You've done it - you've booked your first camping trip with a motorhome or camper! Or you are already passionate campers, but always ask yourself the same question before the trip: How to find the right campsite for the planned tour?
The choice seems almost endless. Rustic campsites, traditional campsites with permanent campers, idyllic nature campsites or true camping resorts - how can you keep track of which is the best place for your planned trip? We help you and give you a guide on the way, so that the search of the place does not end in the agony of choice.
Four simple steps to find a good campsite
First of all, we assume that you have already decided on a rough destination. You have already decided whether you want to go to the Alps for mountain climbing or to Italy to the Adriatic Sea. But now comes the next question you have to ask yourself in order to find the right campsite:1. Do you want to go to a pitch, a campsite or rather wild camping?
For newcomers, this question is sometimes not so easy to answer, so we'll give you a few hints on what the differences are between these three categories.A campground is a public place for RVs to stay overnight. The facilities are often rather minimal and only equipped with the bare necessities. Often there is not even a reception, but is paid at a vending machine. Campsites are particularly suitable for shorter stopovers on the way to the intended destination.
With wild camping you stand with your camper or motorhome in the middle of nature. What sounds very romantic at first, however, also has a few disadvantages. On the one hand, there are of course no other facilities except nature. On the other hand, wild camping is not allowed or at most tolerated in most European countries. Too often, wildcamping vacationers have already polluted beautiful places in nature with garbage or other leftovers. Therefore, real wild camping sites are rare and also only suitable for self-sufficient motorhomes, so that the environment is polluted as little as possible.
The campground is the classic overnight accommodation for mobile travelers. The facilities range from a reception, sanitary buildings to often shopping stores, restaurants and sometimes even larger recreational facilities. More than 3,000 campsites in Germany alone offer an enormous range and have the right thing for every taste. The entire selection of campsites in Germany and Europe can be found, for example, on portals such as camping.info.
If you have decided to spend the night comfortably at a campsite, the next question arises:
2. What does the campsite have to offer and for whom is it suitable?
At this point you should consider who will be traveling with you and what your needs are. If you have small children, for example, family-friendly campsites with great play facilities and lots of playmates are naturally in demand. After all, what could be more of a strain on your camping mood than cranky kids who are bored? If you're traveling with pets, you should make sure that dogs are allowed on the site, that there are dog showers or dog runs and nice walking paths nearby. And if you value an adult audience and well-deserved rest, there are also suitable places for this.
But how to find such a campsite?
Look at the websites of the campsites in peace and inform yourself about the offer on site. Camping portals with extensive filter options are also a great help in finding the right campsite that meets all needs. For example, you can filter by the age of the children, whether dogs are allowed or not, whether the place is more suitable for seniors or couples, and much more. You can even search for the distance to the sea, possible leisure activities in the region or for existing wellness facilities at the campsite.
3. Deciding on the right campsite
Once you have decided what criteria the campsite should meet, it's time for the nitty-gritty - the comparison. Because often several campsites offer similar features and vie for the favor of customers. Anyone who has ever been to the Baltic Sea with a motor home, for example, knows the dilemma of the agony of choice.
On the Internet sites, the campsites often present themselves from their very best side and show you highly polished pictures that make your jaw drop. In reality, however, it can happen that the place looks completely different when driving and does not promise what it seems to be on the Internet. Therefore, it is best to trust the experiences of other campers.
After all, who can better judge whether the place is really as nice as it claims to be than real guests? Authentic reviews from other campers are therefore the best way to make a decision. On Google, on camping portals or in printed camping guides you can find reviews from real campers for every site including photos that the guests have taken there. So you can easily see whether the glossy pictures really correspond to reality.
Other selection criteria can also be prizes and awards, such as the camping.info Award, which every year honors the best campsites based on the ratings of its users. This is a purely public award without a jury or discretionary decisions, so it really reflects the opinion of the guests.
4. Book a campsite
The last step is the booking. Because especially in the summer vacations, booking the campsite is highly recommended, as camping is experiencing an ever-growing enthusiasm, so that many places are booked up quickly.Many campsites offer a complex booking by telephone or via inquiry functions. It is easier if an online booking is available. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case with many campsites. Alternatively, you can also make the online booking via booking portals for campsites. For this you will usually find a "book online" filter, so that immediately places are displayed, where a quick online booking is possible.
And now nothing stands in the way of your next camping trip and we wish you a good trip!
