The golden age of caravanning

The Coast team are big fans of Practical Caravan and we also like to keep up with the latest news and views on the magazine’s website. We particularly enjoyed a recent blog post by Bryony Symes about the changing nature of caravan holidays over the past few decades.

Bryony’s article was inspired by a BBC documentary called ‘Caravans: a British Love Affair’, which was aired for a second time during April, as she began to yearn for the simpler type of holiday enjoyed by her parents’ generation.

In Bryony’s opinion, one of the biggest changes in caravan holidays is the whimsical element. The ‘vans themselves are a lot more expensive now comparatively and there are a lot more accessories and gadgets that people feel the need to purchase in order to experience a comfortable holiday. Getting to your destination is also more stressful in the modern age thanks to the increasing level of congestion on our roads.

In terms of life experience, caravan holidays were a great way for parents to introduce their children to different parts of the country and outdoor activities, which doesn’t always happen now that many families tend to prefer an all-inclusive resort in a foreign country. Bryony laments the waning interest sometimes displayed in discovering our home country or the lack of resourceful skills children acquire when they’re sitting by a pool rather than lighting fires and rambling through the countryside.

We’d love to hear your opinions – what was your favourite caravan holiday as a child? How has caravanning changed between its heyday and now? What life lessons would a caravan trip teach today’s children?

If you’d like to send us your thoughts please email marketing@coastinsurance.co.uk.

One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is a need to protect your caravan. For a touring caravan insurance quotation from Coast call Freephone 0800 614 849 or click here for caravan insurance online.