Where it's worth spending rather than cutting corners is on the things that affect your actual comfort: a caravan or lodge with enough bedrooms that nobody's sharing a room they'd rather not, a park close enough to what you actually want to do that you're not driving an hour each way, and decent waterproofs and footwear so a bit of British weather doesn't spoil a day out. Saving money by squeezing into a smaller unit or picking a park purely on price, regardless of location, tends to show up as a less enjoyable week rather than a genuine saving.

Learn more at www.tingdeneholidayparks.com.

A static caravan is bigger inside than most people expect from the outside. Most units have a separate living area with a sofa and television, a kitchen with a cooker, fridge and the basics you'd find in a small kitchen at home, and two or three bedrooms depending on the size you've booked. It's closer to a small, self-contained holiday cottage than anything resembling camping.

Finally, don't assume last-minute means limited facilities. A short break booked at short notice still comes with full access to whatever's on site, whether that's a pool, a clubhouse or coastal walking routes nearby. It simply means less choice over which specific unit you get, which for a quick, spontaneous trip is rarely the deciding factor anyway.

Before you book any UK holiday park, a handful of straightforward questions can save you from an awkward surprise on arrival.

Food shopping on arrival, rather than eating out on your first night, is a small habit that adds up over a week. A single supermarket shop covering breakfasts, lunches and a few home-cooked evenings, topped up with the odd meal out as a treat rather than a default, keeps a self-catering break comfortably within most budgets without anyone feeling like they went without.