Van Miles

In July 2024 we set off for a week away in the campervan, starting in Windermere before spending a few days at Ullswater and finishing the trip in Carnforth meeting up with friends.

As usual, we hadn’t planned every minute of the week. We had the dogs with us, the paddleboards packed and were just hoping for some decent weather. We did get some sunshine – but being the Lake District, we also got plenty of rain!

Our First Night – Windermere

Our first stop was Windermere, where we stayed overnight at Rayrigg car park. It cost us £10 for the night and for the location I thought it was really handy. ( However this appears to be daytime only now on search for sites).

The best thing about this car park is that it’s right on the lake. You can walk straight down to the water, so if you’re taking paddleboards it’s a really easy place to get them on the lake without having to carry them very far from the van. We didn’t paddleboard here on this trip, but I would definitely consider it another time.

It’s also only around a five-minute walk into Windermere and about 15 minutes to the pubs and shops on the main road.

Once we’d parked up, we took the dogs for a walk around the lake, had a beer locally and then spent some time just sitting by the water. It was a nice easy first evening after travelling up.

The only downside to Rayrigg was the road noise. The car park is close to a main road and we could definitely hear the traffic during the night. We still slept, but if you’re a light sleeper it’s something worth knowing before choosing it as an overnight stop.

For £20 though, I thought the location was good. We had the lake right next to us and could leave the van parked up and explore Windermere on foot.

Next Stop – Ullswater

The following day we headed over to Ullswater and checked into Park Foot Holiday Park.

We paid around £35 a night. It’s a large campsite with plenty going on and the toilets and showers were really clean. Because of the size of the site, though, you could have a bit of a walk to the facilities depending on where you’re pitched.

One of the main reasons we’d chosen Ullswater was to get the paddleboards out.

You can access the lake from the campsite, but carrying the paddleboards and everything else down from our pitch was a bit of a trek. We discovered that campsite guests could move their vehicle down to a parking area nearer the lake, which made things much easier.

We moved the van closer, got the paddleboards out and spent some time out on Ullswater.

That’s one of the things I love about having the campervan. Everything is with you – dry clothes, drinks, towels and somewhere to get changed afterwards.

Walking into Pooley Bridge

Pooley Bridge is around a 15-minute walk from the campsite, so we didn’t need to move the van when we fancied going out.

It’s a lovely little place with pubs and shops and plenty going on in summer.

We didn’t eat out while we were there, but we did stop for a drink and sat in a pub beer garden overlooking Ullswater. With the sun out and the lake in front of us, it was a pretty good way to spend an afternoon.

Walking Along Ullswater

The next day we decided to walk along Ullswater to the next campsite.

It was a nice way to see more of the lake without having to drive anywhere and we took the dogs with us.

The campsite further along was right on the lake, which did make me slightly envious of the pitches there!

Back at Park Foot we got the paddleboards out again and luckily the sun came out. We were actually able to sit outside the van and relax for a while.

Considering it was during the Scottish school holidays, I was surprised at how quiet the site felt. It is a big campsite, but we never felt as though we were surrounded by noise or crowds.

Then the Lake District Weather Arrived

Unfortunately, the sunshine didn’t last.

The next two days brought torrential rain – proper Lake District weather!

Rather than sit in the van all day, we headed to Aira Force, the National Trust waterfall near Ullswater.

We had a walk around the waterfall before retreating to the café for a coffee and a break from the rain.

One advantage of staying at Park Foot was having the campsite pub. With the weather showing no sign of improving, we watched the England game in there rather than spending another wet evening in the van.

Sometimes campervan trips don’t quite look like the sunny photographs you see on social media!

Ullswater to Carnforth

On Thursday we packed up and left Ullswater, heading towards Carnforth for our final night.

We stayed at Marsh House, where we paid around £30 for the night. We’d chosen it because we were meeting friends nearby, so the location worked well for us.

After getting settled, we headed out for a walk along the marshes towards Archers, where we stopped for lunch.

The whole walk was around six miles.

I probably wouldn’t rush to do the marsh walk again. Parts of it were quite boggy and I didn’t think it was one of the best walks we’ve done, but it got us out and gave us somewhere to aim for lunch.

That evening we met up with friends at The Royal. We had a nice meal and a few drinks before getting the bus back later that night, with a stop conveniently close to the campsite.

What Did Our Week Cost?

For the whole trip we spent £713 for the two of us and our three dogs.

That included our overnight stays and campsites, fuel, food, drinks and what we spent while we were away.

I think including the total cost gives a much better idea of what a week travelling around in a campervan actually costs. We weren’t trying to do the trip as cheaply as possible – we had drinks out, ate out on our last day and stayed on a proper campsite for most of the week.

Would We Do This Trip Again?

Definitely.

It was a really easy week away in the campervan without trying to cram too much in.

Windermere was a great first-night stop, especially with the lake literally on the doorstep. If we stayed again and the weather was good, I’d definitely be tempted to get the paddleboards straight out.

Ullswater was the main part of the trip and gave us a mixture of walking, paddleboarding, pubs and plenty of time just relaxing around the van. Carnforth then worked perfectly as a final night and somewhere to meet friends before heading home.

The weather wasn’t on our side for the whole week, but that’s part of travelling around the UK in a campervan. We had sunshine, torrential rain, paddleboarding, dog walks, pub stops and probably more coffee than we’d planned.

For us, that’s a pretty typical week in the van – nothing too organised, plenty of walking and making the most of whatever the weather decides to do.