Camping in London

[gotellitonthemountain]

Has anyone been? There is a site in crystal palace, but apparently takes an hour by bus into central London.

I would love to camp and sightsee...

I camped in Enfield about 12 years ago. It was OK, if you don't mind the flight path over head.

Easyhotels are probably around the same price tbh.

Ref Crystal Palace - you get get a variety of overground trains from there eg into London Bridge( 20 or so minutes ) which will then link you into the tube network. Also the new East London overground line starts there so you can be in Shoreditch High Street in about half an hour.
Crystal Palace itself also has a lot of vintage shops and cafés and bars so would be quite a good base.

I have strolled round the Crystal Palace site. It is pleasant enough, Crystal Palace itself is brilliant and you can get the train from Crystal Palace (a stroll across the park) or get the bus as far as Bruxton and hop on the tube, or as far as Herne Hill and hop on the train to London Bridge, etc, or stay on the bus: London is huge anyway and the No3 bus takes in some good sights.

Out of school holiday time you can camp at the Scouts camp site in Dulwich woods, very peaceful and v cheap, closer to the centre of town than C Palacd but less easy public transport, I think .

Alternatively check out CampInMyGarden website: there are people offering camping in lovely gardens in Clapham ( v easy public transport) and other areas of London.

The Dulwich Woods campsite is awesome! And you can camp there in the holidays. It's a 10 min walk to Sydenham Hill station and from there you're only 15 mins from Victoria.

We had 3 nights at Crystal Palace. I loved the bus ride ( was about 45-50 mins) and very cheap! Got to see a lot and bus stopped in Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street. Much nicer than the tubes I thought.

Brilliant advice. Thanks everyone

Blimey, I camped there when I was a teenager (we only lived down the hill - my friend's dad towed his trailer tent up, set it up for us, and four of us stayed there for the weekend - brilliant)! Anyway, Crystal Palace is much nicer now than it was then, the buses are right there, train station just round the corner, and if you have kids with you, then Crystal Palace park itself is great: you have to go and see the dinosaurs

I used to live near Epping, there are a couple of campsites at that end of London - 50 mins on the central line into the West end (on a good day).

I'd also recommend Abbey Wood. www.caravanclub.co.uk/caravanclubapps/applications/uk-caravan-sites-and-parks/SiteDetails.aspx?csid=21814

It's part of the Caravan Club, so you'd have to join, but also takes a few tents. The area around isn't great, but it's very secure and hard to believe you are just half an hour from central London by train.

We had a couple of nights there when we went to Wembley for the football! Couldn't believe that I was woken by the birds and wildlife so near to the city!

What about this place? near Loughton, so a tube journey

I used to keep one of my horses on Lippets Hill not long after I left uni so 1988 - 1991. Very nice area for so close to London/within M25.

Can't picture exactly where the site is but know the pub.

Gilwell Park is in Chingford - a 10-15 min walk to Chingford train station - lovely place. I think you can camp there as an individual, not 100% sure. Worth asking, we often camp at Scout or Guide camp sites. They have 'family fields', that no one else knows about , I always check and ask if there is one near where we are going and we haven't found a site we like the look of.

www.scoutactivitycentres.org.uk/locations/gilwellpark/accommodationandcamping/

I think Abbey Wood is brilliant. Great facilities only 30 minutes up to London, very secure. Stayed there loads of times.

Also going to say abbey wood but check the trains are running before you book! Lots of crossrail work going on at weekends at the minute and the other week they weren't running which was a pita. Had to get a bus to Greenwich and then the dlr and it took ages.