Travelling by motorhome is an amazing way to discover the United Kingdom and Ireland. A chance to get lost on endless roads through mystical landscapes, and come closer to nature,all in the comfort of your own home on wheels. Forget about 5 star hotels as you will experience 5 million stars with the starry sky above your campsite. But where can I spend the night with my motorhome? What types of motorhome stopovers are there and how can I find a motorhome parking near me? Can I also camp in the wild? These are frequent questions of people booking their motorhome trip. In this blog I will lay down the general rules for camping with a motorhome in the UK and Ireland , and show you some useful tips to discover where you can stop in a campervan.
General rules
The law states that wild camping in a motorhome without permission of the landowner is not allowed in England, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland. Some people do try to get away with it in remote areas but by law this is considered trespassing and surely gives a bad reputation to motorhome enthusiasts. A common myth states that thanks to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, in Scotland wild camping with your motorhome is allowed. But actually this law only applies to “lightweight camping”, which does not include motorised vehicles. So where can you stop on a campervan?
On the bright side, there are some options that offer fewer pitches and the possibility for a less civilised camping experience. These small campsites are usually hosted by farmers and other landowners and have minimum facilities but maximum beauty. Later on in this blog I will recommend some apps and websites to find these beautiful motorhome stops.
For those enroute to a destination, there are lots of stopovers somewhat similar to the “aires” in Europe. These are not campsites, they are simply car and lorry parks that have no specific regulations prohibiting overnight stays. Lots of these stops are hosted by local pubs, where you are able to spend the night in return for using their food and beverage services . These stops are usually just for one night.
Apps to find motorhome stops
When travelling with your motorhome ,you might ask yourself: Where can I find the best motorhome parking near me? Well, there are many resources which make it easy for motorhome enthusiasts to find the perfect place to stay. Therefore I have made a list of the most useful apps and websites for finding motorhome stops in the UK.
Cool Camping
Cool Camping initially started as a guide for tent-orientated campers, successfully developing into a website showing all kinds of campsites around the world. By using the filters you will be able to find all campsites for motorhomes across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Visit the CoolCamping website for more information.
Nearly Wild Camping
This organisation offers landowners the possibility to open their land for campers to spend the night. About 40% of all their campsites also welcome campervans and for an annual fee of 20 pounds you will be granted access to the list of all the “Nearly Wild Camping” campsites. For an overview of all their campsites you can visit the Nearly Wild Camping website.
PitchUp
The PitchUp website includes a wide range of motorhome stops. From small farms to luxurious campsites. By setting the filters on motorhome or campervan pitch, you will find an overview of motorhome campsites. Not only do you find motorhome stops on PitchUp, they also provide information about local bike and walking routes, pubs and events. To start searching for motorhome stops you can visit the PitchUp website.
UK Motorhomes
If you are looking for a website which only includes stopovers for motorhomes, the “Extensive list of motorhomes stopovers” selected by UK Motorhomes is the place to be. This list includes officially recognised overnight campervan parkings in the UK and Ireland.
Campercontact
Last but definitely not least is the website and app of CamperContact. I myself extensively use this app to find beautiful motorhome stopovers. Currently they show 238 stops in Ireland, and 1,289 stops in the United Kingdom. To have a look at motorhome stopovers for your trip, visit the Camper Contact website.
Now you know all the tips and tricks to finding the perfect places to stop with a motorhome, you are ready to hit the road! We will leave you with our two golden rules. Firstly, when in doubt, ask! And secondly, ensure you are careful, leave places as you find them. And if you don’t own a motorhome yourself, don't worry! At Goboony, you'll find plenty of motorhomes and campervans waiting to be taken on an adventure.
