1st time Europe -- camping?

I consider camping in US and Canada better. Much fewer people per square meter there than in Europe and much more wilderness in US and Canada. You can find comparable camping only in northern parts of Finland, Sweden, Norway. Unfortunately I don't have experience with renting camping vans. Camping in Europe (even if you have just a tent) seems too civilized to me. Many campgrounds have a kitchen you can use, stores, indoor spaces for socializing - simply too many amenities usually not associated with camping. If you want real camping like we are used to here then obvious choices of cities to fly in and out would be Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo. Challenges? I don't see many. Perhaps language out of touristy areas.

Hi Angela. Some info to get you started.. We don't camp, but we were in Germany last month and saw a lot of campground activity along the Rhine River; I know there is some along the Mosel River also. Don't remember seeing tents, but a lot of camper vehicles in organized camping spots along the rivers. We saw this both in Bacharach and in Oberwesel Germany - google camping in those towns to get you started on your research. Enjoy your trip!

The Nordic countries may be your best bet.
https://www.visitnorway.com/plan-your-trip/travel-tips-a-z/right-of-access/

https://visitsweden.com/about-the-right-of-public-access/

https://www.gofinland.fi/blog/freedom-to-roam/

Freedom to roam is something extremely unique to Nordic countries,
including Finland. Also known as ‘Everyman’s Rights’, freedom to roam
allows everyone to enjoy the forests, lakes, fields and parks anywhere
in Finland and, most importantly, completely free of charge.

My preference is to patronize the mountain huts such as those managed by the Norwegian DNT:
https://english.dnt.no/about-the-cabins/

There are three types of cabins with lodgings: Staffed lodges,
self-service cabins and no-service cabins:

Staffed lodges: Staffed lodges serve breakfast and dinner. Many have
showers and electricity, either from the power grid or from a local
generator. The staffed lodges are open only in certain seasons. Many
staffed lodges have self-service or no-service cabins for
accommodation out of season. The self-service facilities are not
available when the lodge is staffed in season.

Self-service cabins: The self-service cabins are equipped with all
that trekkers need for cooking and sleeping. Firewood, gas, kitchen
utensils, table linen and bunks with blanks or duvets and pillows (hut
sacks, also known as hut sleepers, are required!) The cabins are also
stocked with provisions including tinned goods, coffee, tea, rye
crispbread and powdered soup packets, but the selection can vary from
cabin to cabin.

No-service cabins: No-service cabins usually have the same equipment
as self-service cabins, but they have no provisions.

I have never even been inside a camper van, much less camped in Europe, but these thoughts occur to me:

• A camper van is going to be much larger than the typical European car, so maneuverability will be an issue in cities. Parking can be very difficult even for smaller vehicles.

• Security of your belongings will require consideration when you're on the move and parked near tourist attractions. Theft from vehicles can be a real issue, and a camper van is obviously going to have some things inside it.

• There's a tendency for first-time drivers in Europe to overestimate how much ground they can cover. Sketch out a rough itinerary and use viamichelin.com to check appoximate travel time. The estimates do not include any allowance for traffic, stops, gettimg lost, searching for parking, etc. You'll need to pad those times quite a bit.

• As others have mentioned, it's difficult to have a US-style wilderness exerience in much of Europe. The population density is simply a lot greater.

• I wonder whether you'll find that you must book all the camping spots way ahead of time. In many countries July is much more crowded than June because European kids are usually still in school during June.

If you want camping for the more relaxed experience - as we do - consider renting a cabin/camper on a camping site and drive around in a "normal" car.

Camping in Europe is still very popular and you can camp anywhere you like even in places you don’t expect like the outskirts of the big cities as Paris and London. There is also a wide variety in level of luxury.

Ofcourse you can not compare it with camping in the wilderness of the US and Canada unless you want to go to the Nordic countries as already noted but not the best place for visiting cultural/historical sites. First you have to get used to smaller pitches and likely it will feel cramped. But on the other hand campings are more intimate what will result in more contact with your neighbours most of the time prepared for an interesting chat. But have to say that there is a risk that your neighbour can be irritating too. So it will be a different experience for sure.

Cheapest campings have basic amenities like only toilet facilities and electrical hook-ups, like you will have with many municipal campsites in France. As July is high season, June will be a better time of the year and weather not too hot. For planning and preparing your stays you can use the detailed info of Eurocampings / ACSI. https://www.eurocampings.co.uk/

Everyone seems to have missed something obvious. If you started in London you would have to pay the cost of the ferry crossing to France, and they can be expensive! And unless renting from a specialist the steering wheel would be on the right.

Do the camper van renters allow you to drop off at a different place to pick-up? I would be surprised if you could collect in Paris and drop off in Berlin. And what about transmissions, assume manual unless you've got it in writing.

Driving depends up which model of VW. If based on the Transporter/ Caravelle than this is the descendent of the original VW Camper and no larger than some station wagons. Visibilty when reversing is poorer but it's better than a car when driving forwards. As a thought, the VW Transporter is used as the police patrol vehicle of choice in many German cities. The VW Crafter is bigger and needs more care - also think about parking at supermarkets etc. because it won't fit the bays!

If the primary motivation in camping is cost, an urban alternative may be hostels. I don't know about central Europe but Nordic hostels offer private and family size rooms. Hostels in major cities may be at the outskirts but typically have transit into the major areas of interest.
https://www.hiusa.org/hostels/international-hostels

A VW camper is very small for 2 adults and 2 teenagers. You would be better with a motorhome. To be road legal, you would have to ensure that the vehicle has 4 seat belts, as some only have 2.

You don't want to hire a vehicle in the UK then do most of the driving in Europe, on the wrong side of the road. Most hire companies prohibit you taking their vehicles on ferries. Some campers have a limited daily mileage allowance.

There are many campsites throughout Europe. Pitch sizes vary significantly, but are generally small in Portugal and on some sites in Spain and France compared to the UK.

The ACSI discount card that has been mentioned only applies to those sites that are members and the discounts are not applicable in peak season, which in France for most sites the discount ends between 20 and 30 June and starts again in September. Site fees in July in France can be €55+ per night for those sites with restaurants and swimming pools, so not a cheap option compared to June, when the same site maybe less than half this. Fuel is expensive in Europe compared to America.

A one way drop fee for a campervan is likely to be very expensive. A camper in cities is not a good idea - parking would be an issue.

A motorhome rental in June in one or two countries would work well for you for 3 weeks. Trying to cover 5 countries in 3 weeks sounds like too much time staring at tarmac.

In Europe unlike in the US car drivers license is not valid for a bigger than van motorhome. Special truck drivers license is needed.

I kept an eye out for campgrounds when I traveled through Europe, and I did not feel like the ones I saw were ones that I would want to camp in. It is a different sort of experience than a US National Park!!

You have the advantage of plenty of lead time. I wonder if a better alternative might be to stay in family rooms in hostels to help with the price and either rent a car or take trains. I think it would end up being a better experience and about the same cost.

Here is an example of what I mean. Caulincourt Square Hostel in Paris. This is a "boutique" hostel in a good location. You can rent a private family room with ensuite bath and 4 beds for 124 euros next June. The rooms won't be huge, but I am sure they will be bigger than a VW campervan. http:caulincourt.com

If you're used to camping in national parks, camping in France/Germany is going to be a huge disappointment.

I'm from the west coast and I love camping, but I won't go camping here. There's not enough nature/people ratio to make it enjoyable, and in Germany campfires are forbidden, too! (Not in France - so people I know here drive to France to camp because at least it's more enjoyable than Germany).

If you want a similar experience, have you considered renting a canal boat? It's a lovely, nature-filled, slow-pace way to experience Europe. Great for families, too.

If you do want to rent a camper, you definitely need to get to the continent first (it won't be possible, probably, to rent in the UK and take it to the continent). Even then, you'll have to check if it's even possible to rent in one country and return in another. You may very well have to return the vehicle to the same place where you rented it, i.e. make a big loop. That can be fine if you're aware of that as you start. As others have said, you have the advantage of a long lead time.

Thank you all for your answers!
Yes, we were looking at camping as a way to save money and to balance our time in cities with time in nature and small towns. But it sounds like the campervans are not necessary, and in many ways impractical, given the options at eurocamps -- and that camping in Europe is very different from what we experience here. I also appreciate the info. on opportunities in the Nordic countries, the suggestion about renting a regular car for touring the countryside, and the river cruise suggestion. We will definitely look into these for future trips and in the meantime take advantage of having a long time to plan to find other low cost alternatives . . .
Thanks again!!

That's a great attitude, Angela. There are plenty of ways to save money and with the time to plan I'm sure you will.

One example is purchase ahead train tickets - I was thinking of the Eurostar train between London and Paris or Brussels, but it works on other long distance trains too. You can get Eurostar tickets 6 months out at a small fraction of what you will pay close to departure.

You might consider the Tirol or Salzkammergut of Austria as great settling in places in the beautiful countryside (with mountains, zip lines, boating, hiking, climbing, etc.,) with easy jaunts into Salzburg, Innsbruck, Munich, etc. Much cheaper than Switzerland, great inexpensive food, and sincerely beautiful.