I have seen people ask on Twitter what Sun Holidays are like. I can assure you, in our own personal experience, that they are exactly the same as if you paid full price. If you pay the basic amount, you get the basic accommodation (or are allocated whatever is available on arrival). If you pay a little more for an upgrade, you get better accommodation. It's quite simple. We've never had a bad experience on a Sun holiday & any issues we have had have been dealt with efficiently at the park we were staying at.
My recommendations for booking a holiday would be to research the parks you are interested in thoroughly. Check out TripAdvisor too, but make your own decision - not one based solely on 1 bad review out of 100, for example.
Things to bear in mind :
- How long does it take to get there?
- Is there a shop on site?
- How far is the nearest supermarket?
- What sort of entertainment is available?
- Are there any activities on site?
- Is there a playground?
- Is there a swimming pool?
- What activities/attractions are nearby?
- How far is it from the beach?
- Is there a takeaway on site? A restaurant?
- Are there any 'extras' to pay for (linen/entertainment etc)?
The holiday will be what you make it. We've saved hundreds of pounds by booking Sun Holidays, and we always check out what is available before we go, and plan things for each day. If you're going to visit nearby attractions, see if you can book tickets online before you go as you often get a discount and can jump the queue that way too (particularly useful for a family like ours, with a child with Autism who is unable to queue).
Sandown, Isle of Wight
We stayed in a park in Sandown on the Isle of Wight which was just a short ferry crossing from Southampton, booked with a discount through The Sun. The beach was just a few minutes drive away and there was a supermarket just around the corner as well as a small shop on site. We visited the IOW Zoo during our stay which was brilliant, a great family day out, and there was plenty on site to keep the kids busy including a playground, basketball/football court area, and of course the arcade.
Torquay, Devon
We have visited Torquay twice now, in 2012 and again in 2013 - it's probably our favourite destination. You can read about our first visit to Torquay here and here. The park is lovely (though very hilly) and there is a fantastic playground right next to the on-site restaurant. There are various takeaway food options nearby as well, a quick google on your phone will point you in the right direction.
Our favourite attractions local to this park are Paignton Zoo (the best zoo I have ever visited), Living Coasts Zoo & Aquarium - which if you book a Zooper joint saver ticket with Paignton Zoo you get a discount, and Woodlands Family Theme Park, and it's also just as nice to take a drive down to the harbour and enjoy an evening wander along the prom with some fish & chips.
Warmwell, Dorset (Weymouth)
It was FREEZING when we went to Warmwell in 2013, but thankfully our cabin had a good heating system and was equipped with everything we needed, we were located right on the fishing lake so we had a great view for our stay. The park was brilliant with good evening entertainment and amenities, and the dry ski slope provided some fun and entertainment for A & J. Warmwell isn't too far from Splashdown and there are various restaurants including Pizza Express and TGI Friday's at the Tower Park complex in Poole if you fancied an excursion out, and there is ample space for the kids to play on-site as well as being just a few minutes drive from Weymouth seafront. You can read a more in-depth view of our break here.
Sandford, Dorset (Poole)
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from our stay at Sandford because it was just me and the Mister on this occasion. We visited the Tower Park complex (not far at all) and ate at several of the restaurants, went to the cinema on our own, and enjoyed just being a couple for a few days while the children stayed with the in-laws. It was wonderful. The accommodation was clean and the park was well kept, there is a pool and playground on site (fairly standard for most parks) as well as evening entertainment and a small shop.
Mullion, Cornwall
Cornwall is one of the most beautiful places I have visited, with breathtaking scenery and no end of fun things to do and places to visit with the family. We went in the October 2014 half term for a long weekend which you can read about here, where there are lots more photos to enjoy. I wasn't massively impressed with their restaurant (food or service) so we only ate there once and chose to eat off-site for the rest of our stay, but the accommodation itself was lovely and clean, and the kids loved the park & pool.
Ive always debated giving this a go with my mister as we both love the seaside and want to visit more of them in the UK, esp cornwall x
ReplyDeleteYou really should, it has saved us hundreds particularly as we can only go in school holidays x
DeleteWe've done quite a few Sun holidays, too, as as you say, it's the same holiday, just cheaper! We've just booked one for the Easter hols that we're looking forward to. It's the first year we've had to stick to school holidays, as my daughter's now in Reception, so I was glad to know my around the Sun holidays booking as it was hugely cheaper now that it's out of term time! We went to Sandford, too, and enjoyed it. We've been to a few Hoburnes which have all been lovely.
ReplyDeleteExactly, I am baffled as to why anyone would pay full price for something you can get so much cheaper! Like you say, especially in school holidays it means we can still get away without breaking the bank, *and* have extra cash for days out x
DeleteWonderful tips and photos from gorgeous destinations ...Love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you! The UK has some stunning holiday spots to enjoy :)
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