The late, great Sir Terry Wogan often used to speak of the touring caravan as a ‘harbinger of spring’ in his iconic BBC Radio 2 breakfast show as the days lengthened and the sun strengthened.
Indeed, caravans large and small, not to mention motorhomes and campervans, are a regular sight on our roads and motorways when the ‘better weather’ comes along (although we’re not forgetting those hardy souls who don’t let winter deter their wanderlust).
So, where are the travellers off to? Who knows something that you don’t?
We’ve pulled together a list of some of the best UK destinations for caravanners, motorhomers and campervanners. It’s by no means exhaustive (how could it be with such a beautiful country to explore?), but if you’re looking for a little inspiration, read on.
We’ll come to the most obvious destinations like the Lake District, Cornwall and Scotland in a moment, but let’s begin somewhere that’s a little less obvious.
This hidden treasure has enormous beaches, friendly locals and stunning mountains, making it a great destination for tourers.
You can visit the little town of Barmouth and try your hand at crabbing on the pier, or if you’re feeling a bit more energetic, try taking a cycling trip across the Barmouth Bridge. Cader Idris, one of the three mountains in the famous Welsh Three-Peaks Challenge, is a great idea for with even more energy to burn. Shell Island is well worth a visit, too, with enormous sand dunes to explore and a vast beach to spend the day.
Wales’ south coast is a perfect spot for a caravan trip, with scenic coastline walks, picture-perfect beaches and plenty of places to visit. As a popular camping destination, there are plenty of sites for you to park up, kick back and relax.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Trust site is perfect for stunning coastline views or, for the more adventurous traveller, check out the rides at Oakwood Theme Park.
From south west to north east. Northumberland is not always the first place caravanners think to visit, but with its stunning coastline, numerous castles – such as Alnwick and Bamburgh – and plenty of beautiful villages to visit inland and on the coast, it’s not quite a hidden treasure but well worth a visit if you’ve never been before.
The tiny village of Craster, famous for its kippers, is a superb destination with a pub garden overlooking the beach and a well-worn path up to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, an English Heritage site that is not only scenic but evocative of what it must have been like centuries ago.
Northumberland, with England’s most pristine dark skies, is an International Dark Sky Park, making it perfect for star gazers.
From the roads less travelled, to a more popular destination, although it’s a lengthy road to travel for most of us in the UK!
Cornwall has long since been a favourite holiday destination for caravanners. It has everything going for it – stunning coastline, cliffs, beaches, villages, fishing ports and the magnificent tourist attraction that is The Eden Project, which has the largest rainforest in captivity.
The quaint town of Polperro is worth a visit, and you can also take a trip to the famous Jamaica Inn, or visit Land’s End, the westernmost point of Cornwall.
None of it, however, is for the faint hearted at the height of the holiday season.
One of the most visited areas of England, the Lake District is perfect for those who enjoy exploring forests, heading out on adventurous walks, mountain biking, sailing and even wild swimming.
Scafell Pike is the highest peak in England but there others to climb too, and Lake Windermere is popular for water sports. And, like Northumberland, the Lakes has some of the darkest skies in the country, making it the perfect spot for some stargazing.
Where to start? West coast, east coast, the borders, the highlands and islands? Scotland is immense when it comes to everything we loves about the UK.
One of the most legendary Lochs in Scotland, Loch Lomond promises to be a touring destination to remember. There are several touring caravan sites around The Trossachs National Park, making it a popular spot for tourists all over Britain. There’s plenty to see, with sprawling forests, winding roads and huge mountains placing you right in the middle of the Scottish wilderness.
It’s truly impossible to list everywhere. Every which way you turn in this delightful country of ours, there is somewhere and something worth visiting. We haven’t even mentioned North Wales and Anglesey, the Cotswolds, the North Yorkshire Moors, Brecon Beacons, Malverns, even Northern Island – we could go on and on.
But if you’re looking for more detailed information about where to go and where the best caravan sites are, we’ve done the research for you. Here are some helpful and informative sources to help plan your travels and more.
1) Practical Caravan: how do you pick the right site for you? That’s where Practical Caravan’s guide comes in. To identify the standout caravan sites, it has asked its readers to rate the sites they’ve visited. Its expert team then judge the results and the publication compiles the final 100.
It then publishes a Top 100 Sites Guide, which runs through the best caravan sites from across the UK, breaking it down by region. The guide, which is available as a free PDF, also includes a directory listing 500 more sites.
2) Out and About Live: As its name suggests, the site covers the whole gamut of getting out and about and includes motorhomes, camping, holiday homes and campsites. It has put together a list of the top scenic sites to visit in Britain by caravan.
But it’s not just full of ideas of where to go in the UK and abroad, it has information about caravan models, safety tips, caravan cooking, forthcoming caravan, camping and motorhome shows. A mine of information for the caravan enthusiast.
3) Auto Express: If you’re struggling to find somewhere to stay, Auto Express has put together a list of what it rates as the top 20 sites for touring caravans in the UK to suit all preferences.
4) Time Out: If camper vans are your thing, Time Out has put together a list of the 20 coolest sites for campervans in the UK.
5) Caravan Times: And not forgetting those hardy souls with year-round wanderlust, Caravan Times has compiled a list if what it considers to be the best sites to take your caravan in winter.
Wherever you’re off to on your travels, stay safe, particularly on the narrow, winding roads that characterise much of the most beautiful areas in the UK.
Here at Aguri, we have two products to keep you safe and on the right roads when you’re towing a caravan or driving a motorhome. Our motorhome sat navs and our caravan sat navs:
Our Motorhome & Caravan RV520 DVR sat nav system incorporates a 5-inch, high-resolution responsive LCD and is pre-loaded with full UK and European mapping so you can start using it straight out of the box.
Simply enter the dimensions and weight of your vehicle and the Aguri RV520 will calculate routes avoiding narrow roads and low bridges plus many other hazards you might encounter otherwise.
The Aguri RV520 also has a built-in dash cam, Wi-Fi, live digital traffic alerts and includes over 30,000 campsites and motorhome stopovers with free wireless map and speed trap warning.
If you’re driving a larger vehicle, you could opt for the new Aguri Motorhome & Caravan RV760 portable satellite navigation system, which features 7-inch, high-resolution responsive LCD and comes preloaded with our unique specialist motorhome and caravan routing software, plus full UK and European mapping, so you can start using it straight out of the box.
Just like the slightly smaller alternative, simply enter the dimensions and weight of your vehicle and the RV760 will create a route avoiding narrow roads, low bridges plus many other hazards, for a safer journey.
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