More of us are swapping foreign trips for UK breaks as the credit crunch bites. And that's one reason why caravans are still so popular. Liz Rowley talks to three families to find out why they love caravan holidays.

APPROXIMATELY 4.5 million of us plan to take a break in the UK this year. And according to The Caravan Club, bookings on their sites are already up by 40 per cent. What's more, year on year their membership continues to increase.

The National Caravan Council says half a million touring caravans and 164,000 motor homes are in use in the UK – and this upward trend in caravan popularity is also reflected in sales at Silverdale-based dealership North Staffs Caravans.

Managing director Tim Keats, says sales of touring caravans are up around 10 per cent on last year, which he puts down to a number of factors.

"Locally there is a significant upturn in caravan sales purely because it's good value for money," he says.

"When the pound is so weak against the Euro making foreign holidays expensive, people are looking for alternatives and caravanning is one of those options.

"For six, seven or eight thousand pounds people can buy a great used caravan, and at the moment we are just as busy as ever, especially with the holiday season coming up."

Nikki Nichol, at The Caravan Club agrees.

"Last year was a great year for caravanning in the UK, but this year our bookings are already up 40 per cent and occupancy for January was up 22 per cent. But it's not just the price that attracts so many people to holiday in this way. The beauty of our countryside and the vast improvements to caravans in general are also appealing.

"People can't afford to travel as much so they are falling back in love with the UK," she adds, "and it doesn't matter whether you want a city centre break or a couple of weeks in the countryside, caravanning offers it all – it really is a home from home."

Caravan facts:

There are more than one million caravans in the UK including 500,000 touring caravans, 330,000 caravan holiday homes and 135,000 motor homes.

In recent years the UK has become the largest market in Europe for touring caravans, with the West Midlands having the highest level of ownership.

This year it is estimated approximately 13.75 million bookings will be made for caravan holidays in Britain. Two million more than 2007.

The UK caravan industry is estimated to be worth in excess of six billion pounds per annum.

Caravans date back to Marco Polo in the 13th century, and are referred to in Charles Dickens's Old Curiosity Shop of 1841.

Source: thisisstaffordshire.co.uk