For all the appeal of free overnight van stops, campsites remain a valuable part of van travel – particularly for longer trips where you need to recharge batteries (electrical and personal), do laundry, take a proper shower or spend a couple of nights in a secure, well-serviced location. A good campsite at the right point in a trip can make everything else easier.
Not all campsites are created equal. Some are excellent – well-run, reasonably priced, with good facilities and a welcoming attitude to solo or couple van travellers. Others are overcrowded, overpriced or designed exclusively for large static caravans. Knowing the difference before you turn up makes a real difference.
The campsites covered on this site lean towards smaller, more characterful sites – CLs (Certificated Locations), farm sites and independent operators that offer a genuine welcome rather than a production-line experience. Hook-up, good shower facilities and reasonably level pitches are the basics; the best sites offer something more – a view, a quiet setting, or simply a sense that you’re welcome to stay.
All campsite posts here are based on real visits, with honest assessments of what was found – the good, the average and the occasional disappointment.
I’d heard Halletts Camping at Portland Bill mentioned a few times by fellow travellers, mostly for the views and how close it is to the lighthouse, so I was keen to see whether it really was as simple and scenic as people said. This isn’t a polished campsite with neat pitches and long lists of … Read more
Holmsley Campsite sits within the New Forest, just outside Burley, with direct access onto open heathland straight from the entrance. It’s a Forestry England site, and one of the first things you notice is how much it feels part of the wider landscape rather than separated from it. Booking was simple and quick through the … Read more
Evenings here mean campfires, birds in the hedgerows, and a sky full of stars once the light drops on the Llŷn Peninsula.
A campsite close to Torbay’s beaches but with Dartmoor on the horizon, this review looks at what the stay actually felt like in practice.