TurfrigFind it. Build it. Live in it.Channel
Dover – Calais
P&O Ferries, DFDS, Irish Ferries · 1 h 30 · every 30–60 min, day and night
Car £60–140 one way
Van or camper £90–220 one way (over 1.85 m or over 6 m)
Europe and North Africa › United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The island with the dearest crossings and the cheapest overnight stops. MOT every year from three years old; check any van's history for free at gov.uk.
Drives on the left · GBP · reviewed 22 Oct 2026
Fuel this week
Diesel£1.992.39 €
Petrol 95£1.742.09 €
LPG––
Per litre, with tax. Week of 26 Oct 2026, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Weekly road fuel prices (OGL v3).
What to know
Tolls and vignettes
Almost none: the M6 Toll, the Dartford crossing (pay online by midnight the next day), the Mersey tunnels and a few bridges. Mileage for vans is free.
Clean air zones
London's ULEZ (£12.50 a day for pre-Euro 6 diesel vans) and the Congestion Charge; Clean Air Zones in Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford, Sheffield and Bath charge older vans. Check a plate at gov.uk before you drive in.
Sleeping in the van
No national rule. Scotland's access code allows wild camping on foot but not in vehicles; England and Wales rely on landowner permission. Many councils ban overnight parking on the coast; Britstops and pub stops fill the gap.
Kit you must carry
Nothing mandatory beyond a roadworthy van. For the Continent: GB sticker (unless the plate has it), headlamp beam adjusters, and a warning triangle.
Speed limits, van under 3.5 t
70 mph / 60 mph (vans 60/50 on single carriageways if over 2 t unladen) / 30 mph
When to go
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britain | 7° | 8° | 10° | 13° | 16° | 19° | 21° | 21° | 18° | 14° | 10° | 8° |
A dot marks the months we would pick: warm enough, dry enough, not yet crowded. Rounded from 1991–2020 normals. Coasts and mountains differ from their region.
Crossings
Channel
Folkestone – Calais (LeShuttle)
Eurotunnel LeShuttle · 35 min · up to 4 an hour
Car £80–200 one way
Van or camper £120–260 one way (over 1.85 m uses the taller carriages)
Channel
Newhaven – Dieppe
DFDS · 4 h · 2–3 daily
Car £50–120 one way
Van or camper £80–180 one way
Channel
Portsmouth – Caen / Le Havre / St Malo / Cherbourg
Brittany Ferries · 3–9 h · daily, varies by route
Car £90–250 one way
Van or camper £130–350 one way
Bay of Biscay
Portsmouth / Plymouth – Santander / Bilbao
Brittany Ferries · 20–32 h · 2–4 a week
Car £250–600 one way with a cabin
Van or camper £350–800 one way with a cabin
North Sea
Harwich – Hook of Holland
Stena Line · 7–8 h · 2 daily
Car £100–250 one way
Van or camper £150–350 one way
North Sea
Hull – Rotterdam / Amsterdam (Newcastle – Amsterdam)
P&O Ferries, DFDS · 11–17 h · daily
Car £150–350 one way with a cabin
Van or camper £200–450 one way with a cabin
Irish Sea
Holyhead – Dublin, Cairnryan – Belfast, Fishguard/Pembroke – Rosslare
Irish Ferries, Stena Line, P&O Ferries · 2–4 h · several daily
Car £80–200 one way
Van or camper £110–280 one way
Fuel: European Commission, Weekly Oil Bulletin (prices with taxes); Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Weekly road fuel prices (OGL v3); European Central Bank reference rate. EU figures are the week of 26 Oct 2026; UK the week of 26 Oct 2026; † marks hand-checked indicative figures for countries outside both series. Map: Natural Earth, public domain. Climate: rounded 1991–2020 normals from national meteorological services. Crossings and country notes are our own and dated. Something here is out of date already, so check before you go.