Holiday Parks in Devon

Coast or countryside: the first decision

Devon gives you two very different holidays, and holiday parks sit in both. Along the south coast you have the busy, cheerful strip around Torquay, Paignton and Dawlish, where parks tend to be larger, better equipped and within reach of a beach, a bus stop and a chip shop. Head inland — towards Cullompton, Honiton, Colyton or the lanes around Exeter — and parks get quieter, greener and more lodge-shaped, with woodland and fields instead of an arcade.

There are 20 holiday parks published on BritStays across the region, and they split roughly along those lines. If your week hinges on children being able to walk to sand, look south and east: Dawlish Warren, Paignton and Brixham. If you want to hear nothing after 9pm, look at the countryside parks. North Devon names like Ilfracombe and Woolacombe, and the estuary towns of Salcombe, Exmouth and Sidmouth, are worth factoring into your driving if you want to see more than one stretch of coast — Devon is wider than it looks on a map, and the lanes are slow.

What the example stays tell you

Look at a handful of the listings and you get a clear picture of what's on offer. Lady's Mile Holiday Park at Dawlish is the full-facility end of the scale, with a swimming pool, hot tub and gym. Welcome Family Holiday Park at Dawlish Warren leans into the traditional park holiday: swimming pool, clubhouse and evening entertainment, which is either exactly what you want or exactly what you don't.

Elsewhere the emphasis is on the accommodation rather than the entertainment. Upton Lakes Lodges at Cullompton, Kingsford Farm Lodges at Longdown near Exeter, Bulworthy Forest Lodges near Bideford and Hornbeam Lodge Escape at Honiton are lodge-style stays sleeping four to six. Webbers Country Park and Woodbury Woods, both at Woodbury near Exeter, and Farway Countryside Park at Colyton sit in the same bracket — countryside settings, self-contained, no clubhouse required.

Sizes matter more than people expect. Most of these sleep six, which suits two adults and two or three children, or two couples. For bigger groups, Dawlish Sands at Dawlish Warren, Beverley Park at Paignton and Woodbury Woods all sleep eight. Kingsford Farm Lodges sleeps four and Hornbeam Lodge Escape sleeps five, which is useful if you'd rather not pay for space you won't use.

Families, couples and dog owners

For families with young children, the pool-and-clubhouse parks earn their keep on wet afternoons — that's the honest case for Welcome Family Holiday Park or Lady's Mile Holiday Park. For couples, or families with teenagers who'd rather be outdoors, the inland lodges tend to be better value and calmer: Farway Countryside Park, Bulworthy Forest Lodges and Upton Lakes Lodges all sit in that camp.

If you're bringing a dog, don't assume. Park dog policies vary a great deal — some allow two, some one, some only in certain units, and some charge per dog per night. Check the individual listing and, if it isn't spelled out, ring the park before you pay. Countryside parks generally give you more doorstep walking; coastal parks may put you near beaches that have seasonal dog restrictions in summer.

Arriving without a car, and charging one

A few parks are genuinely reachable by public transport. Red Rock Apartments and Dawlish Sands at Dawlish Warren, and Beverley Park and Beverley View at Paignton, are all listed as near a bus stop and a train station. Brixham Holiday Park and Hornbeam Lodge Escape are near a bus stop. EV drivers have reasonable coverage too: charging is listed nearby at Red Rock Apartments, Dawlish Sands, Beverley Park, Beverley View, Brixham Holiday Park, Farway Countryside Park, Woodbury Woods and Hornbeam Lodge Escape.

What to do once you're there

Build your week around one big day out and several small ones. Paignton Zoo is the obvious anchor for families on the Torbay side, and Dartmouth Castle and Coleton Fishacre make good half-days from the same base. Inland, Tiverton Castle, Hemyock Castle, Escot House and Bradley Manor cover the castles-and-houses appetite, and Dartmoor is close enough from the Exeter-area parks for a proper walking day.

• Wet-weather options: Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life, Coldharbour Woolen Museum, Church House and St. Lawrence Chapel.
• Coastal gardens: Overbeck's Museum and Gardens, which pairs well with a Salcombe day.
• Something different: Plym Valley Railway, or Dulverton Heritage Centre if you're heading north.

When to book

School summer holidays and late May half-term go first, and the eight-sleeper units go earliest of all because there are fewer of them. If you need Dawlish Sands, Beverley Park or Woodbury Woods in August, book by January or February. For June and September, three to four months ahead is usually enough, and prices are noticeably kinder.

Practical points before you confirm: check whether bed linen and towels are included or hired, ask what time the pool and clubhouse actually open in your week (facilities often run reduced hours outside peak season), confirm arrival and departure times so you don't lose half a day, and check whether parking is one car per unit — it usually is, and a second car can be a problem on a busy park.