Best coastal road trips UK: complete guide & itineraries

The UK’s coast is one of the most beautiful and varied destinations for a UK holiday, and with over 7,700 miles of coastline around the country you’re sure to find somewhere to suit your own tastes. And to explore it properly? A campervan or motorhome road trip is the ideal way to see as much of the UK’s stunning coastline as possible: you can go at your own pace, stop off in the most beautiful spots for as long as you like, and have an awesome holiday tailor made however you like.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have spectacular coastlines that should be included on any motorhome or campervan holiday. Need some inspiration? Here’s our take on the best coastal road trips in the UK!

England

Atlantic Highway road trip

Distance: 90 miles

Duration: 5 days

Set in England’s south-west from Barnstaple in north Devon to Newquay in Cornwall, this winding trip along the A39 passes pretty fishing villages, thick woodland and some of the most spectacular coastline in the country.

This Devon and Cornwall trip can be easily driven in a day, but we recommend taking longer for a leisurely sightseeing trip. Spend Day 1 in Barnstaple, then drive to Bude via Bideford on Day 2. Day 3 can be spent around the award-winning beaches of Bude, before driving to Camelford and Tintagel Castle on Day 4, finishing at Newquay via Padstow on Day 5.

Campsites

• Brightlycott Barton, Barnstaple

• Atlantic Reach Resort, Newquay

Northumberland Coastal Route

Distance: 38-43 miles

Duration: 5 days

This 38-mile route takes in the stunning Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, starting from Alnmouth and finishing at Lindisfarne. The traditional little towns of Boulmer, Craster, Embleton, Beadnell and Seahouses are all along the way.

If you want to extend the trip slightly, start at Alnwick five miles from Alnmouth to visit Alnwick Castle and the Bailiffgate Museum. Drive to Alnmouth that evening and park up nearby before spending the second day of your trip hiking the Northumberland Coast Path. Spend Day 3 at Craster to try Craster kippers and walk to Cullernose Point, then drive through Embleton and Beadnell on Day 4 to Seahouses and access to the Farne Islands, finishing at Bamburgh. This leaves Day 5 for the remaining leg to Lindisfarne.

Campsites

• Dunstan Hill Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Alnwick

• Westfield Paddock Caravan Site, Seahouses

Norfolk coast road trip

Distance: 104 miles

Duration: 6 days

See the seaside towns as well as the county highlights with this Norfolk road trip covering some of the very best of eastern England. If possible, take a couple of sightseeing days before starting on the coastal route – one in historic Norwich and one on a detour into The Broads National Park – then drive east to reach the Norfolk coast at Great Yarmouth on Day 3.

From here, head north via Caistor-on-Sea and Happisburgh Lighthouse to Cromer, the Norfolk seaside town famous for its crab dishes. Spend Day 4 around Blakeney Point, home to the biggest seal colony in England. Explore the remainder of the North Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on a drive from Blakeney Point to Brancaster (day 5), then round the trip off with a full day at nearby Heacham Beach on Day 6.

Campsites

• Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth

• Norfolk Coast B&B, Cottages and Camping, Heacham

For more inspiration for your English road trip, check out our round up of the best touring routes in England.

Scotland

North Coast 500 road trip

Distance: 500 miles Duration: +10 days

Possibly the most famous road trip in Scotland and highlighted as one of the top five road trips in the world, the North Coast 500 or NC500 is a 500-mile route around the Scottish Highlands, starting and finishing at Inverness Castle. Pass historic sites, white sand beaches, tiny settlements and wild coastline on “Scotland’s Route 66”, via magnificent destinations in their own right like Ullapool and the Applecross peninsula.

Allow at least a week and preferably 10 days for this road trip if you can, as there’s heaps to see and do. Our extensiveNC500 road trip blog has all the info you need, including suggested itineraries, top highlights and recommended campsites.

Campsites

• Torvean Caravan Park, Inverness

• Ardmair Point Caravan & Camping Park, Ullapool

North East 250 route

Distance: 250 miles

Duration: 1 week

Whisky distilleries, mountain passes, ancient castles, seaside villages and captivating coastline all feature on another of Scotland’s famous coastal routes, the North East 250.

This circular route takes in the wild North Sea coastline and the wildlife haven shoreline of the Moray Firth coast, as well as highlights including Aberdeen, Royal Deeside, Braemar, Balmoral Castle and the Cairngorms National Park. You can join the route at any of its three starting points: Aberdeen airport, Ballindalloch, or Glenshee in the heart of the Cairngorms. To really make a trip of it, drive from the Cairngorms to Inverness for a couple of weeks exploring the route of the NC500.

Campsites

• Deeside Holiday Park, Aberdeen

• Wester Bonnyton Farm, Banff

South West Coastal 300 route

Distance: 300 miles

Duration: 1 week

Another famously spectacular Scottish road trip, the South West Coastal 300 (SWC300) meanders through Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway around Galloway Forest Park. You’ll see the most southerly spot in Scotland (the Mull of Galloway) on a SWC300 trip, as well as the country’s highest village (Wanlockhead)

Take a week to do the SWC300 properly: Days 1 to 3 around Dumfries, Sweetheart Abbey, the Solway Firth, one of Scotland’s oldest lighthouses at Southerness and on to Kirkcudbright; then Days 4 to 7 from Kirkcudbright to Portpatrick, on to Sanquhar and back to Dumfries.

Campsites

• Barnsoul Caravan Park, Dumfries

• Southerness Holiday Park, Southerness

Argyll Coastal Route

Distance: 129 miles Duration: 1 week

Our final road trip in Scotland is the 129-mile Argyll Coastal Route, which starts from the banks of Loch Lomond in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park to traverse Scotland's west coast among beautiful scenery to Fort William.

Again, we recommend taking a week for this trip as there are so many highlights along the way. Auchindrain, Kilmartin, Oban, Glencoe, Ben Nevis, Inveraray Jail and sampling oysters at Loch Fyne are among the most popular stops.

Campsites

• Loch Lomond Holiday Park, Argyll

• Ben Nevis Holiday Park, Fort William

For more ideas for your Scottish road trip, explore our guide to the best touring routes in Scotland.

Wales

The Coastal Way

Distance: 129 miles

Duration: 1 week

The Coastal Way in Wales is the name given to the 180-mile route along Cardigan Bay, between the country’s coastline and mountains. Hidden coves, golden sand beaches, traditional fishing villages and thriving harbour towns are all waiting to be explored along the main route; there are also easy detours to other much-loved Welsh destinations like Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsula along the way.

All stops on the route are popular destinations in themselves, from Britain’s smallest city, St Davids, in Pembrokeshire to the seaside town of Aberystwyth and the pretty coloured houses of Tenby. Leave time for a wildlife-spotting day around Cardigan too, on a boat trip to see porpoises, dolphins and Atlantic grey seals.

Campsites

• Pencarnan Farm Caravan and Camping Site, St Davids/Haverfordwest

• Penally Court Farm, Tenby

Want more Welsh holiday ideas? Find more destination inspiration with our list of the best road trip itineraries in Wales.

Northern Ireland

The Causeway Coastal Route

Distance: 115 miles

Duration: 2-3 days

Northern Ireland’s most popular road trip takes in the rural roads of the north Antrim coast and famous stops like the Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle and the Glens of Antrim, as well as NI’s two main cities Belfast and Derry/Londonderry.

Start from Belfast and drive north along NI’s east coast past Carrickfergus and Whitehead, then turn west for the Antrim coast drive to Carnlough, Cushendun and Ballycastle, and finally turn inland for Derry. Two days should give you plenty of time for the route, or three if you want to schedule a beach day at Ballycastle, Portrush or Portstewart. A five-day Belfast to Causeway Coastal Route road trip can include a day in Belfast at the start of your trip and a day in Derry at the end.

Campsites

• Glenmore Caravan and Camping Park, Ballycastle

• Highview Holiday Park, Portrush

To discover more road trips around this region, head over to our guide to the best driving routes in Northern Ireland.

Hire a van for your UK road trip

Whether you want to explore England or Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, the best coastal road trips in the UK give you loads to pick from! Even better, you can hire a van from any destination you’d like to start your road trip from, no matter what your budget. Browse all our vans for hire in the UK to get started!

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