Summer, sun, beach - for many years, that was the ideal image of a holiday for many people in our latitudes, including //next author Markus Sekulla. But at the latest since most travel options were eliminated in 2020, camping holidays have been high on the agenda. After recently presenting apps for Digital Detox and for recognising bird calls, Markus is now looking at an app for the #VanLife trend: park4night.
The feeling of freedom when camping has always appealed to me. Following the sun and simply parking in the most beautiful place of the day and setting up my night's lodgings. That's not only beautiful on Instagram, but even better in real life.
We set this year on a three-week trip to Scandinavia. Country: check, region: as good as certain, route and sleeping places: completely open. Here the motto of maximum freedom applies. However, at the latest in the late afternoon of a driving day you should think about where you want to spend the night. This is especially true in countries where you're not allowed to just stand anywhere and set up your camping chairs. The app that has we love most is called park4night, available for both iOS and Android.
The app basically deals with sleeping places for campers. Regional searches are possible. So if you know roughly which region you want to go to, you can check in advance what kind of campsites are available there. But the great thing about the app is that the search options go beyond classic campsites. We have found places by beautiful lakes and in the midst of breathtaking nature:
In the basic version, you can already see where suitable parks and campsites are located. If one puts in 10 euro for a yearly membership (also monthly possible), then small amenities as for example contact possibilities and additional pitches are added. But even in the basic version, there is the option to view community reviews and make decisions based on them.
What we particularly liked are the parking options with private people, who offer parking spaces for a very small fee. This way, you come into direct contact with the country and its people - and as we all know, you get more good tips there than in any travel guide. A very, very special tasting fish specialty was recommended to me in this way and I couldn't say no … and that was really, really tough.
If you've been bitten by the camping bug, then Park4Night should definitely be on your smartphone. Add Maps, a credit card on your wallet and RegenRadar - and not much can go wrong.
Text: Markus Sekulla
Most popular