The Regent Guest House

The tang of salt air drifts in from Southampton Water, and beyond the terrace roofs you catch the glint of cranes along the dockside — this is a port city that still hums with departures and arrivals.

The Regent runs a proper guest house with rooms under the main roof, but also offers a camping pod out back for those after something simpler or travelling with a dog (worth asking ahead about your four-legged friend). It's a good shout if you're catching an early ferry, visiting family at the university, or using Southampton as a base for the New Forest without committing to canvas. The pod gives you a roof and a lock, the guest house gives you a cooked breakfast — pick your pace.

You're in a residential pocket of the city, so don't expect meadows or moorings, but Southampton's parks, the medieval walls, and the waterfront are all walkable. Campfires aren't a given — check when you arrive. It's functional, friendly, year-round shelter in a city that's more interesting than people give it credit for.