Guide to Camping Abroad

Camping abroad could seem like quite an overwhelming adventure, especially if you don’t know where to start. We’ve put together this blog to give you the best advice on what you need to know before you go camping abroad.

Find the country you want to stay in

First you want to decide on which country you want to camp in. Different countries have different rules when it comes to camping, so it’s important to ensure you research this beforehand before booking any campsite, so you can make sure you adhere to the camping rules of that country.

Research Camping Sites

If you’re planning on visiting landmarks and places of interest in the country that you’re travelling to, then you want to choose an ideally located campsite that is positioned in between these locations. If you’re taking your campervan away with you, you’ll be able to drive your campervan around, however if you’re backpacking or camping in a tent, you’ll want to ensure there are transportation routes close to you for easy travel.

Check the pricing of every campsite. Most campsites will charge you a standard fee per night, but if you do want any added extras such as fire pits, grills, or facilities, you need to make sure you check for additional costs.

Sort out your paperwork

Sorting out all your paperwork such as Visa’s, Passports, insurance (driving if you have your vehicle and health/travel insurance) and additional paperwork is crucial before you go away camping abroad.

Preparing your Camping Gear

Once you’ve found the perfect campsite, it’s time to pack your gear. Now depending on where you’re going abroad, it’s important to pack for the weather and the necessary kit that you will need for that country. It’s also important to ensure you pack the essential items you’ll need especially if you’re travelling by plane.

If you’re taking your campervan with you, most likely you will have all your essential kit already packed up in your van. However, if you’re taking a tent away with you, you will have to pay extra fees to have it transported over so make sure to pack as lightweight as possible!

Do remember that even though you may be going abroad to camp, anything that is in your hand luggage that may be considered or used as a weapon will be checked when travelling by plane, so make sure to pack responsibly.

Additional Tips

When travelling to a different country for camping, you need to consider the following:

• Driving Laws: Make sure that you know the laws for driving in the country you’re visiting. You will also need to look into driving insurance and other paperwork to ensure you’re following all the laws and requirements as a driver in that country
• Drinking Water – Depending on where you’re travelling to, you need to make sure that the water is safe for you to drink. In most European countries, the water tap water is safe, however you can buy bottled water as an alternative.
• Pegs – Depending on where you’re travelling and if you’re pitching up a tent, it may be worth asking the campsite what kind of pegs you will need for pitching up your tent. For example, in the warmer months the ground can be more compact.
• Electric Hook-ups – You may need a local adapter dependant on the country you’re staying in. Many campsites across Europe do have ‘reversed polarity’ which means that the socket may remain live even when the appliance isn’t in use, so make sure to buy a polarity test if you want this checked.
• Gas: Calor Gas and SuperGas are not commercially available in Europe so you should bring some with you or use Campingaz, but you may need a regulator kit to make sure this works with your stove.
• Wildlife – Dependant on where you’re staying, some wildlife may be a dangerous species or under protection so make sure to ask locals advice on how to protect them and keep them away from your pitch.

We hope that this blog has given you some great advice on camping abroad and has set you up for what to expect when traveling the world!