Choosing between a static caravan break and a hotel stay usually comes down to one question: do you want your holiday to feel like your own space, or do you want everything done for you?

If your trip is about a relaxed, self-catering base with room to actually live in for a few days, a static caravan holiday at one of our parks is worth a look. If it's about a compact, everything-sorted stay in the middle of things, a hotel is the better fit. Most families find the caravan route suits a coastal or countryside staycation particularly well, simply because there's more to come back to at the end of a day out.

Ask about on-site facilities' actual opening hours and whether anything's seasonal. A pool that's only open during summer months, or a clubhouse with restricted evening hours outside peak season, changes what a break looks like considerably if you're travelling in spring or autumn.

A static caravan holiday gives you a proper living area, a kitchen and usually two or three bedrooms, so it works well for families or groups who want room to spread out rather than one hotel room shared between everyone. Mornings tend to be more relaxed, you can make breakfast in your own time, let the kids potter about in pyjamas a bit longer, and plan your day without waiting on a restaurant sitting. Evenings work the same way. If you've had a full day out, cooking something simple and settling in with the caravan's own living space beats getting everyone dressed again for a dining room.

Find out more at tingdeneholidayparks.com.

Off-peak months help enormously too. School holidays and the height of summer are when demand is tightest, so a late booking in May, September or October usually has far more choice than the same search in late July. The weather isn't guaranteed either way, but a coastal or countryside break in early autumn can be genuinely pleasant, with quieter paths and shorter queues wherever you stop for lunch.