UK holiday parks change hands · VanLife Weekly #21
Sun Communities sells UK chain Park Holidays for $1bn. Plus: 4 ADAC routes through Hesse, barriers in Alghero, Singapore family heads to Turkey.
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Small town · Canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland
VanSky index for Pratteln, Switzerland — 93 out of 100 (Ideal). Decide in seconds: temperature, precipitation, wind and solar output. Data refreshed every 3 hours from real weather observations.
Pratteln, Switzerland — VanSky 96 out of 100. Ideal conditions for motorhome travel. Ranked #16 of 167 cities in the country (as of 31 May 2026). Temperature 25°C, wind 9 km/h. Solar panels yield 2.7 kWh/day at 400 W — enough for full autonomy.
Period
Temperature
Wind
∅ 7-day average
No optimal window today — wind or rain throughout the day.
Weather index for vanlifers: from 0 to 100. Calculated daily from real weather data — temperature, precipitation, wind and sun.
How it's calculated:
Data: Open-Meteo · Updated every 3h
Updated: 30.05.2026
Diesel
$2.71 /l
CHF2.12 · €2.33/l
123 of 127
pricier than 96% of countries
Petrol
$2.46 /l
CHF1.92 · €2.11/l
119 of 126
pricier than 94% of countries
LPG
$1.47 /l
CHF1.15 · €1.26/l
45 of 46
pricier than 96% of countries
The Swiss Federal Statistical Office reported a rise in overnight stays in parahotels and campsites in 2025. Total overnight stays in apartments, campsites, and collective accommodations reached 18.1 million, up 4.7% from 2024. Foreign guest numbers grew significantly, increasing by 10% to 6.3 million. Campsite overnight stays rose 8.2% to 5.2 million, with demand from German tourists surging 13%.
Switzerland's parahotel sector grew by 4.7% in 2025 to 18.1 million overnight stays. Camping sites were the main driver, with an 8.2% increase to 5.2 million overnight stays. Foreign demand rose sharply, particularly from German guests, who accounted for 875,000 overnight stays (+13%).
On June 14, Winterthur residents will vote on two proposals for the Rosenberg recreation area. The main point of contention is the construction of a new 4-star TCS campsite at Schützenweiher lake. The city council approved both projects, prompting the IG Camping group to launch a referendum.
In early May, a group of foreign travelers with about 20 motorhomes sought temporary parking in the canton of St. Gallen. They were turned away in Altstätten, and the site in Buchs was occupied. The canton has yet to establish any of the six required transit sites for travelers, despite the known issue and hundreds of child removals.
In early May, a group of foreign travelers with about 20 motorhomes sought temporary parking in the canton of St. Gallen. They were refused in Altstätten, and the site in Buchs was already occupied.
The Brock Christensen family sold their house in Denmark and have been traveling Europe in a motorhome for two years, visiting 19 countries. The father works remotely as a salesperson, while the mother homeschools their three children. During the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia in Switzerland, they met cyclist Jonas Vingegaard, who is from their home region.
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