Planning your camping route - tips for your next road trip
Effective tips for planning your camping route. Find the ideal stops and routes for an unforgettable trip into the great outdoors.
"Just going away" is usually anything but easy. Endless possibilities are wonderful, but - let's be honest - often just too much. Especially when planning your next camping route, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the many options. Here are some tips on how to make good travel decisions and plan your camping route properly - because a really good camping route is flexible without ever being aimless.
Two options
Nowadays you also have two options when camping - either you take the time to do the necessary research yourself or you let someone else do the planning for you. These days, there are also great providers and options, which we present below. After all, going off without a plan isn't always as great as it sounds. Read through the following tips and think about what's right for you when it comes to planning your next road trip.
Route planning - self-made
Determine the dates
High or low season? It makes a difference. Camping in the low season offers maximum flexibility and the advantages are obvious: there are many more available pitches, fewer tourists, traveling is a lot cheaper and the conditions in the destination country are much more relaxed. There's just one thing you should bear in mind: Some campsites are closed during the low season. This is different in the high season: regular campsites are often fully booked early. For real camping flexibility, we therefore recommend - if at all possible - a time outside the main season.
Plan in a buffer and relaxation
The true vanlife feeling thrives on slowing down and "going with the flow". If you particularly like a place, you'll want to stay a little longer and immerse yourself in the local culture. One extra stop won't be worth it if it results in stress and a bad mood. So plan enough of a buffer! It's better to concentrate on a few destinations that you really want to visit. That way, you can stay if you like someplace better than expected. Decide spontaneously when you hear about insider tips. Find peace and quiet when you need to process what you've already experienced. And really get to know these foreign places from all perspectives.
Camper, motorhome or tent
The choice of accommodation when camping is not irrelevant either. Campsites - including Nomady's nature campsites - are often restricted to certain categories. Where a tent is more likely to find space, a camper or motorhome cannot always be parked. These, on the other hand, are more weatherproof and require less logistical effort, such as setting up and taking down. What's more, with a toilet in your camper van, you are usually completely self-sufficient and don't have to rely on public toilets during the day. You should definitely take this into account when planning your trip!
Stops and activities
Planning stops is a lot easier if you have a final destination. You can always find great places and activities along the way via Google Maps or travel blogs. However, these are often not always within optimal distances of each other. If this is the case, we recommend stopovers. No leg should be much longer than 200 kilometers, otherwise you will spend your vacation almost exclusively in the vehicle. However, it is often the "forced stops" that take you to places that you would otherwise never have had on your radar. Who knows, maybe there's a very special hiking tour or a particularly great restaurant - go for it!
Comparison of camping route planners
The internet is full of inspiration for travel destinations. However, it is rare to find actual camping routes or you don't necessarily want to follow the existing ones one-to-one, but rather incorporate your personal preferences. Fortunately, there are some services that make planning much easier. We will introduce three of them.
Off Guide
19€ per day
The Off Guide is your personal itinerary, planned by Off: Places, campsites, activities and restaurants are individually coordinated with you. For this to work, you first fill out a questionnaire and then answer further detailed questions in a personal chat with your travel designer. During the subsequent creation of your customized guide, the team draws from a huge pool of destinations as well as from their own years of travel experience. At the end, you will receive a route overview and destination information as well as your recommendations with individually curated restaurants, activities and campsites for every single stop. You can choose any country in Europe as a destination and rent an off-road camper if you wish. You remain flexible at all times, because nothing is booked.
Campers Compass
20-30€ per day depending on your needs
At Campers Compass, your trip is individually tailored to you. From personal advice and route planning to renting a camper and, if you wish, booking pitches and activities. Everything is kept as flexible as you want it to be - depending on whether you need more support and planning or would like more freedom. At the beginning, you fill out a detailed questionnaire and then have a personal meeting to clarify any questions. You can give feedback on the initial proposal for your personal itinerary, and minor adjustments to your finalized travel plan are included. Campers Compass values slow travel and routes off the beaten track. They focus on defined European destinations that they know well themselves and can therefore recommend authentically and honestly.
ADAC camping tour finder
free of charge
The route planning tool from ADAC Reisen is already well known. It determines route suggestions based on destination, travel month, travel duration, surroundings, activity focus, budget and weather. In doing so, it draws on a considerable database. A real pro argument, because the tool is free. However, the application quickly reaches its limits, as the routes are fixed package suggestions. Starting point, direction and individual wishes cannot be included. In addition, the details of the tours are not very clear. Apart from a brief description, route overview and highlights, no detailed travel information is provided. The ADAC Reisen tool is therefore worthwhile for rough camping route inspiration, but it does not take away a great deal of planning effort.
Conclusion
Camping is all about freedom, flexibility and a certain amount of "going with the flow". Nevertheless, it's not worth heading off into the unknown. Consequently, the timing, duration and your own personal wishes for the trip should be defined in advance. The stops, activities and details can then be worked out either through your own research or more spontaneously. And if not, there are also route service providers.
