Pack the car, hitch up the caravan and hit the road! For many families, a caravan holiday means freedom, fresh air and a lot of card games while it rains outside. Here are the words you need for holidays on wheels, plus a look at the great British caravan holiday.
Words in the Photo
Three words you can see in the photo at the top of this page, in alphabetical order.
caravan (noun): a vehicle that people can live and sleep in, usually pulled by a car. · In the photo
“We’re taking the caravan to the coast for a week.”
picnic table (noun): a wooden table with benches attached, used for eating outdoors. · In the photo
“We had breakfast at the picnic table in the sunshine.”
tow (verb): to pull a vehicle behind another one, using a rope, chain or bar. · In the photo
“Dad towed the caravan up the hill very, very slowly.”
12 More Caravan Words
From booking your pitch to putting up the awning, the words you’ll hear on any caravan holiday.
awning (noun): a tent-like shelter that attaches to the side of a caravan.
“We put up the awning so we could sit outside in the rain.”
camper van (noun): a van with beds and a small kitchen inside.
“They travelled around Scotland in an old camper van.”
campsite (noun): a place where people can stay in tents or caravans.
“The campsite had a shop, a laundry and a playground.”
glamping (noun): camping with comfortable beds and other luxuries (“glamorous camping”).
“It wasn’t really camping. It was glamping, with a hot tub!”
hitch (up) (phrasal verb): to attach a caravan or trailer to the back of a car.
“It took us half an hour to hitch up the caravan.”
holiday park (noun): a place with lots of caravans or chalets, often with a pool and entertainment.
“The holiday park had a pool, a bar and live music every night.”
motorhome (noun): a large vehicle with its own engine that you can live in.
“They sold their house and travelled around Europe in a motorhome.”
pitch (noun): the space on a campsite where you put your tent or caravan.
“We booked a pitch with a view of the sea.”
static caravan (noun): a caravan that stays in one place, usually on a holiday park.
“My grandparents have a static caravan in Wales.”
staycation (noun): a holiday in your own country (or at home), instead of going abroad.
“We’re having a staycation this year: a week in the Lake District.”
tent (noun): a shelter made of material and poles, used for camping.
“The tent blew away in the night!”
towbar (noun): the metal bar on the back of a car that you attach a caravan to.
“You’ll need a towbar fitted before you can pull a caravan.”
The Great British Caravan Holiday
Caravan holidays are a much-loved British tradition. Every summer, families head for the coast, the hills and the countryside, often in a static caravan on a holiday park. Expect:
- The sound of rain on the roof. Bring a pack of cards (and see our rain vocabulary).
- Fish and chips by the sea, whatever the weather.
- A car packed with everything but the kitchen sink.
- Being stuck behind a slow caravan on a narrow country road, with a long queue of cars behind it. Every British driver knows the feeling!
UK or US? What Brits call a caravan, Americans usually call a trailer or travel trailer. A motorhome is an RV in America, and a campsite is often a campground.
Ready to go? Then it’s time to hit the road. For walking holidays, see our hiking vocabulary.
Learn More
Look it upCaravan – Cambridge DictionaryCambridge DictionaryFrequently Asked Questions
A caravan has no engine: you tow it behind a car. A motorhome has its own engine, so you drive it like a van. Americans call a motorhome an “RV”.
A static caravan is a large caravan that stays in one place, usually on a holiday park. People rent them for holidays or own one as a holiday home.
Glamping is “glamorous camping”: camping with comfortable beds, electricity and other luxuries, often in a yurt, a cabin or a large tent.
Test Yourself
What is FunkyEnglish?
FunkyEnglish is a website that helps you improve your English. We offer quick lessons that teach idioms, slang, phrasal verbs and more. Visit our homepage to see our latest articles, or use the menu to find specific content!
