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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 reservation.
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.