With these 9 tips you'll be prepared for your camping holiday

You're a complete camping beginner but don't want to miss out on this trend? No problem: here are the most important camping tips for you.

9 camping tips for beginners

1. Your vehicle

2. Trip planning

3. Packing right

4. Departure

5. Finding a pitch

6. Everyday life

7. Emergency

8. Useful extras

9. Consideration

Rooftop tent, motorhome, campervan or tent

You want to go camping but have neither a camper nor a motorhome? If you just want to try out whether camping is right for you at all, the best solution is to grab a tent and your car and head off.

Image by irewolede on unsplash |

If a tent for sleeping is not enough and you want to buy or rent a vehicle for camping, you need to answer the following questions:

• How much budget do you have?

• Is buying worth it because you want to camp regularly, or is a rental camper enough? You can find pros and cons on the topic of renting or buying a van in our blog post.

• How much space do you need? Should it be a motorhome or a campervan? Do you want to be able to stand up in your vehicle, or is it enough just for sleeping?

Once that decision is made, your planning can begin.

Your trip planning

Where do you actually want to go? Pick the right destination for you. For your first camping holiday it doesn't have to be far away. There are also beautiful pitches nearby. Of course your budget, your travel period and your preferences also play a role. All our tips on trip planning are in our blog post.

Camping tips for packing right

Before you can finally head off, you naturally have to pack everything you need. And the question "What do I actually need?" is sometimes not so easy to answer. But no need to worry: with our packing lists you won't forget anything. If you're only heading out with a tent, you'll find everything you need in our packing list for your outdoor holiday. Other tips about the most important camping accessories are in a separate post.

Before departure

The most important thing before departure is to secure everything properly. Larger items in particular should be stored low and secured well. Before every drive, check that you've put away your dishes so that glasses and plates don't fly around while you're driving.

Close your roof window before departure, otherwise you'll get an unpleasant surprise when parking in places with height restrictions. To avoid making the vehicle even heavier, you should leave the fresh water tank empty and only fill it up at pitches or water points.

Image by Dino Reichmuth |

The best pitch

The choice of pitches can be quite overwhelming. At VanSite you'll find all kinds of pitch options and can decide where you want to spend your first camping holiday. Whether it's a campsite or a private pitch, a motorhome pitch or wild camping: there's a suitable pitch for every type of camper.

Important: if you decide on wild camping, find out whether wild camping is allowed at your destination. In our article about wild camping in Europe you'll find all the information you need.

Camping tips for your everyday life

In the morning making coffee, tidying everything away before departure and waste disposal when camping: we have a few beginner tips for a smooth daily routine.

Leisure activities should not be left out either. The area is best explored on foot or by bike. Maybe you're even near a lake and can swim a few laps. Or do you prefer a more relaxed holiday? In our article you'll find Also, leisure activitiescamping games for your holiday.

The evenings while camping are the best time of day: imagine sitting outside with a cold drink watching the sun go down, spending the whole evening outside until a sea of stars forms above you. From that moment on you'll never want to stop camping again. If you need more tips for your evening entertainment while camping, you'll find a few ideas in our article.

Image by Kevin Erdvig on Unsplash |

Emergency situations on a camping holiday

Things can always go wrong, so be prepared! The best thing to do is take out an ADAC membership before your trip: depending on where you're travelling, for Germany, Europe or worldwide. That way, if you break down, you'll always have a "yellow angel" you can call. More tips in case of a breakdown in the van are in our article.

As a general rule: if you're travelling to another country, you should know the phone numbers for police and emergency services.

Other useful tips

Here are a few more useful camping tips to make your life easier:

• For finding pitches, waste disposal, route planning or language barriers there are useful camping apps that you should download before your trip.

• For the journey you should always keep some small change at the front of your vehicle, which you can use for toll booths, parking or waste disposal.

• If you're on the road for longer and need to wash clothes or dishes, pack detergent and a laundry bag.

• Most campers have had a flat battery at some point,jump leads are worth their weight in gold then, also for helping others.

• If you are connected to shore power, check before setting off whether you haveremoved the power cable and stowed it away.

Being considerate while camping

The most important point last: Be considerate! That applies to your fellow human beings, such as camping neighbours or local residents, the hosts of private properties, or the people you meet along the way. And it applies equally to nature: ALWAYS take your rubbish with you. Leave the spot as you found it and respect nature. This tip is not just for camping beginners.

Let's go!

Ready for your first camping holiday? Then book your first VanSite pitch for an overnight stay in nature.