Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you don't have a tent or don't want to camp, many campsites have dorm rooms and lodges on their
grounds. Dorm rooms tend to cost around $15 USD per night, which is still cheaper than a dorm in the city
center.
One thing to remember about these campsites is that they are often far from the city center, so if you
want to see the city sights, you'll have to pay for transportation to and from the city each day. Make sure
these campsites are near a bus or train route so you can conveniently get into the cities you are trying to see.
Moreover, be aware, during the winter months, that many campsites shut down because of the weather.
You can find campsites in Western Europe listed on hotel and hostel booking websites like Hostelworld
(hostelworld.com), where you can find prices, amenities, and proximity to the city center.
A very good camping service specific to Europe is Camp in My Garden (campinmygarden.com), which
allows you to pitch a tent in someone's backyard for free or a nominal fee (around $5). This is a new service
that started in 2010, but more and more people are signing up for it each day. All of the garden owners have
profiles that tell you what services and facilities they offer. As with home and hospitality exchanges, users
and owners create profiles, have photos, and leave reviews on the campsites. You'll need to have your own
camping gear for this site.
Hospitality Exchange
Europe is one of the most offered regions for hospitality exchanges such as Couchsurfing. Every popular
tourist destination in Europe has countless hosts to choose from. During the summer months and around
the time of festivals, hosts get inundated with thousands of requests because of the influx of travelers to
Europe. Hosts don't respond to the vast majority of inquiries. In order to be successful, put in your requests
far before you need the accommodations, giving the potential host enough time to plan for your visit. Don't
be afraid to follow up either.
Servas and Hospitality Club also have a big user base in Western Europe.
Western Europe, especially the United Kingdom, has a lot of opportunities available for people who are
interested in house-sitting. Blogger Nora Dunn (theprofessionalhobo.com) had no problem finding a house-
sitting opportunity in England: “For three weeks, I house-sat and dog-minded in Hampshire, England. The
homeowners added me to the insurance for their car and said I could use it as I liked. It was a beautiful
country house, and in their absence I enjoyed all the accoutrements of 'home'—somebody else's home, that
is!” she said to me.
WWOOF
WWOOFing (see Chapter 11) is popular in many parts of Europe, such as large agriculture areas in Ger-
many, Italy, France, and Spain. If you are looking to WWOOF in Europe, make sure you put your requests in
early, especially during the popular summer tourist season. Bethany Salvon, who spent months WWOOFing
through Europe, offered this advice to me on finding placement: “If you want to do a popular WWOOF
activity (such as making wine in Tuscany), be sure you give yourself at least a few weeks in advance to find
a farm—many of the popular farms fill up quickly for seasonal activities.”
All accommodation can be booked at the booking sites mentioned in Chapter 11 or listed in Appendix
A. Additionally, local tourist offices can help you secure accommodation.
