AS the summer holidays draw closer, an increasing number of package holiday deals drop into our inboxes.
Scrolling through the photos is like a slice of digital sunshine.
But then I immediately think of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our holiday fund.
If, however, you own a caravan, exploring Europe can be cheaper and easier than you think.
Last year, I received details of a fantastic villa holiday that included flights and car hire.
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Perched on the edge of a coastal town in Brittany, it had a pool and was a short stroll from the beach.
With school-age kids, peak-season prices are unavoidable, so a seven-day break for our family of four in August was an eye-watering £4,500.
In the swinging Sixties, one in seven Brits would holiday in a caravan, so I wondered how much cash I could save by taking a Bailey Phoenix+ 650 caravan to a similar location with comparable facilities.
Could we holiday as a family for a around £1,000 instead of £4,500?
I began by searching for cost- effective ways to cross the Channel with a caravan.
A comparison website looked to be an early winner until I spotted a combined deal with The Caravan and Motorhome Club that saved £200 on the crossing alone if I booked the ferry and campsites at the same time.
Moreover, our caravan holiday was ABTA bonded.
And while air travel is quick, land travel is immersive, and the savings meant we could enjoy seven nights in Brittany plus an additional four nights in the Hauts-de-France and Normandy as we wound our way towards the Bay of Biscay.
The extra days felt like a free holiday as we made the most of the trip’s “there and back” element.
The Gallic sunshine was a welcome start with a stop-off at the 5H Camping La Bien Assise, just outside Calais.
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Set in lush parkland, it features a restaurant in a lovely rustic former farm building.
Our next stop was Risle-Seine les Etangs, a lake-side site with a pool.
It was the perfect base as we traced the footsteps of family members who landed in Normandy on D-Day.
Our final destination in Brittany was Benodet, a popular spot for French holidaymakers thanks to the wide, sandy beach and bars and cafes that line the promenade.
The 4H Camping Du Poulquer, sits on the eastern edge of the beach and was chosen not just for the location, but also for facilities that rivalled that of the villa holiday.
The villa promised sun-filled dips in the pool and sand between our toes, but the caravan holiday delivered all of this along with a sizeable discount.
The outside pool upped the ante with some great slides and rides in the water park.
And for the days when the sun wasn’t shining, there was a heated indoor pool my wife loved, with a free hammam, sauna, hot tubs and hydromassage chairs to boot.
While we may not have had the privacy of the villa, our pitch, surrounded by hedges and apple trees, was just as good and came with electric included.
Hydromassage chairs
The campsite has a snack bar for lazy days and the big supermarkets in Benodet kept us under budget and well fed.
With the car on hand, we alternated between relaxing by the pool and devling into the area nearby.
We enjoyed thrips to the walled coastal fishing town of Concarneau, with its medieval centre, and the picturesque city of Quimper, with its twin-spired cathedral and pretty half-timbered houses.
Flying to a villa or hotel may be the norm for many, but towing your accommodation behind you allows you to really expore while saving a serious amount of money.
