Best campervan trips to take with your dog in 2022

As a dog owner, you'll know that one feature can make that idyllic campervan trip even more special: being able to bring your dog along for the ride. Our four-legged friends just love seeing new sights and trying out new walkies! And bringing your pet along on a campervan adventure can be a truly memorable experience for all the family.

We've often waxed lyrical about the wonderful adventures that owning a campervan can open up to you. In one recent article, for example, we got some serious wanderlust as we listed 30 amazing places to take your campervan in 2022.

So with that in mind, here are some brilliant campervan trips to take with your dog this year. Remember to make sure that both your dog insurance and campervan insurance are up to date – and away you go!

The Cotswolds

Their chocolate-box beauty and miles of walkies-friendly wilderness make the Cotswolds a favourite location for humans and their canine chums alike. Add to that a series of beautiful towns – the splendidly named Bourton on the Water, Stow on the Wold and Moreton in Marsh to name but three – and some great, dog-friendly bars and restaurants, and you have an ideal destination for humans, dogs – and campervans. In particular, you'll find many wonderful old country pubs with sturdy grub and roaring log fires, where you and your furry friend can curl up after a bracing walk and a bite to eat.

Among the region's prime dog-friendly attractions, we'd single out the Cotswold Water Park on the Gloucestershire-Wiltshire border. There's plenty here for you to explore, including forests, an inland beach, and miles of footpaths. And why not try Westonbirt Arboretum, a vast tree-lovers' paradise? Around two-thirds of the Arboretum is open to dogs: interesting walkies guaranteed.

Where to park the van: Why not try Cotswold View Caravan and Camping Park, near Charlbury in the Oxfordshire countryside? Overlooking the Wychwood Forest and Evenlode Valley, this peaceful site offers 54 acres of rolling wooded farmland and spacious pitches, with gorgeous forest walks almost the moment you step out of the van.

Pembrokeshire

The county of Pembrokeshire, on Wales' south-western tip, is a very easy region to love. For one thing, it has miles of majestic, rugged coastline. Better still, that coastline includes a great many dog-friendly beaches.

Two in particular deserve a special mention here. First, we'd steer you towards the drama of Marloes Sands, which looks south-west out to sea and to Skokholm Island, a haven for nesting puffins in spring. Secondly, for the sheer expanse of pristine, golden sand at your disposal, try the big and beautiful Barafundle Bay.

Need some long walkies to offset all that beach time? Pembrokeshire has you covered – specifically, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a 186-mile walking route that can easily be broken down into smaller sections. Or head for Heatherton World of Activities, which has its own dog agility course! Pub lunch? We recommend the Harbour Inn at Solva: the stream that runs past the pub is perfect for doggy paddles.

Where to park the van: If you can book well ahead (there are just six pitches!), you won't do much better than the dog-friendly Point Farm Campsite. Nestled into the wooded crook of a hill just inside the Coast Path, this secluded site is a five-minute walk from the village of Dale. Boat trips to Skomer, another seabird nesting paradise, are also within easy reach.

Newquay

To be honest, with this one we could have picked any one of a dozen places along the North Cornish coast. North Cornwall is something of a doggy paradise, with its wide golden beaches that make for perfect walkies. Then, when the exercise is done, you and your four-legged friend can retire to any one of the many brilliant, dog-friendly pubs and restaurants along this beautiful coastline.

We've chosen to zoom in on the town of Newquay as it's a particular hotspot for canines and their companions. Most of the beaches in and around the town welcome dogs. One of the very best is at Holywell Bay, about three miles south-west of town. This is like a vast, sandy adventure playground for dogs, with its many streams to paddle in and impressive sand dunes to sniff around.

Where to park the van: We thoroughly recommend the brilliant camping and caravanning site at Porth Beach, just on the edge of town and right next to the beautiful beach with which it shares its name. The friendly village of Porth includes the Mermaid Inn, a welcoming pub with great food and drink – and dog chews kept behind the bar.

By the way, wherever you take your campervan, make sure you leave it securely locked while you're out for your daytime adventures – and check that your campervan insurance covers you for any loss or damage you might incur while on the road.

North Yorkshire

Few British landscapes are as wild, windswept and elemental as those of North Yorkshire. And few offer more miles of beautiful, empty landscapes for two- and four-legged friends to explore together. The county is, after all, home to not one but two National Parks – the North York Moors, and the Yorkshire Dales. Indeed, we highlighted both of these stunning regions in our article, The Best Yorkshire Road Trips.

The Dales are perhaps the mellower landscape of the two: think beautiful green valleys crisscrossed with dry stone walls. Many of the lovely old stone villages have their own cosy tea rooms, where you can relax after a bracing walk. The Moors, for their part, are a wilder landscape, featuring seemingly endless swathes of heather-clad moorland. Some especially fine walks in this area include the hike to the jagged summit of Roseberry Topping, with its panoramic views across Yorkshire, or the pretty Deepdale Walk, with its own magnificent views of the Three Peaks. Dogs are also welcome on the steam trains of the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Where to park the van: Woodhouse Farm Holiday Park is set in 50 acres in the heart of Nidderdale, making it a perfect base for exploring the Yorkshire Dales. They even have their own dog exercise field where you can let your four-legged friend off the lead.

The Chilterns

Much like the Cotswolds further west, the Chiltern Hills spread themselves across several counties, and offer almost countless inviting forest, hill and river walks. This is a truly beautiful landscape: no wonder around half of it has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Incidentally, we took a look at the UK's various AONBs in this article – and we must say, any of these stunning, wildlife-rich regions would make for a brilliant dog-and-campervan destination.

Back to the Chilterns, though. There are almost too many vigorous walks and picture-perfect towns and villages to mention, but for starters why not head to the woods around Great Missenden. Or, if you fancy getting up high (and giving yourself and your canine chum a decent workout!) head to any of the high points, such as Ivinghoe Beacon or Dunstable Downs, which was one of our candidates for best campervan picnic spots in 2021.

Elsewhere, the Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire is blessed with extensive, and most definitely dog-friendly grounds that are great to explore in any season.

Where to park the van: Try Home Farm Camping, near the pretty Buckinghamshire village of Radnage. You get some wonderful Chiltern views from here, not to mention some great walks along two ancient routes, the Ridgeway, and the Icknield Way. Keep your eyes on the skies for a sighting of the majestic Red Kite, too. Dogs (on leads) are welcome across the site.

The Trossachs

This large area of wooded valleys, hills and lochs in central Scotland is a paradise for wildlife – and we'd predict, for you and your dog. It's centred on the Great Trossachs Forest, a huge National Nature Reserve (one of the UK's biggest) and, over the past 10 years, a scene of intense tree-planting activity.

There are some wonderful walks around here – including The Great Trossachs Path, a 30-mile route running west to east from Loch Lomond to the historic town of Callander. Along the way, you'll find some wonderful scenery, from loch shores to mature woodlands – and plenty of history. And that's not all – there are another 100 miles of paths branching off from this central artery, meaning that you and your furry friend won't be running out of beautiful walks anytime soon.

Where to park the van: Sometimes the most obvious solution is the best. And in this case, we would go for the simply named Trossachs Holiday Park, near to the pretty town of Aberfoyle. An impressive range of facilities here includes a play park, games room, launderette, shop, and coffee shop. There's also an off-lead dog-walking field on site, and plenty of tempting forest walks within easy reach.

Travelling safely with your dog

A campervan holiday with your pup is likely to be a hugely enjoyable experience, for everyone who's along for the ride. That's especially true if you follow these guidelines for travelling safely with a furry friend in tow. And, if we're talking guidelines, we'll reiterate our recommendation to make sure your Lancaster campervan insurance is up to date and ready to cover every eventuality.

1. Try a short drive first
A long campervan journey can be a stressful experience for a dog – more so if they've never done one before. So, before you pack the van and head off into the sunset, why not try a few shorter trips with your pet, just to help them get used to the idea?

2. Make regular stops
Yes, the Highway Code (whose history we looked into recently) recommends that drivers make a 15-minute stop every two hours. We're also thinking about your canine chum here: they will be grateful for any chance to stretch their legs, burn off some energy and take care of any business they need to do.

3. Don’t have your dog on the passenger’s lap
Sitting your dog cosily up front on your passenger's lap, where they can admire the view and feel the wind in their fur, will doubtless be a tempting option. However, it's not recommended. For one thing, it's unsafe for dogs to stick their head out the window. Your dog could fall or jump from the campervan; they could get a bug or other foreign body in their eye; or that side of the vehicle could be hit, either by an obstacle or by oncoming traffic. It's also, according to Law 57 of the Code, illegal for dogs to ride unharnessed. Talking of which…

4. Get the right dog restraint
You'll want your dog to be travelling comfortably – so take a little time to research the various options for carrying them in the camper. Will a dog guard, a seat belt, or a pet carrier work best for their size and movement needs?

5. Feed them well before travelling

Like us, dogs can be prone to car sickness. One way to reduce the likelihood of this is to feed them around two hours before you hit the road. That way, you allow the food time to be digested properly.

6. Keep them cool and hydrated

Dogs and warm vehicles are not a good match. Dogs have higher body temperatures than us, and when this is coupled with an over-warm vehicle, they can quickly get dangerously hot and dehydrated. Your solution is twofold: keep the air-con up high, and make sure your dog has plenty of fresh, cool water available.

Campervan insurance – for every destination

Bringing a much-loved dog along for the ride in your campervan sounds like a whole lot of fun. But, to make sure your precious pooch travels safely and comfortably, there are a few things you need to think about before setting off.

Why not take campervan insurance off that to-do list, by sorting out this key item well in advance? Here at Lancaster, our campervan insurance includes a host of benefits, such as:

• Gas Bottle & Awning Cover
• Windscreen Cover
• Optional Breakdown Cover
• 24 Hour Claims Helpline
• Personal Effects up to £6,000

Let us protect your home on wheels with our specialised campervan insurance today.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.