Join a club
Becoming a member of one or both of the major UK touring clubs – the Caravan and Motorhome Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club – gives you access to 4500 campsites. The Clubs list sites that they own, affiliated sites and Certificated Sites/locations.
CSS and CLS are small, independent sites for members only, which take five units, often on working farms or in beautiful countryside; some are areas within larger sites. Most will provide a supply of fresh water, but you should always check the website listing for other facilities.
If you are thinking of touring abroad, both Clubs can help with travel arrangements, offering deals for ferries, European site bookings and vehicle insurance.
The important stuff
Make a list of what you require from a campsite. If you are only stopping for one or two nights, it might be as simple as a nearby pub where you can get a meal.
If you are staying longer, look for easy access to public transport, which saves you the stress of driving into busy areas and having to park.
Washroom facilities on most sites include showers, toilets and basins, family rooms and amenities for wheelchair users; many have dishwashing and laundry facilities. Check the website for details and reviews.
Reviews and awards listed on websites are very good indicators of how well a campsite is run. For eco-friendly credentials, look for the David Bellamy Awards symbol.
Super-clean washroom facilities can earn themselves a Loo of the Year Award. Visit Britain and the AA grade campsites, while in our annual Top 100 Sites Guide, the winning sites are voted for by their guests (to download your free copy, go to https://bit.ly/2z08l2k).
Sites for the grown-ups…
Select an adults-only site if you are grown-ups seeking peace and quiet. Tranquil Parks (tranquilparks.co.uk) lists 43 independent, family-owned adults-only parks across England and Wales, with some helpful filters, such as dog-friendly, open all year and fishing.
Fishing and touring seem quite common bedfellows, with access to angling lakes at, among others, Eye Kettleby Lakes (eyekettlebylakes.com), Leicestershire, Henfold Lakes (henfoldlakesleisure.co.uk) in Surrey,
Sumners Ponds (sumnersponds.co.uk) in Sussex, Woodhall Country Park (woodhallcountrypark.co.uk) in Lincolnshire, and Fields End Water (fieldsendwater. co.uk) in Cambridgeshire.
… and for families
Families often prefer full-facility campsites, providing children’s clubs, play areas, fields for ball games, pools and a restaurant, café, bar or clubhouse. Some have crazy golf and petting zoos, others, spas and a gym.
Take a look at holiday park operators such as Flower of May (www.flowerofmay.com), which owns several parks in Yorkshire offering family-friendly facilities.
Full-facility sites usually have a complement of static caravans, some privately owned, others available for hire. The ambience throughout will be busy and family-friendly.
Other holiday park operators to take a look at include Lancashire’s Holgates (holgates.co.uk), whose Silverdale campsite is a regular finalist in our Top 100 Sites Guide, Parkdean Resorts (parkdeanresorts.co.uk) – 32 of its 67
3 5
■ Where WF8 3HU Single site between Doncaster and Pontefract ■ Operated by Welcome Break ■ Parking None at service station, but A1 Touring Park adjacent (www.a1touringpark.co.uk) ■ Forecourt BP, Applegreen, Costa Express, Adblue
■ Where DL8 1DT
Single site at J51, accessible to traffic on the A684
■ Operated by Moto
■ Parking Dedicated parking for caravans; first two hours free for all vehicles, then caravans £17.50 ■ Catering Costa,
Mcdonald’s Drive Thru
■ Forecourt BP, Shop,
Costa Express, Adblue