Camping remains an affordable holiday choice in Europe compared to other types of tourism, according to the latest Price Analysis study conducted by PiNCAMP, the camping portal of the three major mobility clubs ADAC (Germany), ANWB (Netherlands), and TCS (Switzerland).
The average cost a family pays for a night of camping in high season in Europe is just €49, which, while up around 7 per cent compared to last year, is still very accessible to a wide range of holidaymakers.
Northern Europe is the cheapest area overall in the 2026 PiNCAMP Price Analysis, with Norway (€38), Sweden (€40), and Germany (€41) recording the lowest average prices for a night of camping in high season.
The three most expensive countries are Switzerland (€61), Italy (€63), and Croatia (€73), the latter of which has increased by 12 per cent since 2025.
PiNCAMP Managing Director, Uwe Frers, said: “Camping remains a relatively inexpensive form of vacation in Europe – especially in times of rising travel costs, it is an attractive alternative to traditional vacation options for many families. Particularly in popular Mediterranean countries, high international demand meets limited capacity – consequently, prices are higher there.”
One trend that was revealed in this latest study by PiNCAMP was that coastal campsites are significantly more expensive across most European countries.
France saw the highest price variation, with coastal campsites there costing on average 49 per cent more than inland. In Spain, coastal sites cost around 36 per cent more than inland, and that figure is 30 per cent for Croatia. Conversely, coastal sites in Germany cost only around 1 per cent more than inland.
Another interesting trend was revealed in the category of luxury campsites. Prices for five-star campsites (ADAC Superplätze) vary across Europe, with Germany being one of the cheapest countries (average of €57 a night) and Spain (€98), Croatia (€95), Austria (€92), and Italy (€91) being among the most expensive.
“Those looking for comfortable camping with high-quality facilities will find very different price levels in Europe,” explained Uwe Frers.
“Only sites with particularly high-quality facilities and service receive five stars in the Europe-wide standardised ADAC classification and thus the ‘ADAC Superplatz’ designation.”
The affordability of camping as a holiday choice is only further enhanced when booking in the off-season. Camping is at its most expensive in Europe in July and August when children are on school holidays, but outside of this busy period, campers can expect to pay around 29 per cent less for their nightly campsite fee on average.
Croatia offers the biggest potential savings in the off-season, with campsites coming out around 52 per cent cheaper on average. Italy (38 per cent cheaper), Spain (38 per cent cheaper), France (35 per cent cheaper), and Sweden (23 per cent cheaper) complete the top five in terms of the biggest savings in off-season.
Uwe Frer concluded: “Camping remains a popular form of vacation in Europe – from simple, affordable sites to high-quality premium facilities. Despite moderate price increases, the price level remains attractive compared to other international destinations. At the same time, we see that many travellers are sensitive to excessive price increases and adjust their length of stay or destination accordingly.”
