At a glance
- Cost
- £13 for a 24-hour ticket
- Charging hours
- 7am to 10pm every day, all year (unless car park signs say otherwise)
- Sleeping
- Allowed in the designated spaces
- Facilities
- None – no waste or water facilities
- Spaces
- 5 designated spaces at each of 5 car parks
- Pay
- Pay and display machines or RingGo (RingGo only at Barnes, Margate)
Not clear from the source
- The page doesn't state a maximum stay or a 'no return' rule. Check the signs and the Traffic Regulation Order linked from the council page.
- It doesn't say whether the spaces are only for self-contained vehicles.
- Thanet's rules on sleeping in motorhomes have been debated at council recently (December 2025 papers described an earlier ban). The current information page says sleeping in designated spaces is allowed – Wader will keep re-checking.
Five car parks, five spaces each
Thanet District Council has dedicated spaces for motorhomes and caravans at:
- St Mildreds Bay Car Park, Westgate-on-Sea – 5 spaces
- Minnis Bay Car Park, Birchington – 5 spaces
- Barnes Car Park, Margate – 5 spaces (RingGo payment only)
- Joss Bay Car Park, Broadstairs – 5 spaces
- Marina Esplanade, Ramsgate – 5 spaces (written "Marina Esplande" on the council page)
That's 25 spaces across the Isle of Thanet's seaside towns – which means they'll fill up on a good summer weekend.
Can you sleep there?
Yes – the council's page says you may sleep within your vehicle overnight in the designated spaces. It also warns that no waste or water facilities are provided, so arrive with an empty cassette and full water tank.
What it costs
Charges apply all year round, and you pay between 7am and 10pm every day unless the car park signs say otherwise. A 24-hour ticket is £13. Pay at the machines, by phoning RingGo, or with the RingGo app or website – except at Barnes Car Park in Margate, where it's RingGo only.
Why the small print matters here
Thanet's position on overnight sleeping has changed over time and has been discussed in council papers, so this is a page to re-check before you go. The council links to its Traffic Regulation Order for the full legal detail.