Dorset coast and best website for overnight stays.

calicalling · Mar 7, 2018

Hello to all Californians, (not the Yankee doodle ones)
I am renting (trying before buying) a California for Easter. We would like to take the Dorset coast from west to east as far as to the New Forest. I am finding that campsites either want a 3 day booking or I found one which would not take any reservations (1st come 1st served). This means we'll probably have to find free overnight stays.
I have read posts on this forum extolling the virtues of britstops.com. I am a bit reluctant to buy the guide (£30.- I think) just for a long weekend. I have stumbled on a website called searchforsites.co.uk. Could anyone tell me the difference between the two websites please?

Jonathan Duke · Mar 7, 2018

We have used the park4night app, on my iPhone. It has directed us to many cracking locations, all free/wild. Some with facilities nearby etc. I haven't been to the Dorset Coast, but it's on my list, so can't advise on specific locations thereabouts. If you find any great locations yourselves, be sure to review them if they are already logged as a "location" or add them as a location yourselves. We wild/stealth-camp almost 95% of the time, and love the advantages (to us) it brings.

Enjoy!!

Sad · Mar 7, 2018

https://m.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/trave...ing/car-parks-in-dorset/station-yard-west-bay

larrylamb · Mar 7, 2018

Have you tried East Fleet site? Great place and owners by an ex Cali man. A site would be better than a Britstop for your first time. :thumb

MattBW · Mar 8, 2018

If its outside of half term we have never had trouble finding a site even on sites that have asked for booking of 2 or 3 nights min. We tend to use CCC certified sites quite often with good results as a general rule.

We used to have a lot of fav sites in Dorset but so many now seem to be chasing fixed caravans or cabins and moving the camping fields to the back of site. I guess that is where the money is these days.

Cali-on-Camping · Mar 8, 2018

Hi @calicalling , we did the same and rented before bought our Cali and not looking back.

calicalling said:
I have read posts on this forum extolling the virtues of britstops.com. I am a bit reluctant to buy the guide (£30.- I think) just for a long weekend. I have stumbled on a website called searchforsites.co.uk. Could anyone tell me the difference between the two websites please?

to answer your point above, the searchforsites resource pulls together all known campsites/pubs/laybys and anywhere camping is acceptable, into one place. The sites listed there may be part of scheme such as a Caravan and Motorhome Club site or Certified location or, a Britstops. This means that in most cases, you have to be a member of the scheme to stay at that location. Britsops is one of those schemes. The pubs you see on searchforsites may not necessarily be part of the Britstops scheme so no harm in calling them.

Like any membership, it really depends on how often you use it determines whether it is worth the money. As you are only away for a weekend on what will likely be a peak period, therefore, maximizing the value for money of paying for a membership wouldn't really be high, unless you go on to buy a Cali and make use of memberships for the rest of the year.

It looks like we're in the same county and I live in a place that has been in the news a lot over the last view days so now's a good time to be out in the Cali! Our first Cali trip as owners was to https://www.seabarnfarm.co.uk/ in Dorset which was really great (not sure of Easter booking policy).

Hope that helps.