While you can plan your own camping road trip itinerary and use it as a chance to visit places you’ve always wanted to, there are some classic road trip destinations people flock to year after year.
One of the most iconic road trip destinations in the UK is the North Coast 500.
Clocking in at just over 500 miles (516m, to be precise), this route circumnavigates the northern half of mainland Scotland, following the coast for most of its route and visiting some truly stunning locations. You’ll visit white sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and remote coastal villages, with plenty of activities along the way, like stunning golf courses and sea kayaking. Some people choose to cycle the route but plenty head there in vehicles, too, with loads of campsites along the way.
If 500 miles is a bit too much, check out the South West Coastal 300 route, exploring Scotland’s southwest coast.
In Northern Ireland, the Causeway Coastal Route tracks along, well, the coast of Northern Ireland, which is world famous for its spectacular cliffs and the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site.
This stretch of coastline attracts thousands of visitors each year thanks to its epic natural scenery, which really is epic – it was chosen as a filming location for Game of Thrones as a result. Stay at campsites like Skerries Holiday Park on the outskirts of Portrush.
Another epic coastal road trip route is along the Pembrokeshire Coast 200 in south Wales, designed by CaravanCloud to take in a superb array of beaches, historic locations and brilliant campsites along the way. Explore beautiful locations like Ramsey Island, Tenby and Whitesands Bay over the course of three to five days. Similarly, the Wales Coastal Way provided an epic adventure for Camping Editor, Iain Duff.
For an inland route, explore the Lake District over the course of a few days, stopping to bag a few summits and enjoy stunning views across the fells.
There’s no single recognised route but the gravity-defying roads of Hardknott Pass are a popular draw, leading to Langdale Valley from Eskdale, close to popular stops at Wasdale Head and Coniston. From Langdale, it’s a short hop across to Ambleside and north past Thirlmere to Keswick, with plenty of opportunities to get out of the car and explore, as well as campsites aplenty.
Our final recommendation lies in Norfolk, specifically along its north coast. From Sandringham Estate, you can take a leisurely route along the coastline, stopping regularly at beaches, nature reserves and cosy villages, all the way to Cromer (though the Norfolk Coast protect area continues on to Paston).
There is a huge array of campsites along this popular coastline, from large holiday parks like Pinewoods in Wells to glamping sites like Hunstanton Camping and Glamping.
If you’re feeling adventurous, try a camping road trip in Europe, too.
