Camping Europe 3 Ed: Includes Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe (Camping Europe) (Paperback)

~ Carol Mickelsen (Author) "I regard travel as an essential part of an adventuresome life..." (more)
Key Phrases: plaza mayor, storm surge barrier, drive one kilometer, Camping Europe, National Park, World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Dreaming of going to Europe but think you can't afford it? After 25 years of car-camping in Europe Carol Mickelsen assures readers that traveling in Europe need not be expensive. By renting a car you are freed from lugging baggage and are able to bring a bike from home. You have the freedom to travel at a whim, following the festivals, and the best weather. After answering the question, "Why Not Camp?" Mickelsen goes on to detail expense expectations, offers driving and navigating tips, and explains how to get directions from locals when you don't know the local language. Besides suggestions on basic camping and cooking equipment, she gives solid advice on how to bring your bike, and good reminders on how to travel smart and safe. Includes over 300 detailed maps and written directions on how to drive to major sights in 25 countries where English is not the local language and campgrounds are plentiful.

About the Author

Carol Mickelsen loves to travel. Having been introduced to the magic of the out-of-doors by her parents and grandmother, she discovered that camping offers a uniquely satisfying way to get to know any country. During the past 25 years, she has spent as much time as she can exploring the world.She finds budget travel fascinating, fun, and easy. She shares useful travel tips in her new book Camping Europe.
As a professional chef, Mickelsen ran San Benito House and Saloon for 18 years. The restaurant was created from an historic hotel which she bought and restored from a dilapidated state to a place that National Geographic Traveler called, "...the finest restaurant on the coast between San Francisco and Monterey." Caroline Bates in Gourmet magazine agreed, praising the "...wonderful homey food with Italian flavor, centered around the local plenty." The San Benito House is located in Half Moon Bay, California, a small town on the Pacific Coast, south of San Francisco. Mickelsen recently sold the business to her oldest son, giving her more time to travel and write.
Born and raised through early childhood in Montana, Carol then moved with her family to Arizona. She received a BA from Arizona State University and an MA from San Francisco State University. She has lived in Half Moon Bay for more than 30 years. Bicycling and exploring the California Coast are among her favorite pastimes when she is in between trips to other parts of the world. Her next journey is a canoeing/camping trip in the Adirondacks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 585 pages
• Publisher: Carousel Press; 3rd edition (February 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0917120205
• ISBN-13: 978-0917120206
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #733,010 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not truly useful, May 7, 2008

By	T. Grant - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This isn't a very useful book. The book starts out with several how-to guides like: "Setup and takedown campsite routine" and "hints for harmony." These guides provide a small modicum of useful information but they just generally take up space and are of no use to anyone who has ever camped before or knows how to use the internet. The book does provide several advantageous websites, but I knew of them all before I even purchased the book. The country guides have some useful information though they are too minimalistic for my taste. The book does not give adequate directions to most campsites, though it does provide phone numbers (which may be out of date). The amount of detail provided for each campsite is woefully inadequate. Further, I am left wondering if there are other campsites in each region that the book simply leaves out (this is probably the case). The book even sometimes notes camping sites on its vague maps and does provide a written description for them in the book. In fact, actually, it doesn't provide real written descriptions of any of the campsites. It simply notes that they are there, provides a phone number, and may provide an estimate of how costly it is. This is not an adequate camping guide by any means.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Takes Readers Beyond the Ordinary, July 2, 2008

By	Robert R. Lindberg "Library Journal" (Vandenberg AFB, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Library Journal April 2008
What better way to see Europe than by staying where most traveling Europeans do, i.e.,not four-star hotels but at campgrounds scattered from Ankara to Zempinska! Mickelsen provides detailed information on each campground: how to get there, what amenities are offered, and what local sights should not be missed. The author has spent over 30 years "car camping" in Europe (that is, driving to a campground and using it as a base for adventures), and her enthusiasm for the "relaxed and unpretentious" Europeans she has encountered comes through. This book takes readers beyond the ordinary and opens up vistas that will enhance their visit. Her advice: bring a bike, look for out-of-the-way adventures, and rub elbows with Europeans "who enjoy laughing and talking
with you at the common cooking and washing up areas. You will share with them the experience of pouring over maps together [and] exchanging funny travel stories." Sounds like a truly memorable experience. Essential

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inexpensive and unique way to see Europe, May 7, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

An inexpensive and unique way to see Europe, Car Camping may just be the way to see Europe for many readers. "Camping Europe: Includes Scandinavia, Central, and Eastern Europe" promotes Car Camping as the ideal way to see all the sights of Europe. Unbound by the beaten path of most travelers, one can use car camping to see all the beautiful natural sights of the continent, share experiences with the countryside locals and not just the big city tourist areas, and the ability to bring your bikes from home, saving money in the process. "Camping Europe" is a complete and total guide to the continent, leaving no region out unlike many books about Europe which only cover the western half. Highly recommended to travelers seeking a unique experience and to community library travel shelves alike.