In the last few years, there has been a growing interest in this type of vacation. Most of the tourists are foreigners who come with their campers, but also with rented ones. This form of travel is very intriguing because you have the opportunity to change locations frequently, but sometimes it can be more expensive than the traditional way of vacationing, staying in hotels and studios. Sometimes it is necessary to rent a camper, refuel, and pay for the campsite, which can then be 2-3 times more expensive than the cost of accommodation. Of course, if you have your own camper and camp in the wild, outside of campsites, this may not be as expensive.

We will mention some of the advantages and disadvantages from personal experience we gained in 2021 when we camped through Greece from September 15 to October 15. If you decide to travel in this manner, we will write a few useful things to help you organize such a trip there.

Advantages of traveling by camper

The freedom to change locations every day so that after the first morning swim in the sea, breakfast, and coffee, you can continue on your journey, stop at some beaches along the way for a swim, and then arrive in a lovely seaside town in the evening with taverns, good food, and music. If you prefer peace, you can find a nice spot for dinner with a view and a sunset, then gaze at the star-studded sky. You can wake up by the sea every time, in a different place.

You can combine staying in campsites with wild camping, although the latter may not always be an option. If you sleep in places outside of campsites where it is allowed, and for example, you find that you can’t sleep due to noise, you don’t have to complain to those causing the noise but simply move to a quieter spot.

The freedom to move from place to place is definitely the biggest advantage of traveling by camper. If someone has experienced sailing, it would be something similar, just on land. We say this from personal experience because we have experienced both. We traveled by camper off-season, and we learned from other campers that it is much more laid-back than in the high season.

If you decide to travel by camper, the disadvantages can be as follows:

Tolls are more expensive, sometimes even double compared to traveling by car. Often, especially if you rent a camper and stay in campsites, it can be significantly more expensive than staying in apartments. If you travel in the peak season, you can expect very stressful situations with finding parking and sleeping spots if you choose not to stay in campsites. If you want to stay at some popular beaches, you must be cautious because owners of local businesses or accommodations often report wild campers, and the police come to issue fines or at best ask you to move. If you have a large vehicle and do not have a bike or motorcycle with you, you may not easily reach all the beaches worth visiting.

Anyone who has experienced this type of travel knows that all the disadvantages are quickly forgotten when considering the advantages. Nevertheless, if you are traveling for the first time, we will give you some advice to minimize the noticeability and impact of the disadvantages.

If you want to save money, avoid highways, at least when you arrive in Greece, so you can see many interesting things along the way.

Staying in campsites can reach a similar price as accommodation, so many people choose to camp in the wild. This can be somewhat stressful because you need to find a suitable spot. Some beaches have signs prohibiting camping, and during the season, the police, campsite owners, accommodation owners, and beach bars are on alert for campers. If you want to be on some of the most beautiful beaches, our advice is to avoid going during the peak season. For example, we were on Lefkada at Katizma Beach in early October and spent 7 peaceful and relaxing days. Parking was free, there were only two bars, and about 20 campers. Unlike the peak season vacation, there weren’t as many crowds in Lefkada, yet the weather was perfect for swimming. If you can, our advice is to spend the end of the season on this island, whether in a camper or an apartment. You will experience peace, swim at the most beautiful beaches without crowds, and you won’t have to pay for parking.

The police came once while we were at Katizma and explained the rules. What we learned from the Greek police is that they are more lenient off-season, and in places where camping is prohibited, parking and sleeping in the vehicle are not banned, but setting up tents, tables, chairs, barbecues, and sleeping in a tent are prohibited. If you see such a sign, just stop and try not to be noticeable, that is, do not camp in front of the vehicle. Take the chairs to the beach, away from the vehicle, and there shouldn’t be any serious problems.

If you decide to camp somewhere in the wild near a beach, visit the nearest tavern, accommodation, café, and ask them if it’s okay to stay there for a day or two. In some places, you can arrange to eat at a restaurant in exchange for the spot, pay a symbolic amount somewhere, but in some places, they will generously let you park.

If you embark on this type of vacation, we recommend using the park4night app and website where you can see experiences of other campers, find out where they stayed overnight, if they had any issues, where to fill up water, which beaches have showers, which paid campsites are good, and many other useful tips for all campers.

When we mention water, know that in Greece, you can fill up at every gas station, and we were never turned away. This is how we operated through Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania.

If this text was helpful to you and you embark on a camper adventure, let us know your impressions.
If you decide to camp at some regular campsites, on our website, we offer these two camps.

Read more about the new/old camping law that has tightened measures for campers HERE.