North Wales is the ultimate adventure capital of the UK, with paddle boarding, canyons, cliff-jumping, hiking and so much more. It’s an underrated area of the UK, often forgotten about with UK travellers.
But the abundance of staycations this year, has meant it’s beauty and stunning scenery has been uncovered. I have always wanted to explore this area of Wales and was so happy to finally get over there for a road trip in a campervan.
There’s nothing better than exploring the UK on a road trip and having a campervan gives you the freedom to explore to your heart’s content without having to worry about finding accommodation at short notice.
Having a van allows you to have more spontaneity with your trips. If you like somewhere you can stay for longer, or move on if you don’t!
Buying or converting a van can be pretty expensive plus all the other considerations that go along with it like maintenance and parking. If you’re not ready to commit to your own van then renting one could be the perfect solution. Recently, I headed to North Wales with a van from rental site Camptoo and we had the best time exploring North Wales.
Keep reading for my favourite Caravan Parks in North Wales
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Best Things to do in North Wales
We headed over to North Wales in our camper as we have family over there who we hadn’t seen for a while. The van was absolutely perfect for this trip as they don’t have enough room in their house for us to stay there and it was also good to have our own space and vehicle for when we wanted to do our own thing.
Llandudno is a coastal town in North Wales which is known for its beach and pier. It’s also near to Conwy, Anglesey and Snowdonia so it’s a great place to visit if you love the outdoors.
The Great Orme
The Great Orme is Llandudno’s “mini mountain” – a limestone headland which is 207m above sea level. You can walk either to the top or around it and there is a ski slope and toboggan run at the top. Not to mention the amazing views you get of the surrounding sea!
If you don’t fancy the walk up then you can get a cable car or the tram to the top. Also, you can get a local bus from Llandudno town centre which is only £1.20 per person. We got on the bus, enjoyed an ice cream at the top and then walked back down.
Beaches in Llandudno
There are two lovely beaches in Llandudno – the North Shore and the West Shore. The North Shore is the more touristy beach and this is where you’ll find the pier.
My favourite beach was the West Shore. This beach is quieter and a bit wilder with more pebbles and rocks. It’s also dog friendly in places which means your pooch can run off some energy and have a swim.
Early in the morning we parked in the West Shore car park with the back doors of the van facing out so we could see the beach and the sea and sat there with a morning coffee enjoying the view.
Seal spotting at Angel Bay
Angel Bay is situated on the Little Orme, the headland at the opposite side of Llandudno Bay to the Great Orme. Smaller than its big brother, the Little Orme is 141m high. There’s a nice walk you can do round here but it was really raining when we visited so we just popped out to see the bay’s resident seals!
We saw quite a few seals pop their heads up but we didn’t manage to see any get out onto the rocks.
The best time to see the seals is during their mating season from September to December so head up then.
Best Caravan Parks in North Wales
North Wales has lots of amazing caravan parks but I’ve picked out five of my favourite for your next adventure. North Wales really is an ideal destination for your caravanning holidays.
- Barmouth Bay Holiday Park – Snowdonia
- Kingsley Holiday Park – Towyn, North Wales
- Haven Hafan y Môr Holiday Park – Snowdonia, North Wales
- Woodlands Hall Holiday Park – Ruthin, North Wales
- Haven Greenacres Holiday Park – Porthmadog, North Wales
- Abbeyffordd Holiday Park – Towyn, North Wales
- New Pines Holiday Park – Denbighshire, North Wales
- Lido Beach Holiday Park – Prestatyn, North Wales
- Aberdunant Hall Holiday Park – Snowdonia, North Wales
- Pendyffryn Hall Holiday Park – Conwy, North Wales
How to use Camptoo
Camptoo is like Airbnb but for campervans. It has the largest supply of campervans and motorhomes in the UK which means that you’ll have plenty of choice when it comes to choosing your van.
There are vans here which are both privately owned and owned by small companies and there is a wide range of vans from small vans with just beds inside to all singing all dancing motorhomes.
There are also lots of options for filters so you can choose where you’d like to pick up the van from, the type of van you’d like as well as the transmission, price and facilities. We chose a dog friendly van as we wanted to take our dog Alfie away on holiday with us.
Once you’ve picked your van, you just send a booking request where you give more details about the trip you’re planning to take and yourself. You then pay for your booking once it has been accepted. You also have to pay a £500 deposit before you travel in case of any damage but you get this back within two days of you returning the van if all is well.
You can message the campervan owner with any questions that you have before you pick the van up and from then it’s super easy. Just agree your pick up and drop off times and then go and get your van!
If you already own your own van then renting it out on Camptoo would be a great way for you to earn some extra pennies when you’re not using it yourself.
Scroll back up for the best Caravan Parks in North Wales
Volkswagen T5
We chose a Volkswagen T5 for our trip which we went to pick up locally. I’ve seen lots of people travelling around with converted T5s so I was really looking forward to trying it out. It’s definitely the van that I would choose if I was to buy one.
For a small van, it was quite spacious inside and had everything we needed for our break. The driving took a little bit of getting used to – bearing in mind I have a Mini! – but once we got going it was a smooth ride.
Inside the van there are seats which fold down into a double bed, a gas hob, sink and storage cupboards. This van also had all the plates, cups and cutlery that we needed for our holiday. There’s also a table which you can put and the front two seats swivel round so you can seat four round the table.
The van sits and sleeps four people. Two people downstairs and two in the pop-up tent on the roof. I also like that the van has three seats in the front so we could both sit there and Alfie could be strapped in too.
The thing that I love most about this van is that it has a sliding door on the side and then double doors at the back. This means that we could enjoy some great views from our bed with the doors open. We even sat there whilst it was raining and it felt super cosy.
Pick up and drop off was really simple too. When we arrived, the van was all ready with the keys inside and we just had to drop it off the same way. The owner then checks it over and if it’s all good your deposit is refunded straight away.
Where can you park your van overnight?
In the UK, you’re not really supposed to park your van just anywhere overnight. However, as long as you are considerate when you camp – don’t leave any litter, don’t be too noisy, etc – you should be fine in most places like laybys and roadsides.
Always be aware of any signs on the road around you as some may say that campervans aren’t permitted. Also, you’ll need to think about what you’ll do if you need to go to the toilet.
If you’re looking to park on private land then you should always check with whoever owns the land before you park there.
The other option is to book into a campsite. This means that you’ll have facilities like showers, toilets and sometimes even a kitchen. There are lots of options for campsites in the UK, although you may need to book ahead during weekends and school holidays.
We had a great time with our Camptoo campervan. It’s a hassle free option for renting a camper and there is so much choice on the site.
If you on a bigger trip exploring more of Europe check out my guides to France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom.
Author Bio: Samantha blogs at CocoTravels.co.uk about travel and adventure. She especially loves exploring more of the UK and is a passionate advocate for travel here as there is just so much to see. You’ll most likely find her hiking near her home in the Peak District with her King Charles Spaniel, swimming in the sea, or taking in the sunset with a glass of fizz!
My Travel Tips and Recommendations
Flights
To book flights, I always use flight search engine Skyscanner, I regularly use the Everywhere tool to find the cheapest places to travel. It’s how I get to travel so much all around the world. I find it the easiest way to compare flight prices across airlines and get the best deals.
Accommodation
For accommodation, I usually book most of my hotels or hostels through Booking.com. I love using this platform as it provides me with some amazing deals for accommodation all around the world. Or if you prefer, I also recommend using Airbnb.
Travel Insurance
Picking travel insurance that covers you in all eventualities is an essential part of planning a trip for every single person. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. You never know what’s around the corner.
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Thank you for reading and as always happy adventuring! If you have any questions about the destination please leave these in the comments below.
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Sophie X
