19 Tips For Car Camping on Your Next Trip (2025)

Amber Everywhere contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Read my privacy policy for more information.

With the rising costs of travel this summer, I wanted to share one of my favorite ways to save money when I travel: car camping.

If you’ve ever slept in your car in a campsite or in a tent near your car, you’ve car camped! By having your car double as your accommodation, you’re sure to save money on your trip overall.

A few things to consider before car camping on your next trip: it requires more planning than just heading to an Airbnb. You’ll need to think about gear, food, water, and shelter options. If you’re someone who camps a lot at home, you’ll likely already have this gear. 

I have car camped in Ireland, Canada, and throughout the US, and it’s a great option to save money while spending time outdoors. 

My Experience: Car Camping in Ireland

Jake and I recently car camped in Ireland for the 4th of July. We went to the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and Limerick for a three day, two night trip. On the first day, we decided to try to park a ways from the visitor’s center in a privately run parking lot for 3 euros. When we went to pay for the car, we asked if there was anywhere that we might be able to camp nearby. To our surprise, the woman said that we could camp in their field! 

When we returned from our day at the Cliffs, we rang the doorbell and were shown to a nearby field that didn’t have any animals living in it. We drove the car into the field and set up our tent towards the back end. We were very careful to leave the site exactly as we found it, and we offered the woman 10 euros for her trouble. 

The next night, we waited until a bit later in the day to sort out our campsite and were feeling the pressure. We started going from cliff viewpoint to cliff viewpoint in hopes of finding a private looking place to camp. After striking out a couple of times, we ran into a local man and asked him where we might be able to camp for the night. He very generously offered to let us camp in a field that he had just mowed, and–again–we were able to set up a very comfortable camp! In total, on our two night trip, we spent 10 euros on our accommodations. 

Tips for Asking a Farmer to Camp on Their Land

• Never presume that a farmer will allow you to camp on their land. Instead, be gracious and appreciative if/when they offer!
• Ask “Do you know of anywhere near here where we can camp?” instead of “Can I camp in your field?” This avoids assuming that the person living in the house owns the land, and it gives them a chance to refer you to another farmer if they don’t have a suitable field. 
• Always practice Leave No Trace principles. Never leave trash, burned wood, or any other remnants of your camp behind! 
• Be sure to leave the gates exactly as you found them. If a gate was closed, leave it closed; if it was open, leave it open. Gates are often open/closed to manage livestock, and closing a gate that was meant to be open could deprive animals of water. 
• Be a gracious guest and do your best to show your appreciation to your host. 
• Trust your gut; if something feels off, keep moving and try to find another option. 

A campsite in County Waterford, Ireland.

Related Post: Top 10 Travel Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

How to find a campsite

Research camping options before you go. In Ireland, you’ll probably knock on a farmer’s door. US would be BLM or national forest land. Wild camping is a good search term, particularly for the UK and Ireland. 

Search Online

The first thing I usually do when looking for a place to camp is search FreeCampsites.net. The website includes basically any type of site where one could camp for free. When I say any site, I mean that you could find anything from a gorgeous site overlooking a pristine alpine valley to a parking lot at a Walmart where the staff doesn’t seem to ask any questions about the cars parked overnight in their lots. Read the reviews carefully so you know what you’re in for! Be aware that these sites are, naturally, first-come, first-served, so you’ll want to be sure that you have a backup plan in case your intended spot is occupied. 

If there aren’t any suitable sites on FreeCampsites.net, the next place I check in the US is for land owned by the Bureau of Land Management. Unless otherwise indicated, it is free to camp on BLM land in distributed campsites. Often–but not always–FreeCampsites.net will list BLM lands as available campsites in your area. 

National Forests

If those two options fail, the next place I look is for National Forests. It is typically cheaper to camp in a National Forest than in a National Park, as the parks are typically larger attractions. There is sometimes free distributed camping in National Forests, but check signs on your way in to confirm. If you’re looking to camp while abroad, research camping in national parks–most countries don’t make the National Park vs. National Forest legal distinctions that we have in the US. 

Private Sites 

In some parts of the world, it is also acceptable to camp on private property unless otherwise specified. This practice is very common in rural areas of Ireland, where I live, though it’s expected that you will ask the farmer ahead of time. Always practice Leave No Trace (think: leave only footprints, take only pictures) and leave the site cleaner than you found it. 

Paid Sites

Your last resort can always be looking for paid campsites in the area run by private entities. While they might be nice areas with amenities, they’re usually pretty expensive and priced more similarly to cheap hotels than campsites. A few sites that you can check are: Airbnb, Hipcamp, KOA, and Vrbo. Additionally, you might be able to find a campsite by searching on Google Maps.

Related Post: How to Travel with Friends

Tips for Car Camping on Your Next Trip

1. Bring a pillow

One of the greatest parts of car camping is how much extra space you have for all of your travel items. In my view, a pillow is one of the ultimate luxury items, and you’ll probably have plenty of room to tuck yours in with your other gear. 

2. Invest in quality gear

If you car camp often, or if you think you might start, I’d invest in some high quality gear. A well made tent, a comfortable sleeping pad, and an easy to use camping stove are all investments that I’ve been thankful that I made–and they should last many years. It doesn’t need to be top of the line, but gear that is made for people who love the outdoors is probably going to be easier to use and longer lasting than the alternatives. 

Of course, if you’re just wanting to try out car camping as a way to save money this summer, you can just bring the essentials! There’s no need to buy expensive gear just to experiment with car camping.

3. Bring warm clothes

Even if you think it’ll be temperate when you’re planning to car camp, I’d strongly encourage you to bring some warm clothes. Even in the summer, I always bring wool socks, long underwear, a down jacket, and a hat to car camp. It can get much colder camping than you’d ever notice if you were staying in a hotel, so you’re better being safe than sorry in this regard.

Being cold when you’re out camping really isn’t much fun! It’s better to be prepared and not need the extra clothing than to spend a night shivering.

4. Bring your own food

No matter where you’re going, you’re going to need to bring some camping food. If you have room in your car for a cooler, you can bring some fresh food and cook at your campsite; here are some easy meal ideas if you need inspiration. Alternatively, you can bring freeze dried backpacking meals. They’re a great option for camping food because they don’t need to be refrigerated, they’re pretty tasty, and most of the time you only need to add hot water. I like this variety, especially the Pad Thai and granola. 

You can get hot water from gas stations if you don’t have a campstove, or make a camp stove on your own. If you’re planning to ask for hot water, I’d recommend bringing an insulated water bottle. 

5. Practice setting up your tent before you leave 

Camping equipment surprises are rarely fun. If you’re planning to sleep in a tent while camping, I’d strongly recommend that you take the time to practice setting up your tent at least once before you leave home. It’s very difficult to troubleshoot any issues from your campsite, and it’ll be a stressful and distressing experience to try to set up a complicated tent in the dark. My tent (similar to this one) takes me less than 10 minutes to set up by myself, and I can easily do it in low light conditions.  

Trust me, it’s worth the effort to set up your tent once or twice in your living room. 

6. Look for a campsite well before it starts to get dark. 

No one likes to set up in the dark, and it’ll be unnerving to not know what the surroundings look like. Further, if you’re planning to ask a farmer if you can camp on their land, it’s going to be much more intimidating for both parties if you have to ask after dark. 

I’d recommend that you start looking for a campsite about 3-4 hours before sunset, unless you’ve reserved a site online. I’ve had to set up camp in the dark many times, and it’s simply not a pleasant experience–avoid if at all possible. 

Related Post: 10 Tips to Help You Travel Better

7. You can sleep in your car or in a tent, but a tent will be more comfortable. 

If you don’t have a tent, or if you’re feeling unsafe outside of your car, you can always sleep inside the car. If you choose to do this, note that your body heat will cause a lot of condensation on the car, and it won’t be drivable for several minutes after you turn it on. 

Try to avoid touching the windshield with your feet, as it will cause smear marks that are hard to get rid of without chemicals. 

8. Purchase firewood before getting to your campsite

It’s relatively rare to camp at a site where there is ample firewood that you’ll be allowed to collect. If fires are allowed in the area where you’re planning to camp, buy some firewood at a gas station or grocery store on your way to your campsite. 

Never buy firewood in one area and drive it hours away to a different area to burn. This can spread pests, including pine beetles, and endanger the forest. Generally speaking, it’s acceptable to gather small twigs and pine needles for kindling to start your fire, but firewood should be purchased and brought in separately. 

9. Bring a headlamp and extra batteries

Also called a torch in Ireland and the UK, you’ll want a headlamp when you’re camping. You can usually get affordable versions of headlamps at outdoor stores, and they’ll help you when you’re trying to navigate your campsite. When you’re in your tent, hang the headlamp in the netting on the roof of the tent for an “overhead light” effect. 

Always bring extra batteries for your headlamps because a dead headlamp is pretty useless to you. 

10. Bring your own coffee

If you’re a coffee drinker, you’ll want to bring your own coffee with you on your trip. If you wait until you go back out into town, you’ll likely have fewer options, and you’ll have to spend a bit of time finding a decent coffee shop. You’ll need fresh hot water for your coffee, so you might consider bringing a camping stove and titanium pot with you. Here are a few good options if you want to bring your own coffee:

Starbucks instant coffee

Starbucks instant coffee comes in small packets that are easy to pour into hot water. 

Pour over

When you buy your coffee beans, ask the barista to grind them for pour over to ensure the best experience. Then, you can bring a pourover funnel with you on your trip and pour water directly over the beans while they filter into your cup. I’d strongly recommend bringing some paper coffee filters to aid in the cleanup process, but they’re not required in order to make a cup of coffee. 

French press

To make a french press, you’ll need coarsely ground coffee beans and hot water. You’ll add the beans and hot water to the french press (I use a french press cup) and, after waiting for a few minutes, you plunch the coffee using the handle on the cup. This option makes great tasting coffee, but it is harder to clean, especially if you don’t have access to any running water. 

Cowboy coffee

If you find yourself camping with just a cup and some ground coffee, you can always make cowboy coffee. Just add some ground coffee to your cup with hot water and give it a stir. After a few minutes, you can drink by carefully sipping around the coffee grounds or use a bandana or other cloth to hold back some of the grounds. Expect some coffee grounds in your teeth and, most likely, a bit of mess. 

11. Buy your gear from REI

REI is a co-op with tons of benefits for membership, including the ability to return items for up to a year (regardless of their condition). While you won’t find cheap options at REI, the ability to return items lowers the stakes for each purchase, since you can return it if you don’t love it. Lifetime membership costs about $25, and you can join here. 

Further, their staff is usually very knowledgeable and will help you to find the best gear for your situation. I have generally found their advice to be trustworthy, and they won’t upsell you on gear that you don’t really need (though, if they did, you could always return it). 

12. Consider renting gear

There are a few situations where I’d seriously consider renting gear. The first is if you don’t have any camping equipment and you’re pretty sure you’ll never want to camp again. In this case, it may well be cheaper and easier for you to rent the basic supplies you need for your trip (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad). 

The other situation is if you’re completing a longer trip abroad and you’ll only be car camping for an early portion of the trip. I did this once on a trip to Iceland, and it was great because we were able to leave our gear behind and continue onto other European cities without the bulky camping supplies that we no longer needed. 

13. Research before you go

There are lots of RV campers that share their experiences online, so you can use their communities to learn about where to go and how to stay safe. FreeCampsites.net is a great site to learn about different campsites, and there are a number of RV campers who update the site regularly with information about the latest spots. If you’re planning to camp in the UK/Ireland, use the term “wild camping” to find the most relevant results.  

Related Post: A Guide for Ethical (and Safe) Horseback Riding on Your Next Trip

14. Know your risk tolerance

If you car camp long enough, you’ll likely find yourself camping somewhere with ~questionable~ legality. If you’re not sure if a site is legal, know that a police officer could wake you up in the middle of the night and tell you to move. If the idea of being approached by a police officer freaks you out, be sure that you have explicit permission (or it’s expressly legal for you to camp there) before setting up for the night. 

15. Always practice Leave No Trace

Whenever you venture into the woods, practice Leave No Trace principles. The simplest version I’ve ever heard is, “ Take only photos, leave only footprints.” Be sure to gather all of your trash and pack it out with you when you’re done camping, it’s not acceptable to leave it at your campsite. 

16. Be careful with alcohol

If you choose to drink at your campsite, be moderate in your alcohol consumption so that you can remain vigilant about your surroundings. Even if you have no intention of driving, it’s a really bad idea to consume alcohol or other substances while sleeping in your car, as you could potentially be charged with a DUI or similar offense. 

17. Be careful with your car battery

Always be mindful of your car’s battery while car camping. A long period of opening and closing the doors, along with using the cabin light, can drain the battery. If you’re worried about your car’s battery, you can always start the car and run it for 10 minutes or so to give it a chance to recharge. 

18. If the vibes are off get out of there

I mentioned this above, but don’t stick around somewhere if the vibes are off. If someone makes you feel unsafe, or if a place feels unsafe for any other reason, don’t try to convince yourself to stay, just leave. I once stayed at a campsite in Utah with friends and a man approached us and battered us with questions about where we were coming from, how long we were staying, and about our lives. We packed up our belongings and found another campsite shortly afterwards, and I’m glad we did. It’s just not worth the risk. 

19. Stay hydrated

Always be sure that you have a plan for how you’ll ensure you have enough water on your trip. I usually buy a jug or two of water from a gas station on my way into a campsite, even if it’s supposed to have water, just in case. They’re only a few dollars and, in my opinion, it’s much better to have than not. 

Final Thoughts: Tips for Car Camping on Your Next Trip

Car camping is a great way to save money on your next trip, and it allows you to spend even more time enjoying your destination. You can get started with minimal gear, especially when you’re just getting started. If you’re a committed car camper, you’ll likely want to consider investing in quality gear that will make your life easier in the long run. 

Always start looking for your campsite early enough in the day that you’ll be able to find something before dark, and don’t be afraid to ask locals for help if needed, especially while abroad. 

Have you been car camping? If so, do you have any tips for other first timers?