Mulled wine, wooden huts, twinkly lights and a warm van waiting for you at the end of the night. What’s not to like? Christmas market season kicks off on Thursday 5 November in Birmingham and Friday 6 November in Manchester, and lots of us in the Dubbed Out community like to make a weekend of it in the van.
The tricky bit is always the same: where do you sleep, and where do you leave a high-top or a pop-top when city car parks have height barriers? So we’ve pulled together ten of the best markets across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, starting with our own patch in the North West, and checked the dates, campsites and park and ride options with the organisers and sites themselves.
Heading out in the cold? Read our campervan vehicle checks before you go, and if you’re heading north, our guide to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code for campervans.
A quick note before we start: we checked everything here on the official websites in October 2026. Opening times, bus services and campsite availability can change, so always check with the market and the site before you set off.
The North West
Manchester Christmas Markets
- Dates: Friday 6 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026. Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stay open until Sunday 3 January 2027.
- What’s on: markets across ten city centre locations. Albert Square is the main hub this year, with a big wheel and helter-skelter, and Lincoln Square joins in for the first time with a food and drink market.
- Where to stay: Burrs Country Park Club Campsite, Woodhill Road, Bury BL8 1DA. Open all year, takes motorhomes and has 103 hardstanding pitches (maximum outfit length 9m). The barrier is manned until 8pm, so ring ahead if you’ll be late.
- Getting in: the site says Manchester is about half an hour away on the Metrolink from Bury. Bury tram stop is a short bus ride from the site, or a 25 to 45 minute walk. TfGM has a Christmas markets travel page, but some Metrolink park and ride car parks have height barriers, so check before you drive a high-top in.
- Official info: Manchester’s Christmas Markets 2026
Chester Christmas Market
- Dates: Wednesday 18 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026.
- Opening times: Sunday to Wednesday 10.30am to 6.30pm; Thursday to Saturday 10.30am to 8pm.
- What’s on: wooden huts wrapped around Town Hall Square, between the Town Hall and the cathedral, with crafts, gifts, food and live music in the Market Bar. Entry is free.
- Where to stay: Chester Fairoaks Club Campsite, Rake Lane, Little Stanney CH2 4HS. Open all year and takes motorhomes.
- Getting in: the site lists a bus stop within a mile with buses to Chester, and the nearest park and ride is at Chester Zoo. Check current bus times with the site before you rely on them.
- Official info: Chester Christmas Market
Skate St George’s, Liverpool
- Dates: Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, every day except Christmas Day.
- Opening times: usually 10am to 10pm.
- What’s on: new for 2026, an outdoor ice rink and Christmas market on St George’s Plateau, opposite Lime Street station, plus a big wheel and a rooftop bar. The market is free to visit; rink tickets start from £11.50 for adults and £10 for children.
- Where to park: Kings Dock on the waterfront has coach and motorhome parking, handy for the Albert Dock and the city centre. Check the current price and the overnight rules with the car park before you go.
- Official info: Skate St George’s
England: the Midlands, Yorkshire and the South West
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market
- Dates: Thursday 5 November to Thursday 24 December 2026.
- Opening times: Monday to Thursday 11am to 9pm; Friday 11am to 9.30pm; Saturday 10am to 9.30pm; Sunday 10am to 9pm. On Remembrance Sunday (8 November) it opens at 1pm.
- What’s on: German food, drink and gifts across Victoria Square and New Street.
- Where to stay: Kingsbury Water Park Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Bodymoor Heath Lane B76 0DY. Open all year and takes motorhomes.
- Getting in: the nearest station is about 7 miles from the site, so plan your trip into the city before you go.
- Official info: Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market
York Christmas Market
- Dates: Thursday 12 November to Monday 21 December 2026.
- Opening times: Wednesday to Monday 10.30am to 7pm. Closed every Tuesday. Closes at 5pm on the last day.
- What’s on: chalets along Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square.
- Where to stay: York Rowntree Park Club Campsite, Terry Avenue YO23 1JQ. Open all year, on the banks of the River Ouse and within easy walking distance of the city centre. It sits inside York’s flood defences and can be evacuated at short notice, so ring the site before you travel. The site asks you to follow its recommended route, not the postcode, to avoid low bridges.
- Getting in: if you’re just visiting for the day, Askham Bar Park and Ride has 10 spaces for larger vehicles. No overnight parking.
- Official info: Visit York
Bath Christmas Market
- Dates: Thursday 26 November to Sunday 13 December 2026.
- Getting in: park and ride is the way to go, and for vans Lansdown is the one to use, as it has no height restriction. Newbridge has a 2m (6ft 6in) limit and Odd Down 2.2m (7ft 2in), so most high-tops and many pop-tops won’t fit. Check the market travel page for late-running buses.
- Official info: Visit Bath and Park and Ride in Bath
Lincoln Cathedral Christmas Market
- Dates: Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 December 2026.
- What’s on: a traditional market inside the cathedral and its grounds. Tickets are required for everyone aged 18 months and over, in timed sessions, and the Saturday afternoon session has already sold out.
- Getting in: the Waitrose (Searby Road) park and ride runs Monday to Saturday, but the cathedral’s FAQs say the free parking is for cars and motorcycles only, so it isn’t an option for vans. The FAQs point to car parks across the city instead.
- Official info: Lincoln Cathedral Christmas Market and visitor FAQs (PDF)
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Edinburgh’s Christmas
- Dates: Saturday 14 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, closed Christmas Day.
- What’s on: Christmas markets and a festive funfair in the city centre.
- Where to stay: Mortonhall Caravan and Camping Park, which is open all year.
- Getting in: heads up, Ingliston Park and Ride doesn’t allow motorhomes or overnight parking.
- Official info: Edinburgh’s Christmas
Cardiff Christmas Market
- Dates: Thursday 12 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026.
- Opening times: Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm; Sunday 10am to 5pm. Entry is free.
- What’s on: stalls through the city centre streets.
- Where to stay: Cardiff Caravan and Camping Park, Pontcanna Fields CF11 9XR. It’s run by Cardiff Council and open all year, including Christmas. The city centre is only 0.6 miles away, a walk through the park past Cardiff Castle. Book early: its bookings page already shows lots of November and December dates as full.
- Official info: Cardiff Christmas Market
Belfast Christmas Market
- Dates: Saturday 14 November (from 12pm) to Tuesday 22 December 2026 (closes 6pm).
- What’s on: stalls in the grounds of Belfast City Hall. Entry is free.
- Where to stay: Dundonald Touring Caravan Park, Castlereagh BT16 1XT, about 5 miles from the city centre. From 2 November 2026 to 11 March 2027 it runs as an Aire de Service: electric hook-up, water and waste, but no showers or toilet block, so come self-contained. The winter rate is £22 a night (see the opening times and prices).
- Getting in: Metro 4 and 29 and Ulsterbus 511 buses run from the main road into the city centre.
- Official info: Belfast Christmas Market
Quick reference
| Market | 2026 dates | Van base |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 6 Nov to 22 Dec (two sites to 3 Jan) | Burrs Country Park, Bury (tram in) |
| Chester | 18 Nov to 22 Dec | Chester Fairoaks, Little Stanney |
| Liverpool | 21 Nov to 3 Jan | Kings Dock motorhome parking |
| Birmingham | 5 Nov to 24 Dec | Kingsbury Water Park |
| York | 12 Nov to 21 Dec (closed Tuesdays) | York Rowntree Park; Askham Bar P&R by day |
| Bath | 26 Nov to 13 Dec | Lansdown P&R (no height limit) |
| Lincoln | 3 to 5 Dec (ticketed) | P&R is cars and motorcycles only |
| Edinburgh | 14 Nov to 3 Jan | Mortonhall |
| Cardiff | 12 Nov to 23 Dec | Cardiff Caravan and Camping Park, Pontcanna |
| Belfast | 14 Nov to 22 Dec | Dundonald (winter Aire de Service) |
Practical tips for a market weekend in the van
- Book ahead. Sites near cities fill up fast on market weekends. Cardiff is already full on many Friday and Saturday nights.
- Know your height. Measure your van with the roof down (and any roof box or bike rack fitted) and stick it on the dash. Plenty of park and ride and city car parks have barriers around 2m to 2.4m.
- Park and ride isn’t a campsite. None of the park and ride sites we’ve mentioned allow overnight stays, and some lock their gates after the last bus.
- Winter hook-up. Some sites cut back facilities over winter, like Dundonald’s Aire de Service with no showers. Pack a long hook-up cable, check your heater, and keep fresh water topped up in case taps are switched off in a frost.
- Check before you go. Dates, bus times and site openings can change, so check the official pages linked above.
See you down the market
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