Tipi holidays in New Forest National Park

1. New Forest campsites and caravan sites can book up quickly, especially in July and August and during school holidays. Early bookings are essential if you want to visit these times—popular holiday parks and glamping sites can book up six months in advance.
2. If you do arrive without a reservation, it’s a good idea to secure a campsite first thing in the morning, as available spots will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 
3. You will need to pay a deposit to secure your campsite reservation, and some sites ask for the full payment upfront. 
4. Be sure to check seasonal opening and closing dates, which vary by campsite. Many campsites open from March or April to September or October, while others stay open year-round.

Bluebells in spring, cool shade in summer, crunchy leaves in autumn, and a wonderland in winter, the New Forest manages to be a genuine year-round destination with abundant natural beauty whenever you choose to visit. Summer is peak season, and the park’s beaches and walking trails can get crowded in July and August. Arrive early at popular attractions to avoid the queues and book activities in advance to avoid disappointment. The forest landscapes change throughout the seasons, and many campers choose to return at different times of the year. Come in spring to admire the bluebells and other wildflowers, in autumn when the woodlands are ablaze with fall foliage, or wrap up warm for frosty winter walks.

• New Forest National Park is in Hampshire, along England’s south coast, about a 15-minute drive from Southampton or Bournemouth, or a roughly 2-hour drive from London.
• Trains from London Waterloo take 90 minutes, and there are eight train stations in the park: Ashurst, Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst, Hinton Admiral, Lymington, New Milton, Sway, and Totton. 
• There are more than 150 car parks in the New Forest, many of which are free. Parking is not permitted anywhere other than in the car parks. Regular buses connect all the villages and attractions in the park, and there’s a hop-on-hop-off New Forest Tour Bus in July and August.
• Wild camping and overnight parking are not permitted anywhere within the park. Fires and BBQs are also off-limits, except on private camping lands and caravan parks.
• Many small towns and villages dot the park, so you’re never far from a shop, pub, or information point. 
• The New Forest has many accessible trails and attractions. All park buses and trains are accessible, and there are accessible restrooms in more than 20 car parks. 
• The New Forest has free-roaming ponies, donkeys, and cattle. These animals have the right of way on forest roads, and there is a strict speed limit of 40 mph throughout. It is a fineable offence to feed any animals in the park.