Plan your next camping holiday with these tips

Every year the same thing: the camping holiday is just around the corner and nothing is packed or even organised. You don't even really know yet where your trip should take you. Here you'll find 6 tips to make planning your next trip easier.

Tips for planning your trip:

1. Your destination

2. Budget planning

3. Route planning

4. Around the destination

5. Finding a pitch

6. Packing right

Image from IStock |

1. Your destination

Every trip starts with this question: Where should the trip actually go?

Do you want guaranteed sunshine or doesn't the weather matter to you? Prefer the sea or the mountains? For some inspiration, why not browse the internet a bit for beautiful destinations for your camping holiday. On the VanSite blog you'll also find several articles featuring the most beautiful pitches for inspiration for planning your trip.

2. Plan your budget

The most important question before pretty much any trip is: how much budget do you have available? A few factors can play a decisive role here and cause the costs to vary considerably:

• Fuel costs: Right now, fuel costs are extremely high in many countries. But you tend to save on fuel if, for example, you pick Eastern Europe for your route or don't have to cover long stretches.

• Tolls: In many countries, using certain roads costs money. In France, for example, it's relatively expensive to drive from north to south. Depending on the motorway and distance, fees apply. Tolls are also charged in Italy, Spain, Croatia and several other countries in some cases. In Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia you need a vignette. You should factor in these costs, because they aren't insignificant.

• Travel period: The time you travel is decisive for planning your trip and above all for the costs involved. Whether you plan your camping holiday in high or low season changes the cost of a campsite, for example. Fuel prices also rise in high season. If you want to save money but still not miss out on summer, it's best to plan your camping holiday in June or September, around the summer holidays.

• Vehicle: If you travel with your own car and a tent, you'll certainly save some money. A motorhome, on the other hand, swallows a bit more in fuel costs, the tolls get pricier, and sometimes you pay extra for large vehicles at the campsite too. If you want to rent a camper, you'll need to factor in the rental costs.

Image by Unsplash

So how much your camping holiday ends up costing depends entirely on how you plan your trip. If you want to track your budget precisely, there are various apps where you can enter all your expenses.

3. Route planning

Once you've decided which country to travel to, it's time for route planning. Various tools can make planning your trip easier: with Google Maps you can combine different spots into one route to sensibly link up all the places you'd like to see. Use the "Save" option on the individual points to mark the places you don't want to miss on your trip.

If you're unsure whether tolls and the like apply along the route, the ADAC trip planner helps: with the ADAC route planner you can see exactly what distance you'll cover and with which tolls and fuel costs.

But always remember: the journey is the destination. Better to plan a few nice stops than to drive for hours on end, and now and then stray off the route to discover new places that weren't part of the plan.

4. Around the destination

A bit of preparation is a must once you've decided on the destination of your choice, because in Europe too there are formalities to keep in mind here and there.

• Entry requirements: This topic kept us busy especially during the pandemic: what are the rules for entering the country? But political conflicts can play a role too. To be on the safe side, always check with the Federal Foreign Office before you leave.

• Language: Maybe you thought English is spoken everywhere anyway. But that's far from always the case. In some countries it's well worth mastering a certain basic vocabulary in order to make yourself understood there.

• Insurance: Suitable insurance is important for every trip, and not just your health insurance but also the one for your car. In some countries you need what's called a green card for this, which confirms that your vehicle has at least third-party liability insurance.

• Wild camping: If you're one of those people who prefer wild camping, you should definitely find out in advance what the local rules are. In most countries wild camping is prohibited and can get pretty expensive. Why not take a look at our posts on wild camping in Europe and wild camping in Germany.

5. Finding a pitch

Some campers prefer to find their spot for the night spontaneously. Others prefer to have their route fully planned out. What matters here is how you want to sleep and whether you're travelling in high season. For more relaxed travelling, it's a good idea to pick out one or two pitches in advance. That can also help with route planning: with VanSite App from the App Store or Google Play Store you can, for example, put together your route based on your favourite pitches.

Image from Unsplash by Anton Mishin |

6. Pack the right way

Packing is always a stressful business. And for a camping trip in particular you have to think of quite a few things. It's best to make a list beforehand with everything you mustn't forget. Here are a few points to give you a starting point:

• Documents: (international) driving licence, passport and/or ID card, vignettes or toll card, small change, green card, health insurance card, vaccination record, credit card and so on

• Clothing: depending on your destination, the season and your type of camping, pack warmer clothes too if needed, and don't forget swimwear or hiking gear

• Toiletries: everything you usually use in the bathroom

• Other: books, games, sunglasses, backpacks, shoes, towels and so on

• Cooking gear: camping stove, gas cartridges, cutlery, plates, pot, pan, oil, salt, pepper and food for the first few days

• Camping equipment: if needed, tent, sleeping mat, bedding or sleeping bag, chairs, table, cool box or fridge, water canister, and so on

• Essentials: first aid kit, warning triangle, spare tyre, emergency medicine kit, toilet paper, disinfectant, jumper cables, torch, lighter, earplugs and sleep mask, phone, charging cable, power bank

That gives you a quick overview. But the internet is full of packing lists that can help you further. And if you've forgotten something, there are shops in other countries too.

Off to the camping holiday

If you go through these 6 tips for planning your trip, you'll be pretty well prepared. You'll find a how-to-pack guide in our article on the ideal gear for camping in nature.