Camper vans between the Ribble Valley, Pendle Hill and the Pennines
Compare campervan and motorhome rental companies in Blackburn to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Hiring a campervan in Blackburn means setting off from a former Lancashire cotton town, set between the West Pennine Moors to the south and the Ribble Valley to the north. In less than half an hour you reach Whalley Abbey, Clitheroe and the outline of Pendle Hill; the M65 motorway then leads to the Yorkshire Dales on one side and to the M6 and the Lake District on the other. Our partner company, EasiCampers, offers its camper vans here.
Its depot is on Highfield Road, in the town itself: an easy start, away from the traffic jams of Manchester.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
A short loop to the east: the Cistercian abbey of Whalley, then the Nick of Pendle road to Sabden and the village of Barley, starting point for the climb up Pendle Hill, the hill linked to the 1612 witch trials. You then cross into Yorkshire via Colne to Haworth, the village of the Brontë sisters, before heading back down through Hebden Bridge and its old mills.
Via Clitheroe and Settle, you reach the limestone amphitheatre of Malham Cove and the gorge of Gordale Scar, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Grassington opens up Wharfedale, then the road crosses the heights of Greenhow towards Pateley Bridge and the sculpted rocks of Brimham Rocks, in Nidderdale. Return via Skipton, its castle and the canal.
The M6 takes you to Penrith in just over an hour, from where the Hartside pass climbs to Alston, high in the North Pennines. Hadrian's Wall unfolds between Haltwhistle and the Roman fort of Housesteads, then Hexham. The return crosses the moors of Weardale to Middleton-in-Teesdale and the High Force waterfall, before rejoining the M6 via Brough.
The best months to leave from Blackburn: April and May are the driest of the year and the days grow longer, with up to eleven hours of sunshine a day in May and June. September stays mild, the heather moors are still in bloom and the Dales campsites empty out after the school holidays.
The warmest months remain cool, around 18 °C in the afternoon, and rain is never far away in Lancashire. It is nevertheless peak season: British school holidays, with the Dales villages and Haworth very busy. Book your van and campsite pitches well in advance.
The cold, wet season: December and October are the rainiest months, and sunshine is limited to three hours a day in midwinter. The Pennine passes can be snowy or shrouded in fog. A heated van and campsites open all year still make short trips possible.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 °C | 1 °C | 138 mm | 3 h/day |
| Feb | 7 °C | 2 °C | 128 mm | 5 h/day |
| Mar | 9 °C | 3 °C | 118 mm | 7 h/day |
| Apr | 11 °C | 4 °C | 79 mm | 9 h/day |
| May | 15 °C | 7 °C | 77 mm | 11 h/day |
| Jun | 17 °C | 10 °C | 120 mm | 11 h/day |
| Jul | 18 °C | 12 °C | 130 mm | 10 h/day |
| Aug | 18 °C | 12 °C | 128 mm | 9 h/day |
| Sep | 16 °C | 10 °C | 131 mm | 7 h/day |
| Oct | 13 °C | 8 °C | 145 mm | 5 h/day |
| Nov | 9 °C | 4 °C | 119 mm | 4 h/day |
| Dec | 7 °C | 3 °C | 149 mm | 3 h/day |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
The EasiCampers depot is at 1 Highfield Road, postcode BB2 3AX, in Blackburn. Agree on the handover time with the company and, if you arrive by train, plan a taxi from the station. Do your shopping in town before leaving: the Ribble Valley villages often only have small grocery shops.
The M65 motorway crosses Blackburn from west to east. To the west, it joins the M6 and the M61 near Preston, for the Lake District, Scotland or Manchester; to the east, it serves Burnley and ends at Colne, the gateway to Yorkshire. For the Ribble Valley, the A666 and then the A59 avoid the motorway.
Around Pendle Hill, the roads are narrow, lined with dry-stone walls and often very steep, like the climb up the Nick of Pendle. Meeting a tractor means reversing to a passing place. A campervan is much easier to handle than a large motorhome on these country lanes.
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs through Blackburn: its towpath makes for a walk or bike ride on pick-up day, before hitting the road. Further south, Darwen Tower, on the West Pennine Moors, offers a first short hike with views over the whole Lancashire plain.
Our partner company in Blackburn is EasiCampers, a camper van specialist, whose depot is at 1 Highfield Road, BB2 3AX. The address and appointment time are given in your confirmation. If you are looking for a wider choice of vehicles, nearby Preston and Manchester are also departure cities of our partners.
The price depends on the season, the length of hire and the vehicle: a van costs noticeably more during the summer school holidays than in spring or autumn. Run a search with your dates to get real prices, mandatory fees included, and book the offer that suits you directly.
Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Lancaster are other departure cities of our partners. If a one-way trip is offered, enter the return city when searching: any fees are then included in the displayed price. Otherwise, a loop from Blackburn remains the simplest way to explore the north of England.
Allow about an hour and a half for the roughly 100 km between Blackburn and Windermere, via the M65, the M6, then the A590 and the A591. As Lake District roads are slow in summer, set off early in the morning: you can then settle the van at the campsite before the afternoon rush.
For the Pennine passes, the Dales villages and the cobbled streets of Haworth, a campervan or compact van is the most comfortable choice: it fits on single-track roads and can park in village car parks. Check the vehicle's height before entering car parks with height barriers.
Functional and easy-to-use application that meets expectations.
1. The motorhome had neither a reversing alarm nor a rear camera. Essential for this type of vehicle. 2. There was no option to purchase insurance without a deductible. The options were either to take out an external one or to reduce it with Indie Campers. Additionally, in the case of the one rented in Scotland, we were informed at the last moment that no insurance covered the upper and lower parts of the sides... Incredible! We could crash it but not scratch it... 3. Regarding the rental in Dublin: a) The location is very far from the airport and much further from the city.
Available team and very good service
A category B licence is enough for campervans and motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes. Depending on the country that issued your licence, an international driving permit may also be required. The rental company also sets a minimum age and a minimum number of years of driving, stated in the conditions of each offer.
Wild camping is not allowed in England without the landowner's permission. Stay at campsites in the Ribble Valley and the Forest of Bowland, or on the small certified sites of the caravanning clubs, often set up on farms. Some country pubs also welcome their customers' vans.
Manchester Airport is about 60 km away by road. By train, you go to Manchester and then to Blackburn on the direct line from Manchester Victoria station. Liverpool Airport is another option, with a slightly longer journey. Let the rental company know your arrival time.
In the United Kingdom, you drive on the left and roundabouts are taken clockwise, giving way to vehicles coming from the right. The large roundabouts around Blackburn can be tackled without stress if you prepare for them. Speed limits are in miles per hour: keep a close eye on the speedometer.
No, the M65, M6 and M61 motorways are free, as are the roads of the Dales and the Pennines. The only tolls in the north-west of England are the Mersey tunnels and the Mersey Gateway bridge, near Liverpool, the latter being paid online. Check the current rules if your route goes that way.
With a single partner company in town, the number of vans is limited: book several months ahead for July, August and the long bank holiday weekends in May. In spring and September, a few weeks are often enough, but booking early guarantees your choice of vehicle.
Blackburn is a low-key but very well placed starting point in the north of England. The Ribble Valley, Pendle Hill and the Forest of Bowland begin on the town's doorstep; the Yorkshire Dales, Brontë Country and the Lake District are less than two hours' drive away, and Hadrian's Wall can be reached in a day.
Our partner company EasiCampers offers its camper vans here, ideal for the narrow roads of the Pennines. You pick up the vehicle away from big-city traffic, with direct access to the M65 and then the M6. Preston, Manchester, Lancaster and Liverpool, other departure cities of our partners, are close by if you want more choice. And Lancashire's cool climate, with summers around 18 °C, is well suited to hiking on the moors.
