Campsites near London: where to camp within two hours of the city

You do not have to drive to Wales to sleep under the stars. Within two hours of London there are national parks, two coastlines, ancient forest and some of the best campsites in the south. Here's where to head, roughly clockwise from the south-west.

The New Forest — 1h 45 by car, 1h 30 by train

The classic London camping escape. Ponies wander through the campsites, the forest is laced with car-free cycle tracks and the Solent coast at Lepe and Milford on Sea is minutes away. Trains from Waterloo reach Brockenhurst in 90 minutes and several campsites are walkable or a short cycle from the station — genuinely car-free camping.

Best for: families, cyclists, first-timers.
Campsites in the New Forest →

The South Downs — 1h 15

England's newest national park runs from Winchester to Eastbourne and is within reach of the Brighton line. Campsites in the Meon Valley, around Arundel and behind the Seven Sisters combine chalk downland walks with sea swims. Trains from Victoria to Lewes or Eastbourne make it easy without a car.

Best for: walkers, weekend hikes on the South Downs Way, Brighton day trips.

The Surrey Hills — 45 minutes

The closest proper countryside to London. Box Hill, Leith Hill and the Devil's Punch Bowl are all in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and there are small campsites around Dorking and Guildford that feel far further from the M25 than they are. Ideal for a one-night escape or your very first camping trip.

Best for: a quick test run, cyclists (Box Hill), no-car trips from Waterloo.

The Chilterns — 1 hour

Beech woods, red kites, chalk streams and proper pubs. Campsites around Henley, Marlow and the Thames Path make a good base for river swimming and walking the Ridgeway. Marylebone trains reach the Chilterns in under an hour.

Best for: river camping, pub walks, autumn colour.

The Kent and Sussex coast — 1h 30

Camber Sands, Dungeness, Rye, Hastings and the White Cliffs. The coast east of Brighton is quieter and stranger than the west, with dune camping at Camber and the otherworldly shingle of Dungeness. High-speed trains from St Pancras reach Folkestone in under an hour.

Best for: beach camping, Rye and Whitstable weekends.

The Norfolk Broads and coast — 2 hours

Push north-east and you reach the Broads — 125 miles of navigable waterways — and the North Norfolk coast around Wells, Holkham and Cromer, with enormous beaches and seal colonies. It's further but the campsites are excellent and the skies are dark.

Best for: paddling, wildlife, big empty beaches.

Getting there without a car

Camping by train is entirely realistic from London:

Waterloo → Brockenhurst (New Forest) — 1h 30
Waterloo → Guildford / Box Hill & Westhumble (Surrey Hills) — 45 min
Victoria → Lewes / Eastbourne (South Downs) — 1h 10
Marylebone → Great Missenden / Henley via Twyford (Chilterns) — 50 min
St Pancras → Folkestone (Kent coast) — 55 min

Look for campsites within two miles of a station and pack light — a small tent, a mat, a bag and a stove fit easily in a rucksack. Our first-time camping checklist has the full kit list.

When to go

Everything within two hours of London is busiest on summer weekends. Friday-night arrivals after work are the trick — book a Friday-to-Sunday pitch, leave the city at five and be beside a fire by eight. May, June and September are the best months for weather and quiet; see when to go camping in the UK.

Search campsites by date to see what's free this weekend.