4 Best Places to Go for Camping in Switzerland
Switzerland is a beautiful and clean country, the kind anyone would love to go camping in. Now, when camping, you have a couple of things to keep in mind: first, prepping for camping, then, picking from your options to pin down where you want to go.
First, we have the prep, and then we can start narrowing down where to go.
Step 1: Prep to Camp
First, getting ready to camp. When you camp, you can’t just head out with the clothes on your back, you need your gear and rations ready. For gear, you primarily need a way to start a fire, clean food you can bear eating, a way to clean water, and a safe place to sleep.
For fire, any form of Firestarter will work, so long as you build a proper fire with tinder, twigs, sticks, and then logs if you have any available, some campsites have them for sale, and maybe you can carry some.
For cooking and water, a pot will work great, but you can also just prepare and drink water from rivers, though boiling water before drinking it is recommended. Campsites, however, tend to have water and food available, but check on the site you plan on using, and if you plan on buying anything or using a paid campsite, remember to bring Swiss Francs!
Finally, sleeping. Personally, I use Altitude Sports sleeping bags and tents, simply because of their high quality. Their sleeping bags are pleasant to sleep in, their tents keep the elements and chill out, and honestly, I’d say I sleep better outdoors than I do at my home with their products!
Generally, though, you need a quality sleeping bag and tent, to make sure that you can get a good night’s sleep, which Altitude Sports’ products do exceptionally well, but it’s your choice. Now, we have to pick our camping spot!
Step 2: Where to Camp?
Now, we have all our gear ready, and we have our various supplies, like food and wood, planned for.
Next, we need to pick a campsite. Note, you shouldn’t purchase supplies until you decide on a campsite, because of some wildly differing policies and available resources.
Also, every campsite has a lot of details to consider, that tend to be rather personal in how they affect your decisions, so I recommend scoping these sites out yourself!
Manor Farm
Located near Lake Thun, this family-friendly campsite has a private beach, a miniature market, a bar, and multiple activities for children to do, making it a great choice for a family who wants a relaxing vacation with beds underneath the stars.
Camping Wagenhausen
On a beautiful green lawn, Camping Wagenhausen is located near the Thurgau lake region. With various adult activities, such as barbequing, boat rides, and sailing, this campsite is perfect for having a relaxing vacation with your significant other, or even just some buddies of yours who all like chilling near a lake.
Camping Arolla
If lakes aren’t your thing, why not try Europe’s highest campsite? Camping Arolla, located in Val d’Herens-Valais, is 6,400 feet above sea level, with tents for rent, barbequing sites, a communal book deposit where you can leave and borrow books, and Petanque sets, should you feel like playing one of the local sports.
Anywhere at all! *
*Some exceptions apply. If you enjoy camping in the wild, generally, you can just take your gear and go anywhere you’d like, plopping yourself down wherever looks nicest, and best of all, it’s free, apart from the gear and rations!
Of course, there are some places you can’t go; Caravanya has a more in-depth guide on the legality, but most places are legal to just set up and camp!
Step 3: Enjoy Your Camping Trip!
Finally, you have to go out and enjoy your time outdoors!
Personally, I’m a fan of just wandering off and getting “lost” (always track your position carefully, getting lost is not fun) in some beautiful forests or mountain areas, especially with how good my Altitude Sports tent and sleeping bag are at keeping me nice and cozy anywhere, but you can’t go wrong with any of these picks!
With all this said, I hope you enjoy sleeping under the stars as much as I do!