The Best Campervan Campsites UK And Europe
This list of campervan campsites covers the best campsites we at Jack’s Shack have visited on our travels. Some of these campsites offer the ‘works’, with pools, sea views, lake views, etc, while others are far more basic, sometimes with just a compostable toilet on offer. All of them happily accommodate campervans.
If you know of a great campsite for campervans that deserves a mention here, please let us know either by email or social media.
We’ve broken our list of campervan campsites into ‘campervan campsites UK’ and ‘campervan campsites Europe’ – happy camping.
Campervan Campsites UK
Suggested by Danni Harris, one of our loyal Facebook family, this site certainly does look the part! Pitches sit just 150 yards from an enclosed sandy bay, on the edge of the picturesque village of Porth, itself just a 30-minute walk from vibrant Newquay. The site itself has modern facilities and WIFI and various options for campers not in vans, including well-maintained stacked homes and glamping pods.
We’re looking forward to seeing this one up close and would welcome any other reports.
Suggested by a friend of Jack’s Shack, Waterssss, Pentewan Sands looks like it ticks lots of the summer holiday boxes. The site sits on the edge of Mevagissey Bay, with pitches just a couple of meters from the beach. The on site facilities include a fish and chip bar, a couple of restaurants and even an on site supermarket. Local entertainment options include boat hire, pools, the sea, bike hire tennis and much more – activities aplenty!Instagram follower Rosiebryanss suggested this site on the outskirts of Padstow to us, saying it ‘was by far the nicest campsite’ she’d ever been to and that ‘the walk down into padstow was lovely over the fields and the facilities were like you were at a spa!’If you want to add to this review or have a favourite site you think we need to know about, get in touch today.
A family note here, as this suggestion has come from Jenny, Tim our tech guy’s mum. Treen Farm Campsite sits on the rocky tip of Cornwall, looking out towards the Isles of Scilly and over several remote sandy beaches – only accessible by foot. The beaches boast clear blue waters, that put you in mind of a tropical isle more than Britain.
Perched atop a cliff, as this site is, visitors need to be ready for the at times stiff breeze. Facilities are not the most modern but are well-kept and the site shop is perfect if you need to top up on supplies.
This site is one for those that love a special view.
Recommended by create_se on Instagram, The View at Watergate Bay is, predictably, not short on a view or two! The site sits just a few miles north of Newquay, overlooking beautiful Watergate Bay, with its white sand and clear waters. On site you’ll find the Sunshine at the View Cafe, as well as a small shop. It’s clear the main thrust of the site is towards the beach, which is a short walk away, past the beautiful Watergate Bay Hotel.
With a boating lake at one end and tiered pitches running up the side of a gentle valley slope, we’d have to tell you something pretty terrible about this place to turn you off a visit. But no, there isn’t anything, it’s a beautiful site, with all the required facilities, just a 20-minute walk from the nearest village and pub. This site is worth a long drive – of that, there is simply no doubt.
At Tom’s Field, they get it! ‘It’ being the fact that nearly everyone loves pizza and fish and chips. To that end, every Saturday throughout the summer and Sundays during bank holidays, a campsite space is reserved either for a stone-baked pizza oven or a fish and chip van. What else do you need to know? The site is walking distance to the nearest pub and village and is set well within the New Forest’s bounds, meaning wandering ponies and calm, quiet roads.
Close to a quiet walk along the Lesser Teise river and a just a short cycle from a number of pubs, wineries and breweries, Tanner Farm Park sits in an idyllic little slice of the Kentish countryside. To the left, as you enter the site, is an historic oast house and the site itself is well maintained, with clean facilities. The check-in desk doubles as a shop, offering a range of the essentials, from ice cream to kitchen beans.
Suggested by Chis, one of our directors, Hayfield Camping and Caravanning Club Site sits on the edge of the Peak District, a prime location for walkers, close to the foot of Kinder. Spacious, well-maintained plots, sit in the valley, alongside a selection of tented camps and glamping pods – for your non-campervan owning friends.
As well as views, this site offers an abundance of facilities, including WIFI, a site shop and a kids playground.
Chris, a friend of the Shack, has recommended Studfold Farm in Yorkshire, saying it is ‘great if you have young kids’. The site is set in the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales and is seemingly beset on all sides by greenery. The biggest draw of the site is its adventure trail, complete with fairy villages, picnic area, den building and pedal powered go karts. As well as all the expected facilities, there’s also an on site cafe, for those breakfast and lunch snacks.
As with all sites recommended by friends of Jack’s Shack, would love to know more about this site and get other recommendations, to make sure our list is only sending our readers to great campsites!
This site was suggested by one of our Instagram followers, t5_bigbluebusSykeside, who highlighted that it is ‘relatively small’ and that they ‘do firepit hire’, which is always a plus – especially that far north! The camping area has panoramic views of the surrounding fells and a mix of grass and hard-standing pitches and is, understandably popular with walkers.
If you have been to Gillhead Farm, get in touch and let us know what you think.
Suggested by Jack, this site is relatively pared-back but comes with incredible views over Ullswater and on towards the Helvellyn range. If you’re into world-class views, walking, hiking, kayaking or mountain biking, this place should be on your list! Those driving anything larger than a campervan, though, should be warned – the entrance to the site requires solid judgement and a good bit of nerve, as dry-stone walls lay in wait to scuff your paint at any wrong turn.
Kyle Warman, from Facebook recommended this far-flung location to us – he was also good enough to share this awesome picture too. Sitting on the west coast of the island, we’re sure this is one for hardy campers, as there must be a fierce breeze from the sea at times! Information is tough to come by but it looks like the views and beaches alone are worth the trip. When the sun comes out, this area is arguably as beautiful as anywhere in the world.
We’d love some more information on Horgabost, if anyone knows more, please let us know.
Campervan Campsites Europe
This is probably the only campsite that will make this list that offers a slightly less impressive experience for campervans than for campers. Bear with us though, as it’s still quite an experience. The site backs onto a fairytale-esque shallow river, flanked by towering pines. The pines deaden sound to such a degree that one feels alone, even though the majority of the site’s tents are just meters from the water. Campervans, meanwhile, must stay out of the forest by just a few steps – it is a price worth paying. The on-site shop receives a daily bread delivery, for which orders are taken the night before – quite standard in Europe but the bread in question was impressive.
This is a recommendation from Rob at London Campers, a campervan hire company. He has spent months and months on the road in his vans, so this recommendation is surely not to be missed. The site is 5km from the centre of San Sebastian, with a regular bus service to and from running throughout the year. With pitches divided by hedges and plenty of much-needed shade, the site seems like the ideal spot from which to visit the city. On-site there is a large outdoor pool, a mini-market and a bar-restaurant.
If you follow this recommendation, please let us know what you think!
The facilities at this site are more akin to a large hotel chain than to a campervan park. Clean, bright and boarding on ‘posh, the facilities, impressive though they are, are far from the highlight! The highlight is the Danube, which flows just meters from the site, shallow and wide, it is safe for a brisk swim – a highlight of our visit.
Thoroughly in the French style, this large, well laid out site, sits on the lower west side of stunning Lake Annecy. The lake itself is an easy couple of minutes walk from the site. The first site of the lake offers great swimming opportunities but continue south for a few minutes more and you’ll find a bright white sand beach. Likewise, a 10-minute cycle on a rented bike north will see you reach a lovely, if busy, council-run swimming area, with lockers, snack bar and pontoon. The site itself is pleasant, with on-site food offerings, WIFI etc.Settings don’t come much more stunning than Le Pavillon Royal, perched on cliffs overlooking the roaring ocean. The site is ideal for surfers, who benefit from direct access to the waves, which are far quieter than those in Biarritz proper. The city is around 15 / 20 minutes by bike along a coastal road that feels safe even at night. As well as easy access to the waves, the site also boasts a pleasant pool and clean, if not to modern, facilities.
Close to the Camargue, it might not be right to say the surroundings of this campsite are ‘pretty’ as such but the site itself does its best to make up for the somewhat industrial setting of the nearby towns. Backing on to wide beaches, this site also has a large pool, with activity areas, a bar and much else. During peak season it could well be a touch much for some but outside of July and August, it’s a quiet treat. Pitches are denoted with high hedges, making for a far more private experience than many sites and the walk to the local bars is quick, quiet and safe.