Cambridge by campervan

Cambridge’s architecture is what makes it such a special and historically rich town, with its famous Cambridge University, which has remained unchanged throughout centuries of thinkers;  poets, writers, scientists and many other renowned scholars. Cambridge, often mistaken and compared to its rival Oxford, is not just a university town, and culturally speaking, has plenty to offer in comparison to its size.  

Things to Do in Cambridge 

Cambridge University and Colleges Walking Tour

Specific to Cambridge, is a full tour of the famous Cambridge University and colleges around the city, letting you imagine what it would be like studying in such prestigious buildings. The tour lasts roughly around 1.5 hour and the cost for this is around  £20. Tickets can be found on getyourguide.com. Those tours are given by a graduate guide, giving you an insight on their personal scholar’s perspective. You will visit  Clare College, Corpus Christi or Trinity college and plenty of other famous and crucial colleges. 

Make sure you don’t miss out on the Corpus Clock in front of the Taylor library when at the Corpus Christi. This piece of art is not your usual clock (as it very rarely tells the correct time), but its intricate design and creepy looking insect is said to be “eating time”, a gentle reminder that time doesn’t last forever and that we must make the most of it. 

Punting in Cambridge

While you are in and around the colleges and universities, and if the Cambridge weather allows for it, why not take a stroll down its winding river, a fun tradition which will bring you one step closer to nature and the tranquillity the city has to offer. Punting is another fun and cost-effective way to visit some otherwise unreachable parts of the city. If you're brave enough, you can navigate through the Cam river yourself, or for the rather worried first-timers, you can hire a guide who will make sure you stay dry for the duration of the visit! Tickets can be found via TimeOut. 

King’s College Chapel

Although church spotting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, this beautiful gothic chapel is a must-see. One of the biggest and most recognizable buildings in the centre of Cambridge, this Chapel plays an important role for students, offering calm when needed, concerts and on rare occasions university lectures!

Every December, you can attend the most stunning Christmas eve Carol service in King’s College Chapel. This breathtaking  tradition brings adults and children alike to relive the true meaning of Christmas.

Exploring Cambridge by bicycle  

If you are travelling to Cambridge in a campervan and you have brought your own bikes (which we recommend), then the city is your oyster! Cambridge being a flat city makes it a cyclist's paradise and you will soon realise you will be sticking out like a sore thumb if you are not riding a bike. If you didn’t plan on bringing your own bikes, or if you simply do not own your own, fear not! We’ve got options...

The best way to avoid traffic is to brave your bicycle like many locals seem to do in Cambridge. The ever increasing demand from visitors and locals alike have encouraged businesses to offer bike hire all around the city. You’ll be able to lock them just about anywhere around the city. 

You'll find plenty of cycle lanes or you can always follow the locals and use the sidewalks! Just be careful if you’re on foot and watch out for riders! You can find out more information on bike hire in Cambridge from Rutland Cycling. 

Cambridge in a campervan

If you are planning on visiting Cambridge aboard your campervan, or if you would like to hire a campervan in Cambridge or close to it, here is some information that may help. Driving through Cambridge countryside and riverside can be one of the most beautiful ride you will take, however, it’s best to plan ahead in terms of parking and your commuting options.

Where to park your campervan in Cambridge? 

When in Cambridge, parking is easy as long as it’s done correctly!

Depending on whether you would like to move around quite a bit and park in different areas every day or staying put for a couple of days, charges will differ.

The first 18 hours are free, and after that, a charge applies as follows:

(the longest you can park is 72 hours)

18 - 24 hours £10 24 - 48 hours £20 48 - 72 hours £30

You should pay within the first hour of your parking via the RingGo app and will be able to monitor your parking directly via your phone, avoiding ticket loss, running late to top up your parking fare, etc. The app is available for IOS and Android.

Cambridge Park&Ride

If you'd like to have the freedom to park your campervan for 18 hours for free and go out enjoying what Cambridge has to offer, Park & Ride is for you!

A couple of options are available to you, including: 

£3 ticket to city & back (can be bought from the driver with cash or contactless). Up to 3 kids go free with each fare-paying passenger. You can also use this ticket to hop on and off any park&ride bus all day. For example, get off at the hospital or rail station, then get back on to go to the city centre, then back out to the park&ride site. The ticket can only be used once from a park&ride site. £ 2.50 Short hop return. Available between:

Babraham Road p&r - Addenbrooke's

Newmarket Road p&r - Abbey Stadium match days only

Milton p&r - Science Park

If you get on a Park&rRide bus at any other stop, you can buy normal Stagecoach tickets including singles, Dayriders and Megariders.

Parking your campervan or motorhome in Cambridge

You can easily find car parks around the city in order to spend the night. A popular option for parking your campervan overnight would be to stay in Milton Country Park, located at 133 Cambridge Rd, CB24 6AZ Cambridge, coordinates N 52.23693, E 0.16067

N 52°14'13", E 0°09'38". 

Close to the city and easily accessible by bike, this car park is closed during the night and guarded by a ranger from 7pm to 8am. Among the facilities on-site you will find: Restrooms, Dustbins and it is also Wheelchair accessible. The cost for parking there is £3.50 and the max length authorised is 12 metres. 

Other options are available on Lovecamping.co.uk with plenty of campervan sites by the riverside of Cambridge for some beautiful morning walks.