May 2025
Glad Midsommar! Celebrate Midsummer with a Road Trip
Ahead of the summer solstice, 21 June, Max Schmidt, chief adventurer at CamperDays, Europe’s leading campervan and motorhome tour operator, shares his guide to the top midsummer celebrations across UK and Europe.
Max says: “The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, with up to 24 hours of sunlight during this period.
“Conveniently taking place outside of term time, a domestic staycation or trip abroad can be an interesting and affordable way to experience the variety of midsummer celebrations around the UK and Europe. And, given the historic significance of the festival, midsummer celebrations often take place in large fields in rural places – meaning an ideal way to see and experience them for yourself is in a campervan or motorhome.”
Below, Max shares his pick of the best midsummer celebrations:
Wiltshire, England
The manmade, rocky formation of Stonehenge is believed to hold spiritual significance, and it’s a major UK pilgrimage site for those ringing in the summer solstice. Although the exact use or uses of Stonehenge are debated, today, neo-druids, Wiccans, pagans as well as families and tourists gather at Stonehenge every year to celebrate the solstice and soak up the joyous atmosphere.
From 19 – 23 June, you can hire a four-person Mystery 4 campervan for £428 total, or £26.75 per person per night, with pick up in London. Once in Wiltshire take your pick of the campsites close to the monument e.g. Stonehenge Campsite & Glamping or Stonehenge Touring Park.
Stockholm, Sweden
Midsummer is one of Sweden’s most popular celebrations and for many even bigger than Sweden’s official National Day (6 June). Unique traditions such as dancing around a Midsummer maypole decorated with flowers and greenery, eating smorgasbords of pickled herring and strawberries, and lawn games, are key to enjoying a proper Swedish midsummer. Don’t let that one particularly well-known 2019 horror film put you off!
The camping.se directory conveniently has a list of all official campsites putting on special Midsummer celebrations for campers, while CamperDays has a dedicated page suggesting various Swedish campsites which are suitable for campervans, motorhomes and RVs.
From 19 – 23 June, you can hire a two-person TC Small for £953 total, or £141.63 per person per night, or a four-person TC Medium for £119.75 per person per night.
Tallinn, Estonia
The Estonian midsummer is generally celebrated a little later than in other countries, and the reason for that is hotly contested, but Jaanipäev, or St. John’s Day – celebrated this year on 24 June – is one of the most important summer holidays in the Estonian folk calendar.
Traditions include setting a stick on fire and vaulting over a bonfire, fraternising in an Estonian smoke sauna, and venturing down to the Kaali crater field, formed by a meteorite impact thousands of years ago, on Saaremaa Island. Some believe that the bonfire tradition is supposed to be a reenactment of these ancient meteorite strikes.
From 21 – 25 June, you can hire a four-person TC Medium for £1,221 total, or £76.32 per person per night. Motorhomes are welcomed at nearby campsite Tehumardi Camping in Saaremaa.
Alicante, Spain
Spain has lots of midsummer customs that vary wildly throughout the country. Coastal towns and cities will construct bonfires (hogueras) on the beach, with the most famous being Hogueras de Alicante.
Spaniards build large bonfires out of unwanted wood - usually old furniture - and communities drink, eat and dance around it, while teenagers often jump over the flames. The Valencian tradition of fallas is also borrowed for Alicante’s midsummer, whereby giant papier-mâché sculptures are paraded and then burned in a fiery celebration.
From 19 – 24 June, a two-person Urban Plus can be picked up for £510, or £51 per person per night. Or the four-person Family Standard can be hired for £623 total, working out at £31.15 per person per night.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Though not widely celebrated across Scotland today, some rural communities and spiritual groups mark the summer solstice with small gatherings, storytelling, and fire rituals passed down from Celtic times.
The Solas Festival, also known as a “wee Woodstock”, takes place 20 – 22 June 2025 in Errol Park in the countryside of Perthshire. The festival offers a diverse programme of live music, literature, theatre, dance, visual arts, and wellness activities, as well as talks and debates addressing social, political, and spiritual topics.
From 19 – 22 June a two-person VW Grand California can be picked up for £760 total, or £126 per person per night. Or the four-person Fiat Tribute 669 is available for £897, or £74.75 per person per night.
About CamperDays
Launched in Germany in 2013, CamperDays is Europe’s leading camper tour operator, working with 150 partners in over 700 locations globally.
CamperDays facilitates access to over 35,500 vehicles available for rent worldwide, including in the UK, Europe, Australia, USA, Canada and South Africa. The platform allows customers to choose from a selection of trusted providers globally via an easy three step booking process, with rentals available from just £70 per day.
Since it was launched, CamperDays customers have booked over 1,000,000 nights in vehicles rented through the site. CamperDays provides access to a broad selection of campervans and motorhomes catering to every type of traveller, with transparent pricing and no hidden costs. All vehicles come with insurance, with excess, as standard, to allow renters a truly carefree holiday.
For more information or to make a booking, visit the website: camperdays.com.