Steering Clear When RVing & Camping In England
Find Out What Issues Foreign Travelers To The U.K. Encounter While Touring In An RV or Caravan And How You Can Avoid These Unnecessary Complications
Despite the similarity of language, traveling around the UK can lead to unexpected problems especially if you are planning to camp out or use an RV. Using cell phones, smoking or simply stopping by the side of the road could lead to awkward situations. Even watching TV on your computer might result in a prosecution!
Driving Conditions
For a start, you have to remember to always drive on the left and to change gears. Manual gearboxes are the norm in almost all vehicles. This can be a problem for the unwary – there are tales of Americans driving from London to Manchester in second gear and wondering why the gearbox breaks down! You can ask for an automatic car or RV, but they are not always available and automatics usually cost more.
Cell Phones
The next hazard is when a friend rings your cell phone while you are happily driving along the road. You pick it up and answer it, only to find a policeman waving down your car and informing you that you face a very hefty fine. Using a cell phone while driving is a big no, no. It is illegal, even if your vehicle is stationary at the traffic lights or you are in a traffic jam.
You can only use a cell phone if your vehicle is safely parked, and the engine is turned off.
Overnight Stops
It’s getting late and you need somewhere to stop for the night. A lay-by appears at the side of the road. You pull in and park. The big question is – can you sleep in your vehicle overnight or will you be breaking the law?
There is no clear answer to this. There are lots of pieces of legislation that can apply, and much depends on where you are in the country. Scotland has its own regulations but basically, work on the principle that you cannot stay at any site without the permission of the landowner.
The sight of an RV or caravan parked at the side of the road in a lay-by will usually cause a passing police car to stop and ask a few questions. If it is just a matter of the driver being exhausted, or the vehicle breaking down there is no problem. In an emergency, you will usually be allowed to sleep overnight in your vehicle but it is wise to move on the next day!
Reactions may also depend on whether they have been having problems with gypsies or travelers. Particularly during the summer, gypsies and travelers may roam the UK in convoys of vehicles and park wherever they can find a space. This can result sometimes in a dozen or more caravans being parked illegally on common land or in council car parks, causing problems for local residents. Legal action is automatically taken to move them on, but it can create a lot of ill feeling among all concerned even towards an occasional RV being parked overnight.
Ideally plan your route in advance and book a space in authorized caravan parks. These are widely available, especially in tourist areas and will provide access to suitable facilities. Sometimes a friendly farmer will allow you to park in a field, but ask permission first and always leave the site as you found it.
Wild Camping
Driving along through beautiful countryside, you see a spot you think is ideal for pitching your tent and staying for a few days. Can you do this legally?
The answer is no – depending on where you are in the UK! If you are in England or Wales (apart from some areas of Dartmoor in the West Country) you will be breaking the law. But if you are in Scotland, then you will probably be OK. There are exceptions to this rule – some parts of Scotland such as Loch Lomond or the Island of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides do not allow wild camping. Also excluded are military land, airfields, visitor attractions, farms with crops growing, golf courses, residential and public property.
If you cannot find a suitable campsite, it is worth asking local farmers if you can camp in one of their fields. Often they will agree, especially if you offer to pay for the use of the land.
Want to watch TV on your computer?
A thorny question – you could find yourself being fined. In the UK, no matter whether you are in a house, RV, caravan or tent, a TV license is needed to watch or record programmes on any channel as long as they are shown live on TV or live on digital TV. Possession of a license is also required to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, no matter what device or provider you are using.
Need a cigarette?
Beware – smoking in a vehicle may be illegal. The Smoke-Free (Private Vehicles) Regulations of 2015 state that drivers cannot smoke, or allow anyone else in the vehicle, to smoke if you have children under 18 in the same vehicle. This includes motor caravans and RV’s.
But there are exceptions. You could smoke if the vehicle is stationary and not on the road for example in a caravan site, or is being used as living accommodation.
Angela Youngman
An experienced travel writer based in the UK. Angela has worked for numerous magazines such as Group Travel World, Calibre and Houston Hotel Magazine. She is the author of several guidebooks and e-books.
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