Student campervan sites - our roundup and tips

Going camping as a student group and want to keep the costs down? It doesn’t have to be tent camping – campervanning is one of the cheapest holidays around and means you can easily get around the country to several sites on a break at the end of term. Pack up the VW for a break away from study slavery – with a few of you chipping in to pay the pitch fees on campsites and splitting the food (and drink) costs, a campervan break is an option on any budget.

Although some campsites around the country list themselves as not accepting student or single sex groups, there are plenty where student groups are welcome . Here’s our pick of some of the best sites to bring your VW and your mates to – all happy to accept groups and all suitable for student budgets. We’ve also included a few sites with pre-erected tents or lodges, in case your idea of a campervan holiday involves driving your VW to a site then getting your head down with a bit more space/being well away from a fellow traveller’s feet.

Wimbleball Lake Campsite, Somerset

Wimbleball Lake Campsite among the Exmoor hills has pitches for campervans and for tents, ideal if you want to pitch up beside your VW and sleep under the stars. It’s a big fishing site, with three trout fisheries at the lake, and there’s plenty of boating, kayaking and canoeing to do if you feel like being more energetic. Pitches start from £13 a night.

North Lodge, Pembrokeshire

Set on the edge of the Preseli Hills Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park, North Lodge has everything you need here and close by, whether you want to want to use the games room or order a takeaway on-site, or go down to the beach ten minutes away for a boat trip to see the seals and dolphins. Campervan pitches at this sustainable site start from £16 a night. You can also book a pre-erected tent from £30 a night, or go for some luxury by booking the insulated log cabin from £40 a night sleeping up to five.

Roadford Lake Campsite, Devon

Set alongside a 730-acre lake, Roadford Lake Campsite has watersports, boating and fishing on site, or you can cross the lake on the new Lake Ferry to reach the licensed café and have a proper Devon cream tea washed down with a beer. The campsite is next to some of the best surfing spots in the country off the beaches of Devon and Cornwall, and there’s also plenty of sailing available nearby as well as high ropes courses and archery on site. Pitches start from £13 a night.

Also in Devon, big groups are positively encouraged at Woolacombe’s Europa Park , which has a clubhouse, live bands, foam parties and other entertainment in high season – along with fry-ups and a free pool and sauna to soothe sore heads the next day. Campervan pitches at Europa Park have 55% off in 2013 and start from £14.25 a night on landscaped electric pitches with beach views. There are also heated glamping pods available for two to six people, complete with TV, beer fridge and heating, from £29-58 a night.

Castle Point Caravan Site, Dumfries and Galloway

Castle Point Caravan Site is within easy walking distance of three scenic Scottish beaches and is near the 7stanes mountain biking trails. The site has a barbecue area with picnic tables and there’s a food shop about a mile away. Campervan pitches come with electric hook-up and start from £18 a night, with hot water, showers and wifi included. There’s a luxury option at this site too, with six-berth holiday homes caravans available from £45 a night (at least one person in the caravan must be over 21).

Chy Carne Camping and Touring Park, Cornwall

Set just a slither down the hill from the sublime beach of Kennack Sands on Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula, Chy Carne also has loads to do on site among a more peaceful vibe. Hire a chimenea or fire basket, bag some booze at the on-site licensed shop or order a pizza before having an evening in the marquee bar; there’s a TV room too if you want to take it easy for an evening. Pitches at Chy Carne start from £14 a night for non-electric and £16 for electric. You can also book fully furnished two and three bedroom holiday homes from £42.50-47.50 a night – a TV and DVD player is included in all holiday homes and they come with gas, water and electricity included.

More info on finding a student campervan site:

• Look for sites where student groups or single-sex groups are welcome, then filter for motorhome sites .

• Click the ‘Check availability’ box and add in the dates of your holiday – you can filter these by price using the ‘Sort by’ box on the right of the listings.

• Then filter your site according to whatever else you want on your holiday – you can look for student campervan sites where campfires are allowed , that are budget/backpacker or that have a bar or clubhouse on site.

• You can also filter by leisure on site, such as watersports , or what’s nearby, such as a leisure or theme park , amenities like wifi on site or what’s convenient nearby, such as a shop or a bar .

• When you’ve found your campervan site, take a look at the ‘Local attractions’ tab for info on the area, including nearby beaches, bike routes, pubs and must-sees.

More searches for motorhome and campervan sites accepting student groups:

England

Scotland

Wales

Republic of Ireland

Finally, once you’re back from your campervan trip, add a review of your stay to be in with the chance to win a £250 Amazon voucher – we hear money is often in scarce supply with students…