BritStays
Sign up
Camping in the UK

Photo: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Camping in the UK

Compare Camping across the whole of the UK — from Cornwall to the Highlands — with prices, facilities and locations side by side, booking direct with each operator.

Must-have facilities

Where you'll find the most choice

There are 2,853 campsites published on BritStays, spread right across the country, and they're not distributed evenly. Wales leads with 226, followed closely by Cornwall (218) and Scotland (206). Behind those, Dorset and Yorkshire are tied on 140 each, with Devon (131) and Norfolk (129) not far behind. Somerset (96), Derbyshire (87) and Kent (80) round out the ten counties with the deepest choice.

The pattern makes sense. Camping clusters where the landscape does the work: coastline, national parks and upland walking country. Wales, Scotland and Cornwall offer all three in quantity, which is why they dominate. Derbyshire's showing is smaller but concentrated, and Kent and Norfolk prove that flat, farmed, easily reached counties can carry plenty of sites too — often the sort within a couple of hours of a city, booked for a Friday night rather than a fortnight.

What you typically get

Facilities vary enormously between a farmer's field and a managed touring park, so it's worth knowing what's common and what isn't. Across the listings, the most frequently recorded facilities are:

  • EV charging nearby — 908 sites
  • Toilets — 745 sites
  • Near a bus stop — 615 sites
  • Gift shop — 447 sites
  • WiFi — 402 sites
  • Pet friendly — 370 sites
  • Near a train station — 344 sites
  • Bar — 339 sites; restaurant — 243 sites
  • Parking — 236 sites

Two things stand out. First, only 745 sites list toilets — roughly a quarter of the total — which tells you how many are genuinely basic, small-holding pitches rather than serviced parks. Never assume; check the listing. Second, transport links appear more often than you might expect: 615 sites are near a bus stop and 344 near a train station, so car-free camping is more workable than its reputation suggests.

Who camping suits

It suits anyone happy to trade polish for space and cost. Families with young children do well on sites with a bar or restaurant on hand for the evening you can't face cooking. Walkers and cyclists benefit from the transport-linked sites. Dog owners have 370 pet-friendly options to work through. And if you're touring in an electric car, the 908 sites with charging nearby make a multi-stop trip considerably less stressful.

It suits you less well if you need guaranteed hot water, reliable signal or a dry indoor space to retreat to. Camping in Britain is a weather gamble, and the sites with the best settings are frequently the ones with the fewest facilities.

What the example stays show

The range is wide. Sykeside Camping Site at Patterdale in Cumbria lists a bar, restaurant and takeaway food — close to a small resort in feel, and useful in a valley where walking days run long. At the other end, Church House Farm in Carmarthenshire and Fowberry farm near Bamburgh in Northumberland record no facilities at all, which usually signals simple, quiet, field-based camping.

In between sit the practical middle-grounders. Swallowholme Camping and Caravaning Park in the Peak District lists a bus stop, train station and EV charging nearby — unusual to have all three. Chalky Downs Campsite near Brighton and Horam Manor Touring Park in East Sussex both combine a bus stop with EV charging, handy for the South Downs. Brandy Wharf Leisure Park near Gainsborough offers WiFi and a bus stop. New House Farm at Bakewell and Berwyn Caravan Site on Anglesey each list a bus stop. Askrigg Camping near Hawes keeps it to toilets. Higher Sea House CL at Ilminster, Pit Hill Farm Campsite in Hampshire and The Christian Adventure Centre at Viney Hill in Gloucestershire show how much variety hides behind the single word "camping", while Trumland Hostel & Campsite on Orkney is a reminder that the network reaches the far north.

Choosing well

Read the facilities list as a complete statement, not a summary. If toilets aren't mentioned, plan for that. Decide early whether you want a site with a bar and restaurant, like Sykeside, or somewhere deliberately bare like Fowberry farm — the two make entirely different holidays. Check pitch type if you're in a campervan rather than a tent, and confirm dog rules directly rather than relying on a tick box.

When to book

School holidays in Cornwall, Devon and the Peak District go first; aim for the turn of the year for August, and by spring for late May. Small sites with few pitches — the farm listings especially — sell out faster than large touring parks because there's simply less of them. Shoulder season, late April to June and September, is easier to book, cheaper and often drier underfoot. If you're flexible, keep an eye on weather forecasts a fortnight out and book then; many sites will still have space midweek.

Frequently asked questions

Which part of the UK has the most campsites on BritStays?

Wales has the most, with 226 campsites published. Cornwall is next with 218 and Scotland has 206. Together those three account for a large share of the 2,853 campsites listed across the UK.

Do most campsites have toilets?

No. Toilets are listed at 745 of the 2,853 campsites, so roughly a quarter. Plenty of sites are simple field or farm pitches without recorded facilities, so always check the individual listing rather than assuming.

Can I camp without a car?

Often, yes. 615 campsites are listed as near a bus stop and 344 as near a train station. Swallowholme Camping and Caravaning Park in the Peak District lists both, along with EV charging nearby, and Chalky Downs Campsite at Brighton, Horam Manor Touring Park in East Sussex, New House Farm at Bakewell and Berwyn Caravan Site on Anglesey all list a bus stop.

Are there campsites suitable for electric vehicles?

EV charging nearby is the single most commonly listed facility, recorded at 908 campsites. Chalky Downs Campsite near Brighton, Horam Manor Touring Park in East Sussex and Swallowholme Camping and Caravaning Park in the Peak District all list it.

Which campsites have food and drink on site?

A bar is listed at 339 campsites and a restaurant at 243. Sykeside Camping Site at Patterdale in Cumbria lists a bar, restaurant and takeaway food, which is about as well served as camping gets.

How many campsites take dogs?

370 campsites are listed as pet friendly. That is a reasonable number but well under half the total, so it is worth filtering for it early and confirming the site's specific dog rules before you book.

Explore Camping in the UK

More like this

Directions ↗