The campervan holiday is a British institution, and as much as Jeremy and the top gear gang love to incinerate them in protest of their road-hogging ways, the humble home on wheels will always be a part of British holiday culture. The source of many a thrifty but enjoyable holiday for decades, the humble campervan (also called ‘caravan’ by us Brits) is a veritable home from home, with all the creature comforts we need and all the mobility we need to full-fill our fundamental desire for adventure.
Campervan holidays are affordable, offer great a variety of activities, and encourage you to meet fellow enthusiasts; making them the perfect choice for these recession ravaged times we live in. The beauty of a campervan holiday is that you can roll-up and set up camp wherever you like, of course there are hundreds of dedicated sites across the UK geared towards making your trip a success, here are five of them;
Bude, Cornwall
Set in the idyllic and unspoiled Cornwall countryside, Bude is a popular UK holiday resort for families with young children looking to get away from the daily rat race.
Campervan site with a view, Bude, Cornwall
The facilities here are outstanding with activity clubs, adventure playgrounds amusement arcades and a huge swimming pool to wear the kids out while you relax and enjoy the fresh air and the great outdoors. Venture out of the campsite and you’ll find some award-winning seafood restaurants, picturesque walks and the Cornwall coast, one of the best spots in the UK for surfing!
Selsey, West Sussesx
The UK’s south coast is cluttered with a mix of trendy and traditional seaside towns, many of them a huge draw for tourists both by day and night. This is not to say that there isn’t any stunning shoreline left however, and Selsey near Chichester houses some of the best. Clean beaches mixed with excellent facilities inland make this a campsite that’s easily accessible from London and other surrounding cities.
Cromer, Norfolk
Norfolk, located in Eastern-England is flattest part of the UK, making it an ideal cycling location with acres of smooth, easy roads. Beaches are also Norfolk’s strong point, with some of the country’s cleanest dotted along the East-Anglia coast. Take care manoeuvring around Norfolk’s roads in a campervan however, many of them are twisty and narrow, with only room for one car at a time!
Keswick, Cumbria
Keswick is the ideal place to explore the Lake District, one of the most majestically rugged areas in England. Rolling hills that flirt with the clouds give way to glistening blue lakes in what is probably the UK’s most celebrated rural area, the Lake District. Setting up camp here offers a great chance to really get in touch with nature in what is one of the few remaining areas of untamed wilderness…
Worth exploring the scenery around Keswick!
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
The stereotypical view of campers is that of people huddled around a small stove sipping soup and generally trying to stave off the cold, well, not at Grendon Lakes in Wellingborough. This site is geared towards high-octane activities like wakeboarding, jet-skiing, paintballing, clay pigeon shooting and archery, meaning if sitting round a campfire singing songs isn’t your thing, boredom is unlikely to set in here.
Joe is a travel blogger and campervan enthusiast. He’s looking forward to taking flights to Australia next year when he’ll be camping at various sites all over the west coast!
I had a friend recommend visiting Cromer, Norfolk. I’d love to go there someday.