Camping in Surrey

Surrey is one of those regions where camping is less about long drives and more about getting out of the car quickly. There are 28 campsites published on BritStays here, all of them straightforward camping rather than lodges or pods, and they're spread across wooded commons, farmland and the edges of market towns. Here's how to work out which one suits the trip you're planning.

Countryside rather than coast

Surrey has no coastline, so the choice isn't sea versus fields — it's how deep into the woods and hills you want to be. At one end you have sites like Hurtwood Hideout at Holmbury St Mary and Ranmore Common Campsite, both sitting in well-walked hill country where you can step out of the tent and onto a path. Etherley Farm and Chantry Wood Campsite sit in the same bracket: quiet, green, and close enough to walking routes that you don't need to move the car all weekend.

At the other end are sites with a town within easy reach. Laleham Camping Club at Staines-upon-Thames and Apps Court Camping are the sort of places that suit a short break where you want shops, a pub and a river nearby rather than complete isolation. Listings sit under Leatherhead, Cobham, Guildford, Woking and Windsor too, though most of the 28 are listed simply as Surrey without a named town — so read each description carefully to work out exactly where you'll be pitching.

Getting there without driving

This is one of Surrey's genuine advantages. Eight of the 28 sites are listed as near a train station and eight as near a bus stop, which is a high proportion for camping anywhere. Horsley Camping and Caravan Club Site, Garners Field Campsite and Chantry Wood Campsite all flag a nearby station; Apps Court Camping, Dorking Scouts Camp Site and Ranmore Common Campsite all flag a bus stop. If you're travelling light with a small tent, that opens up a weekend without a car — though do check how far "near" actually is before committing, and bear in mind a rucksack walk at the end of a Friday evening feels longer than it looks on a map.

If you are driving an electric car, 11 sites list EV charging nearby — the most common facility in the set. Garners Field Campsite and Hurtwood Hideout are among them.

Facilities: assume less, ask more

Campsite listings here are modest, and that's worth taking at face value. Only four sites list toilets as a facility, four list a restaurant, three list indoor areas, two a bar and two a gift shop. That doesn't mean the other sites have nothing, but it does mean you should contact the owner rather than assume. A few stand out for having more on site:

• Sergeant's mess — clubhouse, bar and restaurant, which makes wet evenings considerably easier.
• Bentley Copse Activity Centre near Guildford — disabled access and indoor areas, worth knowing if anyone in the group needs shelter or step-free ground.
• Hurtwood Hideout — a café on site.
• Chantry Wood Campsite — toilets listed, plus a station nearby.

Group and activity sites such as Dorking Scouts Camp Site, Earleywood Campsite and County Centre and Bentley Copse Activity Centre are often geared towards organised groups, so check whether individual family bookings are taken before you plan around one. Dog policies aren't listed as a standard facility on these pages, so always ask directly rather than turning up hopeful.

Days out from your pitch

Families with children who tire of walking have two big draws within the region: Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland Windsor. Both are best booked ahead and treated as a full day rather than a half.

For quieter days, Leith Hill Tower and Shalford Mill are both National Trust sites, while Windsor Castle, Reigate Castle and Fort Belvedere cover the castle-and-heritage end of things. Beaverbrook is the stately home option. Further afield there are museums worth a rainy afternoon — Chiswick House, Dennis Severs' House and Twist Museum in London, The Allen Gallery in Berkshire — and for younger children, Trilakes Animal Park in Berkshire and Beaver Water World.

When to book

With only 28 sites in the region and a good number of them small or group-focused, summer weekends go early. Aim to book Easter onwards by February or March, and school holidays as soon as dates are confirmed. For May and September midweek nights, a few weeks is usually enough. If you're set on a specific site — Etherley Farm, Inns of Court or Sit Perpetuum Lawn, for instance — enquire early and ask about arrival times, pitch size, and whether campfires are allowed, as those three things cause more disappointment than anything else.