Buying a family caravan is a unique purchase; one that if you choose wisely will bring you years of fantastic touring and great memories. The Practical Caravan Awards 2025 are here to help, as our expert judging panel have used our collective years of experience within the industry to pick out the best caravan for families.
The best caravans provide space and comfort for all occupants, so everyone can enjoy their tour. This will be particularly important in a family tourer, with the practicalities of day-to-day life catered for.
That’s certainly something that this year’s winner provides, with the Bailey Unicorn Deluxe Madrid, offering a comfortable interior and spacious washroom, the type of features a good family caravan needs to provide. In this guide, you’ll be able to see what we made of it, as well as our two highly commended contenders. We’re also sharing our favourite options from recent years, including previous winners of this category, featuring models from Adria, Swift and more, should you be looking at the pre-owned market instead for your caravan for families.
It’s also worth drawing your attention to what separates a family caravan from the best 4 berth caravans and the best 6 berth caravans – family tourers can have anywhere from four to six berths, while the other two categories will have exactly that amount of berths.
The best family caravans:
Shortlisted at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025
Bailey Unicorn Deluxe Madrid
Swift Sprite Major 6 TD Exclusive
Elddis Avanté 840
Our top picks from recent years:
Bailey Phoenix GT75 762
Bailey Pegasus GT75 Messina
Swift Elegance Grande 760
Coachman Laser 665
Adria Altea 622DK Avon
Elddis Crusader Tempest
Freedom Carpento 410
Bailey Pegasus Grande SE Ancona
Sprite Super Quattro DB
The best caravan for families:
Bailey Unicorn Deluxe Madrid
- Price: £32,699
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 1550kg
- MIRO: 1380kg
- Payload: 170kg
- Shipping length: 6.88m
- Width: 2.26m
Reason to buy:
- Comfy interior with great spec level, spacious washroom.
Reason to avoid:
- Older children might feel it lacks privacy.
Best caravan for families at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025
Bailey’s Unicorn range was for many years the Bristol manufacturer’s best selling range, and it still remains highly popular. This year it has been upgraded to become Unicorn Deluxe, with a whole host of new features including two that should really make the caravan feel even more like a proper family home: a SONOS speaker, and dimmable lighting that can be varied in different parts of the caravan. There’s also a wireless charging pad, with inbuilt USB and USB-C ports.
All of this makes the Madrid a compelling proposition for smaller families. The four-berth includes a large front lounge where all of you can get together for mealtimes, and which the adults can use either as two singles or as a large comfy double. Two children can then have their own space in the side dinette, right opposite the kitchen. This converts into two solid bunks.
That then leaves space for a large washroom-cum-dressing room in the rear which all the family can enjoy.
Swift Sprite Major 6 TD Exclusive
- Price: £28,145
- Berths: 6
- MTPLM: 1622kg
- MIRO: 1445kg
- Payload: 177kg
- Shipping length: 7.63m
- Width: 2.25m
Reason for buying:
- A great family choice with space for both adults and children.
Reason to avoid:
- Possibly not ideal if there is a big difference in ages between children on board.
Highly commended at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025
These types of caravans shouldn’t just be about children, of course. But their needs do need to be taken into account. And if one of those needs is the need to have their own space well away from the adults then this newly upgraded caravan, with a second rear lounge complete with both permanent and temporary bunks tucked right at the back behind the kitchen and washroom and well away from the door, could be the solution.
Such a layout, of course, still leaves space for the adults up front. And with the door near the front of the caravan, the two of you can carry on your evening when the children have gone to bed with far less risk of disturbing them – either in the van or out in the awning.
The inclusion of a wireless charging pad as part of this model’s upgrade to Exclusive spec, should add to its appeal for families who need plenty of digital connections.
Elddis Avanté 840
- Price: £32,499
- Berths: 6
- MTPLM: 1748kg
- MIRO: 1568kg
- Payload: 180kg
- Shipping length: 8.19m
- Width: 2.44m
Reason for buying:
- Great family layout, plenty of room for everyone
Reason to avoid:
- Interiors are a bit pale
Highly commended at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025
The 8ft-wide Avante has always proved a popular recommendation for a family caravan. That’s not just because it has clearly defined areas for different family members – a corner bed for mum and dad at the back, a large side dinette that makes into a double for two kids, and then two parallel settees in the front lounge that can be single beds for more privacy-minded children or can be made into a double with slats. It’s also because that double dinette is situated bang slap next to the kitchen, and so makes a perfect place for a family meal, while still leaving the front lounge free for adults or those not eating to relax in.
The kitchen has good workspace, and although you only get a corner washroom, it should be large enough for two family members to be in at one time.
This season the whole Avante range has been given an upgrade, with a new exterior shape to bring them into line with the much more upmarket Crusader range. So your family caravan really won’t show anything that smacks of being budget.
Bailey Phoenix GT75 762
- Year: 2024
- Berths: 6
- MTPLM: 1636kg
- MIRO: 1456kg
- Payload: 180kg
- Shipping length: 7.86m
- Width: 2.21m
Reason to buy:
- A useful family layout, particularly if children eat separately
Reason to avoid:
- Not for you if you like to give children their own separate space
This six-berth was a new addition to Bailey’s anniversary Phoenix range last year and impressed us enough to take the best family caravan accolade at our 2024 Awards. It comes with one set of permanent bunks next to a side dinette that can also make one or even two extra bunks, just in case your kids want to bring their friends along, or if you have a growing family.
But Bailey has also bucked the trend in recent years for separating off the children’s area of a caravan. Here you are all together for extra fun times. That side dinette is also close to the kitchen, so hungry kids can still be fed while adults prefer to relax in the front lounge. And all that means you get an extra big family sized washroom spread across the back in this year’s winner of the best family caravan category.
Spec this year includes a new design stable door (to keep the dogs in if you have to) while the caravan also comes with a SONOS speaker. You will just have to argue over who is in charge of it!
Full review: Bailey Phoenix GT75 762
Bailey Pegasus GT75 Messina
- Year: 2024
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 1708kg
- MiRO: 1548kg
- Payload: 160kg
- Shipping length: 7.86m
- Width: 2.45m
Reason to buy:
- Great update, useful garage
Reason to avoid:
- You might need a bigger car
Families tend to take a lot of stuff away with them, and this caravan makes special provision for that by including a small garage at the back that is big enough to take surf boards, golf bags and so on. With a payload of 160kg, the choice is yours, although, even if this is a twin axle (check out our best twin axle caravan guide for more), you would still need to be careful not to overload this back end as that could affect towing. It’s a bit of a hefty beast too, as it is 8ft wide, so you might need a bigger car.
Inside you get a comfortable in-line island bed for the adults and a front lounge that is both comfortable and includes two settees that should be long enough to sleep your kids until they are old enough to flee the nest. The special graphics and grey side panels on this anniversary edition set it off too.
Full review: Bailey Pegasus GT75 Messina
Swift Elegance Grande 760
- Year: 2024
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 1871kg
- MIRO: 1674kg
- Payload: 197kg
- Shipping length: 7.57m
- Width: 2.45m
Reason to buy:
- Single axle keeps the weight – and cost – down
Reason to avoid:
- L-shaped settees turn into irregular beds that not everyone likes
With this 8ft-wide caravan, the adults get a comfortable inline island bed at the rear that is separated from the rest of the tourer by a large and spacious central washroom.
That washroom is therefore equally accessible at night for your kids, who can either share the pull-out double, or sleep head to toe on the L-shaped settee (assuming you haven’t come with an awning, which one of them could choose to sleep in instead). That L-shaped settee creates plenty of space in the front lounge so you won’t be falling over each other either.
While you still get a decent payload (197kg – easily enough for a family) the fact that this caravan only has a single axle means it’s a fraction cheaper than its twin axle cousins, and around 200kg lighter. As a result, you may not need such a large car to tow it.
Full review: Swift Elegance Grande 760
Coachman Laser 665
- Year: 2023
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 1828kg
- MiRO: 1668kg
- Payload: 160kg
- Shipping length: 7.90m
- Width: 2.31m
Reason to buy:
- Great washroom, comfy rear beds
Reason to avoid:
- Some people might think the washroom is too much
One thing families need in caravans is lots of space to move around in, as well as places different generations can make their own. The Laser 665 has all of that.
The adults get a rear bedroom with two long and comfortable beds and with a huge amount of storage. The equally comfortable front lounge, with easily enough seating space for the whole family and more besides, and with a large table you can easily take out of its nearby storage slot, should provide more than enough space for the kids to mess around in on a wet afternoon without getting in your way. (There are also enough digital connections to make sure that vital connection to Tiktok is maintained.)
The two-way opening fridge isn’t far off either, next to a kitchen unit with great workspace.
As these two areas are at opposite ends of the van, you needn’t intrude on each other if you don’t want to.
But in between these two spaces, and partitioning them apart, is this caravan’s real piece de resistance: a space that you have to keep reminding yourself is in a caravan washroom, not a hotel en suite. Along with a wide shower, and a good size basin, there is a huge wardrobe with drawers underneath, so your kids should never have to share that storage space in the bedroom with you. No interruptions in the early morning, then? Perfect.
Full review: Coachman Laser 665
Adria Altea 622DK Avon
- Year: 2023
- Berths: 6
- MTPLM: 1650kg
- Payload: 242kg
- MiRO: 1408kg
- Length: 8.28m
- Width: 2.30m
Reason to buy:
- Great family layout, capable of sleeping six
Reason to avoid:
- Very modern styling may not be to everyone’s taste
Adria is one of the leading makes when it comes to designing family-oriented tourers, and the revamped Avon is no different.
This family caravan is capable of sleeping up to six, and features a large front lounge area which allows a family to socialise at mealtimes. The kitchen comes with Adria’s exclusive integral three-burner hob, plus a good worktop, ideal for meal preparation. The side washroom offers a modern design, coming with storage and a large side window for plenty of natural light and ventilation.
However, the major feature for families will be the twin side fixed bunk beds, which are solid and come with comfortable mattresses. Opposite the bunks is the side dinette, providing children with their own space, separate from the grown ups. With new interior and exterior improvements the Avon is a top choice for the larger caravanning family.
Full review: Adria Altea 622DK Avon
Elddis Crusader Tempest
- Year: 2023
- Berths: 6
- MTPLM: 1880kg
- MiRO: 1701kg
- Payload: 179kg
- Shipping length: 8.19m
- Width: 2.45m
Reason to buy:
- Great flexible family layout, warm interior
Reason to avoid:
- You’ll need a big tow car
The Tempest layout, featuring a rear bedroom with a double corner bed and bunks, a central washroom spread across the van, and a front lounge with parallel settees, has made a return to the Crusader range now that all models in the range are 8ft wide.
That of course pays dividends for the rear bedroom, because the beds don’t feel so on top of one another. But it is also a bonus in the front lounge, which feels much more airy and spacious, and of course in that central washroom.
This caravan layout is alway a great one for a family, because you can either have the parents and small kids in the back with more grown-up kids in the back, or the parents can get the front to themselves and leave all the kids in their own den at the back. This way everyone also has easy access to the washroom as well.
Elddis’s brown and beige with a splash of red colour scheme should also help this interior to feel warm even on cold autumn half-term days.
Full review: Elddis Crusader Tempest
Freedom Carpento 410
- Year: 2022
- Berths: 5
- MTPLM: 1000kg
- MIRO: 780kg
- Payload: 220kg
- Shipping length: 5.4m
- Width: 2.21m
Reason to buy:
- Loads of flexibility at a great price
Reason to avoid:
- A bit of a squeeze for five
This smart and compact van looks charming. It has a certain amount of retro styling and with its five berths will definitely appeal to families. Tailored for the British market with the door on the UK side, the 410 is based on an Al-Ko chassis with a heat-resistant 32mm sandwich body made from a glass fibre skin. We liked the almost completely panoramic window, which filled the lounge with light aided by a skylight.
While the compact kitchen provides a two-burner gas hob, a sink with locker storage below, and a 50-litre 12V fridge. The washroom is small, but that compromise allows for more sleeping options. The front table and seats turn into a 1.3 x 2m bed and at the other end of the van, it’s a similar system, with a pull-down bunk up above. It’s tight for a family of five, but great for a smaller family who might be bringing the odd guest.
If you’re looking for more compact tourer inspiration, be sure to take a look at our guide to the best small caravans is worth a look.
Full review: Freedom Carpento 410
Bailey Pegasus Grande SE Ancona
- Year: 2022
- Berths: 5
- MTPLM: 1600kg
- MiRO: 1435kg
- Payload: 165kg
- Shipping length: 7.38m
- Width: 2.45m
Reason to buy:
- Spacious, excellent kitchen
Reason to avoid:
- Table is a bit of a pain to store
If you are looking for a brilliant caravan to take your family on tour, look no further than Bailey’s Pegasus Grande SE Ancona. The five-berth, our winner of the category at the Practical Caravan Awards 2022, has a spacious parallel-seat front lounge, which transforms into twin singles or a large double, while the kitchen efficiently uses the available space through features such as the drop-down hob-cover worktop.
There are plenty of (what were at the time) new additions in this single-axle, 8ft-wide tourer, from ‘Light Oak’ furniture and ‘Hazelnut’ loose-fit carpet to the Italian-design curved locker doors and domestic-style seating. Security features include a Tracker stolen vehicle recovery system and wheel lock receivers.
Full review: Bailey Pegasus Grande SE Ancona
Sprite Super Quattro DB
- Year: 2018
- Berths: 6
- MTPLM: 1700kg
- MiRO: 1496kg
- Payload: 225kg
- Overall length: 7.98m (26ft 2in)
- Width: 2.46m (8ft)
Reason to buy:
- Fantastic sense of space, flexible interior layout
Reason to avoid:
- Key kit is on the options list rather than standard
The DB is one of three Super Quattros on twin axles in Swift Group’s Sprite range. The FB and DB are six berths, while the EB is a four-berth.
On its release, it was one of the cheapest eight-foot wide vans on the UK market – that is before you add the front panoramic window (£365), AL-KO ATC trailer stability control (£349) and the Diamond Pack (£610), and you will want this because it includes an AKS3004 hitch stabiliser, a microwave, door flyscreen, alloys and a stereo.
It comes with the Swift Command system too.
Both six-berths have a U-shaped dinette at the centre of the van, which should seat four for dining, and gives you the option of leaving the front lounge made up as a double bed should you want to. The DB also has a small seating area at the rear, between the bunk beds and the good-sized offside corner washroom.
Sleeping wise you have an enormous double at the front, or it can be used as two single beds at 5ft 11in x 2ft 4in, the dinette in the middle can be converted into a decent sized bed at 6ft 3in x 4ft 5in, while the bunk beds at the back are 6ft x 2ft 4in.
Full review: Sprite Super Quattro DB
How we choose the best caravan for families
A family caravan needs to be comfortable and spacious, taking into consideration the practicalities of day-to-day life on tour for you all. Things we take into account include the ease of putting the beds together, the storage, the value for money provided, the layout, the ease of using the washroom and kitchen, and the amount of space available for the whole family, amongst other things.
We’re in a good position to be judging these things. Between us, our expert team have decades of experience in the caravan industry, and over this period of time, we’ve developed a keen awareness of what makes not just a good family tourer, but what to look out for when choosing the best family caravan.
We regularly test and review caravans – we look at, feel and experience what we’re talking about. You can see over 400 models in our caravan reviews section, and we add more all the time, with our honest reviews pointing out both the pros and the cons of each model, ensuring you are aware of the whole picture. You can find out more about how we test our vans on our About Us page.
Our Owner Satisfaction Awards also give us a valuable insight into the experience our readers are having too, so we can see how they feel about the numerous manufacturers out there.
Pooling this together puts us in a confident position to start drawing up a shortlist of the standout models for this category.
We initially draw up a preliminary list of models that we think could be worth including, before whittling it down to a final shortlist. Every model on the list is a worthy contender, and a great touring experience is a certainty with any of them. We’ll provide you with our opinion on why they’re among the best caravans for families, as well as drawing attention to the pros and cons of each model.
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