We drive down to Dover with the caravan. We normally land late and want to leave early. We leave Birmingham in the afternoon after work and drive down to be local for a morning crossing. It's a four-hour run from Brum, so we land around 9 pm, and like an early ferry/train, 5 am or 6 am
I normally crash at Tescos or Sainsburys now that the sea front is blocked off to overnight caravan rigs. I have been through all the local sites, and none are any good. The CAMC black horse site only opens in the summer and never in the winter. CL sites are always grass and impossible to tow onto or off at 4 am in the morning in winter. Even summer rain kills them.
There's no other decent-sized caravan site in Kent that does late in and early our ferry pitches. Kent has terrible campsites anyway!
We have also paid the £40 to stay at the motorway services. But now favour Park Farm industrial road, as it's quiet at night. SAinsburys and Tescos also allow paid parking too.
Is there a better option? Or for the short overnight stops, do I stay out of the site completely.
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
I tried booking CAMC Black Horse for my trip to Europe in June 2026 in mid July 2025 for an overnight stay and found it had no availability on the day of my choice.
So I booked into their Daleacres club site instead which is a bit further away.
With CAMC club sites, they normally have parking and EHU for late arrivals outside the barrier. However, I do not know how one would access their facilities blocks if they are normally locked requiring access codes to gain entry.
I discovered recently that the reception of some CAMC club sites open until 20:00, and some have provisions for late arrivals with key boxes with their booking details and site information etc...
I had thought about joining Brit Stops (not suitable for caravans), however, I prefer to stick with proper camp sites with facilities.
Good luck with your search.
DK
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Cheers DK, DK. I find that with both CAMC sites, they are either full or closed when I need them. So they are of very little use. I do use pub stops app with my caravan. I also use park for the night and the ACSI app and card too. I do use truck stops, laybys, and service stations if I need to. But always favour the better safety and cleaner campsite stops.
With pub stops, I find a polite call or email solves the question of whether you can stay or not. At the last pub stop we used, I came in too late to order food and drink. So I offered the landlord cash instead, which was refused, but grateful we had offered. I find that Pub Stops in the UK are very small now and getting smaller due to camper vanners/ van lifers abusing the facilities or not putting money to the landlord's pockets.
For me, the biggest thing by far is hard standing. I don't want to be at 4 am trying to drive off wet, muddy fields or grass pitches. We were caught out many years ago on a very big site, and the owner told me to park in a certain spot, and it was a mudfest, and he knew it. 4 am in the morning, getting bogged down while this idiot slept was very frustrating. If we do any travel stops. Late in and early out, I want stone or tarmac under the wheels,most times we don't even unhitch and just drop the corner steadies.
Are you in the Caravan and Motorhome or Camping and Caravanning Club Peter? I don't know if you are aware, but they have 5 van sites. We use them all the time. They vary from very good to acceptable. Some, not all, have facilities and hardstandings. Use the search facility on here to specify what you need.
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
Back in the day when we went to Dover or Folkestone after work on a Friday we always crossed the Channel that same night. We regularly arrived in Calais about midnight and parked up in one of their plentiful free car parks until the morning. It always seemed better than stopping on the UK side.
Many thanks all fr the ideas and suggestions. We are struggling as a lot of the places entioned only do some of the year and not all year round. But thank you all.
Quote: Originally posted by peter weston on 30/8/2025
Many thanks all fr the ideas and suggestions. We are struggling as a lot of the places entioned only do some of the year and not all year round. But thank you all.
Quote: Originally posted by dk168 on 22/8/2025
I tried booking CAMC Black Horse for my trip to Europe in June 2026 in mid July 2025 for an overnight stay and found it had no availability on the day of my choice.
So I booked into their Daleacres club site instead which is a bit further away.
With CAMC club sites, they normally have parking and EHU for late arrivals outside the barrier. However, I do not know how one would access their facilities blocks if they are normally locked requiring access codes to gain entry.
I discovered recently that the reception of some CAMC club sites open until 20:00, and some have provisions for late arrivals with key boxes with their booking details and site information etc...
I had thought about joining Brit Stops (not suitable for caravans), however, I prefer to stick with proper camp sites with facilities.
Good luck with your search.
DK
The CAMC sites at Dover and Winchester (may be others) have ferry pitches, specifically for people arriving/departing outside their normal opening hours, but still with EHU and access to normal site facilities.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: A better Dover stop?
via mobile 22/8/2025 at 10:20am
