A caravan tour is always an enjoyable experience but if you’re not careful, costs can add up surprisingly quickly. However, following a few simple steps could help you keep your spending to a minimum. To set you on your way, we’re sharing our top money-saving tips for your next tour…

1 Take your own food

Heading off-site for the day? Then think about the food and drink you can take with you so you don’t have to worry about finding a place to go for lunch. It takes a little bit of preparation but is well worth it – you also get to choose where you stop for a picnic each day, which can give you the chance to relax in picturesque surroundings and green spaces while enjoying your feast.

When evening comes about, cooking in your van presents you with a budget-friendly way of trying out the area’s local produce. You may be surprised by some of the delicious dinners you can easily rustle up in your caravan’s kitchen – our 10 tips to cooking in your caravan will help to set you on your way.

2 Know what you want to do

Be sure to plan out what you intend to do while you’re on tour. The surrounding area could have beautiful parks to visit and free museums to explore. However, if you’ve settled on a day out at a particular attraction, have a look online at websites such as myvouchercode.co.uk and see if you can find some vouchers or discount codes to keep entry prices down.

3 Identify what type of campsite you want to stay at

Have a think about the type of campsite you want to stay at and what facilities you will require.

Are you after a more basic site, or would you prefer somewhere with plenty of on-site facilities? After deciding what you want, you can start settling on the campsite which will provide the price and features you’re after.

Our guide to the best caravan sites is a great place to start if you want a hand with choosing where to go, as we pick out the top locations to stay at from all over the UK.

4 Get a membership

There are numerous membership options out there that could be worth looking into, as they offer a great way of saving money when you’re booking a campsite.

As an example, the Caravan and Motorhome Club offers membership from £56 per year and it should have paid for itself within five nights of staying at a site.

Alternatively, there’s the Camping and Caravanning Club. Membership begins from £42 per year, and allows you to save up to 30% each time you stay at one of their sites. As well as this, you can also visit their member-exclusive campsites, otherwise known as Certified Sites. There are over 1,300 of these, with prices starting from as little as £10 a night.

The CampingCard ACSI is another option worth considering. A subscription starts from €12.95 and will let you save as much as 60% per night at more than 3,000 campsites around Europe when you tour during the low season.

After a towing vehicle? In our guide to the best used tow cars, we pick out some of the standout budget-friendly options to look out for.

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