Which campsite is right for me?: What kind of campsite could you run?

Seven questions about your land. See every kind of campsite that could fit, its limits, and what to do first.

1. Where is your land?
2. What would guests stay in?

Tick all that apply.

3. Most units on site at once?

Each tent, motorhome, caravan, pod or hut is one unit.

4. Days open a year?
5. How much land?
6. Happy for guests to be club members only?

Members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club or the Camping and Caravanning Club.

7. Is the land in a National Park, National Landscape or flood zone, or near a listed building or SSSI?

How it works it out

  • It checks your answers against each route: a club certificated site, a pop-up, the 5-acre exemption, and planning permission for pods and huts. It shows every one that could fit, best fit first.
  • Planning permission and a site licence shows only when none of the others covers your tents, motorhomes or caravans.
  • If you answer “Not sure”, you see every route that answer could lead to, with what would decide between them.
  • Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, which it doesn’t cover yet.

Where the figures come from

Rules checked 3 November 2026. If anything’s out of date, email [email protected] and we’ll put it right.

Thinking about a pop-up? Our 60-day rule planner counts the days.

Questions about starting a campsite.

Anything else, get in touch and we’ll help.

For tents, motorhomes and campervans, a pop-up: in England, up to 60 days a calendar year and 50 pitches, with no planning application. For caravans and motorhomes all year, a club certificated site (a CL or CS), for up to 5 at a time, members only.

A CS (Camping and Caravanning Club) can take up to 10 tents as well as its 5 caravans or motorhomes, more only with the Club’s written permission. A CL (Caravan and Motorhome Club) can’t take ground tents.

Yes, for site licensing under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. So a motorhome follows the caravan limits, and your council’s licensing team has the final say.

On a holding of 5 acres or more, you can have up to 3 caravans at a time, for no more than 28 days in any 12 months, with no site licence.

When it’s used for more than 42 days in a row, or more than 60 days in any 12 months, under section 269 of the Public Health Act 1936.

No. It’s a guide to the usual routes, from the law and the clubs’ own rules. Your council, or the club, has the final say on your land, so check with them before you go ahead.

Whatever you run, take bookings direct.

Set up in about ten minutes.

Not sure