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ItalianoCampsite guides & how-tos
Practical, jargon-free guides for UK campsite, glamping, caravan park and holiday park owners, from taking your first online booking to choosing the right software.
Start here
If you are opening a site rather than running one, work through how to start a campsite in the UK first. It covers the six decisions in order, from choosing between a CL and a CS through planning permission, licensing, setup costs and what a site actually earns, and links to the detailed guide for each.
Booking software & tools
Campsite booking diary
Swap the paper book for a digital booking diary that lives on your phone and can't be lost or double-booked.
Campsite booking diary →Online booking engine
Add live availability and card payments to your own website so guests can book direct, commission-free.
Online booking engine →Glamping booking software
Take direct bookings and deposits for pods, cabins, bell tents, shepherd huts and lodges.
Glamping booking software →Caravan park booking software
Manage touring, seasonal and hardstanding pitches on one calendar, with deposits and channel sync.
Caravan park booking software →Holiday park management software
Run bookings, pitches, accommodation, payments and reports for a growing park or group.
Holiday park management software →WordPress booking plugin
Add live availability, real-time pricing and secure booking to any WordPress campsite website.
WordPress booking plugin →Getting started & going digital
How to manage campsite bookings
A simple, repeatable system for enquiries, deposits, the diary and guest messages, that scales as you grow.
How to manage campsite bookings →Replace your paper diary
Why and how to move off the paper booking book without losing a single booking.
Replace your paper diary →Campsite booking spreadsheet template
A free spreadsheet template, the exact columns to use, and the signs it's time to move on.
Booking spreadsheet template →Going paperless at your campsite
A calm, step-by-step way to take your site digital, even if you're not "techy".
Going paperless →Take online bookings for a small site
How small campsites and CLs can start accepting bookings online without the admin.
Online bookings for small sites →Add online booking to your website
Step-by-step instructions for putting a booking system on your existing site, including WordPress.
Add booking to your website →Bookings, payments & avoiding mistakes
How to stop double bookings
Five practical ways to make sure you never put two families on the same pitch again.
Stop double bookings →Campsite deposit policy
How much to take, when to take it, and how deposits protect you against no-shows.
Deposit policy guide →Campsite cancellation policy
Write a fair, clear cancellation policy that guests respect and you can enforce.
Cancellation policy guide →Payment methods for campsites
Cash, bank transfer and card payments compared, and how to take deposits online.
Payment methods →How to handle refunds
A simple, professional approach to refunds that keeps your reputation intact.
Handle refunds →Minimum stay policy
When to set minimum nights, how to apply them at weekends and bank holidays, and why.
Minimum stay policy →The visitor levy (tourist tax)
Visitor levy software
What the levy means for a campsite, where it applies now, and how to keep the records a return needs.
Visitor levy software →The Scottish visitor levy
Every confirmed council scheme, the rates, the dates and what is in scope for pitches.
Scottish visitor levy →The Wales visitor levy
75p per person per night, the under 18 exemption and the compulsory register from October 2026.
Wales visitor levy →Edinburgh's levy for campsites
The UK's first live scheme, including tent and campervan pitches, with worked examples.
Edinburgh visitor levy →How to collect the levy
Pricing it, showing it on the invoice, handling refunds and filing the quarterly return.
Collecting the levy →Levy exemptions and VAT
Who does not pay, and why a tax you never keep can still affect your VAT threshold.
Levy exemptions →Starting & running a CL or CS site
How to start a CL site
The complete guide to applying for a Caravan and Motorhome Club Certificated Location.
How to start a CL site →What is a CS site?
An introduction to Camping and Caravanning Club Certificated Sites and how they work.
What is a CS site? →CL site vs CS site
The differences between the two five-pitch schemes, and how to choose between them.
CL vs CS site →How much does a CL site earn?
Realistic UK income figures with worked examples for small, mid and busy CLs.
CL site earnings →Managing a CL site
The day-to-day of running a Certificated Location, from bookings to maintenance.
Managing a CL site →Do you need a campsite licence?
Caravan site licences, planning permission and the CL/CS exemptions explained.
Campsite licence guide →Choosing software & comparisons
The best free campsite booking system
What "free" really means, the trade-offs to watch for, and how our free plan works.
Best free booking system →Best campsite booking software 2026
An honest comparison of the leading UK campsite booking systems.
Best booking software 2026 →Campsite channel manager guide
How a channel manager syncs Pitchup, Campsites.co.uk and more to prevent double bookings.
Channel manager guide →CampSuite® vs Anytime Booking
A fair comparison for UK touring and holiday parks weighing up their options.
CampSuite vs Anytime Booking →Marketing & filling your site
Get found on Google
The local SEO basics that help campers find your site before your competitors'.
Get found on Google →Get more campsite reviews
How to earn genuine five-star reviews that turn browsers into bookers.
Get more reviews →Social media tips for owners
Simple, sustainable social media that fills pitches without eating your evenings.
Social media tips →Website tips for more bookings
The pages, photos and calls to action that turn your website into a booking machine.
Website tips →Build a campsite email list
Why an email list is your most valuable marketing asset, and how to grow one.
Build an email list →Looking for something else? Browse every article in date order.
See all articlesPut the advice into practice
CampSuite is free for up to 100 pitches, or cover the guest fee yourself from £2 + VAT a unit. Setup takes about 15 minutes.