Camping in London

Camping in London is a real option, which surprises most people. Several full-service touring parks operate inside the M25, each on a rail or Tube connection that puts you in the centre within the hour. A pitch costs a fraction of a central hotel room and you get space and greenery, but you are camping in a city rather than the countryside - expect road noise, aircraft and light pollution rather than dark skies.

The terrain is easy. London sits in a shallow basin on the Thames and the sites are flat or gently sloping grass over gravel and clay. The clay matters after heavy rain, when pitches soften and awning pegs pull, so hardstanding is worth paying for between October and April. The sites on the Lea Valley gravels in the north drain considerably faster than those on London clay to the south.

The capital's weather is the mildest and driest in Britain, with roughly 600mm of rain a year and summer temperatures a couple of degrees above the national average thanks to the urban heat island. That is a mixed blessing under canvas: a July tent in London can be genuinely airless overnight, and the heat does not fall away after dark the way it does in open country. Bring more ventilation than you think you need and pitch in shade where you can.

On the legal position, be clear: wild camping is not permitted anywhere in Greater London. There is no equivalent of the Scottish right to roam, and the parks, commons, heaths and towpaths are all either byelaw-protected or privately owned. Sleeping out on Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest or the Thames Path will get you moved on. Camping here means a licensed site, and booking ahead is essential rather than advisable.

May, June and September are the best months. The first two give long evenings and dry ground before peak rates arrive; September holds the warmth with fewer people and lower prices. Several London sites now trade year-round, and winter camping is perfectly feasible given how light the frost is, though the short days make the trip in and out of the centre less appealing.