Cycling UK Forum

We look for municipal campsites when in France, mini camping when in Netherlands, is there anything I should be looking for in Germany if I want a basic camping spot, with somewhere to shower and wash my pots. No need for swimming pools, entertainment, bars etc. Does it exist? Starting our planning for next year and it involves our first visit to Germany. What should I expect to pay for a basic facility, two campers and small tent.

Thanks in advance

I've never found a way to predict what kind of place any given campsite in Germany is, other than laboriously checking each site on the interweb, or zooming in on online maps / satellite photos to see how big the place is.

There's definitely a trend (over the last 20-30 years) towards bigger sites with more facilities, but small, cosy sites with nothing much more than a small toilet block can still be found in both east and west.

Having said that, if you see Waldcampingplatz in the name (forest campsite) in the East, those are usually quite nice places, with the pitches between trees rather than on a manicured but compacted lawn. Although the Waldcampingplätze can be fairly large, they're quite spread out so don't feel cramped at all.

Personally, I look for Biwakplatz (bivouaks) and Wasserwandererrastplatz (water tourist rest spots - for canoers and kayakers). These vary from free to 5€ per head, usually have a picnic bench, toilets (often portaloos) and a water pipe. They can be hard to find (they're marked on waterways maps by Jübermann, see below), or the map on this page has most of the ones I know of personally, so may be fairly comprehensive: https://trekkingtrails.de/trekkingplaetze/.

This site also includes a lot of the sanctioned Biwaks and Wasserwandererrastplätze, but also many random picnic tables and shelters which are definitely in the category of wild camping: https://campwild.org/

Finally, I also look up whether I might be passing a Kanuverein (kayak/canoe club) Clubhaus - they often have space for a tent or two, sometimes have a full campsite (eg an excellent one in Passau). I've spent many pleasant evenings at canoe clubs, drinking beer with the members; they really get the whole bike tour thing. A map of the canoe clubs is here https://www.kanu.de/DER-DKV/Vereine/Kar ... 52086.html, although you'll need to check the website of each to see whether they have a Clubhaus or land on which you might be able to camp. Again, the Jübermann maps are very helpful here, showing whether a club can accommodate tents along with suggestions for wild camping as well as showing established campsites - but the maps are expensive and only really of use if you're touring on the water or sticking close to the water (cycle routes along the rivers and canals are marked on the newer editions of these maps): https://www.juebermann.de/shop/category ... erkarten_9. These clubhouses aren't always open - so if you want to be sure they're happy to receive you then phone ahead.

So to summarise: when planning, I first check for bivouaks and Wasserwandererrastplätze, then for a local Kanuverein and only then do I look at 'normal' campsites.

PS sometimes campsites are marked on maps - particularly the kind put up on the roadside by local authorities, but when you get there the site is only for Dauercamper - long term statics.

That is brilliant information, just what I was looking for. Big thanks for taking time to respond, really appreciated.

Regards

Ian

beeb wrote: ↑10 Nov 2022, 8:02am Big thanks for taking time to respond, really appreciated.

No bother. Looking forward to picking up tips from what others have to say. Enjoy your trip to Germany!

If you know approximately where you want to stop, the local tourist board web pages are often very useful. When i'm planning a route i usually start with where i want to be then use maps/websites to find camping in the relevant area. I've used the full spectrum of sites, sometimes on the same trip, from 5€ Kanuklub sites to 25€ full service sites when nothing else was available. IME most German sites do very good rates for bike/hike campers but its not a given.

Where in Germany are you headed? If you give us a rough idea i'm sure there will be a host of recomendations.

Really useful thread - to be honest I gave up on camping in Germany after only finding big, noisy sites, never having managed to find any central source of info about smaller sites. I did several excellent Brompton tours instead, using youth hostels - fabulous youth hostels in Germany! However now I'm not sure when I'm going to feel OK about using youth hostels again, so camping could be an option I return to armed with this new knowledge. Thanks!

I've done numerous sites in Germany. Many have a field out the back for those slumming it on a bike

Some can be rather organised affairs with a price to go with it. The alternative is to pop into a bar and ask for a room, if they don't have one they will point you towards a bar that does and are often excellent value.

If you download Archies, it has a huge number of campsites for Germany.

It also highlights the Frei Korps Kultur (Free body culture) campsites which you may want to avoid.

Don't write off Youth Hostels - Bacharach, Colditz, all fantastic converted castles.

If you download Archies, it has a huge number of campsites for Germany.

It also highlights the Frei Korps Kultur (Free body culture) campsites which you may want to avoid.

Don't write off Youth Hostels - Bacharach, Colditz, all fantastic converted castles.

Yes, loads of campsite in Germany - the difficulty is finding the smaller ones... And I agree on the Youth Hostels - stayed in Bacharach and Koblenz (a fortress!) and would love to try Colditz...

When we have cycled across Germany, Rhine, Danube and Elbe as well as a few other bits we really haven't had any issues. Most of the sites where we have stayed have been smaller sites, and even the odd bigger "holiday sites" we have used have been welcoming and sensibly priced.
Along river routes look out for Canoe or Boating clubs - they often have camping just for those travelling on the water, cycling, or walking, at very reasonable prices, usually with access to good toilet facilities. We have also come across municipal camping facilities, one place a corner of a park, where you could get access to facilities by paying a deposit at the swimming pool reception - this cost us 5euro for two of us. Another was an unwardened site just outside of town, during the evening someone came round to collect the princely sum of 4euro from us - again only cyclists there.

RobinS wrote: ↑22 Nov 2022, 9:31am When we have cycled across Germany, Rhine, Danube and Elbe as well as a few other bits we really haven't had any issues. Most of the sites where we have stayed have been smaller sites, and even the odd bigger "holiday sites" we have used have been welcoming and sensibly priced.
Along river routes look out for Canoe or Boating clubs - they often have camping just for those travelling on the water, cycling, or walking, at very reasonable prices, usually with access to good toilet facilities. We have also come across municipal camping facilities, one place a corner of a park, where you could get access to facilities by paying a deposit at the swimming pool reception - this cost us 5euro for two of us. Another was an unwardened site just outside of town, during the evening someone came round to collect the princely sum of 4euro from us - again only cyclists there.

can you share where?

The park was the Zelteplatz in the corner of the Donaupark in Tuttlingen on the Danube. The unwardened site was at Munderkingen, also on the Danube. We stayed at canoe or boating clubs in Donauworth (Danube), the "Ruderclub" at Neuberg (Danube), Canoe club at Regensburg (Danube), Pleasure boat harbour at Vilshofen (Danube), watersports club at Riesa (Elbe), the Ruderclub at Lutherstadt Wittenberg (Elbe), "Bootverlieh" at Aken (Elbe), canoe club at Schworstadt (Rhine), canoe club at Worms (Rhine). I think that's all of them, all decent facilities, nice places to camp only for those arriving by boat, bicycle, or on foot, and all cheap. Hope this is helpful.

I've only spent a couple of weeks cycle camping in Germany and in limited areas but my experience is finding a campsite harder. Plenty on maps but when you get there it's not what most people here would be wanting for camping. One place I went to had 3 campsites so I was confident, cycled round 1st nowhere to put tents (all chalets and motorhomes on concrete bases), 2nd campsite the same and fortunately 3rd had a bit of grass beside the toilet block I could pitch on.

Ian

RobinS wrote: ↑30 Nov 2022, 10:52am The park was the Zelteplatz in the corner of the Donaupark in Tuttlingen on the Danube. The unwardened site was at Munderkingen, also on the Danube. We stayed at canoe or boating clubs in Donauworth (Danube), the "Ruderclub" at Neuberg (Danube), Canoe club at Regensburg (Danube), Pleasure boat harbour at Vilshofen (Danube), watersports club at Riesa (Elbe), the Ruderclub at Lutherstadt Wittenberg (Elbe), "Bootverlieh" at Aken (Elbe), canoe club at Schworstadt (Rhine), canoe club at Worms (Rhine). I think that's all of them, all decent facilities, nice places to camp only for those arriving by boat, bicycle, or on foot, and all cheap. Hope this is helpful.

cheers for that.

I stayed at the Donauworth Kanuklub way back in 2004, i seem to recall the facilities were a bit 'rustic' but adequate

I've only spent a couple of weeks cycle camping in Germany and in limited areas but my experience is finding a campsite harder. Plenty on maps but when you get there it's not what most people here would be wanting for camping. One place I went to had 3 campsites so I was confident, cycled round 1st nowhere to put tents (all chalets and motorhomes on concrete bases), 2nd campsite the same and fortunately 3rd had a bit of grass beside the toilet block I could pitch on.

Ian

Yes, that sounds just like my experience of Germany!