Gone are the days of just turning up at a campsite and hoping for the best. In the UK, especially during school holidays and on bank holiday weekends, booking your pitch in advance is absolutely essential. Thankfully, a number of excellent websites make it easy to find, compare, and book campsites online, taking the stress out of planning your trip.
Our Recommended Booking Platforms
- Best for Variety: For the biggest selection and powerful search filters, Pitchup.com is the undisputed champion.
- Best for Quality Standards: For consistently clean and well-managed sites, The Camping and Caravanning Club website is the go-to for members.
- Best for Unique Stays: If you're after a unique glamping pod or a scenic woodland pitch, Cool Camping offers a brilliantly curated selection.
First, What Are You Looking For?
Before you even start searching, it pays to have a clear idea of what you need. A five-minute chat with your fellow campers can save you hours of scrolling. Consider these key points:
Your Camping Style
Are you a family with young kids who need a playground and evening entertainment? A couple looking for a quiet, remote site with campfires allowed? Or a group of friends who need a site that accepts larger groups? Defining your style helps you filter out unsuitable sites immediately.
Must-Have Facilities
Be honest about your non-negotiables. For some, a clean toilet and shower block is all that matters. Others might need an electric hook-up (EHU) for their air pump and phone chargers, a laundry room for longer trips, or an on-site shop for essentials.
Location Strategy
Decide whether you want a quick weekend getaway close to home or a destination holiday. Use the map view on booking sites to check proximity to beaches, walking trails, pubs, or local attractions you plan to visit.
In-Depth: The Best Booking Platforms
Our Top Pick: Pitchup.com
For its sheer range of options and ease of use, Pitchup.com is our number one recommendation. It's a huge aggregator site, meaning it lists thousands of campsites, from large holiday parks to small, independent farm sites. Its most powerful feature is its filtering system, allowing you to narrow down thousands of sites to the handful that perfectly match your needs.
How to Book on Pitchup.com (Step-by-Step)
- Enter Your Destination and Dates: Use the main search bar on the homepage to enter the town, county, or region you want to visit, along with your arrival date and number of nights.
- Use the Filters: On the results page, use the extensive list of filters on the left-hand side. This is key. Be specific about your needs (e.g., tick "Tent pitch" and "Dogs allowed").
- Explore on the Map: Use the map view to see the exact location of each campsite. This is great for checking how close they are to a beach, a pub, or a walking trail.
- Read Recent Reviews: Once you find a site you like, read the most recent reviews. Pay attention to comments about the cleanliness of the facilities, the friendliness of the staff, and the general atmosphere.
- Complete Your Booking: When you've made your choice, click "Book now" and follow the simple on-screen instructions to enter your details and pay the deposit. You'll receive an instant confirmation email.
The Camping and Caravanning Club
The Club's website is the only place to book their network of high-quality, well-maintained Club Sites. They are known for their immaculate facilities and friendly, well-trained staff.
Cool Camping
Cool Camping is a curated booking site that focuses on more unique, "special" campsites. If you're looking for a peaceful woodland pitch, a quirky glamping pod, or a site with a stunning view, this is the place to look.
Booking Direct with the Campsite
This is a great tip that I use all the time. I often use Pitchup like a powerful search engine to find a list of potential sites that meet my criteria. But before I hit 'book', I'll always open a new tab and Google the campsite's name directly. It’s a two-minute check that can sometimes save you a few quid and offer other benefits.
The Advantages of Booking Direct
- Potentially Cheaper: Campsites have to pay a commission (often 10-15%) to booking platforms. Some sites pass this saving on to you if you book direct.
- Direct Communication: You're dealing straight with the owners. This is great for asking specific questions about a pitch or making special requests.
- More Availability: Sites sometimes only list a portion of their pitches on aggregators. Their own website might show full availability or offer different pitch types.
- Support Small Businesses: Booking direct means 100% of your money goes to the campsite owner, which is a great way to support small, independent businesses.
When to Stick with the Booking Platform
- Ease and Security: Big platforms offer a slick, secure payment process. A smaller site’s system might be clunky or require a less-protected bank transfer.
- Centralised Reviews: You lose the benefit of seeing a huge volume of recent, aggregated reviews in one place.
- Instant Confirmation: Most platforms provide instant booking confirmation, whereas some small sites require you to email a request and wait.
How to Spot a Bad Campsite: Red Flags in Reviews
Reviews are your best friend, but you need to know what to look for. Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Multiple recent complaints about cleanliness: One person's standards might be different, but if several recent reviews mention dirty toilets or showers, believe them.
- Mentions of noise or late-night parties: If you're looking for a quiet family site, reviews mentioning lax enforcement of noise rules are a major red flag.
- Vague or hidden extra costs: Look for reviews that mention being charged extra for things like showers, awnings, or extra people that weren't clear at the time of booking.
- Poor communication from owners: Reviews complaining that owners are hard to get hold of or unhelpful can be a sign of a poorly managed site.
Top Tips for Securing Your Pitch
- Book Early for Bank Holidays: For peak times like the May and August bank holidays, you often need to book 3-6 months in advance to get a good pitch at a popular site.
- Check the Rules: Before you book, always read the site's rules. Pay close attention to their policies on dogs, campfires, and noise, to make sure it's a good fit for your camping style.
- Read the T&Cs for Cancellations: Check the terms and conditions for your booking. Understand what happens to your deposit if you need to cancel due to bad weather or a change of plans.
About the Author
Adam Brooks
For the last ten years, I've been enthusiastically getting rained on in fields from the Cornish coast to the Lake District. My passion for finding gear that actually works was born from one too many 'easy-pitch' tents that required an engineering degree and a marriage counsellor to assemble. I created Top Listed Products to provide honest, straightforward reviews for fellow UK campers, so you can spend less time worrying about your kit and more time enjoying that well-earned bacon butty.