It's not long until the first big show of the new year, so read on to find out why a trip to Manchester next month could help make your 2014 touring dreams a reality.   Sometimes at this time of the year it can be hard to see past the seemingly endless Christmas preparations. Turkey ordered? Cards written? Tree decorated? Well, to calm our festive fears, we’re getting excited about The Caravan & Motorhome Show at EventCity in Manchester next month – and if you’re ready to start mapping out your 2014 travels and dreaming of next year’s getaways, you should be, too.   Want to get a ..read more

The most popular attraction in the North is an amazing experience. Take a look at what is around ..read more

Want to wake and see waves on a beach each morning, or watch the sun set into the sea? There are plenty of sites around Britain where you can do just that. We asked our Practical Caravan and Practical Motorhome Reader Team and Facebook followers to reveal their top pitchside sea views – and you can find out more about these sites right here on Caravan Sitefinder.   Old Hartley Caravan Club Site, Tynesideby Gary Richardson This is Whitley Bay, and the lighthouse on St Mary’s Island. The island is a lovely nature reserve for birds ..read more

Practical Caravan, the UK's best selling caravan magazine has announced the result of its annual Top 100 Sites awards for 2013. Bath Chew Valley is about 10 miles outside of Bristol and is obviously much loved by the magazine readers. It is the fourth time that tiny adult only touring park has claimed the gong in the last six years. Pretty good going ..read more

A plush new Ludlow caravan site got ministerial approval this week when John Penrose MP arrived to cut the ribbon. Penrose, the Tourism and Heritage Minister joined local MP Philip Dunne for the unveiling of the new 135-pitch Ludlow Touring Park. Developed to five star standards by Shrewsbury-based Morris Leisure, the 20-acre site sits alongside the River Teme. Caravanners start arriving from Wednesday, May 9.  ..read more

Jeremiah Mahadevan discovers an apparently wild forest region that is packed full of surprises. The curious thing about the New Forest is that it isn’t very new, and it isn’t really a forest.  It was created in 1079, when William the Conqueror decided he needed grazing grounds for his deer, and is only a forest in the medieval sense – a cordoned off area where animals could graze ..read more

Sometimes you don’t need to travel very far from your front door to find a wealth of interesting places, steeped in history, and great pubs. Hampshire has a healthy mix of quaint villages, sprawling cities and lush landscape. It’s historic. It’s beautiful. And, what’s more, it’s really rather close to me, but for some reason, until recently, I’d never been there. The only explanation I can offer for my folly is that when places are close to home, I get complacent ..read more

Find out why Alison Rye and family love this part of the Norfolk coast so much. We’ve been in the car for a good 30 seconds when the demands for food start coming from the back seat. Out come the raisins and apples, and the kids settle themselves in for the journey to Cromer, on the Norfolk coast, now armed with a potful of nibbles each and several episodes of ‘Bob The Builder’ on DVD. There’s much excitement as we arrive in Cromer, and the kids get their first glimpse of the sea. “Are we really in Cromer?” asks Millie, almost popping out of her car seat with joy. “It’s my favourite and ..read more

Pods and shepherd's huts are popping up on campsites all over the UK, as caravan park owners respond to the current desire for glamping and Vintage camping holidays At a recent Motorhome Caravan and Camping show,  we spied two intriguing products which show how many site owners are thinking.Neither fits neatly into any of the three show title categories but could best be described as accommodation units or “pods” for the trendy new activity of “glamping ..read more

Enjoy the rich diversity of experiences to be had in the south of the Lakes. Nigel Donnelly reveals what to do. The Lake District has a uniquely inspiring landscape and has provided the backdrop for many stories in the modern era. Beatrix Potter is one of Lakeland’s most celebrated authors and, by dint of the fact that she owned most of it, the South Lakes area is inextricably linked with her work. Celebrated guidebook author Alfred Wainwright’s writings created an awe-inspiring body of work documenting the landscape and the footpaths traversing it, but it only takes the briefest of visits to ..read more