Campervan Hire in Plymouth

Plymouth — a city worth exploring

Plymouth is a city shaped by the sea. Perched where the rivers Plym and Tamar meet the English Channel, it has one of Europe's largest natural harbours and a maritime story that stretches back centuries. This is where the Mayflower Pilgrims departed for the New World in 1620 — and where, today, Brittany Ferries still connects Devon to France and Spain.

A campervan is the ideal way to experience Plymouth and its surroundings. The city itself is compact enough to explore on foot: start at the Barbican, where narrow cobbled lanes wind past Plymouth Gin's Black Friars Distillery, independent studios and seafood restaurants. From there, it is a short stroll to Plymouth Hoe, the open headland where you can look out across Plymouth Sound, watch naval ships pass Drake's Island, and peer up at Smeaton's Tower lighthouse.

For families, the National Marine Aquarium on the waterfront is one of the UK's best marine attractions, while The Box — a free museum that opened in 2020 — brings together art, natural history and Plymouth's wartime story under one roof. Across the water, Royal William Yard's converted Georgian buildings offer weekend markets, waterfront dining and evening events throughout the summer.

The real magic of hiring a campervan in Plymouth, though, is how quickly you can escape into the countryside. Dartmoor's wild open moorland is barely 25 km north, perfect for couples who want to hike, cycle or simply park up with a view. To the east, the South Devon AONB unspools a coastline of sandy coves and ancient fishing villages — Wembury, Noss Mayo and the Yealm Estuary are all less than 30 minutes from the city. And crossing the Tamar into Cornwall opens up the Rame Peninsula, Whitsand Bay and the harbour villages of Cawsand and Kingsand.