The cost of living varies in European countries, and to a certain degree, it is reflected on travel prices, like camping sites as well. Web site Camping Info features information on more than 23,000 campsites in Europe, and has ranked the cheapest and most expensive countries based on the average campsite prices.
Naturally, comparing average prices alone doesn’t indicate anything about the services, location, safety or tidiness of a campsite, but when you are planning a tour in Europe, all bits and pieces of information are valuable. Also campsite prices vary considerably within a country simply because a night at a glamping site can cost more than a night in an average hotel, and on the other hand, rudimentary countryside sites can be really cheap.
Let’s take a look at the prices. The average is calculated from an overnight stay during high season including two people, a standard space, vehicle, electricity and local tax. The top 5 lowest cost countries by average campsite price are:
- Albania 12.85 euros
- Moldova 14.67 euros
- North Macedonia 14.72 euros
- Turkey 14.96 euros
- Romania 15.42 euros
Top 5 most expensive campsites in Europe are in:
- Switzerland 37.22 euros
- Italy 36.95 euros
- Croatia 36.06 euros
- Spain 34.12 euros
- Austria 31.92 euros
Outside top 5 cheapest and most expensive countries, here are the others from low cost to higher cost:
- Montenegro 16.47 euros
- Poland 16.54 euros
- Bosnia Herzegovina 16.81 euros
- Czech Republic 16.85 euros
- Bulgaria 17.15 euros
- Slovakia 17.97 euros
- Latvia 17.99 euros
- Serbia 18.04 euros
- Portugal 18.92 euros
- Estonia 19.12 euros
- Lithuania 19.44 euros
- Hungary 20.96 euros
- Belgium 21.33 euros
- Iceland 22.34 euros
- Ireland 23.63 euros
- Netherlands 23.95 euros
- France 24.54 euros
- Greece 24.60 euros
- Finland 24.70 euros
- Sweden 24.82 euros
- Luxembourg 24.86 euros
- Germany 25.21 euros
- Great Britain 25.42 euros
- Norway 25.79 euros
- Denmark 30.00 euros
- Slovenia 30.13 euros
If you have a campervan or motorhome, and want to avoid the cost of campsites or caravan parks, it is worth studying the policy of each country you are planning to visit. Camping outside designated areas – campsites or camper parks – is prohibited in many countries. Europe’s northernmost countries Finland, Sweden and Norway have a tradition known as everyman’s right that allows staying in uninhabited places for a night with the responsibility not to damage the environment.
Excellent sources of where-to-stay information for campervan and motorhome travelers are web services that can be accessed in a browser or in a mobile app, like Park4night.
A couple of notes about July and August in Europe. If you travel in France in July, try to keep an eye on the route of the Tour of France bicycle race. The route is different each year, but for three weeks in July the campsites and hotels in start and finish towns (and sometimes along the route as well) can be full because of the race.
August is the vacation month in central and southern Europe which means campsites can be fully booked. Also hotels, beaches, popular attractions and sights may have crowds. The most popular destinations, like Venice, Marseille, and Barcelona have decided on new visitor restrictions for 2022. That said, Europe is a neverending land of wonderful places to visit with plenty of space to relax or explore the sights.
