Theme park campsites: our pick of the best

Why choose a theme park holiday?

Simple answer – because they are fun! And there’s genuinely something for everyone – more sedate rides for little ones and the fastest rides and the highest drops for the adrenaline junkies of the group. For anyone who’s ever had a day out at a theme park you’ll know it’s sometimes hard to fit all the action into one day, so keep the full-on fun going by staying a few days and making a return visit.

You’ll also be right in, or close to, the heart of the action, so you can be there at the front of the queue when the gates open!

Theme parks with camping in the UK

For a top theme park holiday it’s great to be able to pitch up right near the action. Several theme parks have their own campsites, meaning you can pitch up on their doorstep and be first in line when the doors open in the morning.

There are theme parks with camping and touring across the UK, in Devon, the Midlands and northern England, for example. Even if the theme park you want to visit doesn’t offer camping on site, there will be plenty of campsites near to the theme park to choose from instead.

Theme parks in themselves are not particularly cheap, so if you are camping nearby and need to pay for entry into the theme park, it is essential that you keep a keen eye out for special offers. There are often two-for-one ticket offers and you can also get cheap tickets online.

How much is camping at a theme park?

The price can vary, the same as any other campsite, based on the facilities offered. Campsites with more facilities are likely to be more expensive than a more basic campsite. For theme parks with their own campsites, the price often includes unlimited entry into the theme park for the duration of your stay.

If finances allow it, you can also visit multiple parks from the same campsite base, such as Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor Resort and Chessington World of Adventures, all on the outskirts of London and fairly close to each other.

Theme park campsites in the Southwest

About Crealy Theme Park and Resort

Having the ‘most rides in Devon’, award-winning Crealy Theme Park is sure to entertain everyone for the whole day. It has over 60 rides and attractions, live shows, several animals to see and much more.

What to do

New in 2022, Sooty Land is based around the long-running TV show and provides fun for the whole family with live theatre performances of The Sooty Show, new rides, Sweep’s Flying Circus, Soo’s Sweet Balloon Ride and plenty more!

Animal lovers can go to see the array of animals including Shetland ponies, alpacas, emus, meerkats and tortoises. Plus, there are over 200 farm and zoo animals.

If water is your thing, head to the Soak Zone, Tidal Wave Log Flume, or Vortex, which is a water coaster consisting of three different slides named Venom, Vertigo and Viper. Try them all and pick your favourite!

The fun doesn’t have to stop if it rains, either, as there is a lot of indoor fun to be had with the Lost World of Atlantis, Jungle Journey, an Adventure Zone and The Pier, which is Crealy’s nautical-themed seaside pier home to lots of games to play and, if you wanted to pick up a memento or gift, Sooty’s Store.

About Woodlands Family Theme Park

There’s something here for anyone and everyone! Claiming to be the 'largest theme park in Devon', Woodlands has both indoor and outdoor attractions so there's fun to be had come rain or shine.

What to do

There are various 'zones' across the park, including a Cyclone Canyon Zone where all the water rides are! There are plenty of indoor play options along with a zoo farm and also a falconry centre. The Circus Drome Zone is the place to be on a rainy day as all the rides are indoors and the Toddler Village Zone provides a safe space for younger children to play away from the bigger kids.

A variety of places to eat mean no one goes hungry and there are different events on throughout the year. These include special ticket discounts, Halloween themed rides and events, a Christmas grotto and shows throughout the summer.

Theme park campsites in the Southeast

About Thorpe Park Resort

While Legoland and Chessington World of Adventures are more targeted at younger families, Thorpe Park has firmly set its sights on the older, more demanding thrill seeker.

What to do

The SAW ride – themed around the horror film series – is billed as the scariest roller coaster in the world, while Stealth, which accelerates to 80 miles per hour in around 1.9 seconds, once held the title of the fastest. Other monsters include Nemesis Inferno, Storm Surge and The Swarm. The Swarm is the UK’s first winged roller coaster, described as “a death-defying flight through apocalyptic devastation”. It also features a headfirst drop from 39m.

There are plenty of restaurants and shops here including The Veggie Box, Sombrero’s Street Food, Wilderness Bar and Kitchen, Amity Kebabs, a pizza takeaway and even a bar, The Huntsman’s Arms.

Check the website for the upcoming special events throughout the year and, if you can handle it, head to the Halloween event, ‘Fright Nights’.

About Legoland Windsor Resort

Legoland Windsor Resort is a family theme park dedicated to the imagination and creativity of children of all ages, with more than 55 interactive attractions. It could be described as a cross between a theme park with rides and attractions and a giant model village.

What to do

Miniland, as the name would suggest, is a miniature world in Lego form, featuring towns and cities made out of 40 million bricks.

Unsurprisingly, there are lots more Lego structures dotted around the site but there are also plenty of exciting rides to enjoy. This is very much a child-friendly theme park, so there are no rides with the fear factor of some of the Alton Towers roller coasters.

That’s not to say they are boring – there’s plenty of thrills and spills to be had, not to mention the odd bellyache. Especially if you eat lunch just before getting on board the swinging pirate ship, the Jolly Rocker.

Chessington World of Adventures

About Chessington World of Adventures

Ten themed lands, a zoo and a Sea Life centre make this a theme park with a distinctly wild feel about it. Just 12 miles from the centre of London, it started out purely as a zoo before World War 2, but, in a bid to reverse declining visitor numbers, it was developed as a theme park in the 1980s.

What to do

There are live shows, character meet and greets and plenty of entertainment on the side. Personally, I’m not a big fan of zoos but the theme park side of the attraction has plenty going on in its own right, including a good selection of thrill rides and roller coasters – all aimed at the family market.

The spinning roller coaster, Dragon’s Fury, is probably the star attraction at the park, reaching speeds of 45mph and heights of 18m. It might not be one for the hardcore thrill seeker but younger visitors will find it exhilarating. Other popular rides include Tiger Rock, Vampire and, new for 2021, was the Croc Drop which was the first new ride since 2013! Since then the World of Jumaji opened in 2023. For younger visitors there’s Amazu, Dragon’s Playhouse and the Sea Dragons.

About Gulliver’s Land Theme Park Resort

With a great selection of rides, shows and attractions, Gulliver’s Land is a family-run theme park designed for children aged between two and 13 that has been running for more than 40 years. On the map you will find Adventure Land, Lilliput Land, Gully Town and Toy Land, all with different rides and attractions focused around the family.

What to do

There are lots of fun family rides to choose from, such as the popular Runaway Train in Discovery Bay and Adventure Land’s Jungle River Ride – but be warned, you might get wet! Glide through the air on the Tree Top Swings, and who doesn’t love a pirate ship ride? You can jump aboard the Gulliver’s Buccaneer which picks up speed as it swings back and forth getting higher and higher!

You will also find fun activities such as the Adventure Land Maze, Monkey Climb, Forest Ball Climb, The Enchanted Forest, Sand Dig and also some rides and play zones that are designed specifically for toddlers. Look out for the upcoming events, too, which will be popping up throughout the year.

When it comes to lunchtime there is a good choice of food, from burgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets to fish and chips, pizza and also healthy eating options.

As well as the theme park there are resort activities, too, including Dinosaur and Farm Park, SplashZone and The SFear, which is a high rope attraction. However, tickets to these are separate to the theme park price.

Theme park campsites in the Midlands

About Alton Towers Resort

Ask anyone to name a British theme park and chances are their first response will be Alton Towers. It is one of the UK’s most visited theme parks and one of the most popular in Europe, too.

What to do

Much of that popularity is down to the quality of the rides. Nemesis, Oblivion, Rita, Th13teen and The Smiler are currently the major attractions and, if you’re a fan of terror-inducing, white-knuckle rides, then you’ll love them. For those who prefer to keep their feet firmly on the ground the variety of attractions on offer at Alton Towers means there’s still plenty to do, such as a relaxing walk through the huge gardens.

All age groups are well catered for at Alton Towers... the youngest children will love CBeebies Land, and there are plenty of rides for older children, even if they’re not quite up to going on the scariest roller coasters.

The Waterpark attraction is also well worth a visit. You could easily spend a day here. There’s a host of high-speed water slides and flumes including the Master Blaster water coaster, which will send you hurtling around the waterpark at breakneck speed.

About Drayton Manor Resort

Drayton Manor is home to Thomas the Tank Engine and this fact alone would be enough to guarantee that the place is packed with youngsters by the carriage-load. Thomas remains massively popular with the pre-school set and, as a result, Thomas Land is a major attraction for families.

It features more than 25 rides and attractions based on the series about the little blue engine and his railway pals – including Cranky’s Drop Tower and the Troublesome Trucks Coaster, Blue Mountain Engines and Harold’s Helicopter Tours.

What to do

Drayton Manor is not just for kids. It also has a selection of thrill rides – all of which boast terrifying-sounding names. You don’t need to be a genius to work out that Shockwave, Thor, Accelerator, Stormforce 10 and Maelstrom are not for the faint-hearted.

There’s also a 15-acre zoo within the theme park’s grounds, which houses over 500 animals from all around the world, including a Sumatran tiger, Northern lynx, monkeys, meerkats and tapirs, as well as various birds of prey and reptiles. With many being endangered species, it has conservation projects that animal lovers can support and learn about.

After all that exploring there are also plenty of places to get some food and drink, including family favourites like fish ‘n’ chips, pizza and pasta.

About Wicksteed Park

Since 1921, Wicksteed Park has been providing a great day out for families, making it the oldest theme park in the UK. Its founder, Charles Wicksteed, bought the land in 1913 and today there are four exciting areas to explore, the Adventure, Thrill, Heritage and Splash zones.

What to do

Adventure Zone is home to Meerkat Manor, Clown Coaster, Tree Top Walk, an aviary, and the Lighthouse which is another exciting ride at the park. Thrill Zone has Rocky River Falls, Galaxy Invaders, Dinosaur Valley, dodgems and more. The Heritage Zone includes the railway, traditional playground, carousel, Sway Rider and lakeside walks. You will find the world’s oldest chute in the Splash Zone as well as sand and water play which is bound to keep the kids entertained, and lake boats for both adults and children.

It also has Classic Cars, which is a vintage car ride where children can pick their favourite car and drive around the old-fashioned English countryside setting. Spiffing!

Treat the whole family by visiting one of the cafés or restaurants here. You will be spoilt for choice with the Carousel Café, Peacock Café, Dare Devil Café or Rollover Unit hot dogs, or pop to the ice cream parlour for a sweet treat.

With park and lake walks as well as events throughout the year and plenty of history to soak up/learn about/take in, there is sure to be something for everyone here.

Theme park campsites in Northern England

About Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but 17 million visitors can’t be wrong. That’s how many tourists flock to the Las Vegas of the north every year, making it easily the most popular seaside resort in the country.

A good few million of those visitors also make it to the family-run Pleasure Beach, where they can ride on attractions like The Big One (Britain’s tallest roller coaster), Valhalla and Avalanche, not to mention the classic wooden Big Dipper which has been causing stomachs to lurch since the 1920s.

What to do

Technically the Pleasure Beach is an amusement park rather than a theme park, but 2011 saw the opening of Nickelodeon Land, which, as the name would suggest, is themed around the kids’ TV channel.

The rides are all aimed at children, so there’s nothing massively scary, but there’s enough to keep young (and not-so-young) thrill seekers happy. The park is somewhat like Disneyland in miniature, especially with characters milling around meeting young fans and the Nickelodeon shop selling just about every piece of SpongeBob memorabilia imaginable.

One of the big advantages of Nickelodeon Land is the fact that it is part of the Pleasure Beach, so you have access to all those ‘grown-up’ rides, too. And, unlike most theme parks, you are almost in the centre of town so you can take advantage of everything Blackpool has to offer as well.

About Flamingo Land Resort

As well as being a great theme park with plenty of record-breaking rides, Flamingo Land is also an award-winning zoo with more than 140 species of reptiles, mammals and birds. It has eight themed areas, including a water zone, Splosh, The Lost Kingdom and Children’s Planet. It really is a treat for the whole family with so much to explore.

What to do

One for the thrill-seekers... Mumbo Jumbo was created using the latest coaster technology, and its 112-degree vertical drop saw it at one point being the steepest roller coaster made from steel. Cliff Hanger is another one for visitors with nerves of steel and takes the prize for the highest drop ride in the UK – yikes! Flamingo Land also has the UK’s first and only motorbike launch coaster, Velocity.

If you are looking for something a little more family friendly, head to the Lost River Ride, Cyclosoar or Twistosaurus, where there are plenty of twists and turns and excitement. There are also a number of rides specifically for the youngsters, so there’s a good mix for every member of the family. Ready for some food now? There are plenty of food and drink choices to pick from as well, with places serving curry, Chinese takeaway, pizza, fish and chips and burgers. There is also a Gourmet Grill, The Diner, Picnic Planet, and Metropolis Bar & Grill, which provides a little more luxury at lunchtime.

Make sure to check what shows are on, as there are plenty of experiences to get involved in and events planned throughout the year. And for the animal lovers in the group, don’t forget the animal talks and feeding times. There is also daily news to view on the website which can let you know about any baby animals being born.