Camping types
Three formats: wild/wilderness camping (Norway, Scotland — sometimes legal in unmarked land), campsite-network camping (France, Italy, Croatia — paid pitches with facilities), and city-day-trip camping (using city as supply base, drive-out). Below are bases for each.
Bergen and Tromsø (Norway)
Norwegian "allemannsretten" (right-of-roam) allows wild camping on uncultivated land. Bergen base for fjord camping; Tromsø for Arctic camping (incl. winter aurora-camping). Stays anchored in city for last-minute supplies and rest days.
Innsbruck (Austria)
Alpine base. Multiple campgrounds within 30 min — Camping Karwendel, Camping Nordkette. Plus mountain hut network for multi-day hikes (€25–40/night with breakfast). Bus + cable-car access reduces driving need.
Chamonix (France)
Mont Blanc base. Camping de Bossons, Les Marmottes. Multi-day Tour du Mont Blanc circuit (10-11 days through France, Italy, Switzerland) the iconic European trek.
Aviemore / Edinburgh (Scotland)
Aviemore is the Cairngorms gateway — closer than Edinburgh. Wild-camping legal in Scotland under "right to roam" law. Plus organized campsites. Edinburgh base for east-coast Highlands.
Mediterranean coast (Nice, Marseille, Split)
Split for Adriatic island camping. Marseille for Calanques. Nice for Riviera car-camping. Italian and French coast campsites very organized — beach + restaurant + facilities. €25–60/night.
Lapland (Rovaniemi)
Finnish Lapland car-camping summer June–August (mosquitoes intense July). Winter aurora-tent overnight stays guided.
Strategy
Wild-camping legal in Norway/Scotland; restricted/illegal most other countries. Campsite reservations 2–4 months ahead summer (especially Croatia, France south coast). Tent vs RV — different campsite categories. Equipment rental in cities (REI-style chains) saves luggage.