Camping in Europe - how is it ?

Camping means you bring everything with you, including a tent, sleeping bag, cooking stove, food, plate and cutlery.
You pay for a camping plot, a piece of land big enough to put up you tent on. There will usually be a toilet block and showers (check the campsite listing for details), a tap for drinking and cooking water, and in a minority of sites a small restaurant.
Camping is mostly for people who want a cheap holiday in the country or on the beach. Campsites are fields and are not in towns, for this reason there is rarely any public transport.
Usually you pay for your "pitch" per night and can stay one night if you want to. Some campsites have pre-erected tents you can hire, but this is a minority, will cost more and may have a minimum rental period.
Before you go, practice (at home) putting up your tent, getting inside, and then taking it down again. This is a skill you do not want to have to learn the first night. You will (unless there is a restaurant nearby) be cooking for yourself.

I am guessing from your user name you are from Malaysia. You should be aware that tents do not have heating or insulation. You will be sleeping in the outside temperature. You may also have to put up or take down your tent when it is raining.

Hello stmalaysia. Camping sites that I know of, at desirable locations :
in GERMANY : West of Braubach (the location of the castle Marksburg) near the Rhine River. A bus from the city Koblenz can stop on the road near this camping place. The camping place is located approximately 2 Kilometers from the town Braubach. At that camping place, a camping site (for your small tent) must be reserved, near the beginning of the year.
in GREECE : on the island NAXOS (in the Cyclades islands group, at the Aegean Sea). Camping sites for your tent are at a beach of the Mediterranean Sea, at the West side of that island. A bus goes to that beach from the town Naxos ("Hora"). Ferry boats stop at the town Naxos ("Hora"). The Bus stop is very near the dock for the Ferry boats. And the airport on the island Naxos is located near (south of) the town Naxos ("Hora"). Taxi cars go from that airport to the town. Airline flights to the island Naxos from the airport of Athens.

stmalaysia,

this is not to answer your question, but to give you something to think about.

1. chances are you will have to bring your "camping" gear with you. Even if you can rent/borrow any camping stuff over there, you will need to bring gear with you anyway. If you dont, you wont have any when you need the gear.

2. Bringing camping gear will mean that you will be packing more weight and as such taking up any space or adding to your pack.
   2a. this of course will add more weight to you pack instead of just bringing clothes, toiletries and an extra pair of shoes.

3. Food. unless you buy freeze dried food (lightweight but will have bulk) you will need to buy on the go and or buy food at restaurants or stores. This may not be in-expensive. Freeze dried food isnt cheap either.

4. if you still want to camp, you may want to try and do it in your own backyard as a trial run. Meaning, somewhere close to home before you do the real deal. that way you can bail out really cheaply instead of on your real trip when youre thousands of miles away. Im not sure whats available in your neck of the woods, but in the USA, you can find used camping equipment on Craigslist, garage sales and some stores sell used sporting gear. At one time one of our local colleges had rental equipment for alumni. Then there are sales too.

5. i havnt done any camping in europe, but in the USA, in general, most of the camping is done outside of town. If you want to be/do/see outside of town, its great. But if you want to do/see things in town, then it could be an issue. Think of the travel time and $$$ to go between your camp site and where you want to spend most of your time!

6. If i remember correctly. In Denmark (Copenhagen only?), you can camp on private property as long as you get permission and leave no mess of course. But when i was talking about that unique (for the USA) idea, i was thought it was really cool.

good luck and happy trails.

I have camped in Italy in youth, at beach locations.
It's not my thing though. I don't sleep well on air mattresses and I don't especially like it when rains hard and everything around you gets wet. Also I'm not a master at pitching tents (which requires some skill if you don't want to see it collapse on you at night) but my friends were experts so no problem there. Some tents are however very easy to assemble (like the igloo type). Also checking in and pitching tents requires more time than simply checking into hotels, therefore if you change location often you waste a lot of time there.
In terms of amenities some campsites where I stayed in Italy at beach resorts were amazing. They often included multiple restaurants, discos, movie theaters, banks, supermarket, laundrymat, you name it. They are really self contained cities geared for families and youths that often stay one to three months at a time (my limit was a few weeks). If you go to one of those, you really don't need any camping or cooking equipment (in fact we had none, only a tent and a vespa or motorcycle each).

See Rick's article on Camping in Europe. Some camping areas have cabins that cost more than a tent space but are still a good value for a roof over your head (better value for a family). I loved this experience in Aurland, Norway but not in Pompei, Italy. Some have cooking equipment, but not necessarily sheets and towels. Do not attempt to carry a tent or sleeping bag for camping via public transport; Rick says that's "more like boot camp." It's also not wise to carry those heavy items if you won't use them frequently.

From my experience -- camping equipment is a BIG hassle not worth carrying for the possibility of one or two cheap nights. And I HAVE done camping trips where that was the only accommodations and loved it for the outside experience. But we didn't need to carry the tent, sleeping bags, air mattress on any trains or planes.

My husband and I have camped extensively throughout Europe mostly using public transportation and based on our experiences this is what we have found generally to be true.
You should definitely plan to bring your own tent, sleeping bag, etc. Although they may exist, I have never found a place where you can rent these. Quite honestly, I would NOT want to sleep in a sleeping bag or a tent that others have slept in...ick. You can stay for one nights or more in most campgrounds.
Most campgrounds in England and France are quite nice with grassy tent sites, showers, on-site stores, and sometimes even restaurants. Italy is a little more hit-and-miss regarding quality but we have found some very nice places there as well. One of my favorite places to camp is at the Youth Hostel near Verona - it's a 500-year-old villa and you used to be able to pitch your tent around the fountain in the garden, although I don't know if this is still the case. Many Youth Hostels do have camping facilities and these are always great bargains. The Dolomites are also loaded with beautiful campgrounds that we have stayed in many times.
You can also camp in and/or near cities. London has some great campgrounds that are within a 20-30 minute tube ride of the central city. There are also some around Paris that are close. This one is on an island in the Seine just a few kilometers from central Paris - we have stayed here and it is quite nice. Public transportation is easy.
If you are going in summer, I would encourage you to make reservations before you arrive at a campground. We have had good luck with just walking up and checking in but have also been turned away several times at fully booked campgrounds.
Since you don't have tent camping experience there are other options. Camping pods are becoming increasingly popular in Europe, especially in England. Here is a link to a campground we have stayed in in the Lake District that has them. They are more expensive than camping but less expensive than renting an RV or staying in a caravan. You would only need to bring a sleeping bag, pillow, and a camping stove. You can easily buy food when you get near your destination at a grocery store or the campground's onsite shop, if it has one. Weather in Europe can be unpredictable and it would be nice to be protected from rain. There is nothing worse than waking up in a soggy tent!
You should start by researching the places you want to go to see what the camping options are in that area. Europe is loaded with campgrounds. You just need to pick a region and start searching!
Good luck with your trip!

I am going to strongly say that you should not camp on your first trip to Europe. Or rather, you should not make your first camping trip so long and so far away. It's a lot of work and takes a good bit of equipment and expertise.

If you have a camping store in your area, go there and explain what you'd be doing. Gather all the things one person would need, look at the pile, and then go home to make other arrangements.

If you don't have a store, just go online and keep a list of the weights, sizes, and costs of the following: tent, ground sheet to keep tent dry, sleeping bag, air or foam mattress, pillow, camp stove, stove fuel, a few pans, plate, bowl, cup, utensils, a chair or stool, flashlights or lantern.

Pay attention to what others have said about campground locations often being away from the cities you want to be in. If you leave a campground, and go to a city to explore, what will you do with your stuff? You'll have to store it in a locker. That costs money. The trip into town costs money. You'll be worn out from hauling stuff and setting camp, and you'll be more likely to spend money because of that.

Look at hostels where you don't need the equipment, but can still cook simple meals. You'll come out ahead.

I also would feel that someone who is inexperienced at camping, in a foreign country, would be putting their personal safety at risk. I'm sure people will jump in to say that campers are wonderful people, and they are. But this situation would make you easy prey to those who are not so wonderful. Camping in a tent with no strong walls around you can make you feel pretty vulnerable. I don't think you'd feel comfortable.

Have you considered staying in hostels? It's probably a better option for single travelers, especially if you're not an experienced camper.

And city locations would be much more handy if you're using mass transit. Most campgrounds are outside of the cities.

And, of course, with long stays you need to make sure you have the proper visa, etc., in place. US citizens are only 90 days out of 180 for the Schengen zone without a special visa. You need to check the visa requirements for your planned stay.

Thank you for all your replies.
Sorry I can't reply earlier. Some of you misunderstood me. I don't mean to camp my whole trip. I just wish to get some experience of staying in those camping grounds; only if I don't need to bring any equipment, tent etc.
I misunderstood and think a tent is provided in these camp sites. I will not want to stay in hostel dorms because I am a sensitive sleeper and can't sleep well in a room with few others. Plug point availability is another reason. I am told that dorm beds will not be provided with individual plug point.
I will stay in hostel single room to use the kitchen to make my own breakfast and dinner in the more expensive places.

Companies like Vacansoleil offer places to stay in fully equiped tents throughout Europe. You have to bring sheets, blankets and things like that with you, in your case a sleeping bag will do. I think it´s usually for longer periods and more persons. But nevertheless have a look at: www.vacansoleil.ie

stmalaysia,

i can understand you being a light sleeper. I too sleep light, but i also snore so if someone else is, that will keep me awake.

my house is near/over a train tunnel so around 2300 every night a train goes through and most of the times i dont hear it. Feel it, yes. But sometimes i will hear it too since it will blow its horn going through the tunnel. I would have never thought i would be able to sleep through it, but i do most of the time.

we use to camp alot as a family when i was younger and most of the time was able to get a goods nights rest. If there was any wind/rain or a combo of both, then all bets were off for a good nights rest.

good luck and happy trails whatever and however you choose to travel.

If you are light sleeper, I also recommend ear plugs. I live in NYC near the Queensboro Bridge. I need them at home! I was introduced to them on a trip to Europe. If you haven't used them before, try them at home first. And yes, you can usually hear an alarm through them.

Pam