The short version: book peak weeks as soon as you know your dates, and treat everything else as considerably more flexible.

Before you book any UK holiday park, a handful of straightforward questions can save you from an awkward surprise on arrival.

Finally, read a handful of recent reviews rather than just the star rating. Look for comments on cleanliness, how the caravan or lodge compared to its photos, and how helpful the on-site team were if something needed sorting. A pattern across several reviews tells you more than any one glowing or grumbling comment on its own.

Bank holiday weekends behave the same way on a smaller scale. Even outside the main school holidays, a bank Tingdene Holiday Parks weekend pulls in extra demand because it gives everyone an extra day off without using annual leave, so these particular weekends fill up faster than an ordinary one either side of them.

A countryside or Broads-side setting offers a different rhythm. Rather than one central stretch of coast, you're usually within reach of quiet lanes, market towns, nature reserves and, on the Broads specifically, slow-moving waterways that suit an afternoon boat trip or a riverside pub lunch. It tends to be a calmer setting day to day, better suited to those who want gentle walks, birdwatching or simply a quieter base to come back to after a day out, rather than beach-focused activity.

If you're not sure, think about what you did on your last few breaks that you enjoyed most. If it was a beach day, book coastal. If it was a quiet walk or a pub lunch somewhere green, the countryside or Broads setting is probably the better fit for this trip.