Campsites full?

Instead of wild camping: top alternatives for campervans

(Bild: Alpaca Camping)

Still haven't booked a campsite for your summer vacation and now there's nothing available? A worthwhile alternative is to look for pitches on private land. They often offer special views and insights. And a good alternative to wild camping, which is usually prohibited.

The number of campsites is not growing at the same rate as the number of people who like to go on vacation with their motorhome or caravan. If you haven't enquired weeks ago, you may find that many sites are already fully booked for the high season. As a result, various platforms have emerged from the niche market to offer private pitches - often with less comfort but with an authentic experience of nature.

For example, farms and wineries are opening their doors to campers who appreciate rural idylls and local produce. Private individuals are making their plots of land available via platforms and apps. For campers, this means spending the night in unconventional places away from typical tourist routes or having breakfast with local farm produce. In addition, staying on private pitches often offers the opportunity to get in touch with the hosts and get insider tips about the surrounding area.

Finding a pitch online
Various platforms offer to arrange pitches, some of them throughout Europe. At park4night.com, alpacacamping.de, roadsurfer.com, hinterland.camp, vansite.eu or mycabin.eu, for example, travelers can choose from thousands of listings. They can either get in touch with the pitch rental company via the platform or make the booking directly online.

Another established provider is Landvergnügen(landvergnuegen.com); with an annual vignette (50 euros), campers can park for free on rural pitches, usually with fruit and vegetable growers with their own farm store. The Winzer-Atlas (23 euros, winzeratlas-stellplatz.de) follows the same concept, with around 200 winegrowers and winemakers in Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, Hungary and Alsace as hosts. The Schau aufs Land platform (40 euros, schauaufsland.com) offers sites close to nature in Austria based on the same principle.

Things are different than at a campsite
The comfort of a pitch is limited compared to a campsite - for example, there are often no sanitary facilities. It is advisable to clarify in advance what amenities are offered (electricity, water, waste disposal) and whether there are any special rules - for example regarding barbecues. As a friendly gesture, you should buy something from the farm store on a farm or winery. A certain amount of respect should also be a matter of course - with regard to the hosts' privacy or taking your own garbage with you.