Top locations to go caravanning in the UK

Freedom. That's the word most owners would choose to explain the unique appeal of touring caravans. Hitch your caravan to a car, climb into a motorhome and you're free to go north, south, east or west. To head for the coast or the hills. To seek out lakes and islands. To explore unspoilt villages and historic towns. To end up somewhere different every trip. So where next? The Camping and Caravanning Club alone has more than 2,500 sites to choose from in the UK. It’s no surprise if you're feeling spoilt for choice, but we can help with that (as well as with finding a suitable caravan insurance policy). Listed below are the Intasure team's personal picks of the best locations in the UK to take your touring caravan. Ready? Let's set out on our voyage of discovery.

Buxton and the Derbyshire Peak District

The perfect base for exploring the hills, dales and trails of our oldest National Park, Buxton is an elegant and historic spa town. The newly restored 18th century crescent echoes the architecture of Bath. The Peak District is the southern end of the Pennines and divided into the Dark Peak, mostly high moorland, and the softer, greener but still mountainous White Peak. Bakewell is famous for its almond tarts. Castleton is the only place on earth where Blue John is mined. The village is dominated by the romantic ruins of 12th century Peveril Castle. Chatsworth is perhaps our most spectacular stately home. Edale is unmissable for scenic cycling and hiking routes, including the start of the Pennine Way.

Caravan park in Buxton

Lime Tree Holiday Park

• Open: 1 March – 31st October
• Price: from £29 per night to pitch a touring caravan*
• Location: Just a mile outside of Buxton, on the road towards Bakewell

Just one example of the stunning sites you'll find in and around The Peak District, Lime Tree Holiday Park is a beautiful location for exploring Derbyshire's many glories, yet only a few minutes’ walk from the town centre. It's a four-star park with a mix of static caravans and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents. The setting is a thickly wooded limestone gorge with a magnificent old railway viaduct. Visiting families have the full range of facilities at hand, including toilet and shower blocks, laundry room and shop.

Penzance, Cornwall

The last major town in England as you head towards Land's End, Penzance could not be more Cornish. Winding streets, cobbled alleyways and subtropical gardens give it a unique flavour. The Admiral Benbow tavern features in Treasure Island and conjures up the port's piratical past. Nearby landmarks include the fishing harbours of Newlyn and Mousehole, views of spectacular St Michael's Mount from Marazion, and Britain's biggest seawater lido. Further afield, the South West Coastal Path meanders past sandy beaches and clifftop vistas. There's arty St Ives with its Tate Gallery to the north, the Eden Project is near St Austell, and Lizard is England's southernmost village.

Caravan park in Penzance

Penlee Caravan Park

• Open: 4th March – 28th October
• Price: From £54.30 per night to pitch a touring caravan (depending on caravan type)*
• Location: On the seafront, 3 miles from Penzance and 500m from Mousehole's fishing harbour

Right on the Mount's Bay seafront at Mousehole (pronounced Muzzle), Penlee caravan park is a small jewel of a park with just 16 static caravans plus a few pitches for touring caravans. But there are a wealth of caravan and motorhome parks around Penzance, all perfectly positioned for exploring the South West, with Land's End and St Ives both just half an hour's drive away.

Snowdonia, North Wales

Named after England and Wales's highest mountain, Snowdonia (Eyri in Welsh) is the spectacular National Park in the northwest of the Principality. It's home to nine mountain ranges, 23 miles of coastline, 11,000 hectares of native woodland and almost 1,500 miles of walking trails. Are you fit enough to take one of the six walking and climbing routes to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) or would you prefer to take the narrow gauge railway to the top from Llanberis? With opportunities for ziplining, white water rafting, and paragliding, this is a hotbed of adventure. Bala Lake is ideal for canoeing and fishing, and from the gorgeous village of Beddgelert you can catch the Welsh Highland Railway to the coast at Caernarfon or Porthmadog.

Caravan park in Snowdonia

Bryn Gloch Caravan Park, Snowdonia

• Open: 1st March – 31st October
• Price: From £26 per night to pitch a touring caravan, depending on the type of pitch and time of year*
• Location: 5 miles inland from Caernarfon at Betws Garmon, near the foot of Snowdon

Bryn Gloch caravan park is a large, superbly equipped caravan and camping park in the heart of Snowdonia. Heated bathrooms, playgrounds and a shop make it a comfortable, convenient, family-friendly site. With the River Gwyrfai flowing nearby, this is a popular fishing spot. Above all, it's a great base for exploring North Wales from Porthmadog and Cardigan Bay to Caernarfon with its enormous castle and town walls, built by Edward I and completed in 1330.

Isle of Skye, Scotland

There are so many breathtaking places in Scotland's Highlands and Islands, but we've chosen to focus on Skye. The largest and furthest north of the Inner Hebrides, it combines sheer beauty, history and adventure with accessibility. Bonnie Prince Charlie had to be rowed over the sea to Skye by Flora MacDonald, but since 1995, you and your caravan can arrive by road over the sweeping Skye Bridge. If you love demanding mountain walking, 12 of Scotland's world-famous Munros are on Skye. Less strenuous attractions include scenic villages such as Dunvegan, Uig and Armadale, along with the MacDonald and MacLeod clan castles. Nature lovers flock to the isle, hoping to catch sight of the rare white tailed sea eagle, as well as otters, seals, orcas, dolphins, and red deer.

Camping Skye caravan park

• Open: 20th March – 1st November
• Price: From £27 per night to pitch a touring caravan. Extra charges for more than one adult and to use the facilities*
• Location: Broadford village on Skye's east coast with a choice of shops and eateries nearby

One of the numerous excellent sites on Skye, Camping Skye opened in 2018 and is community-owned. This is a mid-sized site with 26 pitches for touring caravans and motor homes. Modern facilities include heated showers, laundry and free Wi-Fi. It sits in a serene woodland setting just outside the village of Broadford on Skye's east coast, conveniently close to the bridge. The location makes this an ideal base for hiking and climbing, exploring castles, sampling the local single malt, or wildlife watching. Look out for those sea eagles, otters and orcas!

Windermere, Lake District

Welcome to England's first, biggest, and most visited national park. "How many lakes are there in the Lake District?" is a popular trick question—and the answer is just one. Bassenthwaite Lake is the only body of water with the L word in its name. The other 15 are called waters or meres and the numerous small ones are tarns. Thanks to the same Viking heritage, the Cumbrian mountains are known as fells and pikes—or both in the case of Scafell Pike, England's highest peak. Windermere is an 11-mile-long finger of water in the southern lakes, with the bustling tourist towns of Bowness and Ambleside on its shores. The whole place is a paradise for walking, climbing, boating and fishing, with fresh air in abundance. Bring your rainwear, though. And take time from all those activities to stop and look around, because there's a breath-taking vista every few minutes.

Caravan park in Windermere

Skelwith Fold 5* caravan park, near Windermere

• Open: 1st March – 31st October
• Price: From £47 per night to pitch a touring caravan*
• Location: Close to Ambleside at the northern end of Windermere

Just a mile and a half outside Ambleside on the Hawkshead road, Skelwith Fold caravan park is an award-winning site with modern toilet and shower blocks, a well-stocked licenced shop and on-site sports facilities. There are 150 touring caravan pitches alongside static caravans, all nestling amid 130 acres of lakeside woodland with views of the Langdale Pikes in the distance. Wildlife abounds in the area, including deer, red squirrels, badgers, grebes and cormorants.

Whitstable, Kent

The world of independent shops, atmospheric pubs and groovy galleries is your oyster in and around Whitstable. Plus, of course, amazing fish and seafood. There's a castle to visit, and a wealth of walks along shingly beaches fringed with brightly painted bathing huts. Ready to explore further? The famous resort, fishing harbour and oyster mecca shares this stretch of the north Kent coast with Herne Bay and Margate. You can take a Saxon Shore hike towards Faversham, and Canterbury is just a seven mile pilgrimage (or bike ride) along the Crab and Winkle Way. In fact staying near Whitstable opens up the entire Garden of England for your delight.

Caravan park Whitstable

Primrose Cottage Caravan Park, Whitstable

• Open: 20th March – 31st October
• Price: From £24 per night to pitch a touring caravan*
• Location: Just inland from Whitstable centre and the sea

Primrose Cottage caravan park is a small, quiet site a mile and a half inland from Whitstable on the Canterbury Road. It's a mix of static caravans and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents. The top class facilities include toilets/showers, free Wi-Fi and eggs on sale from the site's own chickens.

Wells-next-the-Sea, North Norfolk

The entire North Norfolk coast is a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty with Wells at its heart. The tiny town is a delight with its Georgian square, historic harbour and relaxed mix of shops, pubs and restaurants. Walk a mile north from the quay through pinewoods and you're on a spectacular beach of fine sand, backed by brilliantly coloured bathing huts on stilts. Nature abounds in this area, with seals a common sight. The nearby salt marshes are a magnet for wading birds, bitterns, avocets, marsh harriers and winter geese. Ready to explore Norfolk more? Norwich with its vast Norman cathedral and castle is about fifty miles from Wells. Great Yarmouth and the boating paradise of the Broads are also easy to reach.

Caravan park Wells-next-the-sea

Spoonbill Drift touring park, Wells-next-the-Sea

• Open: 1st February to 2nd January
• Price: From £46 per night to pitch a touring caravan, depending on the time of year*
• Location: On the road between Wells-next-the-Sea town and the beach, close to Holkham Hall

Sharing its site with the Pinewood static caravan site, Spoonbill caravan site offers 116 spacious pitches for touring caravans and motor homes. At the edge of North Norfolk's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Holkham National Nature Reserve, expect big skies in a delightful seaside setting. Each pitch is served by electricity and water and grey water waste points. Other amenities include toilets, showers, washing up facilities and a laundrette. Your neighbours may include the pink-footed geese and widgeon who overwinter on the site.

Ilfracombe, Devon

The foodie hub of Devon's north coast, Ilfracombe combines the appeal of a traditional holiday resort with unique contemporary touches. Verity, a controversial 66-foot stainless steel statue by Damien Hirst, looks out to sea from the edge of the pier. With the heights of Hillsborough looming over pastel-coloured houses and a historic fishing harbour, there's plenty of character. You can cross town using the semi-hidden lanes without setting foot on a main street, possibly a hangover from the days when smugglers were sneaking around Ilfracombe. Along the North Devon Heritage Coast, you can walk above dramatic cliffs, explore the unique Tunnels Beaches, go deep sea fishing, head out to the Marine Conservation Area of Lundy Island, surf from superlatively sandy Woolacombe beach, and explore the mysteries of Exmoor.

Caravan park Ilfracombe

Mill Park caravan park, Ilfracombe, North Devon

• Open: 1st March – 31st October
• Price: From £25 per night to pitch a touring caravan*
• Location: 4 miles from Ilfracombe

Is this small, family run site the best campsite in North Devon? That's for you to decide. Mill Park campsite welcomes touring caravans and is perfectly positioned near the village of Berrynarbor. This is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty between Ilfracombe and Combe Martin. The South West Coastal Path runs past the park. Facilities include a shop and a bar that both specialise in local produce.

One more thing to consider before setting out with your caravan

Although life with a touring caravan is about freedom, it can also bring risks. Intasure’s touring caravan insurance can help to provide cover for your caravan in cases of theft, injury, liability, or accidents. Contact the Intasure team for a caravan insurance quote. *Correct as at 13/02/2023 The sole purpose of this article is to provide guidance on the issues covered. This article is not intended to give legal advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein or in the links which were live at the date of publication. You should not act upon (or should refrain from acting upon) information in this publication without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited trading as Intasure accepts no liability for any inaccuracy, omission or mistake in this publication, nor will we be responsible for any loss which may be suffered as a result of any person relying on the information contained herein.