The best site in Brighton

Visited 29th December, 2025 – 2nd January, 2026

Brighton Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is one of those rare places we visit once… and then immediately decide we basically live there now. Honestly, if they’d let us forward our post, we would.

The welcome is always warm, and thanks to the shiny new automated check-in system, you can roll straight in without having to pretend you know your vehicle registration off the top of your head. A true gift.

So why does everyone love Brighton CAMC Campsite?

Simple: location, location, and… oh yes – location.

Tucked neatly at the foot of the stunning South Downs, the campsite gives you instant access to everything Brighton has to offer. Some things are so close you can stroll there in your slippers (not recommended, but you could). For anything further, you can just hop on the very reliable local buses. And with the Marina only a short walk away, you can pop down for food, views or a nosey at other people’s boats you absolutely do not need.

A Campsite Designed By Someone Who Actually Camps

The pitches are spacious, sensibly laid out, and colour-coded like a giant outdoor board game – which, frankly, makes life so much easier:

• Red – serviced pitch with awning
• Blue – standard pitch without awning
• White – standard pitch with awning

Even after a long journey and three coffee stops, you can’t get this wrong.

The shower blocks are spotless and blissfully normal. Real taps, lots of hot water, zero need for that ridiculous “hold the shower button in while shampoo runs into your eyes” routine.

And let’s not forget the service points dotted around the site. It’s basically impossible to run out of water or places to get rid of the stuff you don’t want.

If you’ve got a dog, you’ll be happy to know this site is extremely dog friendly. Molly gives it five stars and would like to formally acknowledge the dog service point near Reception, where water flows freely like an open bar for pups.

The Real Star of the Show: Chef Philippe

Now… let’s talk about the true campsite MVP: Chef Philippe.

He runs a little pop-up café by Reception, and honestly, we’re not sure how we survived before he arrived. Fresh pastries all day (dangerous), hot drinks, handmade pizzas, and two daily hot meals that could tempt even the most committed self-caterer. All delicious. All sensibly priced. All far too easy to justify.

If other campsites want to take notes, this is the part where they should get their pens out.

Brighton: Forever Entertaining

Brighton is one of those cities that guarantees you’ll never be bored. Shopping, restaurants, cafés, street performers, seagulls plotting world domination – it’s all here.

A wander through the Brighton Lanes is essential. They’re like a charming little maze designed specifically to trap you into buying nice things. The history is fascinating too – these narrow alleyways date back to the late 16th century when Brighton was a small fishing town called Brighthelmstone. Hard to imagine when you’re dodging tourists, buskers and a seagull with a chip the size of a canoe.

Fancy something different? Take a ride on the Volks Electric Railway, stroll the seafront, or explore nearby Lewes or the beautiful Arundel Castle and Gardens.

Every time we visit, we discover something new – and then immediately book to come back because clearly one visit is never enough.

Step out of the campsite and head down the road and you’ll quickly discover just how much is packed into this little corner of Brighton.

On the right, you’ll find East Brighton Park – a lovely sweep of green that’s perfect for dog walks, picnics, or letting the little ones loose on the play park. Molly gives it a firm wag of approval.

On the left is the Brighton College Sports Ground, the local football pitch and an occasional dramatic appearance from the air ambulance. If you’ve never seen one taking off or landing up close, it’s surprisingly impressive – and slightly heart-stopping.

A little further along is the bus station, making trips into town wonderfully easy, and a very handy Co-op, ideal for topping up supplies, grabbing forgotten essentials, or pretending you’re definitely going to cook dinner instead of being lured to Chef Phillipe again.

Just up the road is The Barley Mow, a friendly, welcoming pub that’s well within walking distance. We haven’t quite managed to get ourselves in there yet (next time!), but friends of ours enjoyed a couple of excellent evenings there and highly rated both the atmosphere and the food.

And of course, no mention of the local area would be complete without Brighton Marina. You could spend an entire day there without even trying – restaurants, cafés, bars, a cinema, ten-pin bowling, shops, services, and a very large ASDA that seems to sell absolutely everything except the thing you originally went in for.

All in all, everything you could possibly need is right on your doorstep – whether you’re after fresh air, good food, or just a pint and a wander.

The seafront walk between Rottingdean and Brighton Marina is roughly three miles of fresh air, sea views and the occasional determined seagull. Most of the time, we start from the Marina… but on the day these photos were taken, we hopped on the bus into Rottingdean for a lovely lunch with friends at The Plough. (Highly recommend, especially if you enjoy starting a walk well-fuelled.)

The route follows the famous Undercliff Walk, a paved path tucked neatly beneath the towering chalk cliffs. In the warmer months you’ll find cafés halfway along selling ice creams, coffees and general temptation. In winter, however, it’s more of a “power through and hope your flask is full” situation.

As you walk, the cliff rises dramatically to your left – so tall and imposing that it’s easy to imagine the sight it must have been to soldiers returning from Dieppe during the Second World War. It really does make you feel small, in a good, humbling, “wow nature is massive” kind of way.

To your right, the English Channel puts on a show of its own. The view changes every hour depending on the weather, tide and sunlight. On the day we walked – one of the very last days of 2025 – the sea was calm, the tide was out, the sky was bright, and the air was absolutely freezing. But crisp winter sunshine does something magical. We spotted flocks of seagulls, patterns on the sea wall revealed by the low tide, and as the sun dipped, the offshore wind farms looked spectacular against the glowing horizon.

Once you reach the Marina, it’s a short walk back up to the top and along the hill, where Molly got to enjoy some off-lead zoomies in East Brighton Park before we headed back to the campsite. A perfect little afternoon.