May carries more public holidays than any other month in the UK calendar, and for anyone planning a caravan break it's worth knowing how they line up. The early May bank holiday falls on the first Monday of the month, giving a long weekend on its own. Later in the month, the spring bank holiday, the last Monday in May, often falls in the same week as the spring half-term, which stacks two reasons to travel into a single, slightly longer window.

For more detail, see self-catering holiday parks.

A couple wanting a quick reset and a family planning their main holiday of the year are, in practice, choosing between two different kinds of trip, even if both end up in the same caravan. Understanding which one you actually are makes the choice easier.

It isn't a like-for-like swap with summer, and it's worth being straight about that. Some seasonal attractions, ice cream kiosks and smaller cafes close for the winter altogether, so it pays to check what's actually open at your destination before you set off rather than assuming it mirrors the summer season. The weather is more changeable too: pack for rain and wind as a matter of course, not a possibility, and treat any sunshine as a bonus rather than an expectation.

Not every caravan holiday needs to be a week. A two or three-night weekend break and a full week away suit different situations, and it's worth being honest about which one actually fits before booking either.

Within the six weeks, not every week carries equal demand. The two or three weeks either side of the August bank holiday and the very start of the school break are typically the busiest; the middle fortnight, particularly a normal midweek stretch rather than a weekend changeover, is often slightly easier to book and can be marginally better value. If the dates are flexible at all, a week in the middle of the school break rather than right at the start or the bank-holiday end tends to mean a calmer park.