7 Things to Look For in a Countryside Holiday Park

17 February 2019

7 Things to Look For in a Countryside Holiday Park

The beautiful English countryside has long attracted holidaymakers. Today, we visit in our millions, flocking to places like the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales or Norfolk. Finding the right part of the country to visit has never been a problem; finding the right holiday park, on the other hand, is not so easy.
One of the biggest challenges is the sheer number of holiday parks available. Spending hours browsing all their websites can be a dreary and confusing process. Even then, there’s a chance that you’ll miss the park that is perfect for you.

It’s always best to know what you are looking for in a countryside holiday park before you start searching. To help, we’ve put together this list of things that will make it much easier for you to find your ideal park.

1. The best location for exploration

Top of our list is location. You might have a part of the country in mind, but it’s a good idea to narrow this down to a more specific area. The best way to do this is to think of all places you would like to visit during your holiday and then find a holiday park that is within easy reach of them all.

For example, if you were going to Norfolk and wanted to visit the queen’s house at Sandringham, spend a day exploring historic Cambridge, enjoy walks on a nature reserve and go to the beach, then Tydd St. Giles park, on the Norfolk border, would be the ideal, central location.

2. Accommodation that meets your needs

Another very important consideration is your holiday accommodation. Whilst you are away, this will be your home, so it needs to be suitable for all your needs. Look for accommodation that has enough bedrooms and is spacious enough for everyone who’s going. Remember to look for specific facilities, like a washing machine, that you are likely to want during your stay.

The quality of the accommodation is also important. Holidays are a special time, so you want a place that you will feel happy staying in. It needs to be comfortable, clean, well furnished and nicely decorated.

You may also want to consider the style of holiday home you are looking for. Today, there are a wide variety of options, such as cottages, static caravans, chalets, log cabins, tree houses and camping pods.

3. A park that makes you feel like you’re on holiday
If you go to the countryside to get away from it all, you don’t want your holiday park to feel like you’re back in the city. Ideally, you want a park that is in harmony with the landscape that surrounds it with interesting views and plenty of green space. Take a good look at the photographs of the site and see if it appeals.

4. Somewhere to eat and drink
Whilst you have the option of going off-site for a meal or cooking up something at your holiday home, there are always occasions when neither of these appeal. It’s at times like these when you rely on the holiday park to serve up something delicious. Before choosing your park, check out if there is somewhere on site where you can go grab a bite to eat. Some parks will have restaurants and most will have a café that sells a selection of wholesome food alongside hot and cold drinks.
Finding a park with a bar is another point to think about. A cold beer or a glass of wine can be the perfect ending to a glorious day and if the bar is only a short stroll from your holiday home, even better.

5. Sport and fitness facilities

Countryside holiday parks are great for sporty people. There’s plenty of places to go for a morning jog or a bike ride whilst taking in the country air and wonderful scenery. However, many people have gym routines they don’t want to give up. And lots of others find the holidays a great time to go for a workout. If this sounds like you, look for a holiday park that provides a gym or a fitness centre.

Some holiday parks offer a wider range of sporting facilities, such as swimming pools and 18 hole golf courses. Several of our parks have their own fully equipped gyms, pools and immaculately kept golf courses.

6. Wi-Fi
The one downside to visiting the countryside is that you’re never guaranteed a good phone signal. This can be a good thing if you want to go offline completely during the holidays. However, if you still want to keep track of the news, read your emails and see what your friends are doing on social media, a good Wi-Fi connection is very useful if the bars are low on the phone’s 4G.
Luckily, many holiday parks now realise that customers want Wi-Fi and have had it installed. If it’s important to you, do check that it is available.

7. Pet-friendly accommodation
Nobody likes taking their dog to the kennel when they go on holiday. but if you choose a park that doesn’t allow pets on site or in the accommodation, you can be left with no option.

If it is important that your dog goes on holiday with you, make sure you seek out a pet friendly holiday park. At Pure Leisure, most of our parks offer pet friendly accommodation. So you’re more than welcome to bring your dog along so it can enjoy great walks in the countryside with you.

If you are looking for a fantastic countryside park with great accommodation and facilities, check out our holiday finder.