We absolutely love to go camping, but during summer prices for a camping pitch go up to around 40-50 euros per night. So here are some tips on how we get the most nights out of our budget.
1. Go camping during off season
One thing we do to stretch our budget as much as possible is travel during the off season. Prices are always way better and the tourist attractions are way less crowded too. This year we had a enormous parking lot at Rocamadour, France, all to ourselves in May. Especially if you travel down south the weather will be good too, in Italy and Spain temperatures most likely will be somewhere in the lower 20 degree Celsius.
2. Use a camping card, like ACSI
We get an ACSI card every single year and we use it to go camping in the off season, sometimes you do have to pay full price though on holidays, but prices will mostly drop back down right after. With ACSI you will be pay 11/13/15/17/19 euros per night for two people, electricity, a dog, and hot showers, depending on the campsite you picked. They have campsites in all different categories, from big campsites to smaller campsites.
In Holland we also use ‘Het Groene Boekje’ which you will need if you want to go camping at smaller nature campsites.
3. Bring a stove and cook your own dinner
This really is an easy one, just bring a stove, a pan and a kettle and you can cook your own meals and brew your own coffee. While you are at it, I would recommend going to the local markets and pick up some fresh and local produce.
Especially when we take Milow, we really don’t want to go through the hastle of going somewhere to eat. He likes other dogs a bit too much sometimes, unfortunately.
4. Drink tapwater if possible
In a lot of European countries it is really safe to drink tapwater, so I would suggest bringing a couple of reusable water bottles and fill those up every day.
5. Go hiking!
Hiking is always free, and you will see so much of the enviroment if you go hiking. It is our favorite activity to do when we go camping! We always find campsite where there are trails close by, and they get extra points if they have trails starting from the campsite.
What are your favorite tips for camping on a budget?
ourneverendingwanderlust.com 
Great tips! I stayed at a campsite during my trip to Venice (except not in a tent but in a wooden cabin they had there for visitors), and I really loved the experience. It actually didn’t even feel like ‘budget’ travel..
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is also an amazing way to safe some money! You see these wooden cabins on a lot of campsite these days, and they are a great option, when you don’t have your own tent. I love the freedom of camping, you are never tied down to one place. Have a great weekend!
LikeLike
I had no idea it cost so much to camp in Europe! Yikes! Your tips are really fantastic, though. We are big proponents of carrying refillable water bottles, too. We did that everywhere we traveled in Europe, but unfortunately can’t always do the same in Asia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it is ridiculous right? We barely ever go camping during the months of july and august because camping pitches are really expensive. That is great you carried your water bottle everywhere with you! It is unfortunate that you can’t in Asia
LikeLike