Peace, space and nature: five places to camp in remote places

10 March, 2022

Remote places are a great and unique attraction to many people. If, like them, you enjoy being out in the countryside on your camping holiday with views of the mountains, forests or lakes, you’re in luck, because Europe is full of campsites in these delightful places. I’d like to share a few of them with you.

Camping on the Northern Scottish cliffs

If you love the countryside, green spaces and rugged landscapes, the United Kingdom and Ireland offer you some wonderful destinations. The countryside and landscapes are high up on the list here. The majority of campsites in the United Kingdom do not have an entertainment programme, but you don’t need one if you can spot real dolphins, seals and whales close by!

The beautiful Scottish countryside attracts many adventurous holidaymakers. Many people don’t go any further north than Inverness or the Isle of Skye, but the north of Scotland, with the Orkney Islands in the far distance is highly recommended. This is where you’ll find the beautiful rugged mountain landscapes of the highlands, impressive cliffs and bays and picturesque villages. Maybe choose a camping pitch on the Durness cliffs.

Campsites in Northern Scotland

Bears and wolves in Abruzzo

When people think of Italy, many of them just think of Rome, Venice and the popular seaside resorts. But Italy is also a wonderful destination for nature lovers and those seeking relaxation. How about Abruzzo for example? There are four large nature reserves in this mountainous area. This is the habitat of brown bears, wolves, and different species of eagles. However, it’s very unlikely you will come across a bear while you are out walking. What you will see are the Apennine mountains, blue lakes, authentic villages and rural hills. Enjoy the beauty of this region.

Campsites in Abruzzo

High up in the Alps

There are some campsites you don’t simply arrive at, but where you have to negotiate a mountain road to get there. These are campsites for real enthusiasts, who moreover know how to get all their camping equipment up to the top without too much strain on their heart. But there’s something waiting for you when you arrive; beautiful views of rock formations, waterfalls and glaciers, and access to the Giant Alps of Europe. It’s a paradise for hikers and mountaineers. For example, you can camp at an altitude of almost 2000 metres in Switzerland, or go camping in Guillestre and search even higher in the beautiful, calm Queyras mountains on the border of France and Italy. This nature reserve is highly recommended for hikers and cyclists. There is also wonderful camping up in the mountains of Austria, Northern Italy, Southern Germany and Slovenia.

And what about your journey to the campsite? Don’t be put off too much, it’s often fine. If you’re not sure whether you dare go with your camping equipment, contact the campsite owner or the ACSI inspector who visited this campsite before you set off. He or she can tell you all you need to know. Did you realise that you can look up the altitude of a campsite on Eurocampings.co.uk under ‘amenities’ in the General details section? Read more about driving in the mountains.

Campsites in the Alps

Camping among the woods and meadows in the Netherlands

The Netherlands, as everyone knows, is not Europe’s least populated country. But even so you can find plenty of quiet places in the Netherlands, some of them in the middle of tourist areas such as the Veluwe. How about a campsite that has almost no mobile reception? You can camp in the middle of the woods on the Veluwe. It’s very likely that you will see deer walking among the trees in the evening, or be visited by some squirrels.

You can also find small-scale campsites inland among the fields, even in popular holiday regions such as Zeeland. Campsites without all the frills, where you can relax completely. Another tip is the border area between the Netherlands and Germany. Take a walk or a cycle trip across the border. You can walk for hours in the Klever Reichswald between Nijmegen in the Netherlands and Kleef in Germany and hardly meet anyone else.

Small campsites in the Netherlands

Reindeer on the campsite in Finland

A holiday in Finland is all about being out in the countryside. Summer is short in Scandinavia, but the days are long thanks to the midnight sun, and that’s something to enjoy! You can do that by sitting outside around a fire for hours in the evening, or by warming up in a sauna and then jumping into the lake. In this ‘land of a thousand lakes’, there’s a good chance that you can position your motorhome or tent beside a lake. And it’s quite possible that you will see reindeer walking through the campsite.

The Finnish region of Lapland is located in the north, and this is where you can be introduced to the Sámi culture of its indigenous inhabitants. The Sámi originally lived a nomadic life with their herds of reindeer. One of the ACSI inspectors describes what it’s like to travel through Finland and get to know the beautiful country and its people in this (Dutch language) blog with plenty of photos.

Campsites in Finland

More about remote camping

A number of the tips in this blog came from ACSI inspectors. A few useful tips and tricks have been the result of the many conversations I was able to have at ACSI with experienced campers.

• Quiet campsites can be found almost everywhere, even at Europe’s most popular holiday destinations. Driving inland for about an hour is usually all you need to do.
• Things are organised for children at many campsites but that certainly doesn’t mean you will be disturbed. But if you don’t expect organised entertainment for children, you can select the No entertainment programme option under ‘Show more options’ and ‘For children’ on Eurocampings. This is not a guarantee of complete peace and quiet, but tells you more about the type of campsite.
• If you want to get away from mass tourism, countries such as Bosnia, Romania or the Baltic states are wonderful camping destinations. But just because you can’t get fish and chips there, doesn’t mean it’s going to be quiet every day. Some of these campsites are also wedding locations or places where young people go to at the weekend. But if you ask me, that’s a good way to get to know the locals and their culture.
• Even when a campsite is a bit off the beaten track, that doesn’t mean you will always be there by yourself, and certainly not in the middle of the high season. There will be other nature lovers there, and that’s a good opportunity to exchange tips!
• If you are looking for a destination a bit out of the ordinary and have some questions or doubts, or if you are looking for something specific, contact the ACSI inspector who visited this region. You will find an ‘Inspector’ tab for every campsite on Eurocampings. This gives you the telephone number of the inspector who visited the campsite.
• It might sound obvious, but it can be wonderfully quiet and peaceful at many campsites in low season. It can also be inexpensive if you camp with CampingCard ACSI.

Camping and nature

If you are looking for a campsite with wonderful views, we have selected these eight lovely campsites. You can read more about the unusual animals you can spot in Europe in this blog. If you are an ornithologist, read the tips in camping & birds.

What are your tips?

There are so many wonderful places in Europe that I have not mentioned, because every country has its campsite gems where you can get away from everything. What is your favourite quiet spot in Europe? Let us know, I’m curious.