We Try A £9.50 Sun Holiday! - NEVER AGAIN! 

To all those commenting saying "it's a beetle, not a bedbug" you're completely wrong. Tim is correct. That is 1000% an adult bed bug that has fed that night. Leave your stuff, get out of there, and if your front door is shielded I would even strip off to my birthday suit before entering my house. I've never had them thankfully, but a few years ago I was convinced I did, and did all the research I could on these little ******s... The mental toll these things can take is horrendous

"A 'Sun' holiday will not have come with toilet rolls. " Why would it? When you've got six copies of "The Sun" ?

I can't bring myself to buy one Sun newspaper, never mind several, to get a cheap holiday. They've ruined far too many people's lives with their lies. Persisting in selling a £152 holiday (full of bed-bugs no less) and claiming it costs £9.50 is completely on-brand.

I used to work for the company that owns premier inn, they do monthly bed bug checks, they have a team go in with sniffer dogs and check every room. They're actually really on top of it as a company.

I was lying in bed watching this video and when the part about the bedbugs came on, I moved slightly and my pillow brushed my arm and I screamed 😂. Thanks Tim I am also now on high alert 😅

Doesn't matter how much you pay for a holiday, you should still get a good level of cleanliness

It’s not stupid to be scared of bed bugs, take them home and it can cost thousands of pounds to remove them from your house. It’s not an irrational fear!

Bedbugs aren't just on beds and material covered items. They will also get into grooves of furniture (like the corners of a bed frame) so you really should inspect EVERYTHING. As you enter start looking at the couch cushions, hems of curtains, etc.

I went on a £9.50 holiday with my parents some years ago and we didn't have any problems. Yes the caravan was basic but if you're desperate for a holiday to have a much needed break which we were, it doesn't matter. Admittedly we didn't have bed bugs, and I can completely understand how upsetting it was and why Tim and his family left.

Hi Tim, I suffered from an infestation of bed bugs in my parents house about 10 years ago. It lasted for months and resulted in throwing away a lot of things, books, clothes, mattresses, even stripping if our carpet and getting floorboards! It affected me so much I completely failed one year at university. Since then I’ve been so paranoid when I travel or if I get itchy or feel like something is crawling on me in bed. So sorry you experience this but I can HIGHLY relate to this anxiety you have. I have two kids now so I also get paranoid when they get bites or rashes! Never ending trauma! Great video overall!

When I was working as a locum in the NHS, I was tempted to give up my flat and move into the nurses’ quarters to save money. I later found out from a colleague that they had chronic bedbug issues in the nurses’ quarters and I was so relieved that I’d kept my flat even though it cost me a small fortune in rent!

The bed bugs can be in the wooden cabinets aswell. I used to work in a hostel and we would get the pest Control to a Room and they would spray the whole thing and they would allways apear back in the same Room. Took US a bit to realize their nest was inside of a wooden cabinet

Unfortunately, a visitor brought bedbugs into our home. Fortunately they were sleeping on our sofa bed in the sitting room, not in an actual bedroom. However, the preparations for the exterminator were intense.....throughly cleaning, bagging up and removing everything in the room...then several exterminator visits necessitating marking sure out pets were out of the house. A lot of stress and expense later we were free of them, but it's left us all traumatised!

When this offer first came out, we knew it was a holiday based on 4 people and it was £9.50 per person. You could have Monday to Friday or Friday to Monday, if memory serves me right. There was never any add ons and, as a single parent, it was a godsend. Me, my mum and my daughter would go to a caravan site for 4 days for less than £50 plus the price of the newspaper. The caravans were always clean, but the bottom line is that we all enjoyed a change of scenery and a break, plus we never met any bed bugs

Bed bug infestation can begin through transfer of a single bug into your home through shared laundry services, residing in hotels and travelling in public transports etc.

My mates and I went to France with The Sun for a quid about 30 years ago. I've never forgotten that momentous trip...it was truly fabulous to travel all the way to rainy Calais from Blackpool...and back...in a single day. Lovely.

Tim, to ease your phobia on your next hotel stay, take with you a small re-fillable spray bottle that you can go over the bed, pillows, carpets etc. with. Before you leave home, fill the bottle with alcohol from the chemist and 30 drops each of lavender, tea-tree and eucalyptus essential oils which are natural insect repellents. My mum's been doing that for years for hotel stays and never has a problem.

I like the way Tim measures everything in how many people you can get in/on something! 😂

I’m so glad I watched this video, as we turned up for our summer holiday on the Isle of Wight (not a Sun holiday) and as soon as I got there a bed bug just walked across the bed! We left straight away and had to wait for a ferry and a long drive home! So glad I knew what it was thanks to this video!!!

I’ve be on at least 10 sun holidays with my kids and never had a problem !

Even if the holiday was completely FREE I wouldn't touch a Sun newspaper to get it.

Phobias are very real whatever they are. They're not to be taken lightly. I love caravans and I' ve never really thought about bed bugs before. I might check the beds out in future! £152 isn't really £9.50 is it? It might still be reasonably cheap but that's never an excuse for uncleanliness!!

New subscriber ! Greetings from the states - I’ve got a friend who travels all the time and is paranoid about bed bugs and her best advice is upon arrival at a new hotel, always put your luggage/bags etc into the bathtub/shower until you are 100% satisfied the room is bug free.

In the late 80's I went to Glastonbury Festival. It was a particularly hot summer that year and whilst watching a band people in the crowd were passing out due to the extreme heat. The Police were asked to fly their helicopter over the crowd to cool us down, which they did and it was amazing to be cooled by helicopter. However, on Monday morning, the Sun newspaper went with the story that the crowd was rioting and the Police had to fly their helicopter over the crowd to quell said riot. I was there, that definitely didn't happen and apart from anything else; for those who were there in those days, riots didn't happen 'AT ALL!!!' I haven't bought a Sun newspaper since and to tell the truth I wouldn't wipe my arse on it if truth be told. They are liars and trouble makers and all they care about is selling their lies. Nuff said............

As a Hotel Manager I've had to deal with bed bugs, both times they were actually brought in by guests, it meant sealing the rooms and having them fumigated, all the soft furnishings were destroyed as well including the mattress.

However, the main downside is that you have to buy The Sun.

Having a phobia of bedbugs is completely valid and not babyish at all! Those things are so so difficult to get rid of, and you do NOT want to bring them home with you! You made the right choice and it was not an overreaction.

Hi Tim, really sorry to hear you all had to go through this, regardless of the cost of the holiday you DO expect clean accommodation. I was only thinking I needed a cheap getaway not too far I actually looked at the Sun holidays but this has put me right off lol ...hope you are all okay x

OMG! I would have left ASAP. I would be terrified that I took those critters home😢

You should keep disposable white gloves with you everywhere you go so that you can swipe your hand through the couches and beds to quickly detect bed bugs. If your gloves turn run, ditch and run.

Sorry for your experience, I have stayed at Sun holiday caravan parks for over 20 years and never knowingly experienced a bed bug issue ever. But I have had some great cheap as chips getaway holidays with the Sun holidays. And look forward to doing more all around the UK.

I have the EXACT same bed bug anxiety as you Tim. I found a bug on my bed a few years ago, I completely ripped my bedroom apart trying to find more - thankfully it was just a garden beetle that snuck into my room 😂. False alarm! It's great that you managed to see them on the bed, the fact that they are big enough to see with the naked eye gives me some sort of odd relief!! I was expecting them to be tiny.

I'm with you Tim! That's absolutely grim, I have a huge fear of fleas having lived in an infested house as a kid. It does beg the question, how did they not know before hand? Adult bugs mean they've been there for awhile, surely someone else must have complained? 🤔

Happened to us in a b&b, my hubby thought I was having a carry on saying I could feel something crawling on me, the first time he put on the light & nothing, the 2nd time he ignored me & in my panic looking for my light I fell out of the bed. I got up, found the light & pulled the covers back - the bed was covered in them crawling. He jumped out quickly. We checked our bodies, clothes & sat in the car all night. I take one of those purple torches with me now to check, I also freak out at the thought of them.

Gaby and Casper are adorable! You're much more fun and open when you're with your family. I can see you have more fun. Would love to see them more often in your videos.

Gaby really did say ‘it’s rude to EAT with your mouth full’ 😂😂

At the age of 60 I have been fortunate to travel a lot, both at home and abroad. I have had three encounters with bed bugs, a few at a hotel in Ibiza and Almeria and a significant infestation at a 4star hotel in Rhodes, the later was so bad my partner an I needed treatment from our GP on our return. I have never encountered BBs on holiday at home both hotel and caravan, so I’m afraid this is a travel hazard you could encounter anywhere. Never had a Sun holiday due to never buying that rag! It does sound like a scam.

I just love this channel so much! As an American i find the whole idea of a vacation trailer park really weird! Its great Tim and Gabby try these things so their UK viewers don't have to! Bedbugs are a horror and a lot of US hotels, particularly in big cities like NYC have had infestations.

Luxury! When I was a lad, we went on £2.99 Sunday Sport holidays...

I've had some brilliant sun holiday's in lovely locations. Everything time we've had a nice clean caravan on a nice, clean site with good facilities. The caravan we had in Weymouth was very modern and huge. I'd definitely go on more Sun holidays

Tim, you and your family were not wrong to leave when you did. Bedbugs are HORRIFIC... I lived abroad for 12 years, and we got an infestation in our apartment from having our bedding washed in a local launderette and managed to take the horrible things home in what we thought was nice, Clean bedding. Long story short, we ended up needing pest control treatment and everything in our apartment was destroyed. You were absolutely correct to leave your belongings at the holiday site, bedbugs LOVE Clean stuff, and I can tell you from experience you DO NOT want to take bedbugs home with you 😬 Since this experience, I am so wary of hotel accommodation now, and upon arriving home from any break, I actually leave my clothing in the garden until I can get it straight into the washing machine on a good hot wash! 😓

£9.50 holidays used to be fantastic back in the day, been doing them 15+ years on and off. They’re now a lot more expensive though you can still get them for £38, they’re usually off peak beginning of spring/end of autumn. A lot of the time it’s far cheaper to book directly I’ve booked Yarmouth for £49 in October and upgraded for another £30 to a caravan with GCH.

Did a few of these in the UK and Europe. Never had any problems at all, especially in Europe. Even if they aren’t exactly £9.50, they are really cheap. Main issue with these now is that you can’t get any of the deals in school holidays!

When I was a kid, I remember going on a £6.50 holiday to Norwich in November 1999. I was probably only 7 or 8 years old at the time. We don't speak about that 'holiday' to this day. My parents genuinely pretend that it never even happened. I remember it raining profusely every day, it was freezing cold too with no heaters or anything and the caravan was a dilapidated, dirty wreck. Cupboards missing, wallpaper peeling off, stains on every surface and a horrible musty smell. I'm pretty sure we came home 4 days into the 7 day 'holiday'.

A nicer alternative to the rub finger in the carpet pet test is to use a damp cloth and press firmly into the carpet and drag about 12 inches while keeping the pressure applied, this will give you a nice rolled up clump of pet hair if there is any. Its quite amazing as the naked eye can give you the impression its a clean carpet.. but this method will expose the amount of hair hidden below the surface. I must say this video made me itch lol 😂

One of my favourite holidays was a caravan on an entertainment park, when I was little. It was very clean. I think the experience can vary tremendously. I knew it was very expensive and the adults were muttering at the price for a premium caravan.

When we've used the sun holidays we went to a place in skegness, great yarmouth and near bognor regis. The accommodation is £9.50 but we always got the entertainment passes which could cost £12 - £25 each. They are pretty essential if you want evening entertainment and to use the clubhouse at a certain time onwards. All places we stayed were very good but the best one we did was a place called bunn leisure. We had a bronze caravan but they might have replaced / redecorated them as it was modern and a lot nicer.

About time for a genuine travel presenter and his family holiday thank you for that and it reminds me of when I was little staying in a cravan site. Thank you for the memory

As cabin crew I stay in plenty of 4 and 5 star hotels. Ive had bed bugs in my rooms a few times so they can be anywhere. I always check my room and never put bags or leave clothes or other belongings on "soft surfaces" Bags go on the desk or counter. I wont even use a luggage rack if it has any fabric on it. In addition my bags never come into my house and stay in my garage

Your anxiety is totally justified, Tim. I know how that feels! I use pure essential oils when travelling, like lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree or a combination of all three, diluted in a small amount of water or vodka in a small spray bottle, and I spray the room and bed before sleeping in it. Any lurking critters including mozzies HATE it! You can use it on yourself too, to keep them away or to soothe any bites you may get. They smell good, and the lavender helps to ease anxiety. But don't let this incident play on your mind too much. Think of all the number of places you've stayed in and not encountered any bugs! Thanks Tim, Gaby and Casper, hope you're over that nasty little encounter.

My brother owned a haven caravan. We went year in year out. Haven would rent out his caravan. And they would give him part of the rental fee. But all the hardware. Tv, dvd, kitchen dished, utensils, hoover, bustpan and brush pan and brush etc. Were his bought and paid for. Basically renters brought their own bedding , towels and tea towels. Haven cleaned in-between guest's. We loved going.

omg what an horrendous experience for you all,especially you Tim.😢I never really thought about bed bugs before being in these places,but from now on I will be checking every time. please don't let it put you off making the videos though,and remember 99% of places will be fine.

As a Liverpool FC supporter, there is no way I would go on a S*n holiday. I stopped reading this paper immediately following the Hillsborough disaster. I haven't bought it since and I never will. Also, I'm sorry you had such a traumatic experience.

I live in a block of flats and when someone moved out they found the flat had bed bugs. Housing association brought in a bed bug sniffer dog to check the whole building. Never knew a bed bug sniffer dog existed (luckily they were contained to the one flat, and I’ve not been bitten since). Went on a sun holiday when it first came out and that really was a very basic caravan.

OMG. Thank you for sharing this it’s good for everyone to see this.

Your ideas for content are just so refreshing - I've always wondered what these sorts of holidays would look like!

Beg bugs are the worst! I'm a caregiver and I work in a home setting. My shift partner actually had bed bugs in her home, and she brought them (unknowingly) to work with her at some point. Well, long story short I got bit a few times on my forearm. And after a few days my arm began to develop a rash. Which progressively got worse and worse. The rash was one thing, but the itching made me want to rip my arm off!! It took a good month to recover from that. I think I had an allergic reaction, but let me tell you, it was one of the worst experiences ever. So your fear of bed bugs is 100% warranted.

Bed bugs are the most horrible thing I have ever encountered! I've had to live with bed bugs coming up through the floorboards and down through the ceiling of my flat. At first I didn't know what they were but soon found out, I couldn't understand why they were literally everywhere (on the sofa, on the walls, in lampshades, in the carpet, on the curtains, in shopping bags, in books, etc, etc, etc.) and not confined to the bed. From everything I read it didn't make sense, they are supposed to be localized near the food source (humans) and never stray too far from that. Unless the infestation is so massive that they have no choice but to spread out. But my infestation wasn't massive. I thought I must have brought them in on my suitcase after holiday or on my clothes from the Tube (I live in London). I did everything I could to fight them - interceptor traps on the legs of the bed, bed bug spray everywhere - small spray cans at first, which did nothing, then 5L containers in a pressure sprayer, diatomaceous earth powder, pheromone traps, smoke bombs. Nothing worked. Defeated, I began to feel completely hopeless, the psychological effect began to have its toll, always feeling and thinking you had one crawling on you, biting you, or that you were taking their eggs and nymphs elsewhere or to friends and family. They eventually even found their way into my car. I began to believe the stories about how they are resistant to insecticides, making a comeback, and how they are indestructible. However, everything change the day that I found out they were not my bed bugs but my neighbours. Terraced housing has it flaws in more ways than one! It became clear, I wasn't loosing the fight but more fighting a battle I couldn't win. My neighbour, a suffering paranoid schizophrenic, knew he had a problem but didn't want to let anyone in to deal with the problem. That problem grew to be 4 door numbers wide (two flats to each door), 96, 94, 92, and 90. I lived with that problem, fighting back the tide of bed bugs for nearly two years. Eventually I moved home and hoped that I didn't bring any with me - knowing fine well that I more than likely would. All my possessions taped in bin bags, everything thoroughly inspected when opened, as and when needed, nothing seemed to happen. Was I free from bed bugs - it seemed so. About 6 months in I was bitten. I knew it wasn't a mosquito, it wasn't a flea, it was a bed bug bite. But like a reflex I knew exactly what to look for and where, I found 3 bed bugs and eggs on the underside of my bed slats. A quick blast from the heat gun and spray all round the mattress and they were dead, never to return, It is now 2 years down the line and no bed bugs. Moral of this long winded story is, that you don't need to be worried by bed bugs, they are after all the little tiny insects that they are, they are not indestructible and they definitely can be killed and they have no right over your mental wellbeing! p.s. What you had on film was definitely a bed bug that had freshly feed.

Hey Tim. Just caught this video, and I absolutely 100% understand your anxiety about bed bugs. I got eaten alive by them at a Travelodge in San Diego back in 2011, and it completely ruined my trip. It took me months to get over the trauma, and even longer before I would even consider staying in a hotel again. I got $1000 in compensation, but it was so upsetting. I really hope that you have to face that again.

You can get the holiday for the same price by booking direct with the provider. That way you get more control of where you're sited etc.

OMG my anxiety was at an all time high, I can only imagine yours!!!! And poor Casper, hope you've all recovered!

Tim and Gaby, please don't be put off. Think about the amount of stays you've had over the years in all sorts of places. I was a salesman for 29 years and had to stay in some questionable places. I never experienced bed bugs. We love you both and don't want you having anxiety about things. You need to carry on producing lovely videos for us all. Try and not let your thoughts run away with you. You bring such wonderfulness to the world. Much love Si and Share xxx

I did this one year with my sons. Cleanliness wasnt great, and there was a punch hole in a door, but it wasnt terrible. We only used the accommodation to sleep really, and out all day every day. It gave us a quick change of scene when we needed a break and things were very tight.

Gabby telling tim off for eating with his mouth open, 11:55😂😂

Your reaction to Gabby's comment 'It's like eating on an aircraft' got a good laugh out of me 😂

I'm with you Tim I'd be beside myself if I encountered any of those critters. We're in our seventies when we first got married my wife worked in a laundry a couple of times she brought home one of their cousins a flea, that freaked us out. So I know where you're coming from especially with the little man running around.

Excellent report. I Understand your concern completely, especially with a young son in the equation. I have travelled most parts of the world for business and holidays and always check out the bed for bugs, even in some of the high end hotels. I remember a business trip to Munich in the black forest, the hotel was in a small village. On checking the bed for BB (there weren't any) but I noticed each bed leg was placed in a little metal lid and checked the front desk for a reason. It was said that each lid had a little liquid (paraffin or similar to prevent BB or any other to climb up the bed leg and into the bed linen etc. Seemingly it works.

love the view of the bins.

Having a phobia isn't childish, I think you're being too hard on yourself! You did the right thing in the circumstances . When my boys were little in the late 90's and early 00's we often had a Sun Holiday. I remember you could choose 4 sites and four dates, you didn't know what you were going to get until it arrived in the post. Our first one in 1997 was at a wonderful site in Selsey Bill and the caravan was brand new, a wonderful experience..the last time we went was in 2002 to a caravan at a Haven site in Blackpool, not our first time at this site but unfortunately on this occasion the caravan was filthy. Hair in the shower, washing up in the sink..They moved us to another one but the damage was done to our holiday and we left after a couple of days. Couldn't relax. That was our last Sun Holiday...

I used the 9.50 vouchers in a holiday park in the isle of wight about 15 years ago, can't remember how much I ended up paying but it was more, what I can remember as it annoys me to this day is my friend and his gf wanted to come as well so they rang up the park directly and got there holiday cheaper than our deal 😂

Always so enjoy your presentations and reviews. Spot on and very helpful THANK YOU BOTH

Nice view at that containers! I would never book a holiday in such a park

I clean carpets and ovens for a living and I do a lot of work along the norfolk coast. Some of the houses i visit cost 12 grand a week in August and some of them are horrendous, I went to a holiday let in Burnham market to clean all the carpets because a family had arrived for their very expensive holiday and after taking a look around decided that it wasn't fit for a dog so the owner had to give a full refund and arrange alternative accommodation at short notice which must've cost a fortune. In contrast I also regularly do work in places less salubrious that cost 5 or 6 hundred quid a week and there isn't a speck of dust anywhere. I have also had to fumigate rooms in some of the most expensive hotels in norfolk because they have bed bugs. The bed bugs have no idea how much you've paid for your holiday so don't assume that they're only there because it was cheap.

The Sun is a force for evil in this world, genuinely. I'm not surprised this ended badly

You and your wife are the happiest couple ever

After Hillsborough and the Bolton vs Cheltenham game, I feel sick to my stomach seeing a sun newspaper

It's not just having to buy The Sun that puts me off but having to spend time with people who buy The Sun. I encountered a person in Spain complaining the staff in our hotel weren't English. In Spain. I cannot do that again.

@walkwithmetim You and Gabby make a great team with these videos. Keep going with them Tim. Don't blame you for leaving straight away especially if you had bites as well.

Wow basic caravans have really got wide since the 90s when we used to go to haven sites. I remember the kitchen just being a narrow passage through to the bedrooms and living room area being super tight. Bed bugs aside they've massively improved.

What an adorable little poppet your boy is… just delightful guys

Yikes, really feel for you all. And Tim, as you do this for a living I really hope somehow your anxiety levels come down. Makes your videos even more meaningful knowing your struggles. We appreciate all your (and Gabby) hard work 👍

Thanks for another great video Tim! Really sorry you had such a bad experience. It’s horrible when something gives you such high anxiety whatever the cause. I hope you are ok ❤

i love how he said at 6:14 "THAT IS CLEAN, LOOK AT THAT" yet i can see food stains lol

Nice red dustbin view from the living room 👍

You have my full empathy Tim. I had to ff as I have anxiety like you about bedbugs and was starting to feel it.

We did one of these to Camber Sands. Bloody hell, 15 years later we're still trying to forget Chav-by-Sea and all the horrors.

ive always wondered what these were like so glad you have reviewed this, so am about to watch x

Love Casper's audio input during your fish & chips ! 😂🎉🧡

Was good when Haven was included. I used to pay the small upgrade fee for a platinum caravan and I've had some great high spec caravans, especially at Perran Sands. Yeah, it was around £150 for Mon to Friday but compared to the Haven direct price it was a steal.

We just came from Hendra in Newquay on a Sun holiday. Not gonna lie I didn't expect much but I was shocked how great it was. Great staff great caravan great facilities. Not sure on others but this one I would recommend. Walk with me Tim needs to go here.

My sons are in their 20’s but we did several of these when they were younger, we always had a good time, the best was probably butlins Bognor Regis which we did 3 times, it’s on the beach and lots of activities for the children.

I suffered badly from bed bugs as they came though the walls from my neighbour's house. I was a teen so couldn't sort them myself. My infestation preferred to nest in wood the most. They nested in my bedside table and bed slats. Always double check wood and the bed frame! Mine weren't in my mattress too often unless I was sleeping.

This was funny , it reminded me of the Amityville horror movie where the couple leave the house in the middle of the night to avoid a demon , but you and Gabby leave to avoid a demon bedbug 😂😂😂

Bed bugs can get in anywhere. The amount of international travel nowadays means that many are "jet-setters."

We went to one 2 weeks ago in Looe near Bodmin. Caravan was nice to be fair. Facilities bit poor and no Internet in caravan so 13yr was bored. Total cost for caravan which shocked me was £240 for 3 nights.

I went on some of these in the early days and we enjoyed it very much but… it cost a lot more than £9.50 i think it came to about £38 with the linen pack and welcome pack (some essential shopping like milk bread sugar tea bags and instant coffee) then another extra for entertainment pass and everything on site was extra food drinks etc. All in all i spent £250 for 7 days.. for 2 of us.

Hi Guys, I would strongly suggest getting some Ardap, standard and green. We use it when ever we go away both in UK and abroad. It kills everything living on or around any surface, bedding etc. You can also spray it safely on surfaces and will stop any bugs coming into your space. Great video as usual, nice to see more of the family vids. The Cornish Family

I once stayed in the USA and was forced to sleep alone in an old house that backed onto woodland. That was scary enough, with wild animals scratching at the wall outside. I couldn't get to sleep and when I opened my eyes there was a HUGE cockroach laying on the pillow next to my face. I swear he was laughing at me and I've never moved so fast in my life. So I understand your reaction to bedbugs! A lot smaller than a cockroach but sometimes the smaller insects are the worst.

Hey Tim and Gabby. You could try taking an electric blanket and turning it on during the day. The heat kills the bugs as they thrive on moisture. Good luck and please keep up the good work.

We have been on a £9.50 holiday every year for about the last 15 years. We have had some marvellous accomodation and have been to various different sites with no problems. The caravans are always clean and the staff really helpful.