Caravan Parks ON The Isle Of Wight | MOTORHOMEingLife

You reach the island only by vehicle ferry, so this is the first thing to plan. Wightlink runs car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and from Portsmouth to Fishbourne, and Red Funnel crosses from Southampton to East Cowes. All three carry caravans and motorhomes, but you must book your outfit on ahead and give the real length, because the vehicle deck space for towing and over-height units sells out first in summer. There is no bridge or tunnel. On the mainland the M27 and M3 feed all three ports, so arrive at your booked sailing early, since latecomers can lose the slot and there is no easy alternative on a busy day.

The vehicle ferry is the big extra you will not meet touring on the mainland, and it is worth being honest about. A return crossing with a caravan or motorhome can run well into three figures in peak season, priced partly by your outfit length, so build it into the budget from the start. You can trim it: book early, travel midweek or off-peak rather than a summer weekend, and use the discounted crossing that parks like The Orchards arrange when you reserve a pitch. Shoulder-season fares in May, June and September are noticeably lower. Compare Wightlink and Red Funnel for your route, because the cheaper option depends on which port suits your journey.

It depends on which end of the island you want, because once the outfit is over on the ferry you will likely settle in one spot. The Orchards Holiday Park at Newbridge suits the west, close to Yarmouth and the Needles, with 120 touring pitches all on electric hook-up and its own ferry deal. Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park at Bembridge sits on the east with a sandy beach on site. Adgestone Camping and Caravanning Club Site near Sandown adds a heated pool in quiet countryside, and Southland Camping Park at Newchurch has 147 level pitches in the Arreton valley. All four include electric hook-up on the touring pitches, so pick by location and facilities.

Yes. The touring pitches on the island parks almost all come with an electric hook-up, usually 10 or 16 amp. The Orchards Holiday Park includes electric on every one of its 120 pitches, with grass, hardstanding and all-service options. Whitecliff Bay offers 16A hook-ups over its two touring fields, Southland has electric on all 147 pitches with 30 hardstanding and six fully serviced, and the Adgestone club site has electric pitches too. Fully serviced pitches add fresh water and a wastewater drain alongside the electric, which suits longer stays or bigger motorhomes. Because wild camping is not an option here, plan on a serviced pitch with power rather than relying on your leisure battery alone.

No, not realistically. England does not grant a right to camp from a vehicle, and the Isle of Wight is small, busy and privately held, so there is no wild camping or roadside overnighting for motorhomes. The honest answer is to book a licensed caravan park or a club site, of which there are plenty, and they give you the electric hook-up, showers and waste facilities a free spot never will. Because you have already paid for the ferry to bring the outfit over, it makes sense to settle on one good park and day-trip out rather than trying to move around. Budget for a pitch every night of the stay.

We leave the van on the pitch and travel light, because the towns are tight for a big outfit and parking is limited. The island bus network is genuinely good and reaches most of the coast and the main sights, so it is an easy way to see Cowes, Ventnor, Ryde and the beaches without towing. Cyclists have the old railway trails and quiet lanes, and many parks hire or store bikes. For drives, the A3054, A3020 and A3056 handle a car easily, and the scenic Military Road along the south coast is worth doing once. Keep the caravan or motorhome on the A-roads and out of the narrow inland lanes.

Late May to mid-September gives the warmest, sunniest weather, and the island is one of the mildest corners of the UK thanks to the surrounding sea. Our favourites are May, June and September, when the crossings are cheaper, the parks quieter and the weather still kind. Late July and August bring the warmest days, around 21°C, but also the crowds and the highest prices, and the vehicle ferries book out weeks ahead, so reserve early if you must travel then. Winter touring is limited because many parks close, though a handful stay open; it is mild rather than freezing but wet and windy on the exposed coast, so pick a hardstanding pitch.

For the most part, yes, with a little care. There are no motorways on the island, but the main A-roads, the A3054 across the north, the A3020 down the middle and the A3056 to the south-east, all handle large outfits fine. The scenic A3055 Military Road along the south coast is single-carriageway and exposed to the wind, so take it steady, and note it is subject to cliff erosion in places. The real pinch points are the narrow inland lanes with high hedges and the tight town centres like Cowes and Ventnor. We keep the van on the A-roads and the park, and use the buses or a car for the tighter runs, which avoids most of the stress.

Not on the island itself, but the protection is still strong. Roughly half of the Isle of Wight is designated as the Isle of Wight National Landscape, the status formerly known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which covers the chalk downs, the west coast and much of the shoreline. Across the Solent on the mainland lies the New Forest National Park, which many tourers pair with an island visit either side of their crossing. The whole island coast is ringed by a public coastal path, giving open cliff-top and beach walking, and the downs above Freshwater and Ventnor offer some of the best views. So there is plenty of protected, walkable countryside.

Plenty for a week or more, and everything is close. In the west the Needles and the coloured sand cliffs at Alum Bay draw the crowds, with a chairlift down to the bay and Tennyson Down above. History runs deep: Osborne House near East Cowes was Queen Victoria's seaside palace, and Carisbrooke Castle near Newport held Charles I. The coastal towns each have their own feel, from sailing at Cowes to the Victorian resort of Ventnor with its microclimate and botanic garden. The public coastal path circles the island for walkers, the old railway lines suit cyclists, and the Arreton valley has farm shops. It is an easy place to fill days without long drives.

On the parks. Every licensed park and club site on the island has a chemical disposal point, sometimes called an Elsan point or motorhome service point, where you empty the toilet cassette, tip grey water and refill fresh water. Never empty a cassette or grey tank into a roadside drain, a gully or the sea, since that pollutes and is illegal. Because the island has no wild-camping option and few roadside facilities, plan your day trips to start and finish at the park when the tanks need attention. The Orchards, Whitecliff Bay, Adgestone and Southland all have proper service facilities, so top up fresh water and empty before you set off for a full day out.

Generally yes, and the island suits them well. Most parks and club sites are dog-friendly, and this is fine walking country, with the public coastal path, the downs and quiet lanes all good for a dog. Adgestone has a dedicated dog walk on site, and the beaches offer long runs, though many enforce seasonal dog bans on the main resort sands in summer, so check the local signs. Parks usually ask you to keep dogs on a lead around the pitches and to clean up, and some limit the number per pitch, so confirm when you book. Carry water on warmer days, and keep dogs under control near the cliff paths and any livestock in the fields.

Expect roughly £25 to £40 a night for a serviced touring pitch with electric hook-up for two adults and one caravan or motorhome, with hardstanding and fully serviced pitches at the top of that band and peak August dates higher again. The pitch is only part of it, though: the vehicle ferry is the trip's real extra, and a return crossing with an outfit can reach well into three figures in summer, so treat it as a headline cost. Fuel and groceries run a little above the mainland because everything comes over by boat. Book early, travel off-peak, use a park ferry deal, and consider club membership if you visit the island sites often, and the whole trip comes down noticeably.

You reach the island only by vehicle ferry, so this is the first thing to plan. Wightlink runs car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and from Portsmouth to Fishbourne, and Red Funnel crosses from Southampton to East Cowes. All three carry caravans and motorhomes, but you must book your outfit on ahead and give the real length, because the vehicle deck space for towing and over-height units sells out first in summer. There is no bridge or tunnel. On the mainland the M27 and M3 feed all three ports, so arrive at your booked sailing early, since latecomers can lose the slot and there is no easy alternative on a busy day.

The vehicle ferry is the big extra you will not meet touring on the mainland, and it is worth being honest about. A return crossing with a caravan or motorhome can run well into three figures in peak season, priced partly by your outfit length, so build it into the budget from the start. You can trim it: book early, travel midweek or off-peak rather than a summer weekend, and use the discounted crossing that parks like The Orchards arrange when you reserve a pitch. Shoulder-season fares in May, June and September are noticeably lower. Compare Wightlink and Red Funnel for your route, because the cheaper option depends on which port suits your journey.

It depends on which end of the island you want, because once the outfit is over on the ferry you will likely settle in one spot. The Orchards Holiday Park at Newbridge suits the west, close to Yarmouth and the Needles, with 120 touring pitches all on electric hook-up and its own ferry deal. Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park at Bembridge sits on the east with a sandy beach on site. Adgestone Camping and Caravanning Club Site near Sandown adds a heated pool in quiet countryside, and Southland Camping Park at Newchurch has 147 level pitches in the Arreton valley. All four include electric hook-up on the touring pitches, so pick by location and facilities.

Yes. The touring pitches on the island parks almost all come with an electric hook-up, usually 10 or 16 amp. The Orchards Holiday Park includes electric on every one of its 120 pitches, with grass, hardstanding and all-service options. Whitecliff Bay offers 16A hook-ups over its two touring fields, Southland has electric on all 147 pitches with 30 hardstanding and six fully serviced, and the Adgestone club site has electric pitches too. Fully serviced pitches add fresh water and a wastewater drain alongside the electric, which suits longer stays or bigger motorhomes. Because wild camping is not an option here, plan on a serviced pitch with power rather than relying on your leisure battery alone.

No, not realistically. England does not grant a right to camp from a vehicle, and the Isle of Wight is small, busy and privately held, so there is no wild camping or roadside overnighting for motorhomes. The honest answer is to book a licensed caravan park or a club site, of which there are plenty, and they give you the electric hook-up, showers and waste facilities a free spot never will. Because you have already paid for the ferry to bring the outfit over, it makes sense to settle on one good park and day-trip out rather than trying to move around. Budget for a pitch every night of the stay.

We leave the van on the pitch and travel light, because the towns are tight for a big outfit and parking is limited. The island bus network is genuinely good and reaches most of the coast and the main sights, so it is an easy way to see Cowes, Ventnor, Ryde and the beaches without towing. Cyclists have the old railway trails and quiet lanes, and many parks hire or store bikes. For drives, the A3054, A3020 and A3056 handle a car easily, and the scenic Military Road along the south coast is worth doing once. Keep the caravan or motorhome on the A-roads and out of the narrow inland lanes.

Late May to mid-September gives the warmest, sunniest weather, and the island is one of the mildest corners of the UK thanks to the surrounding sea. Our favourites are May, June and September, when the crossings are cheaper, the parks quieter and the weather still kind. Late July and August bring the warmest days, around 21°C, but also the crowds and the highest prices, and the vehicle ferries book out weeks ahead, so reserve early if you must travel then. Winter touring is limited because many parks close, though a handful stay open; it is mild rather than freezing but wet and windy on the exposed coast, so pick a hardstanding pitch.

For the most part, yes, with a little care. There are no motorways on the island, but the main A-roads, the A3054 across the north, the A3020 down the middle and the A3056 to the south-east, all handle large outfits fine. The scenic A3055 Military Road along the south coast is single-carriageway and exposed to the wind, so take it steady, and note it is subject to cliff erosion in places. The real pinch points are the narrow inland lanes with high hedges and the tight town centres like Cowes and Ventnor. We keep the van on the A-roads and the park, and use the buses or a car for the tighter runs, which avoids most of the stress.

Not on the island itself, but the protection is still strong. Roughly half of the Isle of Wight is designated as the Isle of Wight National Landscape, the status formerly known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which covers the chalk downs, the west coast and much of the shoreline. Across the Solent on the mainland lies the New Forest National Park, which many tourers pair with an island visit either side of their crossing. The whole island coast is ringed by a public coastal path, giving open cliff-top and beach walking, and the downs above Freshwater and Ventnor offer some of the best views. So there is plenty of protected, walkable countryside.

Plenty for a week or more, and everything is close. In the west the Needles and the coloured sand cliffs at Alum Bay draw the crowds, with a chairlift down to the bay and Tennyson Down above. History runs deep: Osborne House near East Cowes was Queen Victoria's seaside palace, and Carisbrooke Castle near Newport held Charles I. The coastal towns each have their own feel, from sailing at Cowes to the Victorian resort of Ventnor with its microclimate and botanic garden. The public coastal path circles the island for walkers, the old railway lines suit cyclists, and the Arreton valley has farm shops. It is an easy place to fill days without long drives.

On the parks. Every licensed park and club site on the island has a chemical disposal point, sometimes called an Elsan point or motorhome service point, where you empty the toilet cassette, tip grey water and refill fresh water. Never empty a cassette or grey tank into a roadside drain, a gully or the sea, since that pollutes and is illegal. Because the island has no wild-camping option and few roadside facilities, plan your day trips to start and finish at the park when the tanks need attention. The Orchards, Whitecliff Bay, Adgestone and Southland all have proper service facilities, so top up fresh water and empty before you set off for a full day out.

Generally yes, and the island suits them well. Most parks and club sites are dog-friendly, and this is fine walking country, with the public coastal path, the downs and quiet lanes all good for a dog. Adgestone has a dedicated dog walk on site, and the beaches offer long runs, though many enforce seasonal dog bans on the main resort sands in summer, so check the local signs. Parks usually ask you to keep dogs on a lead around the pitches and to clean up, and some limit the number per pitch, so confirm when you book. Carry water on warmer days, and keep dogs under control near the cliff paths and any livestock in the fields.

Expect roughly £25 to £40 a night for a serviced touring pitch with electric hook-up for two adults and one caravan or motorhome, with hardstanding and fully serviced pitches at the top of that band and peak August dates higher again. The pitch is only part of it, though: the vehicle ferry is the trip's real extra, and a return crossing with an outfit can reach well into three figures in summer, so treat it as a headline cost. Fuel and groceries run a little above the mainland because everything comes over by boat. Book early, travel off-peak, use a park ferry deal, and consider club membership if you visit the island sites often, and the whole trip comes down noticeably.