The simplest way to tour Cornwall by campervan is a clockwise loop: the north coast first, round the far west, then back along the south coast. It works as a four day weekend on the north coast, a seven day loop with a rest day, or a slower ten day trip with time for the Lizard and Bodmin Moor.
Below are all three routes, followed by the practical bits that catch people out: where you can legally park overnight, what the crossings cost, and how to handle the lanes.
The places every route includes
All three itineraries are built around the same stops. Padstow for food and the harbour. Tintagel for the castle and the coast path. Polzeath and Newquay for surf. St Ives for its beaches and the Tate. Land’s End, and then Mousehole, one of the prettiest harbours in the county. On the south coast, Fowey and its wooded estuary, and the Eden Project.
The Camping and Caravanning Club’s Cornwall road trip follows a similar loop, from Bude along the north coast to Sennen, round the Lizard and back via Fowey to Saltash, and it is worth reading alongside this.
The 4 day route: north coast
A long weekend works best if you stay on the north coast, where the surf towns and cliff walks sit close together.
- Day 1: Arrive via the A30 and head for Padstow. Walk the harbour, eat well, and stay at a campsite outside town.
- Day 2: Tintagel in the morning, then Polzeath for an afternoon on the beach or a surf lesson.
- Day 3: St Ives. Spend the day between Porthmeor Beach and the Tate St Ives, then stay on the edge of town. Parking in the centre is tight.
- Day 4: Newquay for a last surf or a coast walk, then back to the A30.
The roads between Tintagel and Polzeath include single track stretches with passing places, so allow extra time in summer.
The 7 day route: the full loop
Seven days lets you do the whole loop with one day where you do not drive at all.
- Day 1: Padstow.
- Day 2: Tintagel, then on to Polzeath or Newquay.
- Day 3: St Ives, for the whole day.
- Day 4: Land’s End, then Mousehole.
- Day 5: Rest day around Penzance, or a walk across to St Michael’s Mount if the tide allows. The causeway is tidal, and boats run when it is covered.
- Day 6: Across to Fowey on the south coast, a change from cliffs to wooded river.
- Day 7: The Eden Project on the way home.
The 10 day route: slow Cornwall
Ten days gives you the same loop at an easier pace, with the Lizard and Bodmin Moor added.
- Day 1: Padstow.
- Day 2: A full day at Tintagel and on the coast path.
- Day 3: Polzeath and Newquay.
- Day 4: St Ives.
- Day 5: Land’s End and the cliff walks either side.
- Day 6: Mousehole and Penzance.
- Day 7: The Lizard, for more of the south west coastline.
- Day 8: Fowey, crossing the Fal on the King Harry Ferry (see below).
- Day 9: The Eden Project, then up onto Bodmin Moor.
- Day 10: A morning walk on the moor, then home via the A30.
Where can you park a campervan overnight in Cornwall?
There is no general right to sleep in a vehicle anywhere you like, and many car parks ban it. But Cornwall Council does allow overnight parking for self contained motorhomes in 11 of its car parks, according to its motorhome parking page:
- Bodmin, Victoria Square
- Bude, Crescent
- Falmouth, Gyllyngvase
- Fowey, Main
- Launceston, Cattle Market
- Marazion, Station
- Newquay, Watergate Bay
- Padstow, Link Road
- Perranporth, Wheal Leisure
- Seaton, Bridge
- St Ives, Trenwith
Overnight means 11pm to 8am. You need a ticket for each night, you can stay a maximum of two nights in a row, and the vehicle must be self contained with an on board toilet. Check the signs on arrival for exactly what counts. At Padstow Link Road, the motorhome charge from 6pm to 9am is £18 from April to October and £12 from November to March.
The National Trust does not allow overnight parking at any of its car parks. For everything else, book a campsite, or look at Britstops, a membership scheme that lists pubs, farms and other hosts who offer a night’s stop to self contained vans.
Tolls and ferries
The Tamar Bridge only charges when you leave Cornwall, heading from Saltash to Plymouth. For a vehicle under 3.5 tonnes with two axles it is £3.00 by cash or card, or £1.50 with a TamarTag. The Torpoint Ferry costs the same. Current prices are on the Tamar Crossings site.
The King Harry Ferry across the Fal carries motorhomes and campervans, but you cannot book it. You queue, drive on and pay cash on board. The ferry’s own guidance warns of tight corners and steep slipways, and sets a height limit of 3.7 metres.
Driving the lanes
Cornwall’s lanes are narrow in places, especially around Mousehole, Tintagel and the approach to Padstow. Pull into passing places early rather than waiting for the other driver to reverse, and be careful in cliff top car parks with tight turning space. A compact van helps a lot here, and an automatic makes the steep coastal hills easier.
Before you set off, check the battery, tyre pressures and water, and empty grey and toilet waste only at proper disposal points. Our guide to campsite rules and etiquette covers the rest.
A van built for trips like this
Our vans are built on the VW T7, the Renault Trafic and the Ford Transit Custom, all around 5 to 5.5 metres long, with automatic options on the T7 and the Trafic. Each has a pop top, a seat bed, a kitchen, a diesel heater, lithium power and solar charging, so you can stay off grid between campsites.
Browse the current builds on our campervans for sale page, or find more trip ideas in five campervan routes everyone should travel and campervan half term holidays.
Questions we get asked
How many days do you need for Cornwall in a campervan?
Seven days covers the north coast, the far west and the south coast with a rest day. Four days suits a north coast weekend, and ten lets you add the Lizard and Bodmin Moor.
Can you park a campervan overnight in Cornwall?
Only where it is allowed. Cornwall Council permits self contained motorhomes to stay overnight in 11 named car parks for up to two nights. Most other car parks, and all National Trust car parks, do not allow it.
Do you pay to cross the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall?
No. The toll is only charged when you leave Cornwall, heading east from Saltash.
Can you book the King Harry Ferry?
No. You queue at the slipway and pay cash on board.
