You’ve kitted out your van, you’ve now got a fully-fledged Motor Caravan.
The question is, where do you go?
There are endless amounts of places you can go, but are they all worth the journey?
You also need to make sure you’re stopping in places that it’s legal to stop at. Some countries can be a bit funny with what’s known as wild camping, with some countries making it illegal but often tolerated.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best places to visit in your camper van in UK and Europe. If you decide to take things further afield, just make sure you have the correct campervan insurance in place before setting off.
UK Campervan Spots
The Lake District
The Lake District is a must for UK campervan adventures. Boasting beautiful scenery of mountains and as the name suggests, lakes. Visit the beautiful nearby villages or visit the home of Beatrix Potter. Whether it’s your first or 5th visit, every time’s a wonder.
The Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean. England’s oldest forest. Full of history, full of stories. Originally designed by the Saxons for hunting and later used as the hunting grounds of kings, it’s now a tranquil place of beauty and wildlife. If you know where to look, you’ll find some of the best Roman remains in Britain. If you don’t know where to look, start with Lydney Park Spring Gardens. There’s so much to do there, you could visit every year and still see or do something different.
Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons National Park has some of, if not the best, views in Wales. Waterfalls, mountains, lakes and areas of lush secluded countryside. Did you know that it’s also a dark sky reserve? So, bring along your telescopes, pick a good spot and continue getting amazing views through the night. You can find some great camping spots here http://www.breconbeacons.org/camping-glamping-caravanning.
Durness
Durness in Scotland is worth every minute of the journey. A remote northern part of Scotland where you can catch the northern lights (depending on when you go) and you can pitch your campervan in a perfect spot to see it. A seaside village so secluded, it only has 1 campsite and that’s on the cliffs above the beach. Worth visiting here is Balnakeil Church, where it is said that the remains of a man called Duncan MacMorrach was buried in the walls for being “ill to his friend, waur (worse) to his foe” and was not allowed to be buried in the graveyard.
Three Cliffs Bay
Three Cliffs Bay in South Wales is listed among Britain’s best beaches. Situated on the Gower costal path you can visit other beaches by walking the path or cycling. With many camping spots nearby you’ll find loads to do, just watch for the brisk Welsh breeze. The campsite, also called Three Cliffs Bay, is easy to find and has all the facilities you could want including a fully heated amenity block.
Europe Campervan Spots
France
Camping Le Ty Nadan in Southern Brittany provides a beautiful forest environment. The campsite is situated on a bend of the river L’Elle and is perfect for families. Explore from a canoe or horseback or spend some time fishing for salmon and trout to cook on the fire. The town is only a few minutes away and the nearest beach is just a 30 minute drive. Zip-lining, paintballing and mountain biking are all available to fill your days at Camping Le Ty Nadan.
Austria
Natterer See in Austria is a picture-perfect resort surrounded by the Nordkette mountains. It’s untouched natural beauty is spectacular and is only around 4 miles away from the Olympic city of Innsbruck. With the options from water sports to mountain biking, concerts to excursions, there’s something for everyone at Natterer See.
Norway
No need to mention anywhere specific because Norway in general is a spectacular place to visit. You’d need to dedicate a full holiday of travelling to explore properly plus, how would you manage to pull yourself away from waking up to views of the Norwegian Fjords? From the North Cape and down to Olso, there’s so much to see and so much you don’t want to miss!
Belgium
Before we go into places in Belgium to visit, let’s start by saying that while some people say wild camping in Belgium is illegal, it seems to be tolerated to some degree. If you’re planning on wild camping, we recommend arriving later in the day and leaving as early as possible. Usually best to look out for other wild campers too. Now, where to go in Belgium? With a vast amount of Picturesque towns and villages, the choices or huge. There’re many great camping sites all situated within close proximity of the popular cities of Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Brussels.
Switzerland
Bern the capital of Switzerland and where you can visit the home of Albert Einstein. You get the feeling of being transported back in time while you wander through the Unesco Word Heritage listed old town. Full of fantastic museums and equally fantastic locals, speaking in a variety of dialects such as French, German and English. See the Zytglogge, the clock tower which once formed part of the city’s western gate between 1191 and 1256. Find the 11 16th century fountains dotted around the city depicting historic and folkloric characters, the most famous being Kindlifresserbrunnen, or “child eater” which was built around 1546.
