Budget tips for a cheap(er) camping holiday

Choose your camping equipment

Cheap camping starts with choosing a camping equipment. It goes without saying that the purchase price of a camper is higher than that of a tent. Do you not yet have a camping equipment and are you planning to buy something yourself? Then take a critical look at the additional costs. For example, most campers do not have their own place to store their caravan, camper or trailer tent, which means that you will have to pay extra costs for storage every year. It is also useful to insure a camping equipment. So take a good look at what suits you best, also in terms of costs.

Do you have your own camping equipment that is in storage and do you use it very little? Then it may also be an option to sell it and rent a caravan, camper or trailer tent. Then you only pay for the period that you go on holiday. For example, you can also rent a tent via neighbourhood apps such as Peerby. In order to cover your costs when camping, you can of course also choose to rent out your camping equipment yourself when you are not on the road with it yourself.

To purchase a camping equipment, you can of course also take a look at Marktplaats. You can also go there for camping equipment, which you can also find at the thrift store.

Plan a cheap period

Families with school-age children, teaching staff, people with seasonal work; they are all bound to a holiday in the high season. And that is precisely the period when prices go through the roof. Can you only go away during the school holidays? Then take a look at your diary and take a good look at when exactly you can go camping. Is it perhaps possible to exchange the summer for the – sometimes cheaper – May holiday? Or can you go at the end of the summer, when some campsites are already lowering their prices?

Kies een betaalbare bestemming én reis

Are you going on holiday during the high season? Even then, there is no need to worry. Although it is important to look carefully at where you are going to camp. Research by camping.info showed that in 2024, camping prices in Europe had risen by an average of 4.45% compared to the previous year. Italy turned out to be the most expensive holiday destination. You will also spend a lot of money in Switzerland. Do you want to camp cheaply? Then you can go to Albania, Turkey and North Macedonia, for example, where camping prices are the lowest. But don’t get hung up on those overnight costs.

Costs of the trip

Of course, the trip to the campsite also costs money. And it makes sense: the further away you go, the more expensive the trip is. If you really want to camp on a budget, then also list what your trip will cost. Don’t forget to include the toll roads and any vignettes. This can easily make your trip a lot more expensive.

Compare camping prices

Above you could already read that the average camping prices differ considerably per country. There can also be a considerable difference in the price per overnight stay within a country. This depends on the camping equipment you travel with, the period in which you camp and of course the facilities of a campsite. A campsite with all the bells and whistles is often much more expensive than a somewhat simpler campsite where you can also camp wonderfully. Therefore, make a list for yourself of the facilities that you and your fellow travellers really need for a successful holiday. Based on this, you can search, cross off and compare. Can you do without a subtropical swimming pool? Great, because this is a facility that you pay a lot for.

SVR campsites and Nature campsites

Also take a look at nature campsites or SVR campsites. To stay overnight at SVR campsites, you need a donor pass that costs 12.50 euros per year. In the Netherlands, you then pay a maximum of 18.50 euros per night (for two people with a camper or a car with a caravan/tent/trailer trailer), excluding electricity and tourist tax. You can also set up camp in our own country at a Nature Campsite. All you need for this is a Nature Campsite Card. This costs 15.95 euros per year and is valid for an entire family or a camping group of up to four people on one camping spot. With the card, you also support nature conservation.

Discount cards

Do you want to save money while camping? One of the options is to purchase a discount card that gives you a discount at campsites, such as the ANWB CKE Camping Card, the CampingCard ACSI and France Passion. We will tell you more about it in the article below.

Tourist tax

If you are going on holiday with a family, the tourist tax, which many municipalities in the Netherlands and abroad levy, can be a significant expense on your final bill. If you really want to camp cheaply, you can even look into this. The prices of the tourist tax vary considerably per municipality, as you can read here.

Food and drink

It is obvious: everything you eat and drink outside is more expensive than food and drinks you consume at your own camping spot. But that does not mean that you have to bite the bullet in front of your tent. You can make the most delicious dishes on a gas stove or BBQ. To save on food and drinks, you can bring a basic supply from home. Keep an eye on offers before the holiday so that you can save as much as possible. You can also search for supermarkets and look for offers near your holiday destination. It is even more fun to strike a bargain at the local market with fresh products.

Activities on holiday

Walking, cycling (if you have your bike with you) or going to a nearby beach costs (almost) nothing. Look up fun routes online or ask the campsite owner for tips. The campsite owner may also be able to tell you which free activities are taking place in the area.

Games at the campsite

You don’t necessarily have to leave the campsite for evening entertainment. Make sure you have fun games with you and a good book, and you’ll get through the evenings. Also fun: download an app that allows you to recognise stars. On a clear night, you can then enjoy stargazing.

Cheap camping is possible

Camping can be as expensive as you want. A campsite of 108 euros (!) per night is no longer an exception in high season. On the other hand, there are many affordable campsites where you can also have a wonderful holiday. Cheap camping is mainly about making smart choices, such as the choice of country (also because of the travel costs), the type of campsite, the outings you undertake and how you arrange food & drinks.