Winter Sun! Camping Europe Snowbirds!
Winter Sun! Camping
Europe Snowbirds!
Can you camp in Europe
in the winter time? Yes,
if you look for warm winter
Can you camp in Europe in the winter time? Absolutely, if you look for Europe's warm winter sun. We're doing a Christmas Holidays sunny winter road trip right now! What are the best warm winter destinations if you are in Europe ? Camping in Spain & Portugal Algarve can be both low budget and the luxurious way to vacation in Europe. Countless Europeans do this every winter in campsites or various cheap lodging options.
Many campsites have bargain long stay bungalows and airbnb monthly stays are another possible option. We've wintered many winters in Spain & this is how to rent an apartment in Spain. You can do this! Contact me if you want a travel consult.
LIVING LARGE ON LOW BUDGET LUXURY TRAVEL
On this New Years Eve, it was in the 70's F in Portimao, Portugal and T-shirt weather. We did an all day barefoot beach hike on one of Europe's most beautiful & longest beaches – Praia Da Rocha & Tres Castelos Beach! Many people were swimming in the sea as it felt hot in the afternoon. The beach is so long and large that we mostly had it to ourselves.
Then, we had a spectacular meal at sunset with a gorgeous beach view. We've rented a budget vintage caravan nearby in a charming village for a few weeks. Our warm winter holiday road trip started in Barcelona and included stops in Valencia, Costa Blanca, Granada, Nerja, and Seville in Spain's Coastal del Sol. More details coming soon!!
We keep our budget low also by cooking our own healthy food, but sometimes splurge like this for fun.
WARMEST DESTINATIONS FOR WINTER SUN IN EUROPE!
Not every day is hot and sunny, but almost every day is sunny or some sun and most are warm. I am usually wearing shorts and a T-shirt, but sometimes add a sweater or light velour hoodie. I took this picture on my daily morning walk in late December at our campsite near the beach in Barcelona and Sitges. The temperatures are even warmer as one heads south on the coast of Spain and Portugal. Nights can be cool, but rain is rare. More like warm California or Florida winters that USA camping snowbirds love.
CAMPING CAN ALSO MEAN CHEAP BUDGET BUNGALOWS IN CAMPING RESORTS
Many camping resorts also rent bungalows and mobile homes as most campsites in Europe have them and they are often at reduced prices for winter long stays. Many have special rates for senior citizens (over 55 year old couples). They have studios, 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms and this three bedroom one is 756 euros for a month! A studio bungalow in the Algarve was 18 dollars a day for monthly winter rate.
We have stayed in them in fall, spring and winter a few times. They are often cheaper than airbnb stays, but their prices in summer high season are super high.
Most of them look similar to this and have everything you might need. Like kitchen supplies, bedding and blankets. Plus many camping resorts have pools, sports & exercise areas, grocery stores, bike or car rentals. Usually also buses that stop nearby. Popular winter campsites can book up, so it is best to book ahead if you can. We pay about 18 to 26 euros a night for a bungalow in winter and about 9 euro to 14 a day for a camper van large campsite. There are places to free camp in a van, but we almost never do that as we love the luxury resorts & all they offer.
Mostly, we see European campers with license plates from Germany, France, UK, and Netherlands. I've collected a few pictures of them on my walks. But we have seen them from all over Europe including Finland, Switzerland, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and more, to name a few. Yet, we almost never see Americans in European campsites.
WHY AND HOW AMERICANS CAN DO BUDGET WINTER LONG STAYS AS SNOWBIRDS IN EUROPE!
American digital nomads , retired folks & families with kids, should follow the European lead on budget long stay luxury. Flights can be very cheap in the winter. Look at budget airlines. One way on French Bee can be as low as $194 from New York and $318 from LA! See Paris, then take a cheap flight or train south. We bought our vintage camper van in 2005 and it still gives us great pleasure all these years and we store our van cheaply when not using it. We love it as our home in Europe and also transport when we need it.
HUGE RV OR SMALL VAN OR CAMPER FOR EUROPE?
Some camper vans or RV's or tiny homes are huge and a bit strange like these from Germany doing long stays in a Barcelona campsite.The top one was gigantic and long, plus it even had a very long trailer behind it to carry a car! I sure would hate to drive that!! Roads are great in Europe with fast high ways, but also many tiny, ancient roads in small towns, so we think small is best. Even cities like Malaga & Seville have some super tiny roads in old town areas that can be challenging even in a tiny car!
Most RV's in Europe are more like our vintage camper or smaller vans and caravans are very popular with Europeans. This youtube short video was taken in late December at our campsite in Barcelona area at sunrise.
EUROPE'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
Most of Europe's most beautiful beaches are in this part of warm Spain and Portugal's southern coasts. We love them at this time of the year where you can swim on some days. But also walk on them doing barefoot grounding and have them mostly all to yourself.
We wintered for many years near this spectacular beach in Nerja, east of Malaga about an hour and west of Granada about an hour. It was so fun to visit it again on this Christmas eve morning.
Later we visited this beach in Marbella near the Rodeo Drive style yacht harbor & stores. We've often stayed at a Marbella campground near here that is within short walking distance to the beach. Also we have stayed in a Marbella time share apartment with family with pools and beach.
This is a view of Praia Da Rocha & Tres Castelos Beach near Portimao and Lagos, Portugal in the Algarve. This was on New Years Eve and we walked barefoot for hours astounded by the beauty. Few were on the beach, but some were swimming. It has the dramatic beauty similar to some of our favorite beaches like Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, Baja, Mexico, and Bondi Beach in Australia.
Also cites are special at this time of year like this photo of us visiting the stunningly beautiful Plaza de Espana on a very sunny day after Christmas!
Or visiting the Alhambra and listening to Flamenco guitars and singing in Granada on a warm sunny day over the xmas holidays. Warm enough for T-shirts here during the day, but snow peak views and snow skiing Granada is also near by.
Where can you ski in the morning, swim in the sea that very afternoon and maybe visit a gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage Site in between? There is only one place in the world and it is the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort in Granada Province in Andalusia, Spain. Not too many get to ski both Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges ( California and Spain) but we & our daughter Heavenly Reyna are some of the lucky ones to have those bragging rights! :)
Don't miss visiting endless charming white villages and churches all through southern Spain decorated for the holidays or cute kids like this one in Granada!
Plus there are more white villages and churches in the Algarve, like the little village we are staying in that adds charm to the sunshine and warm weather.
Of course, there are places where you can camp and snow ski in Europe and many colder area campsites are open all year round like Paris or London, but most folks who want to spend the winter camping Europe, head south to Spain on the Costa del Sol or Portugal Algarve as these are the warmest areas of Europe in the winter.
You don't have to worry about missing Christmas decorations and there are endless amazing Christmas markets in southern Spain and Portugal. This is a camping bungalow in Barcelona decorated this winter! Another photo taken on my morning walk.
Meeting interesting people while traveling always seems so easy. This young woman is French, but has lived in the Algarve for ten years, has a British accent from schooling in the UK and now is a student at Columbia University in New York city! Spain and Portugal know how to celebrate and these are warm welcoming cultures to match the climate.
FAVORITE CAMPSITES IN SPAIN
MORE TIPS ON CAMPING EUROPE
Camping in Europe = Free Kids Clubs
Traveling Europe in Campervan
What Camping in Europe looks like
Road Trip Europe
RV in Europe: Camping European Style
Are you ready for a beautiful warm winter vacation and luxury holiday on a low budget in Europe as a Schengen Shuffle snowbird? Leave me any comments or questions you might have!
