In short
The 2027 Tour de France starts in Britain with three stages from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 July, and the Femmes start there from Friday 30 July to Sunday 1 August. Every UK stage except the London time trial has campsites and caravan parks within about 3 km of the route, listed on its stage page. You need a campsite or the landowner's permission to sleep in a van anywhere in the UK, and in a tent in England and Wales. Councils on the route are preparing for pop-up campsites, so book a permanent site now and treat a pop-up as a backup.
Campsites and caravan parks near each UK stage
Sites within about 3 km of the route and open to the public, from OpenStreetMap and our own checks. Each stage page lists them by name, with links.
| Date | Race | Stage | Campsites and caravan parks | Of which caravan parks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 2 Jul | Tour de France | Tour de France, Stage 1: Edinburgh → Carlisle | 25 | 14 |
| Sat 3 Jul | Tour de France | Tour de France, Stage 2: Keswick → Liverpool | 83 | 61 |
| Sun 4 Jul | Tour de France | Tour de France, Stage 3: Welshpool → Cardiff | 29 | 19 |
| Fri 30 Jul | Tour de France Femmes | Tour de France Femmes, Stage 1: Leeds → Manchester | 4 | 3 |
| Sat 31 Jul | Tour de France Femmes | Tour de France Femmes, Stage 2: Manchester → Sheffield | 39 | 15 |
| Sun 1 Aug | Tour de France Femmes | Tour de France Femmes, Stage 3: London → The Mall | 0 | 0 |
Which nights to plan for
Men's race: Stage 1 leaves Edinburgh for Carlisle on Friday 2 July, Stage 2 runs from Keswick to Liverpool on Saturday 3 July, and Stage 3 from Welshpool to Cardiff on Sunday 4 July. Monday 5 July is the rest day, in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, and Stage 4 starts and finishes there on Tuesday 6 July.
Femmes: Stage 1 runs from Leeds to Manchester on Friday 30 July, Stage 2 from Manchester to Sheffield over Winnats Pass on Saturday 31 July, and a team time trial takes place in London on Sunday 1 August.
Each stage starts somewhere new, so a van lets you sleep near the next start without changing hotels. July is high season in the Lake District, the Peak District and the Scottish Borders even without a race, so book the nights you want now.
The rules in Scotland, England and Wales
In Scotland, access rights cover a small tent for two or three nights, well away from buildings and roads, but not sleeping in a vehicle. In England and Wales you need a campsite or the landowner's permission, for a tent or a van. Our wild camping page has the details and the official sources.
Two places on the route are strict about vans. The Lake District National Park Authority says formal campsites are the only legal places to stay in a campervan, and that laybys count as part of the road, where the police can move you on at any hour. The Peak District National Park Authority bans overnight parking and camping in all its car parks, which matters for Winnats Pass and Castleton on Femmes Stage 2.
Pop-up campsites
Councils on the route expect farmers and landowners to open temporary campsites for the race. Scottish Borders Council asks anyone planning one for Stage 1 to tell it first, with the number of pitches and the toilet, waste and campervan waste arrangements, so it can judge whether planning permission is needed. Cumberland Council lists pop-up campsites among the business openings around Stages 1 and 2, and the Lake District National Park Authority says extra camping and motorhome places will be available and asks fans to use official sites.
In England a field can be used as a campsite for up to 60 days a year without planning permission, with up to 50 pitches for tents and campervans and with toilets and waste facilities, so expect sites close to the route. We will add them to the stage pages when they are announced.
What to expect on price: at the 2014 Grand Départ in Yorkshire, pop-up pitches ranged from about £32 a night to around £200 for a weekend, often with a minimum stay of two or three nights. Some sites cut their prices in the last days when they had not filled. Book a permanent campsite first and treat a pop-up as a second option.
Hiring a campervan
Edinburgh and Manchester are the easiest places to pick up a hire van for the UK stages: both have an airport, a main station and several hire firms. July is high season, so book early.
If you want to follow the race to France, ask before you book whether the van may leave the UK and go on a ferry. A UK hire van has to come back to the UK, so plan the return crossing too.
Crossing to Cherbourg for Stage 4
After Stage 3 in Cardiff on Sunday 4 July, the race moves to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, which hosts the rest day on Monday 5 July and Stage 4 on Tuesday 6 July. The direct crossing is Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, overnight in around 7 hours 45 minutes.
The Poole to Cherbourg route has closed: its last sailing was in October 2026. Brittany Ferries said in June 2026 that a daily Portsmouth to Cherbourg service would run in its place, but its route page still shows fewer sailings, so check the July 2027 timetable before you plan around a night crossing, and book early.
Dover to Calais has far more sailings, but leaves a long drive across northern France to the Cotentin.
Update log
- 12 November 2026: page published. Councils are preparing for pop-up campsites; we will list them here and on the stage pages as they are announced.
Plan more of your trip
- UK Grand Départ
- Tour de France, Stage 1: Edinburgh → Carlisle
- Tour de France, Stage 2: Keswick → Liverpool
- Tour de France, Stage 3: Welshpool → Cardiff
- Tour de France Femmes, Stage 1: Leeds → Manchester
- Tour de France Femmes, Stage 2: Manchester → Sheffield
- Tour de France Femmes, Stage 3: London → The Mall
- Winnats Pass: where to stay and watch
- Where to stay in Edinburgh
- Where to stay in Keswick
- Where to stay in Cardiff
- Where to stay in Leeds
- Where to stay in Manchester
- Where to stay in London
- Wild camping and overnight parking rules
- Following the Tour by motorhome or campervan
- Stage 4 in Cherbourg: where to stay
Questions about camping at the UK Grand Départ
Can I wild camp in a campervan at the UK Grand Départ?
Not by right. In Scotland, access rights cover a small tent but not a vehicle, and in England and Wales you need a campsite or the landowner's permission. In the Lake District, formal campsites are the only legal places to stay in a van.
Will there be pop-up campsites for the 2027 Tour in the UK?
Very likely. Scottish Borders Council already asks landowners planning a temporary campsite to tell it first, and the Lake District National Park Authority says extra camping and motorhome places will be available. We add them to the stage pages when they are announced.
How much did pop-up campsites cost at the 2014 Grand Départ?
In Yorkshire in 2014, pitches ranged from about £32 a night to around £200 for a weekend, often with a minimum stay of two or three nights. Prices for 2027 are not out yet.
Can I park overnight near Winnats Pass for the Femmes?
Not in the Peak District National Park Authority's car parks, where overnight parking and camping are banned. Book a campsite in the Hope Valley or around Castleton.
How do I get a campervan from the UK stages to Cherbourg?
Take Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, around 7 hours 45 minutes overnight. Poole to Cherbourg closed in October 2026. Check the July 2027 timetable, as sailings may not run every day.
Photo credits
- Honister Pass - geograph.org.uk - 5801281 by Peter Jeffery, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
· Sources: letour.fr, Le Tour GB, Femmes Stage 2 route, Scottish Borders Council, campsite and parking guidance for the Tour, Cumberland Council, Tour de France business information, Lake District National Park, the Grand Départ in the Lake District (October 2026), Lake District National Park, campervans, Peak District National Park, parking, Scottish Outdoor Access Code, camping, legislation.gov.uk, temporary campsites in England (2023), The Guardian, Yorkshire campsite fees for the 2014 Tour, Hedgehog Cycling, where to camp for the 2014 Tour, Brittany Ferries, route changes (June 2026), BBC News, last Poole to Cherbourg sailing (September 2026), Brittany Ferries, Portsmouth to Cherbourg