Touring in the UK with a motorhome is easier than ever before!
You have GPS gadgets. You have awesome guidebooks.
You have social media where you can tap into a treasure trove of knowledge from people that have done exactly the same thing.
The part we want to focus on? Those awesome mobile motorhome apps that all motorhome owners need.
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There are a lot of mobile apps designed for those touring the country in their motorhome. We have gone through countless apps during our time travelling full time touring Europe and the UK , and we reckon we have found the best of the best motorhome apps UK.
Get these apps loaded onto your smartphone or your tablet, and we reckon your motorhome travels are going to become so much easier.
In this article, we’ll introduce you to the top motorhome apps available in the UK, covering everything from trip planning to staying connected with loved ones.
Park4Night – Best Van Life App
We suggest that you have Park4Night installed alongside Campercontact. This is because they both do pretty much the same job, although they have different destinations listed.
In our experience, Park4Night seems to be geared towards more of those ‘secret’ locations, the hidden gems. These are the off the beaten track destinations that you would never even think to take your motorhome.
A lot of these places have brilliant views, and you are not going to be disturbed by people if you opt to park there overnight.
Park4Night is the type of app that encourages you to share details whenever you discover a new destination to stay at.
It encourages you to share your experience. This way, more and more people will be able to find some great destinations.
With a database of over 120,000 locations across Europe, including the UK, this app provides user-generated information on campsites, free stopovers, wild camping spots, motorhome parking and car parks that allow overnight stays.
You can filter your search based on your preferences and access reviews, photos, and GPS coordinates for each location.
Even if you are travelling during peak season in the UK, we reckon that you will still be able to find a good number of destinations in the local area that will have space for you.
This is a great app that we have used a lot when we are travelling, we use it to find pretty much overnight parking spots that we stay at which is why it’s one of our favourite apps.
Basically, the Park4Night app is going to be an absolute lifesaver!
Campercontact
Need to make an overnight stop? Doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the nearby area that is accepting motorhomes of your size? Don’t worry. You can whip out the Campercontact app.
The Campercontact app will allow you to quickly identify stopover points for motorhomes throughout the country. There are several hundred destinations loaded into the app, which is awesome.
This is actually one of our favourite camping apps to use when we are travelling about the UK. This is because there are very few places that you can park a camper van or wild camp without heading to an actual campsite. So, it is cool to be able to find those motorhome parking destinations.
Like many of the other apps that we will discuss on this page, the Campercontact app is a social app. This means that it is always going to be constantly updated with the latest and greatest locations in the country.
Once you’ve downloaded all of these great apps and you’re ready to get on the road in your van, check out our blog post on how to plan the ultimate UK road trip! How To Plan The Ultimate UK Road Trip
Roadtrippers
Roadtripper is an app available worldwide.
The app is packed to the brim with awesome tourist destinations, restaurants, and pubs throughout the UK (and other countries).
With a tap of your finger, you will be able to find some cool destinations no matter where you are. It is perfect if you have time to kill, or you are looking for a new town or a bit of a bite to eat.
One of the coolest things about this app is the fact that it will allow you to create an itinerary.
So, before you head out on the road, you will be able to plan a good chunk of your road trip. You just need to fill in the blanks with where you will be staying overnight.
This is a social app, which means that there will always be new destinations added to it. In fact, we have found a ton of destinations in Roadtrippers that we don’t think we have seen in any other guidebook or any of the other best motorhome apps in the UK.
AA Camping & Caravanning Guide
If you own a motorhome in the UK, then we are 100% sure that you will have heard of the Camping & Caravanning Guide from AA.
It is one of the most complete guidebooks to campsites and motorhome stopovers scattered throughout the UK and is a must for a camping holiday. You can now access that list from the palm of your hand.
The app has been tremendously well-designed. With a couple of taps of the screen, you will be able to find campsites in the local area that are ready to accept your motorhome.
All of the information that you will be able to find in the normal guidebook can be found through the mobile app.
This means that you will be able to find details of the facilities at a campsite, the size of motorhome that they are going to be able to accept, and even a rough overview of the price.
All of the contact details for the campsite will be included in the app. This means that if there is any destination that tickles your fancy, all you need to do is pick up the phone and give them a call.
Since this app is one of the most complete apps for campsites and caravan parks UK, we can assure you that even during the peak season, you will be able to find locations in your local area.
We also find that this is a great app for some of those more undiscovered locations i.e., those places that are not tremendously good at people able to market themselves through normal means.
You may want to check out some of the smaller campsites for the best experience.
Campy
Campy is a global list of thousands of stopover points for motorhomes.
It doesn’t really have the largest list of destinations in the UK. However, it is still a worthy addition to this list.
This is because you will be able to find destinations not included with other apps.
One of the cool things about Campy is the fact that you will be able to put together lists of potential destinations that you want to stay at.
You can even share this list with people. So, if you are travelling around the UK long-term, then you will be able to check out some lists from other tourers for their recommendations on the best places to stay.
Wild Camping POI
If you are travelling into Scotland or some of the more rural parts of England and Wales, then you will want this app. However, do bear in mind that it is going to cost you a bit of cash.
The app will include some wild camping locations that you can head to. It works a lot better for Scotland where wild camping is actually legal.
The destinations that you will find listed in England and Wales will tend to be more of those out-of-the-way locations where it is unlikely that anybody is going to be bothering you.
Parkme
Parkme is really an app designed for those that are planning on parking somewhere.
It probably isn’t going to work as well for those larger motorhomes, but if you have a converted motorhome, then the Parkme app is absolutely fantastic.
It will list destinations and pub car parks throughout the UK where you can park your vehicle, whether it be street parking or inside of a multistorey car park. It will include the parking costs too.
This app is for more temporary parking when you are looking to stay somewhere so you can explore an area on foot.
However, there are a few destinations loaded into the app that allow overnight parking.
Google Maps
Google Maps is a popular and widely used navigation app that offers accurate and up-to-date mapping information.
In addition to turn-by-turn navigation, the app provides information on nearby attractions, restaurants, and points of interest.
You can also download maps for offline use, which can be useful when travelling in remote areas.
Waze
Waze is one of the sat nav apps and a couple of GPS apps that we will discuss on this page.
Waze is actually unique in that it is a social GPS app. It will get you to your destination.
However, it will do that by sharing useful advice from other Waze travellers. For example, you will learn about some of the best stopover points in an area, and you will be able to learn of shortcuts that you can take.
If you haven’t travelled around the UK before, then the app will let you know about the rules of the road, particularly speed limits in certain areas.
Co-Pilot For Caravans
When planning your route, CoPilot GPS is an excellent app to consider.
Designed specifically for caravans and motorhomes, it provides customised routing based on your vehicle’s dimensions, weight, and other specifications.
You can also use the app offline and download offline maps, which come in handy when travelling through areas with limited mobile reception.
This app allows you to enter the size of your motorhome or caravan. By tapping in the details, it will choose the routes that you will actually be able to navigate.
This means that if you have a large vehicle or a larger motorhome, you don’t have to worry about the app taking you through some of those backcountry roads.
This is a very useful app, that we highly recommend that you download if your motorhome is far larger than normal.
We have had issues navigating the UK with larger motorhomes before, and Co-Pilot made it so much easier.
Motorway Services UK
The name of this app is pretty self-explanatory. it is a list of all of the motorway service areas in the UK.
If you are travelling around the UK in your motorhome, then we are confident that you are going to get pretty familiar with the motorway services.
Almost all of them are more than just petrol stations and allow you to park your motorhome there for a few hours. They all include fantastic places to munch down on some awesome food, play some games, or even pick up a few books.
This app is going to come in incredibly useful if you are planning on spending hours on the road at a time.
Van Secrets
Yep. We have another social app that will allow you to find some of the more ‘out of the way’ places in the UK.
Because Van Secrets is mostly about the wild camping spots, it is going to work better if you are heading into Scotland. However, we have also found a good number of wild camping locations peppered throughout England, Wales, and a small amount of Northern Ireland too.
This is a fairly new app, but there will still be hundreds of potential destinations to discover. The number of destinations is rising on an almost daily basis too. This is because the membership base of Van Secrets has absolutely exploded.
If you find a destination that you love, then feel free to share it with other members of the app too!
WhatsApp is a widely-used messaging app that allows you to send messages, make voice and video calls, and share photos and videos with your contacts.
It uses your phone’s internet connection, which makes it an affordable way to stay connected with friends and family while travelling.
Skype
Skype is another excellent communication app that offers voice and video calls, as well as instant messaging.
It’s a great option for staying in touch with loved ones, especially when you’re travelling abroad, as it allows you to make calls to landlines and mobile phones at affordable rates.
Google Translate
When travelling through different regions in the UK, you may encounter local dialects or accents that are difficult to understand.
Google Translate can help bridge the gap by providing translations for over 100 languages. You can type, speak, or even use your phone’s camera to translate text, making it an invaluable tool for communication.
National Trust
The whole reason why you are touring the UK is to see the sights, right? Well, most of those sights are owned and maintained by the National Trust. This means that you should give their app a download.
If you are pushed for ideas on where you can head, then have a browse through the app. The National Trust has hundreds of destinations throughout the UK, from National Parks to museums, to old houses. It is the best way to discover what Britain really has to offer.
Out & About – Social Camping
This is an app designed for those that are members of the Camping and Caravanning Club (you should join, it is cheap!)
This app will list various social meetups for the club. This way you can chat to like-minded people.
One of our favourite things about the app is that it will allow you to discover temporary campsites put together by the club.
This means that you will be able to find destinations that are normally a ‘secret’.
We have made some fantastic friends just by using this app.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of awesome motorhome and campervan apps that you can download. These really are the best motorhome apps in the UK, and we use them almost constantly when we are travelling.
You don’t have to use them all but check out a few of them. It will make your next motorhome trip so much easier.
Are these apps free to download and use?
Most of the apps mentioned in this article are free to download and use, although some may offer in-app purchases or require a subscription for premium features.
Do I need a mobile data connection to use these apps?
Some apps, such as WhatsApp and Skype, require an internet connection. However, many navigation and mapping apps, like CoPilot GPS and Sygic, offer offline map downloads for use without a data connection.
Are these apps available on both Android and iOS devices?
Most of the apps listed in this article are available for both Android and iOS devices. However, it’s always a good idea to check the app’s compatibility with your device before downloading.
Can I use these apps in other countries besides the UK?
Many of the apps mentioned, such as Park4Night, Campercontact, and Sygic, cover locations across Europe, making them suitable for use in other countries as well.
How do I update the apps to ensure I have the latest information?
App updates are usually available through the app store on your device. Regularly updating your apps ensures that you have access to the latest features and information.
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I have always wanted to travel and luckily I always got to travel to some amazing countries while I was growing up with my family and this really encouraged me to continue this and get out into the world on my own when I was older.
My goal growing up was really to see as much of the world as I could, but then I started going to work and really concentrating on my career and travel took a back seat. I still tried to get away a few times a year but I always knew there was an end goal which was to travel as much as possible.
So I got my head down and worked as hard as I could as an e-commerce manager. I have always been techy, I love computers and websites, so that’s where it gave me the idea to start this blog and also have my own web design agency. If you want to check it out or need any help then please take a look rrwebdesign.co.uk (shameless plug there)
But after covid, we both knew this was now the right time to take the leap and go and see the world after being trapped inside our house and working from home for a couple of years. We realised more than ever that you only get one life and you really need to make the most of it and do what you love!
