Best underrated places to visit in winter with your motorhome
Inspiration
Underrated motorhome destinations: winter
It’s fair to say, here in the UK, we are a little spoilt for choice when it comes to tempting destinations. And in winter, although many campsites are shut and not all attractions are open, it can be the best time to hit the bright city lights or popular tourist hotspots that are packed like sardines when the weather improves.
You’ll just have to plan your stopovers with a little more care – Brit Stops is a good backup plan if you can’t find a campsite close to your chosen location.
Here’s our suggestions for a weekend break or longer in the next few months...
Rachel Scholes Content Editor: Motorhomes
Rachel Scholes Content Editor: Motorhomes
For more winter destination inspiration
Why not pick a random campsite that’s open all year to start planning your winter adventure and see where the road takes you…
Skipping rainy days
Driest motorhome destination in winter
If you’re looking for guaranteed good weather, then the UK is not for you. However, according to one online article, Essex experiences the least amount of rainfall in spring. That strikes true with the overall feeling that the East of England is generally drier than the west.
And actually, this is a fairly underrated motorhoming destination all year round.
Head for Clacton Pier for a taste of a classic seaside amusement – it’s the biggest pleasure pier in Europe. You can get a pass to do some sea fishing, or enjoy the indoor attractions that includes 10-pin bowling and shuffleboard. Park in Holland Haven and get the bus into town, or it’s a three-mile walk along the seafront.
If you’re more of a culture vulture and have an English Heritage membership, then you won’t find anything more grand than Audley End House, a Jacobean pile of epic proportions. Seasonal opening times apply, but it’s generally open at the weekend over winter. Note that the main access gate is 2.89m (9ft 6in) high, so you’ll need to call ahead if your motorhome is taller than this.
For a more unusual attraction, that’s fully undercover (apart from the walk from the car park), take a look at the Secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch. OK, so it’s got a tourist sign and is not so secret, and it’s fair to say it’s a little weird in places with mannequins, historic paraphernalia and more, but the audio tour is excellent and it really is an experience. Open Thursday to Sunday over winter, but every day from March to October, inclusive. Take cash to pay the entry (it’s more of an exit fee as you pay at the end and the WiFi signal there can be a bit hit or miss).
Bring me sunshine!
Sunniest winter destination for motorhomers
If you're looking for guaranteed sunshine, then the title goes to the Isle of Wight. According to the Met Office, the island is likely to get 16 more sunshine hours than the West Midlands in January.
I actually spent a very delightful few days visiting the island one spring to review a campervan and it delivered. The normally busy roads were relatively quiet and attractions were not too packed. Beloved holiday home of Queen Victoria, Osborne has to be high on your list, but there’s also the castle at Carisbrooke, the Needles Old Battery, a model village, farm parks and animal sanctuaries, beaches galore and loads more.
In fact, for such a small island, it’s got a lot going for it. However, if your motorhome is on the bigger side, keep an eye out for signs stating 6ft 6in width restrictions. You could always park the motorhome or campervan on site and use public transport, though, although make sure to drive the coast road as the views are excellent.
Where to stay
Campsites open all year are notoriously hard to find, but Waverley Park is open all year and conveniently located near Cowes.
City breaks: Cardiff
When it comes to winter city breaks, its hard to go wrong. Outside of the run-up to Christmas, most cities and big towns are a little quieter.
While our perennial favourite, York, has plenty of campsites to choose from, this vibrant little city is always pretty busy. Edinburgh’s another top choice and we’ve certainly found the costs are lower than other cities in the UK, making it more affordable.
However, our picks for underrated cities would be Cardiff and Belfast.
Cardiff is a really easy to navigate city with the highlights being the castle (make sure to book onto the tower tour as you get to access places not available on the general admission), the harbour area, the covered shopping arcades, as well as numerous museums. My other half’s a beer fan, so we had to stop for a pint or two at the Tiny Rebel pub. And if you’ve got plenty of time to kill, head over the bay to Penarth and the Old Custom House for a bite to eat with a twist – pick your food from a brasserie counter to be cooked and served to your table.
More importantly, Cardiff has a campsite that open all year close to the heart of the city – it’s a mile to the castle and about 2.5 miles to the harbourfront.
City breaks: Belfast
It’s been on our list for years, but we’ve never quite made it to Belfast. However, the Titanic museum is just one of the highlights that is trying to tempt us to cross the Irish Sea in spring. Immerse yourself in a whiskey tasting, explore the Ulster Museum, or visit the National Trust’s Mount Stewart among other things.
The closest campsite to the centre, Dundonald, is open as an aire in the winter months (mid November to end of March), with no access to toilet facilities, but water, electric and waste water are included in the £18 pitch fee.
Motorhome road trips in winter
And, why not plan in a road trip for your motorhome in winter? Following the popularity of the NC500 (which we'll come to later), other regions of the UK are jumping onto the bandwagon... but remember to research campsites as there are fewer open all year...
And, as with any road trip, you want to plan in time to explore some of the places along the way, not just drive through them.
NC500 by motorhome
The NC500 is probably the most famous of these, and we reckon that winter is easily the quietest time to do this, although make sure you are considerate when wild camping or stopping for the night.
Rental firm, Big Sky Campers says that some campsites are open all year, but some limit facilities and some you are best calling in advance…
Three great Wales road trips
You can base your trip along one of Wales’ three long-distance routes, the North Wales Way, the Cambrian Way and the Coastal Way.
Routes can be a little winding, so allow plenty of time if you plan to tackle any of these. And pack for possible wet weather days, as Wales is one of Britain's wettest regions.
Snow Roads motorhome trip
If you don’t fancy driving hundreds of miles, the Cairngorms has a 90-mile Snow Roads route, which takes you through the heart of the national park.
Obviously, although mainly on A-roads, if snow is forecast its best to hold fire. What’s brilliant is that snow adorns the hilltops almost all year round, so you could delay your trip until it's slightly warmer, too
SHARE YOUR STORIES
What's your most underrated winter destination?
Have you been on an amazing winter adventure in your motorhome recently, where you were the only tourists? Did a destination surprise you?
Let us know your most underrated winter motorhome destinations...
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