You’ve bought your railpasses and are ready to travel from one destination to another across Europe. Now that your journey has been catered for, you need to think about accommodation. Do you plan to put up in a hostel, a hotel or pitch a tent in the countryside? Camping is legal in much of Europe, allowing travelers to slumber beneath a canopy of stars. Camping is the cheapest way to see Europe and the middle-class European family way to travel.

"Camping" is the international word for campground. Every town has a camping with enough ground to pitch a tent or park a caravan (trailer), good showers and washing facilities, and often a grocery store and restaurant, all for just a few dollars per person per night.

Tent and train make a winning traveling combination. On arrival at the train station, stop by the TI and pick up a map with campgrounds marked, local camping leaflets, and bus directions. In some cases, buses shuttle campers from station to campground with ease.

Each country's national tourist office in the United States can send you information on camping in its country. Consider getting the Traveler's Guide to European Camping or RV and Car Camping Vacations in Europe, both by Mike and Terri Church.

Campings are well posted, and local tourist information offices have guides and maps listing nearby campgrounds. Every country has good and bad campgrounds.

Prices vary according to facilities and style — sometimes it's by the tent, sometimes by the person. Expect to spend $5–7 per night per person.

Camp registration is easy. As with most hotels, you show your passport, fill out a short form, and learn the rules. Checkout time is usually noon. English is the second language of campings throughout Europe, and most managers will understand the monoglot American.

European campgrounds generally require you to leave your passport with the office until you pay your bill. But many campgrounds will accept an International Camping Card ($20, also called a Camping Carnet). These cards may get you discounts at some campgrounds.

European campgrounds have showers and washing facilities. Larger campgrounds have an in-camp grocery store and cafe. Campgrounds are quite safe too and theft free.

It’s a good idea to buy good camping equipment. For Europe, campers prefer a very lightweight "three-season" sleeping bag (consult the climate chart in the appendix for your probable bedroom temperature) and a closed-cell sleeping pad to insulate and soften the ground.
Informal camping, or "camping wild," is legal in most of Europe.

It's a good idea to ask permission when possible. In the countryside, a landowner will rarely refuse a polite request to borrow a patch of land for the night. Formal camping is safer than free camping. Never leave your gear and tent unattended without the gates of a formal campground to discourage thieves.