Family UK Motorhome Adventure: Christmas in the Cotswolds

I bloomin’ love Christmas – the lights, the excitement, the chance to get together with loved ones. I’ve been an avid fan of Bailey since we first used one of their motorhomes in 2021. We have since used them to travel to Northumberland and up to Norway. However, this has only been in the summer months – and we now have a new addition to the family, 10-month-old Finn – so we were keen to see how our family of four fared in the winter.

To get our fill of Christmas spirit and to see the joy on the kid’s faces, we filled the Adamo 75-4T with decorations and headed to The Cotswolds. If, like me, you love Christmas, I can recommend where we went. Below is a roundup of our top tips and recommendations for winter travel.

Our first stop was The Cotswold Farm Park. The campsite was beautifully maintained with easy access to the Farm Park. Their Enchanted Light trail was incredible and the real highlight of the trip. The trees on the farm were lit up in various colours, mesmerising Willow and Finn. Throw in toasted marshmallows, hot chocolate, Christmas karaoke, and some live music, and we had a great night.

We made the rookie error of letting our three-year-old, Willow, have hot chocolate before bed, resulting in a VERY late night. She ended up trying to tuck us into bed before insisting that she wanted to party, party, party in her room at the front of the motorhome. We watched as she danced around, wiggling her arms and generally living her best life at 11.45 pm. A moment to bottle and treasure; the sleep deprivation was worth it!

The park is owned by BBC Countryfile presenter, Adam Henson, who is often spotted wandering around the farm. We were lucky enough to meet him and chat while Willow was throwing herself around on one of the soft play areas on the farm. The Cotswold Farm Park has loads to keep the kids entertained – inside and outside play areas – as well as opportunities to meet and learn about the animals on the farm. The walks around the site are beautiful if you want to go further afield and explore the Cotswolds.

A night’s stay included entrance to the park and light show and set us back around £50 a night, although pricing is not fixed.

My one top tip if you have a caravan, motorhome or campervan, and want to stay within the UK to see the incredible Bath Christmas Market is BOOK EARLY. Despite knowing about this trip since the summer, booking a campsite for the winter slipped my mind. Partly, because I assumed the campsites would be open and have availability.

It turns out many shut for the winter and that most motorhomes are a far more organised bunch than me. Cue a frantic call in the week we were due to go to Bath Waterside & Marina and Caravan Park campsite, a great spot just two miles from the centre and a short bus ride, cycle or a stroll along the River Avon. I spoke to a wonderfully friendly woman, named Fi, who seemed surprised that I wanted a pitch in a few days, as she informed me that people were now inquiring about Christmas 2024! Three phone calls later and a Christmas miracle – someone had cancelled, and we had space for two nights! Hurrah. Lesson learned though if you want to travel in the winter months, a bit of preparation wouldn’t go amiss!

There’s a reason the markets are so popular. The city looked gorgeous lit up at night, and even the pouring rain didn’t dampen our spirits. Homemade gifts, artisans, and festive foods line the streets, so you will be sure to find something for loved ones (or yourself!). We went during the week, which I’d recommend if you have small children and can flex it with work/life etc. The weekends in the run-up to Christmas can be somewhat hectic, but then again that can add to the charm. Having the motorhome also meant we didn’t have to park in the centre – which can be a nightmare (I say this having grown up in the Cotswolds!).

A night’s stay in the Bath Waterside & Marina and Caravan Park set us back £50.

Having never travelled in a motorhome in the winter before, we weren’t sure what to expect temperature-wise. Given Finn is still so small, I was keen to make sure he was comfortable, and I somewhat defaulted to my wild camping days and came equipped with extra rugs/duvets/layers etc. It turns out we need not have worried despite the weather forecast saying it was going to be the coldest night in the UK so far during our trip.

Throughout the stay, we experienced both frost and an absolute downpour, but we remained toasty warm. It was so lovely to be able to chuck our wellies and wet gear in the enormous boot and fix up hot drinks easily inside the motorhome. It was also nice for my husband and me to feel like we were getting our adventure fix once again – albeit in a fun and safe way with the kids.

Can we do it again next week? Willow asked as we were making sandwiches for the journey home. Hopefully, someday soon, I replied as we took our party animal home to a not-so-exciting bed.