The current season analysis by PiNCAMP, the camping portal of ADAC, ANWB, and TCS, evaluates bookings for the travel years 2023 to 2026. Three regions were considered: Northern Europe with Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Central Europe with Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and Southern Europe with France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Croatia. The analysis shows that campers are responding to changing climatic conditions. They are opting for cooler destinations and are shifting their travel and holidays to spring and autumn.
Southern Europe Loses Momentum in Summer
Despite changing travel habits, Southern Europe remains the dream destination on PiNCAMP. France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Portugal account for a total of 67 percent of the booking volume of all countries considered in the peak summer.
At the same time, there is an increasing distribution of demand across various regions of Europe. The current booking development on PiNCAMP for camping trips in July/August 2026 shows a 15 percent increase for Northern Europe, a six percent increase for Central Europe, and a two percent decrease for Southern Europe compared to the previous year.
"Southern Europe remains the dream destination of European camping tourism. At the same time, we observe that campers are increasingly planning their Mediterranean travels more diversely than just a few years ago. The high season is stagnating, and demand is increasingly shifting to the off-peak season or staying within their own country," says Oliver Grützner, CEO TCS Camping and Board Member of PiNCAMP.
Nordic and Central Europe Benefits from the Trend Towards "Coolcation"
The development coincides with an increasing heat burden in Europe. According to the current European State of the Climate 2025 report by the EU Climate Service Copernicus, Europe is the fastest- warming continent on earth, and Switzerland and the Alpine region are warming at an above-average rate. At the same time, the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in Europe are increasing.
According to MeteoSwiss, the average temperature in Switzerland today is already about 2.9 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This means that Switzerland is warming at about twice the rate of the global average, which currently stands at around 1.3 to 1.4 degrees. Since the beginning of measurements in 1864, the nine warmest years have all been recorded after 2010. According to MeteoSwiss and current Swiss climate scenarios, more hot days, longer dry periods in summer, and more frequently occurring extreme events are expected in the future. Record values were already measured in France (38 degrees) and Portugal (40 degrees) in May 2026.
This development mainly benefits regions with milder climatic conditions or mountainous areas in the peak summer. The phenomenon of "Coolcation" - the deliberate shift to cooler holiday regions during the summer months - is reflected for the first time clearly in the current booking data of PiNCAMP.
The TCS campsites in the mountains also register this. "Many guests seek the coolness of the mountains during the high temperatures in the lowlands. This immediately impacts demand for us," confirms Oliver Grützner.
The trend becomes even more apparent in the long-term comparison: Since 2023, the demand for camping holidays in Scandinavia during the summer months has increased by 68 percent.
Switzerland Not the Most Expensive Camping Destination
In parallel with climatic changes, price developments also influence the travel planning of campers. Switzerland is - despite high wages and living costs - not the most expensive camping destination: The highest prices are mostly in Southern Europe. According to the PiNCAMP price analysis 2026, a camping night for a family in Croatia costs an average of 67 francs during the peak season, in Italy 57, and in Spain 53 francs. Norway (34 francs), Sweden, and Germany (37 francs each) are significantly cheaper. With an average of 55 francs per night, Switzerland still ranks among the high-priced camping destinations in Europe.
Methodology
The analysis is based on anonymised booking data from PiNCAMP for the travel years 2023 to 2026 (as of June 2026).
Three regions were considered for the evaluation: * Northern Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Norway * Central Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands * Southern Europe: France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia
For already completed travel periods, actual booking data were evaluated. For upcoming travel periods, the analysis is based on the current booking status and serves as a trend indicator for the current travel year. The results reflect the booking behaviour on PiNCAMP and are to be understood as platform trends. They cannot be directly transferred to the entire European camping market.
PiNCAMP is the camping portal of the three major mobility clubs ADAC (Germany), ANWB (Netherlands), and TCS (Switzerland) and is one of the leading platforms for camping holidays in Europe with over 19 million visits per year on its portals and apps.
Press Contact:
Vanessa Flack, Media Spokesperson TCS
Tel. 058 827 34 41
vanessa.flack@tcs.ch