The ultimate guide to car-free camping in Britain

Forget spending hours on the motorway ahead of your next holiday under canvas

If you drive a hundred miles for a weekend away, and then never touch the car once you get there, you’ve probably done something right. Long, lazy breakfasts, walks from your front door, paddling in a nearby river, dabbling in a nearby pub – the best weekends (and the best places to camp) are the ones where you don’t have to stray far to have fun. 
But, if that’s the case, it begs the question: why take the car in the first place? Britain has one of the most comprehensive rail networks in the world and, with more than 2,500 stations, there are plenty of rural camping and glamping sites that are still remarkably well connected. Along with offering a cleaner, greener and, arguably, more relaxing way to travel, campsites close to railway stations have other benefits too. 
There’s a higher chance of having essential services alongside – the Railwayman, the Highwayman, the Station Inn, to name a few – and it extends your roaming boundary, since you can cross hill and dale, and then catch a carriage back. Loading a backpack might sound arduous, but with glamping tents and shepherd’s huts available at most campsites these days, even the packing is taken care of. It’s time to take up the challenge and ditch the car from the word go. You wouldn’t need it anyway.
Cutting through the heart of the Peak District, the Manchester to Sheffield railway line is ideal for weekend hiking trips, with ample campsites en route. Fieldhead is one of the closest, tucked behind the Moorland Visitor Centre, just a few hundred yards from Edale station. Split across six tiny meadows, with a river alongside, the campsite has a deceptively small feel, with modern facilities but no Wi-Fi or phone signal (connect at one of two village pubs instead). Kinder Scout and Mam Tor offer popular loop walks, or traverse to the village of Hope and return by train.
From £22 for a tent and two people.
On the edge of Pembroke, this small farm campsite has just 15 individually mown pitches and a handful of hardstandings for vans. The main camping area is car free and great for kids, with a private wood to explore and neighbouring horses to meet. There are plenty of thoughtful touches – classical music in the shower rooms, breakfast delivered to your tent on weekends – and campfires are encouraged. Walk 15 minutes to Pembroke Castle or ride the coastal bus to Freshwater West beach or the National Trust Stackpole Estate.
From £17 for a tent and two people.
A 10-minute walk from Amberley station and two minutes’ stroll from the local pub, this cosy wood cabin in the South Downs National Park is easily reached from London as well as surrounding towns. Picture-frame windows let you soak up the views, while the compact kitchen area and en-suite bathroom already have everything you need for travelling light. For an easy day out, walk the river Arun and explore the pottery, village museum and Amberley tea rooms. For longer walks, the Monarchs Way and South Downs Way are yards from your door.
From £124 for two people.
A scenic footpath beside Thirsk racecourse connects the railway station with 18th-century Thirsk Hall, home to art galleries, a sculpture garden and, since last year, a popular glamping site. Five bulbous bell tents offer spacious accommodation for families, with a double bed and two singles in each, and guests enjoy free access to the gardens during opening hours. A picnic hamper has crockery and all the utensils you need but, with the town centre and marketplace a 10-minute walk away, you’re never short of dining options.
From £125 for a family of four.
It’s a 10-minute walk from Knighton Station to Panpwnton Farm, though it’s nicer to take the less direct route along Offa’s Dyke Path, crossing the river Teme to the campsite. Opened in 2022, it has modern facilities, a communal kitchen space and a horsebox café, plus extra food trucks on weekends. Campfires, campervans and dogs are all welcome, and furnished bell tents are available. The journey, too, is part of the attraction – the Heart of Wales trainline, including the Knucklas Viaduct just north of the campsite, is frequently voted the most scenic in the country.
From £24 for a tent and two people.
Across the river Stour from Manningtree station, Constable Park offers upmarket camping and glamping with an on-site café and excellent access to the water. Options include en-suite family cabins with views over Stour Estuary Nature Reserve, furnished bell tents encircling a fire pit, and regular camping pitches by the river. Canoes and kayaks are available for hire and the Stour Valley Way is on the doorstep – it’s a 30-minute walk to Flatford Mill, depicted in John Constable’s The Hay Wain.
Camping from £48 for a family of four, glamping from £110.
Walnut and Hazel trees, plus the vast space of the neighbouring waterside meadows, give the luxury Stamford Meadows Glamping site a deceptively rural feel. In fact, you can walk to the arts centre, theatre, shops and pubs in town within 10 minutes. There are two yurts and a cabin available, each with a hot tub, private bathroom and a barbecue area. Massages, aromatherapy and reflexology sessions can all be arranged, either in your yurt or out in the fresh air, and it’s a pleasant walk (or short bus ride) to nearby Burghley House, an Italian-influenced Tudor mansion with Capability Brown gardens.
From £126 for two people.
A short walk from sleepy Sandplace station, Hideaway Huts is blissfully rural yet surprisingly accessible. There are two shepherd’s huts on the 150-acre farm, each sleeping two (though you can arrange for children to camp alongside) and one with a wood-fired hot tub. A hilltop position provides sweeping views down the Looe Valley to the sea (and makes the offer of a lift from the station a welcome one). Enjoy access to the farm’s tennis court and swimming pool, arrange lessons with the on-site riding school, or take the train to the picturesque harbour town of Looe.
From £120 per night for two people.