, so £160 more. It wasn't the same accommodation, but you certainly get a better choice of the cheaper grades of caravan if you are flexible on your arrival day. You'll also find that the Isle of Wight ferry is most expensive on Saturdays during the summer holidays. It's much quieter and a bit cheaper during the rest of the week. As a rough guide, you might save yourself up to £30-£40 by avoiding Saturdays. |
A caravan site such as Thorness Bay is cheaper if you don't arrive on a Saturday
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2. Visit during the last week in August
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A lot of parents looking for a July/August holiday on the Isle of Wight avoid the last week of the school summer holidays. I'm not sure if this is because they want to spend a week checking the clothes still fit or if it's because the weather is a bit colder in late August/early September.
If you're organised enough then you can save yourself an absolute packet if you visit during the final few days of the school holidays. When we did a price comparison, most schools were due back on September 6th, so we searched for a week starting on Saturday 28th August and ending on September 4th. The most staggering saving was at Woodside Coastal Retreat, which is a lovely holiday lodge park which we've stayed at a couple of times. A three bedroom lodge was £1289 during the final week of the school holidays or £2569 during the third week of the school holidays. That's almost exactly half price. Of course, prices are even lower outside of school holidays but everyone knows that already so there's no real point in mentioning it (Ed: yet you still did...) |
We found that you could save a huge amount by visiting Woodside Coastal Retreat at the end of August
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3. Search for hidden caravans
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OK, so I might have made this one sound a little more exciting than it is but it's a clever trick.
A lot of caravans on big holiday parks are actually privately owned. Resorts such as Nodes Point Holiday Park and Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park sell the caravans and then owners hire them out when they aren't using them. With a big of digging you can find these privately owned caravans for hire on Airbnb. For example, you can find privately owned caravans at:
You sometimes need to pay for a pass to use the facilities onsite. |
Sandhills and Whitecliff Bay Holiday Parks are next to this sandy beach
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4. Get a ferry and caravan bundle
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A return crossing with a car and passengers on a Saturday in August can be pretty pricey on the Isle of Wight ferry (occasionally up to £200).
However, you get a discount if you get your accommodation provider to book it for you or if they can provide you with a code. For example, Away Resorts will book the ferry for you if you are staying at Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park. We've found you can get up to 50% off. Meanwhile, Aria Resorts offer a discount of 'up to 50%' on the ferry if you stay at one of their parks. |
The Isle of Wight ferry is often cheaper if you ask your accommodation provider to book it for you
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5. Get Cosy
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Assuming you aren't restricted by a global pandemic, you will find that it's considerably cheaper to share accommodation with others.
We searched for a holiday at Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park in August 2021 and found that two families of four could save more than £1000 if they booked the cheapest caravan for eight people rather than booking two caravans for four people. Bear in mind that two people will be sleeping in the lounge and a caravan sized kitchen is pretty cosy for eight people. I'd say you will be doing well to have not fallen out by the end of the week. Perhaps you could agree to eat out every night with the money you've saved. |
Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park is good value if you fill up their larger caravans and lodges
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6. Don't pay for facilities you won't use
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A lot of the most popular Isle of Wight holiday parks offer non-stop entertainment with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, kids activities, outdoor cinema and so on. If that's what you're after, take a look at Lower Hyde Holiday Park, Nodes Point and Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park.
However, if you just want good value accommodation on a quieter site then I would go for a site such as Cheverton Copse Holiday Park which has playgrounds and gets reviews or The Orchards Holiday Park which is a quiet site with indoor and outdoor swimming pools. |
Cheverton Copse Holiday Park is a quieter site with outstanding reviews
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