Are camping club memberships worth it for UK road trips?

Camping club memberships can be worth it if you tour regularly, want access to smaller member-only sites or plan to use club discounts across several nights. For a short one-off trip, compare the membership cost with the specific campsites and benefits you are likely to use.

Which camping clubs are best for motorhomes and campervans?

The Camping and Caravanning Club and the Caravan and Motorhome Club are both useful for motorhome and campervan road trips because they offer club sites, smaller certificated sites or locations, booking networks and member benefits. The best choice depends on your route, vehicle type, preferred site style and how often you travel.

Can I book campsites without a membership?

Yes. Many campsites, touring parks, holiday parks and glamping stays can be booked without a camping club membership. Memberships are mainly useful when you want access to member-only sites, smaller rural sites, club booking networks or recurring discounts.

What is the difference between a campsite and a holiday park?

A campsite is often focused on tent, campervan, caravan or motorhome pitches. A holiday park usually has more facilities and may include static caravans, lodges, entertainment, restaurants, swimming pools or family activities. Some holiday parks also offer touring and camping pitches.

Is ACSI useful for UK road trips?

CampingCard ACSI is mainly useful for low-season European touring. It can be useful if your wider road trip includes Europe, but UK-only travellers may find UK camping clubs, campsite directories and individual holiday park websites more relevant.

Should I book campsites before starting a road trip?

For popular areas, school holidays, bank holidays and coastal routes, booking ahead is usually sensible. In quieter seasons you may have more flexibility, especially if your route includes smaller sites, touring parks or several possible overnight stop options.

Uncover Britain road trip planning

Camping Club Memberships, Holiday Parks & Campsite Directories for UK Road Trips

Camping club memberships can quietly transform a road trip. They open up places you may not find on standard booking sites: smaller fields, peaceful certificated sites, touring pitches, rural stopovers and well-managed networks designed for caravans, campervans, motorhomes and tents.

This guide focuses mainly on UK camping club memberships, what they are useful for and when they may be worth paying for. It also includes a directory of holiday parks, glamping options and campsite search tools so you can plan the wider overnight side of your trip in one place.

Best used alongside your route planning: choose your road trip first, then use memberships, directories and holiday park networks to find overnight stays that match your vehicle, budget, location and travel style.

Compare club memberships See the directory Plan the wider trip

Tent and camping setup in the countryside — Club memberships can be especially useful when you want quieter sites, touring pitches, member-only locations or a trusted network while moving between destinations.

Club memberships Access, discounts and member-only networks

Smaller sites Useful for quieter touring stops and rural stays

Holiday parks Facilities, entertainment and family-friendly bases

Glamping options Good for mixed groups and easier comfort

Road trip planning Choose overnight stops around the route

Start here

Why camping club memberships matter on a road trip

On a normal holiday, you might choose one campsite and stay there for a week. On a road trip, overnight stops have a bigger job to do. They need to fit your route, your vehicle, your arrival time, your need for facilities and the pace of your journey. A good membership can help by giving you access to trusted sites, smaller locations, useful discounts and a clearer way to plan your overnight stops.

Access

More places to stay

Some of the most useful touring stops are not large public holiday parks. They may be smaller certificated sites, rural pitches, member-only locations or low-key places on farms, private land or near villages.

This can be especially useful when you are building a route through countryside, national parks, coastlines or smaller market towns where large campsites may be limited.

Savings

Membership can pay for itself

Membership fees are only worthwhile if you use them, but regular campers, touring caravan owners and motorhome travellers can often save through member rates, pitch discounts, offers or access to cheaper small sites.

The key is to compare the membership cost against the kind of trip you are actually planning, not just the headline benefits.

Confidence

A more reliable planning base

Club networks can make it easier to find sites with clear rules, known facilities and a recognised booking process. That matters when you are moving every few days and want less uncertainty at the end of a long drive.

It is not a replacement for checking details, but it can reduce the amount of guesswork.

Important distinction: this page is mainly about memberships and overnight-stay networks. If you are looking for individual campsites, touring parks or glamping stays rather than a club membership, use our separate UK campsites guide.

Choosing well

How to decide whether a camping club membership is right for you

The best membership depends on how you travel. A family with a tent, a couple in a campervan, a caravan owner and a motorhome traveller may all need different things from an overnight stop.

Trip length

A one-night stop may not justify a membership, but a multi-stop touring holiday gives you more chances to use member benefits.

Vehicle type

Caravans, campervans and motorhomes often need different pitch sizes, access, waste facilities and electric hook-up options.

Travel style

Club sites can suit travellers who want reliability, while smaller sites may suit those looking for peaceful overnight stops.

Location

Memberships are most useful when their site network matches your route, especially in rural, coastal or national park areas.

Main comparison

Camping club memberships to consider

These are the main membership-style options to look at when planning a UK road trip, especially if you are touring by campervan, motorhome, caravan or tent.

The Camping and Caravanning Club

A strong option for tent campers, caravan owners, campervan users and motorhome travellers who want access to a large UK network, club sites and smaller certificated sites.

Useful for touring routes with regular overnight stops.
Good for travellers who want smaller, quieter sites as well as larger club locations.
Particularly relevant for UK countryside, coastal and rural road trips.

Visit the club website

Caravan and Motorhome Club

A major UK membership option for caravan, campervan and motorhome touring, with Club campsites, smaller certificated locations and overseas touring support.

Well suited to touring caravans and motorhomes.
Useful for travellers who want a recognised network and consistent facilities.
Good for longer UK routes where several stops are needed.

Visit the club website

CampingCard ACSI

CampingCard ACSI is mainly useful for European road trips and low-season touring. It can be worth considering if your UK trip is part of a wider campervan, caravan or motorhome journey through Europe.

Most useful outside peak season.
Good for travellers crossing into Europe before or after a UK trip.
Available as card, subscription or app options.

CampingCard ACSI ACSI subscription ACSI app

Holiday parks, campsite search tools, hostels and glamping options

Club memberships are only one part of the overnight-stay picture. For many road trips, you may also want holiday parks, glamping stays, hostels, touring pitches or direct campsite search tools.

YHA

England & Wales Hostels Camping & glamping

YHA offers hostels, camping and glamping in England and Wales, often in scenic and accessible locations. It can be useful for walkers, families, budget travellers and road trippers who want a simple overnight base without always needing a tent or vehicle pitch.

YHA membership may also offer savings on bookings and meals at participating hostels.

Explore YHA stays YHA membership

John Fowler Holiday Parks

South West England South Wales Holiday parks

John Fowler Holiday Parks offers caravan holidays and self-catering accommodation at parks across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and South Wales. It is useful when you want a family-friendly holiday park base rather than a simple overnight touring pitch.

This can work well for road trips where you want to pause for several nights in one region.

Explore John Fowler

Hoseasons

UK-wide Holiday parks Lodges & glamping

Hoseasons is useful for finding holiday park stays, lodges, static caravans and glamping accommodation across the UK. It is not primarily a touring campsite booking platform, but it can be very useful if you want a fixed base during part of your road trip.

For bring-your-own tent, campervan or motorhome pitches, check the park details carefully or use a dedicated campsite directory.

Search Hoseasons

Wood Leisure Holiday Parks

Central Scotland Touring pitches Holiday parks

Wood Leisure has family-friendly holiday parks across Central Scotland, with touring caravan and motorhome pitch options at selected parks. It can be useful for Scottish road trips where you want facilities, touring pitches and easy access to central routes.

Explore Wood Leisure

Glamping Hideaways

Glamping Comfort stays Short breaks

Glamping Hideaways can be useful when you want the feel of an outdoorsy stay without needing to take full camping kit. It is a good option for couples, families or mixed groups where not everyone wants a tent, caravan or motorhome stay.

Explore glamping stays

JetCamp

UK campsites Search directory Bookable options

JetCamp is a campsite search and booking directory with a large range of UK camping options. It can be useful when you want to compare campsites by destination rather than starting with a membership club.

Search JetCamp UK

Parkdean Resorts touring and camping

Touring Camping Holiday park facilities

Parkdean Resorts offers touring and camping at selected holiday parks, with pitch options that may include electric or serviced pitches. This is useful if you want a campsite with holiday park facilities such as restaurants, pools and family activities.

Parkdean touring & camping

Lake District Estates

Lake District Kirkby Lonsdale Holiday parks

Lake District Estates is a family-owned business with holiday parks in the Lake District and Kirkby Lonsdale, plus visitor attractions and a marina. It can be useful if your road trip includes Cumbria, the Lakes or nearby Lancashire.

Explore Lake District Estates

Planning tip: holiday park accommodation, static caravans, glamping stays and touring pitches are not always the same thing. Always check whether you are booking a pitch for your own vehicle or tent, or a ready-made accommodation unit.

Club memberships are not the same as a campsite directory

A campsite directory helps you find individual places to stay. A camping club membership may give you access to member-only networks, smaller certificated sites, club pricing, trusted site standards and touring support. Both can be useful, but they solve slightly different problems.

For road trips, the best approach is often to use both: start with your route, check where you are likely to need overnight stops, then compare club sites, smaller member networks, holiday parks and individual campsites in the same area.

Read our UK campsites guide See overnight motorhome stopovers

Plan the wider trip

Plan the wider road trip around your overnight stops

Overnight stops work best when they support the route, rather than forcing the whole holiday around one campsite. Use these planning pages to shape the journey, choose the right vehicle, prepare properly and link your stays to places you actually want to explore.

Plan your route

Start with the shape of the journey before you choose campsites, club sites or holiday parks.

How to plan a road trip in the UK Route planner tips Road trip inspiration

Find places to stay

Use this page for memberships, then move into individual campsites, holiday parks and touring stops.

UK campsites by road trip Overnight motorhome stopovers Pub stopovers

Choose the right vehicle

Your vehicle affects pitch choice, driving pace, parking, overnight options and the routes that feel realistic.

Find a vehicle for your road trip Hire a motorhome or campervan Motorcaravanners’ Code of Conduct

Prepare for the journey

Pack well, plan food stops and make the travelling part of the holiday easier.

What to pack Road trip recipes Road trip playlist

Looking for individual campsites, holiday parks or glamping stays rather than a club membership? See our guide to UK campsites by road trip, with practical advice on choosing places to stay by route, vehicle type, facilities, location and travel style.

Choose a ready-made route

If you want the route planned first, browse our digital road trip guides and bundles.

Road trip marketplace Choose your journey Road trip bundles

Travel responsibly

Campsites, club sites and overnight stops all work better when travellers follow local rules and respect communities.

Road trip code of conduct Motorhome stopover advice Almost-wild camping

Match stays to regions

Campsite availability varies by region, season and road trip style.

England road trips Scotland road trips Wales road trips

Need inspiration?

Build your trip around scenery, heritage, coast, countryside, villages or a themed route.

Road trip inspiration hub Named scenic routes Top scenic drives

Questions

Camping club membership FAQs

A few practical points to help you choose between memberships, campsite directories and holiday park booking options.

Are camping club memberships worth it for a UK road trip?

They can be worth it if you are staying at several sites, want access to smaller member-only locations, or expect to use club discounts regularly. They may be less useful for a one-off trip where you only need one or two nights and already know where you want to stay.

What is the difference between a camping club and a holiday park group?

A camping club usually offers membership benefits, club sites, smaller certificated sites and touring support. A holiday park group usually offers bookable accommodation or pitches at its own parks, often with more facilities, entertainment and family-focused amenities.

What are Certificated Sites and Certificated Locations?

These are smaller sites connected with major camping and caravan clubs. They are often quieter and more rural than large holiday parks, which can make them useful for touring road trips. Always check the rules, facilities, access and vehicle suitability before booking.

Is Hoseasons a campsite booking site?

Hoseasons is more useful for holiday park stays, lodges, static caravans, cabins and glamping than for simple tent or touring pitch searches. Some parks may have touring or camping options, but you should check the individual park details carefully.

Is CampingCard ACSI useful for UK road trips?

CampingCard ACSI is mainly useful for European low-season camping and touring. It may be relevant if your UK trip connects with a wider European road trip, but for a UK-only journey you are more likely to use UK club memberships, campsite directories and direct campsite booking.

Should I book campsites in advance on a UK road trip?

In peak season, school holidays, national parks and coastal areas, advance booking is usually sensible. If you want flexibility, plan a shortlist of possible stops, check cancellation terms and avoid relying on last-minute availability in busy areas.

Uncover Britain

Build the overnight stops around the journey

The best road trips are not just about where you sleep. They are about how each overnight stop supports the route, the scenery, the places you want to visit and the pace of the journey.

Browse road trip guides Plan your road trip

Some links on this page may be affiliate links. This means Uncover Britain may earn a small commission if you click through and make a booking or purchase, at no extra cost to you. We only include links where they may be useful for road trip planning.

Ultimate Guide to What to Pack for Your Road Trip

Just for fun: What's your road trip style?