Nomadic Tales My perception of small countries is that the chances of finding a secluded spot to pitch a tent without being seen are very low. The land tends to be expensive and fully utilized, and I imagined that landowners wouldn’t appreciate tents on property they’ve paid dearly for. I resisted the temptation to try even a single night of wild camping in Switzerland, fearing a hefty fine. However, I did camp in Luxembourg, not one, but two nights. In Kehl, Germany, just across the river from Strasbourg, I managed one night of wild camping, but it was far from comfortable. Two men walking in the distance kept watching me for about half an hour. Despite my green tent blending into the grassy ground with a forested backdrop, and being 400 meters from the road, they appeared suspicious, stepping left and right, perhaps trying to get a better view. Since wild camping is generally frowned upon in Germany, I usually avoid it, but I wanted to try anyway. I had spent a full week near ...
Nomadic Tales There are several apps for travelers that point out places to sleep, including camping spots with reviews. When I tried using them, I noticed that some of the suggested locations were hard to reach with a fully loaded bike. And even when a place looked promising in the app, things on the ground could be very different, likely due to factors like the season or weather. One example was a spot in Bulgaria where the pin was placed right in the middle of a lake, about 20 meters from the shore. The access road was a trail through the forest, sometimes overgrown with thickets, other times just sandy soil that made progress slow and exhausting. Another example, also in Bulgaria, was a campsite pin conveniently placed in the city center of Kazanlak. In reality, it turned out to be an administrative building with a lawn, but fenced, locked, and completely deserted when I arrived. I suspect the person who added the pin had been allowed a one-time overnight stay. Out of...