Campsited Reveals the Top European Countries to Live Your Best Van Life

Campsited, an online platform that offers incredible open-air experiences throughout Europe including both campervan hire and campsite pitch booking, has revealed the best European countries to go campervanning in, with their new Campervan Destination Index…

Campsited analysed the number of campervan sites, average weather temperature, number of outdoor activities, price of fuel, time to get to the country from the UK, and the size of the country to explore.   

• France has the most campervan sites in Europe, with nearly 9,000 available
• Croatia is revealed as the best country for van life, scoring 170 in the Campervan Destination Index, followed by Netherlands
• Malta ranks as the country with the highest average temperature at 19.61°C

Slow travel is still very much on the rise. But what actually is it? Slow travel is defined as experiences with an emphasis on connecting a traveller with places and people they meet, with a minimal impact on the planet.

Pairing slow travel with the fact that air travel chaos is to continue through autumn and winter, there’s no better time to hire a car or campervan and drive to your holiday destination.

So, which countries are the best for van life?

Top 10 Best European Countries for Campervan Holidays

Rank	Country	Total Index Score
1	Croatia	170
2	Netherlands	162
3	France	158
4	Slovenia	155
5	Italy	154
6	Spain	153
7	Portugal	151
8	Andorra	150
9	Belgium	149
10	Germany	146

Overall, Croatia came out as the top European country to go campervanning in, scoring 170 on the index. Croatia has 347 campervan sites, over 650 outdoor activities to get involved in, and an area of 56,594 km² to explore. In the peak of summer, temperatures lie between mid-to-high 20s, meaning it doesn’t get too hot for driving around and sleeping in a camper. Furthermore, the majority of campsites in this “land of 1000 islands” are on the coast, benefitting from a sea breeze.

Following Croatia, the Netherlands came in second place. With 2,035 campervan sites around the country, just a six-hour drive from the UK, and 134 outdoor activities to enjoy, there is no surprise it scored 162 points on the campervan index.

France ranks as the third best country in Europe to campervan around. This is because it has a whopping 8,990 campervan sites – the most in Europe – over 400 outdoor activities, proximity to the UK and the average yearly temperatures are also high, with areas that enjoy sunny weather throughout the year.

Top 5 European Countries Ranked by Number of Campervan Sites 

Rank	Country	Number of campervan sites
1	France	8,990
2	Germany	2,191
3	Netherlands	2,035
4	Italy	1,541
5	Spain	1,163

Best campervan site coverage

After France, Germany is the country with the next most campsites, with 2,191 sites to pick from. The Netherlands is in third place with 2,035.

Having a campervan affords the fantastic freedom to stop anywhere, with all your equipment, for a lovely lunch on a clifftop, an impromptu kitesurf when the wind is just right, or even an overnight in a romantic, isolated spot at the end of the world. But there are a lot of advantages to basing yourself at a campsite: hot showers, toilets and washing up using water you didn’t have to carry on your back, for a start. But also, laundry facilities, security, Wi-Fi, electricity, community, local knowledge and the many sports and leisure amenities they can offer. 

Best weather

When campervanning, you want nice weather: generally, they are small enough spaces, so you don’t want to be confined indoors sheltering from bad weather too often; and you want to be able to do plenty of outdoor activities during your trip. So average temperature was the next criterion taken into account in the index.

Malta is the European country with the highest average temperature, at 19.61°C – and it’s generally pleasantly warm throughout the year. Portugal ranked second with 15.62°C, followed by Greece with 14.24°C.

Top 5 European Countries with the Highest Average Temperatures

Rank	Country	Average temperature (°C)
1	Malta	19.61
2	Portugal	15.62
3	Greece	14.24
4	Monaco	13.95
5	Spain	13.93

Commenting on the Campsited data, Finan O’Donoghue, Founder of Campsited, shared his tips for holidaying in a campervan:

“Travelling in a campervan can open up off-the-beaten-track destinations and help you really get to know new countries. My top tips for making the most of this unique style of holiday?

1. In a campervan or motorhome, you are generally much higher up and can enjoy great views of the surrounding countryside, with a totally different aspect than in a car. So, take full advantage of this and avoid the motorways, taking more scenic routes on smaller roads!
2. One of the great benefits of travelling to your final destination in a campervan is being able to take your lunch stops in beautiful out-of-town locations, rather than being tied to restaurants and towns. So, make sure you have your first few meals in the van before you leave, to be able to take full advantage of this.
3. Make full use of the campsite facilities for showering, washing up etc., to reduce the work of filling your campervan water tank – no matter what size water tank you have, they empty quickly! You can also use a campervan holiday to help all the family become more conscious of water conservation.

For lots more tips for planning a campervan holiday – from packing lists and recipes to storage tips and security mechanisms, along with campsite booking and campervan hire, visit the Campsited Campervan Hub: https://www.campsited.com/en/blog/campervan-holiday-tips-essentials/