Spring has sprung and, for many, this means that the long-awaited 2017 touring season is now in full swing!

We want you to have the best caravan holidays, so when you’re planning your next break, refer to our brand-new Top 100 Sites Guide 2017 and pitch at the best campsites in the UK – as voted for by you.

You can get our 116-page guide free with the April 2017 issue of Practical Caravan. And don’t forget about our searchable online version, too.

The best according to you!

We’re proud to bring you our annual Top 100 Sites Guide once again, this time in association with new sponsor Bailey of Bristol. It’s a real labour of love for us: it’s so intriguing to see which parks from across the UK have proved popular with you over the past 12 months.

If you’re not familiar with our Top 100 Sites Guide, the premise is really simple: each year, we ask you to nominate your favourite UK parks, and tell us why you love them.

All of the votes are then counted and verified, and our expert team goes through every single result to draw up the definitive list of the very best parks on these shores.

We also highlight our picks for the best sites for families, for those with pets, the top small site and more – you’ll find details of each in the guide.

As always, the Top 100 has delivered a few surprises along the way. A number of regional categories have a brand-new winner for 2017, and adults-only sites were particularly popular this year: they made up a fifth of our finalists.

We’ve welcomed a couple of sites that have only been open a year or two as well – it’s hugely impressive that they’ve already become so popular. And we also have a new overall winner.

A word with the winner

Practical Caravan’s Claudia Dowell went to Dorset to meet the proprietors of our top site for 2017, South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park.

“We’re so chuffed,” says Jo Bridgen, co-owner of South Lytchett Manor, on hearing that the park is this year’s Top 100 Sites Guide overall winner.

Jo, husband Dave and their son Matt head a team that expands to number 14 during the high season and, reckons Jo, it’s their customer service that accounts for their award-winning formula. The site also took the top gong in the AA’s Campsite of the Year 2016.

“You can’t sit still in this industry,” she says. “Customer service is key. People arrive tired and we make sure that they have our full attention during their first 15 minutes here: we take them to their pitch, help them on to the pitch, tell them about the site and what’s going on in the area.”

She also cites attention to detail, such as having fresh flowers in the washblocks and professional-quality hairdryers.

The site is closed during January and February, and the Bridgens spend this period each year making improvements. For the 2017 season they are investing £50,000 in a new play area. It’s clearly a formula that works!

So why not treat yourself with a break at one of the parks in our Top 100 Sites Guide 2017? No matter which you choose, you’re guaranteed to enjoy your stay.