Staying in one of the great campsites close to the UK's best theme parks is a great and affordable way to make the most of the attractions.
The one major downside of heading to destinations such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Flamingo Land is how difficult it is to fit everything into a single day, especially when the queues are long during the holidays.
Many theme parks now have on-site hotels or lodges where you can stay and maximise your time on dippers of all sizes, but they usually come at a fairly steep cost.
One way to spend more time at the parks is to find a campsite nearby, which has the added bonus of getting the family out into the great outdoors, without breaking the bank.
Outdoor accommodation booking platform Pitchup.com has put together some top campsites near popular theme park, providing an affordable way to stay and make the most of each attraction.
Alton Towers
If you are heading to one of the UK’s biggest theme parks this summer, then Rue Hill Campsite in Staffordshire could be just the place to rest your head after a busy day exploring Cbeebies Land or braving rollercoasters, like Nemesis and Oblivion.
A 10-minute drive from Alton Towers, this special spot is surrounded by green fields on the edge of the Peak District, close to the village of Cauldron Low and not far from the town of Ashbourne.
There’s plenty of space, with a wide grassy field for running around in, as well as more organised activities around the football and volleyball nets. Barbecues are welcome and fire pits can be hired.
Non-electric grass touring or tent pitches start from £20 per night for two people.
Alternatively, you could spend fill your days zooming about on Alton Towers rides and your evenings sipping pints at Peakstones Inn, a traditional pub in the Staffordshire countryside with more than 400 years of history to its name.
This rural spot is but a five-minute drive from the UK's biggest theme park, far enough from the action to get a proper night's sleep but close enough for thrill-seekers who plan on making repeat trips.
Set on the edge of the Churnet Valley, Peakstones Inn has several well-placed plots for under-canvas stays on the edge of its spacious beer garden.
Those pitching up here have access to basic amenities like toilets inside the pub, where you can also settle in for drinks and food, including full English breakfasts for early birds who are up and about before 9am.
Other perks of staying in an old pub include plenty of classic games like darts and pool. A tent pitch could be yours from £18 a night.
Pike Low Farm Camping is a family-friendly farm site in the Staffordshire Moorlands between the historic market towns of Ashbourne and Leek just off the A52.
With friendly farm animals on site and free-range eggs available, this family-run dog-friendly site is a good place to indulge in some rural back-to-basics living for a little while.
A five-minute drive from the edge of the Peak District and Alton Towers, you may want to spend a day cycling or hiking across green slopes and the next plunging down rollercoaster drops. Handily, popular Peak District spots such as Dovedale, Thor’s Cave and Hartington are all a 20-minute drive away.
You may very well catch the farm’s goats, sheep and hens pottering about the site. A pitch can be bagged from £12 a night.
Thorpe Park
Clock in for a relaxing time at Stokes Poges Campsite, a peaceful dog-friendly site in Buckinghamshire where pitches cost from £20 a night.
With treetop courses and lakeside walks at Black Park Country Park five minutes’ drive away, this site is well-situated for some family or friends to spend some quality time, whether it’s visiting London’s sights - a 25-minute journey from the Gerrards Cross train station, five minutes’ drive away - or kayaking around the canals in the Colne Valley Regional Park, 15 minutes’ drive away.
With grassy pitches and woodlands around the site, unwind with a gentle stroll as you please. Things are kept nicely straightforward on-site with portable toilets, rubbish bins and running water where you can tend to any water bottles running low.
For an evening out, there’s a pub 10 minutes’ walk down the road. Handily, there’s also a food shop five minutes’ walk in the opposite direction where you can fill your pockets with snacks to munch on throughout the day.
Hammonds Glamping promises to provide some much-needed peace and quiet after a day being thrown around the loops on Colossus.
Each stay comes with complimentary access to the National Trust’s Hatchlands Park and its 400-acre gardens, located in the same grounds at the site.
But there’s still plenty of 4G internet access for planning which rides you want to try at the theme park, which is less than 10 miles away. Basic bell tents come with fire pits and picnic tables, but without any beds, but deluxe versions are available with beds and bed linen too.
The campsite costs from £75 per night for a basic bell tent for up to five people. Deluxe bell tents start from £100 for up to four people and from £125 for up to six people, both with a minimum two-night stay.
Roarr!
After a fascinating and action-packed day of uncovering life-size dinosaur replicas in the woodlands, getting lost in mazes and even scaling high ropes at ROARR! dinosaur park, a stay at the picturesque Hengrave Meadow Glamping could be in order.
Located just a 10-minute drive from the family attraction, families can relax in total comfort thanks to wood-framed double beds, comfy mattresses, undercover canvas cooking areas with picnic benches, private toilets, and showers.
The nearest pub is also just 10 minutes away, while lively Norwich can be reached within 25 minutes. The campsite costs from £125 per night based on two adults sharing a bell tent.
Flamingo Land
If you’re heading to North Yorkshire for your thrills then the fun doesn’t have to end if you book a sleepover in one of Shire Stays’ cute camping pods.
Fun for the whole family, each of the modern and cosy abodes is fully kitted out with kingsize beds, stylish bathrooms with roomy showers and heated towel rails, open-plan kitchen and living areas, and private seating areas outside.
Barbecues are supplied and, with the site located in a dark skies area, what better way to end the day than by watching the glittering stars from the comfort of your own hot tub?
Within a 15-minute drive of Flamingo Land, it’s the perfect finish to a magical getaway with your nearest and dearest. Pods start from £144 per night based on four people (two adults, two children) sharing.
