We’ve all been there. Waking up well before it’s light to pile into the car (or the rented minibus) with friends to start driving down to a theme park in order to get in early and get the most bang for your buck on your tickets. But what if instead you could head down at leisure, sleep in your comfortable campervan overnight, and still be inside the park early in the morning with plenty of energy?
Campervans & Theme Park Restrictions
While you can park your campervan in the car parks belonging to most theme parks, many of the big names (and quite a few smaller ones) prohibit overnight parking for insurance and security reasons.
Campervan Sites Near Theme Parks
But that doesn’t mean they’re unfriendly to those of us living the van life! Van families are, after all, more likely to buy season tickets, and repeat visitors bring in much more money.
Legoland Windsor
Legoland Windsor even recommends two nearby campsites – Amerden Campsite and Hurley Riverside Park – to anyone who wants to park up in their campervan.
Alton Towers
Similarly, while it doesn’t endorse any particular choices, Alton Towers benefits from being near The Star campsite at Alton itself. Alton Towers being one of those theme parks with enough to do that you might not fit it all into one day, having a campsite just a mile away is perfect for a fun family theme park weekend in your campervan.
Not much further out is Common End Farm, which also makes a perfect gateway to the Peak District and the Dovedale National Nature Reserve for those who want a more varied family getaway.
Drayton Manor
If you’re thinking about Drayton Manor, you have to go a little further out, but Lime Tree Caravan Park is under nine miles from the famous theme park. Tackeroo Campsite is a little further but it’s one of the most beautiful options around, sited inside the Cannock Chase Area of Natural Beauty (AONB), so perfect for those families who want some beautiful nature to unwind in after the thrills and spills of their park day.
Thorpe Park
The Laleham Camping Club is just ten minutes away from Thorpe Park, making it a perfect place to start your day – but it’s actually a two-for-one, with Chessington World of Adventures within 30 minutes! Just be aware that it’s also close to Heathrow Airport, and some plane noise can happen.
If you’d prefer an alternative with a well-stocked farm shop for a fresh cooked breakfast to set you up for the day, Etherley Farm is also only a short drive away.
Chessington World of Adventure
Since we’ve already mentioned Laleham Camping Club, let’s put them straight on the record here, as they’re only a half hour drive away.
But we can certainly get closer, too; Long Acres Caravan & Camping Park is perfectly placed for Chessington but history lovers will also be delighted by how close they are to Hever Castle. Like most of the options presented above, Long Acres isn’t just great for making the most of your day at a theme park; it’s also a perfect base of operations for a broader holiday.
Discover Family Theme Park Fun with a Campervan
If you’re planning a multi-day theme park stay you may already have been put off by the price of a hotel room on site. If that’s the case, why not take advantage of our campervan hire facility to make your trip easier and more affordable at once?
With a comfortable campervan capable of holding your family, it would be easy to create memories all through the year, visiting each of these whenever opportunity presents itself through the season. If you haven’t given much thought to this kind of holiday before, now’s the time!
