Campervan hotspots 2024

The top 15 best UK locations for campervans

Our study focusses on what we’ve deemed to be the most important factors for a lovely campervan trip. Namely:

• The number of hikes and trails

These come from a source of scenic verified trails, often featuring areas of natural beauty (AONBs), so are a great reflection of how picturesque the local area is.

• Number of things to do

Tripadvisor attractions are the source of our ‘things to do’, meaning you can expect a wide array of interesting and exciting options. Everything from museums to waterparks are included.

• Number of campervan sites

If you’re going on a campervan trip, it’ll help if you can use a campervan site and its amenities. Our study doesn’t take into account the size of each campervan site, so while bigger cities may have less sites overall than some other destinations, it doesn’t mean there won’t be ample space for you. The campervan sites have been sourced within a 10 mile radius of each location.

• The average cost of a meal

It doesn’t hurt to see how far your budget will stretch if you’re planning to eat out at local restaurants during your trip.

• Availability of fuel

In other words, how many fuel stations are there in the area. It’s nice to know you won’t run out of juice while on a family holiday.

• Number of EV chargers

Our EV charger metric will let you know how many chargers there are per every 100,000 people in each destination.

• Traffic

Want to find somewhere with less traffic than anywhere else? We’ve got you covered.

Without further ado, these are the best destinations in the UK for your campervan trip this year.

1. York

As is often the case, York sets itself apart from the competition by being.. well.. really great! Those of you with a sweet tooth may already be aware of its nickname ‘Chocolate City’ – honestly, that’s already enough to make us want to visit, but there’s actually so much more to the area that makes it a great choice for a family campervan trip.

Aside from the iconic medieval architecture and popular attractions like the National Railway Museum (a great way to spend a few hours with the kids), York is also in close proximity to not one, but two ‘areas of national beauty’ – these are Nidderdale and the Howardian Hills. Both are great choices for a sightseeing hike.

Now, let's get down to the data – York has the highest number of nearby campsites (72), over 700 things to do, and as we’ve already alluded to, a fantastic range of hikes and trails (85). Basically, you can’t go wrong if you pick York for your campervan trip.

2. Glasgow

Glasgow is a great choice for a campervan trip. You can start off by exploring the city and then take to the Scottish countryside nearby to soak in all the glorious nature. Aside from the friendly locals and the wonderful atmosphere, Glasgow has so much to offer. You can visit famous attractions like the Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the Riverside Museum.

You might say the only drawback is that Glasgow has less campervan sites than other destinations on our list (5), so make sure to plan well ahead and book your place in advance. There's also a massive 1,153 things to do in the city, and Glasgow has the max score for fuel availability (100).

3. Edinburgh

Scotland's not done giving us excellent campervan trip destinations, as the capital city has thrown its hat into the ring and landed a bronze medal on our list. Famous for its beautiful architecture (Edinburgh Castle is a must-see), Edinburgh has plenty to see and do while you're on your holiday. Take in the culture at the famous Old Town, shop and eat at the Royal Mile, or check out the Fringe Festival if you're visiting in August.

When it comes to the data, Edinburgh is an all-rounder, with hikes and activities galore (140 and 1,846). There's plenty of fuel and EV chargers to go round (63 and 96 per every 100,000 people), however, you might find the cost of a meal to be more on the expensive side, with the average restaurant setting you back £16. Again, this city ranks fairly lowly in terms of the number of campervan sites available to use (8), so make sure to plan ahead and secure your spot.

4. Bristol

The city of Bristol is a perfect little getaway spot for a campervan trip this year. Steeped in history both architecturally and culturally, Bristol is known for being the home city of artist Banksy (you can still go and see his famous ‘Well-hung lover’ graffiti in town) and music acts like Massive Attack, Portishead and Idles.

The Harbourside area should be your first stop on a campervanning holiday in Bristol – you can walk along the river and take in the sights before visiting the science centre or checking out Bristol Cathedral. For those with kids, you might want to visit the aquarium. For the foodies out there, Wapping Wharf has great choice when it comes to restaurants and cafés.

In our analysis, Bristol stands out with its large number of nearby hikes and trails (165), the number of things to do (739) and availability of fuel (98). The average price of a meal there is £15, which seems to be the average throughout our study. 17 campsites in the area should mean you have ample choice when it comes to selecting your base for exploration.

Notable mention

• Cheltenham – although it comes in at position 6, Cheltenham deserves a call out thanks to its convenience! It has the cheapest average cost of a meal out of all our locations (£13) and also the lowest amount of traffic (82.77). There’s also a good number of campervan sites to choose from (26) and plenty of things to do in the area (80 hikes and trails and 221 things to do).

Locations with the best campervan provisions

Attractions and scenic hikes are always a great thing to have, but what if you just want to make sure your destination has all the campervan provisions you’ll need? For this part of our study, we looked at which locations have the best:

• Number of campervan sites
• Availability of fuel
• Number of EV chargers
• Traffic

1. Exeter

The most convenient location for your campervan trip in 2024 is Exeter, with 35 campervan sites and an average of 155 EV chargers per 100,000 people. Having ranked 5^th place in our first list, Exeter is also great for exploring, with more than 250 things to do in the area. It makes a fantastic first stop if you’re planning to head down to the coast and explore places like Torquay or Dartmouth afterwards.

2. Norwich

Norwich has 20 campervan sites, 53 fuel stations, 79 EV chargers per 100,000 people and a traffic score of 98.76 (meaning it’s one of the easier places to get around by vehicle out of our destinations). Lovers of shopping will be able to shop to their heart’s content in Norwich, as it’s absolutely chock-full of options. Norwich Castle is also a brilliant choice if you’re more into the historical side of things.

3. Liverpool

Liverpool is the 3^rd most convenient campervan destination in the UK, with good fuel availability (82) a strong EV charger count (126 per every 100,000 people). Once in town, there’s plenty to see and do – even if you’re not a music fan, The Beatles Story is a must-see. The atmosphere at Anfield is also unmatched if you’re able to get into a Liverpool FC game.

Notable mention:

If you’re planning to take a trip to Fort William in a petrol or diesel campervan, it may require more planning with it offering just 5 fuel stations. However, EV drivers can expect plenty of provisions, with the location having an average of 154 chargers per every 100,000 people.

How to make the most of a campervan trip

It’s all well and good picking a location and getting excited to drive there in your campervan, but your trip can easily be derailed if you don’t bring all the right gear! Read on for our top tips on how to prepare.

Essentials to bring with you on your campervan trip:

• Driving licence
• ID (for those not driving)
• Money/bank card (we recommend carrying some cash in case you can’t find a cashpoint
• Extra clothing including warm jackets (especially in winter months)
• Sleeping bag or duvets for your bed
• Towels
• A torch or lamp
• Flip flops
• Wellies
• Sun cream
• Something to read
• A game to help pass the time (handy if you’re travelling with kids)
• Sunglasses
• Umbrella
• Power bank for devices
• Camping chairs

Remember, even if it’s a summer trip, it can still get really cold at night in the UK, so you’ll want to bring plenty of extra blankets and clothing layers to keep you warm – nothing is worse than not being able to get to sleep when you’re freezing cold!

Now comes the boring (but really important) stuff, when you’re on your campervan trip you need to remember to do the following:

• Don’t overload your campervan with weight – check the vehicle handbook if you’re unsure
• Check your headlights and indicators are working and that you have enough fuel/EV charge
• If you’re using gas to cook, turn it off at the cylinder after use
• If you’re using electricity (at a campsite for example) disconnect it from the mains first, then from the campervan
• Stow all hoses and cables
• Empty your waste containers at an appropriate spot
• Check your windows, internal doors and cupboards are closed and secure anything that could slide around and cause a distraction/injure passengers
• If you’re on a hill, make sure your handbrake is on (you can also chock the wheels to be safe)
• When you leave your campsite, leave no trace of having been there (no leftover rubbish)

Methodology and sources

To help campervanners plan their trips across the UK, this research sets out to reveal the top locations to visit by campervan this summer. To create this index, we compiled a seed list of 30 locations based on popular blog and news articles and then ranked them across the following metrics. 

• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant
• Number of hikes and trails
• Number of things to do
• Traffic index score
• Availability of fuel
• Number of EV chargers
• Number of campervan sites (a higher weighting was applied to this metric)

For the locations offering the best provisions for campervanning, we took into account the following metrics:

• Traffic index score
• Availability of fuel
• Number of EV chargers
• Number of campervan sites

Locations that didn’t have information across all metrics were removed.