We’re often asked for campsite recommendations and while we are very happy to tell you what we know, the first thing we reply is, “It depends what you are looking for.” Let us tell you more…
What are you looking for?
Firstly, you need to think about where you want to go and the type of campsite that suits you and your travel companion(s).
- Geographical location – Where are you heading? Where is nearby? Where would make a good stop-off point?
- Campsite location – Would you like to be close to a beach or forest? Would you like to be close to the road so you can shoot off to your next destination in the morning? Would you like to be close to shops and civilisation, or get away from the hustle and bustle and stay in the middle of nowhere?
- Campsite facilities – Do you like lots of on-site facilities; restaurant, swimming pool, playground, award-winning toilets? Or are you happier in a truly rural, back-to-nature, back to basics campsite with more natural surroundings but very limited facilities?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you can have a look at what campsites are available for your trip.
Finding a campsite
Pitchup
We like pitchup.com – it is easy to use, lists lots of sites and shows live availability. You can filter by facilities you’re after (such as campfires allowed, swimming pools, dog friendly), check reviews and visitor photos and the booking process is quick and painless. What’s not to love?
Camping and Caravanning Club sites
We’re a member of the Camping and Caravanning Club’s privilege scheme, which means you can stay at any of their participating Club Sites and Camping in the Forest sites at discounted rates.
Facebook
There are lots of Facebook groups that can give you inspiration for great places to stay or where you can post a request for recommendations, such as Campervan overnight parking or even more niche groups that tie in your hobbies with camping, such as Swimming, Dipping, Camping, Caravanning.
Brit Stops
Brit stops is a great initiative where pubs, farm shops, vineyards, breweries and similar places that are happy to let you park with them for free for a night are listed in the Brit Stops directory (was always a book you had to buy but they’ve recently introduced an app for those that have bought the book). The hosts provide the service in the hope that those staying overnight will use their business, have a meal or buy some produce, though there is no obligation to do so. You need to be self-sufficient as there may be limited facilities available.
Other apps and websites
Other websites or apps that list places to stay include searchforsites, park4night (little tip: the park4night app you have to pay for but using the website is free!) and Campercontact.
Ask us
We’ve stayed in our fair share of campsites – but also lots of our campers come back and tell us about their experiences! If you are looking for Dorset campsites then we can probably help, those further afield we tend not to be so familiar with unless we’ve been there.
Tailor make your perfect adventure and have an enjoyable, unforgetable experience!