Camping Sites - Transport to the City

[Tarquers]

Looking for suggestions for camping spots that are close(ish) to public transport to get into central London TO(Lime Street). Need to travel to London for a few days of meetings and as I plan to drive and collect some van stuff during the visit, figured it is probably cheaper to camp then to pay for parking. Crystal Palace C&C turns up in the search but old result, wondering if there is more up to date knowledge?

(Sorry Admins, just realised this likely to be in the wrong spot!)

 

[Barbara]

Looking for suggestions for camping spots that are close(ish) to public transport to get into central London from (Lime Street). Need to travel to London for a few days of meetings and as I plan to drive and collect some van stuff during the visit, figured it is probably cheaper to camp then to pay for parking. Crystal Palace C&C turns up in the search but old result, wondering if there is more up to date knowledge?

(Sorry Admins, just realised this likely to be in the wrong spot!)

Abbey wood it is very near Elizabeth Line route to London.

Caravan and Motorhome Club

A page's description, usually one or two sentences.

bookings.caravanclub.co.uk

 

[Barbara]

Journey results

tfl.gov.uk

Train route

 

[andyinluton]

Abbey Wood is an absolutely awful place to drive to if you are starting North of London!

I would be thinking slightly further out - C&MHC Welwyn Garden City, 33mins by train to kings Cross, train fare will be more but you've saved a couple of hours each way driving. You would need a cab to & from the station though.

Similarly Wyatt's cove in Denham is just inside the M25 on the west side - easy drive but longer on the train.

 

[Barbara]

Abbey Wood is an absolutely awful place to drive to if you are starting North of London!

I would be thinking slightly further out - C&MHC Welwyn Garden City, 33mins by train to kings Cross, train fare will be more but you've saved a couple of hours each way driving. You would need a cab to & from the station though.

Similarly Wyatt's cove in Denham is just inside the M25 on the west side - easy drive but longer on the train.

Yes had not concidered the start of the trip. Only route to Abbey Wood is via Dartford crossing as other crossing of Thames are difficult unless you know London well. Routhehind tunnel has restrictions on vehicle type and some vans are OK others are not. Woolwich ferry does not always run. Tower Bridge is a bit close to charging areas. No idea about Blackwall tunnel as always avoid it due to high traffic density.

 

[Tarquers]

Abbey Wood is an absolutely awful place to drive to if you are starting North of London!

I would be thinking slightly further out - C&MHC Welwyn Garden City, 33mins by train to kings Cross, train fare will be more but you've saved a couple of hours each way driving. You would need a cab to & from the station though.

Similarly Wyatt's cove in Denham is just inside the M25 on the west side - easy drive but longer on the train.

Would be coming from Chunnel doesn’t look too bad.

 

[Tarquers]

Journey results

tfl.gov.uk

Train route

Thanks Barbara

 

[Barbara]

Would be coming from Chunnel doesn’t look too bad.

Should be ok from the Channel tunnel but suggest you look at the tfl.gov.uk site for information on the London zones where charing applies. You should be no where near coming from that direction but good idea to know where they are just in case you miss some turns. A few miles from the site towards central London charing starts. If you do end up in a road charge are by mistake you can pay online
Tfl site has all the information you need for transport ( rail, underground,bus, cycle and river.) and road info for London.

The campsite staff are very helpful. This site is part of a club it allows non members but it costs in to join if you stay more days than the fee to join as non members pay more. There is info on the site website.

I stay in Abby wood so I can cycle in London. If you have any free time bring a bike. I think folding bikes on trains anytime but restrictions at peak times for non folders.
If you feel like an adventure there is a river boat that will take you from London to Woolwich then you can get a bus back to the site.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Horsley Camping & Caravanning Club is a good site, plenty of trees about so you feel in the countryside, with a 20 min walk ( or 5 min bike ride) to Horsley overground station. It’s about 55 mins into Waterloo.

 

[Amarillo]

Abbey Wood is an absolutely awful place to drive to if you are starting North of London!

I would be thinking slightly further out - C&MHC Welwyn Garden City, 33mins by train to kings Cross, train fare will be more but you've saved a couple of hours each way driving. You would need a cab to & from the station though.

Similarly Wyatt's cove in Denham is just inside the M25 on the west side - easy drive but longer on the train.

20 minutes from the southern side of the Blackwall Tunnel or 20 minutes from the southern side of the Dartford River Crossings. It really should not be a big issue to get there.

 

[andyinluton]

20 minutes from the southern side of the Blackwall Tunnel or 20 minutes from the southern side of the Dartford River Crossings. It really should not be a big issue to get there.

I was totally mislead by Tarquers "get into central London from (Lime Street)" I read that as he needed to get to London from Lime street, not that Lime Street London was the destination, to me Lime street has always meant Liverpool so assumed he was coming from the North.

Amarillo, I totally agree that getting to Abbey Wood is only a 20 minute drive away from a number of places, thats pretty irrelevant if thats not where he's starting from. To get to the South side of the Blackwall Tunnel or Dartford Crossing is a pain if as I had assumed you are starting in the North.

Coming from the Channel tunnel I would be looking at a site round Ashford, the overground trains into London are only about half an hour & its only a few a minutes from the Channel Tunnel.

@Tarquers where do you intend going onto afterwards?

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Just check the intended date for any rail / tube strikes.

 

[Tarquers]

I was totally mislead by Tarquers "get into central London from (Lime Street)" I read that as he needed to get to London from Lime street, not that Lime Street London was the destination, to me Lime street has always meant Liverpool so assumed he was coming from the North.

Amarillo, I totally agree that getting to Abbey Wood is only a 20 minute drive away from a number of places, thats pretty irrelevant if thats not where he's starting from. To get to the South side of the Blackwall Tunnel or Dartford Crossing is a pain if as I had assumed you are starting in the North.

Coming from the Channel tunnel I would be looking at a site round Ashford, the overground trains into London are only about half an hour & its only a few a minutes from the Channel Tunnel.

@Tarquers where do you intend going onto afterwards?

sorry Andy - didnt even spot the typo (now corrected). I need to get to London for a few days for a series of meetings in and around the Lloyds building in Lime Street. Coming from Wroclaw I have the option of Luton and a train in, or the drive via the Chunnel.

Given that I pretty much always have something to ferry one way of the other, it makes sense to drive over and rather than pay 20 quid to park at a hotel, use the van. Sorry for misleading you in the original post but a prize for spotting the error!

If I do the trip, probably end up heading up to Staffordshire afterwards via Oxford. This of secondary importance as looking at options for the shortest commute in and out of London rather than the (in)convenience of the drive afterwards.

 

[NessL]

I was totally mislead by Tarquers "get into central London from (Lime Street)" I read that as he needed to get to London from Lime street, not that Lime Street London was the destination, to me Lime street has always meant Liverpool so assumed he was coming from the North.

Amarillo, I totally agree that getting to Abbey Wood is only a 20 minute drive away from a number of places, thats pretty irrelevant if thats not where he's starting from. To get to the South side of the Blackwall Tunnel or Dartford Crossing is a pain if as I had assumed you are starting in the North.

Coming from the Channel tunnel I would be looking at a site round Ashford, the overground trains into London are only about half an hour & its only a few a minutes from the Channel Tunnel.

@Tarquers where do you intend going onto afterwards?

I wouldn’t stay near Ashford. Train travel is expensive from there and you’d be reliant on overground trains.
Personally I’d look at Abbeywood. Far easier to travel into London from - short journey time, far cheaper and more frequent.

 

[rpevans99]

Don't get a train to Lime Street - that is in Liverpool.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Looking for suggestions for camping spots that are close(ish) to public transport to get into central London TO(Lime Street). Need to travel to London for a few days of meetings and as I plan to drive and collect some van stuff during the visit, figured it is probably cheaper to camp then to pay for parking. Crystal Palace C&C turns up in the search but old result, wondering if there is more up to date knowledge?

(Sorry Admins, just realised this likely to be in the wrong spot!)

Crystal Palace would be good if from Chunnel. The ULEZ border is half a mile up the road so should be easy to avoid.
Train to London Bridge or 3 bus straight into centre.

 

[GrannyJen]

Abbey wood. Lovely site. Great site team. 10 minute walk to Elizabeth line which is absolutely amazing for getting into central London. Very easy to get to from M25.

 

[66tim99]

Abbey wood. Lovely site. Great site team. 10 minute walk to Elizabeth line which is absolutely amazing for getting into central London. Very easy to get to from M25.

And there is actually a ruined abbey in woodland across the road from the camp site, which might be good for a walk to blow the stresses of a series of City meetings away

 

[Amarillo]

And there is actually a ruined abbey in woodland across the road from the camp site, which might be good for a walk to blow the stresses of a series of City meetings away

I used to walk in the woods around Abbey Wood as a child. Running around the ruins of Lesnes Abbey was always fun.

As well as being on the Elizabeth Line, Abbey Wood is also on Thameslink and Southeastern.

 

[Amarillo]

Amarillo, I totally agree that getting to Abbey Wood is only a 20 minute drive away from a number of places, thats pretty irrelevant if thats not where he's starting from. To get to the South side of the Blackwall Tunnel or Dartford Crossing is a pain if as I had assumed you are starting in the North.

I live just south of the river: 11 minutes drive from the Blackwall Tunnel and 19 minutes drive from the Dartford crossings.

I find neither crossing particularly difficult, and have no problem driving north, and can be on the M11 within 30 minutes.

I don’t see how or why driving to just south of the Thames can be any more difficult than me driving north.

 

[Barbara]

I live just south of the river: 11 minutes drive from the Blackwall Tunnel and 19 minutes drive from the Dartford crossings.

I find neither crossing particularly difficult, and have no problem driving north, and can be on the M11 within 30 minutes.

I don’t see how or why driving to just south of the Thames can be any more difficult than me driving north.

I was always a bit worried about using the Blackwall tunnel, good to know it is OK. Local knowledge is always useful, thanks

 

[kurienp]

good to know it is OK.

Ok only if your vehicle is classified as a "motor caravan" in the V5C it seems.

 

[GrannyJen]

I used to walk in the woods around Abbey Wood as a child. Running around the ruins of Lesnes Abbey was always fun.

As well as being on the Elizabeth Line, Abbey Wood is also on Thameslink and Southeastern.

and the 180 bus, the not very useful Erith to North Greenwich route .... which became the love of my life when after 10 miles of walking with a very sore foot and arriving at the Dome I found it parked up and ready to whisk me off to Abbey wood. God bless the 180 and all who ride in her

 

[Tarquers]

Ok only if your vehicle is classified as a "motor caravan" in the V5C it seems.

How do you think that works on foreign Calis visiting?

 

[Barbara]

How do you think that works on foreign Calis visiting?

I don't believe that the Blackwall tunnel is a problem for vans as busses go though it . However the Rotherhithe Tunnel should be avoided as there it depends on the vehicle classification as it is a narrow tunnel. Hopefully
@Amarillo will give us more information as local.