Thru-hiking in Europe

Thru-hiking is possible in Europe with a few considerations, since wild camping is outlawed in most of Europe the traditional American way can be difficult to achieve. However, it is not impossible in certain areas. Thru-hiking in Europe is therefore in most cases more expensive than in the United States, and requires more planning ahead. Let’s cover all the tips in this blog post and some examples of trails you can start Thru-hiking in Europe.

What is Thru hiking?

Thru hiking means in my interpretation completing a hike without hiking sections of it or splitting it up into multiple parts. You start and you finish, without interruptions. It is an experience unlike you get by doing it any other way, and can be deeply rewarding. You’re fully into it, and finishing the trail will make you feel a whole different way.

Thru hiking does not have to last for months on end, but will require more time in general. Thru hiking is often associated with Wild Camping, or sleeping where you put your tent up. But this is sadly not allowed in many places in Europe. You will have to become a bit more creative.

Wild camping in Europe

Wild camping for the most part is outlawed in many countries in Europe, as most know, Europe is a bit smaller in scale and nature areas are protected. It is possible to bivouac or spend one night in certain countries, however, you can still be fined in many circumstances. The only exceptions to that rule are Sweden, Scotland, and Norway.

For pretty much everywhere it is not recommended to light a fire, and care should be taken to not leave more than an imprint. Research the land and rules where you are going and consult forestry services before pitching up your tent. Private land makes up a big part of the countryside in many countries and can often be illegal to stand on without permission.

Thru-hiking with campsites, B&Bs, pubs, cheap hotels

Thru hiking and sleeping on established campsites is a tactic I often employ when hiking in Europe, any discussions or fines can be avoided that way, and you still get to camp in often remote or small-scale campsites.

Oftentimes you can download the route in GPX or KML format that you’re going to hike, and upload it into an app such as MAPS.ME. You can then always look at where you can sleep next and look at the offline maps. Campsites and sleeping options are then easily shown on the map, and you can plan accordingly. Reservations a day ahead are recommended, especially during the summer camping season.

Examples of hikes I did with a mix of campsites and sleeping arrangments are the Hadrian’s Wall Path and the Dutch Limes. For campsites the prices can vary a lot, but usually for a small tent the cost is below 20 euros. For a bed and a room you can expect anywhere from 50 euros a night or way more.

Also take a look at Bed and Breakfast places that offer specials for hikers and cyclists, in the Netherlands for example you have “Vrienden op de fiets”, where you pay a small contribution each year and can find places to sleep that others don’t have access to. You still have to pay of course for the stay and breakfast, which is €25 euros, but they are because of those solid prices way cheaper than other options. Try finding similar organizations in the country you want to thru hike in. In Germany for example is BettundBike.

Thru-hiking on the different Camino’s

In Spain and surrounding countries, you can walk the different Camino’s to Santiago de Compostella. The most popular being the Camino Frances starting from Saint Jean Pied de Port. Here thru hiking is a communal experience and you can spend the nights in Albergues. Or hostels specifically aimed towards Pilgrims.

Prices are a lot lower than hotels and other hostels, and can be a great first start for anybody that wants to give Thru hiking a shot. You still get a bed, a shower, and cheap food and wine. Camino Frances is where most pilgrims start looking, but I can also recommend taking a look at the other Camino’s. Not everybody can take a month or more off to walk the bigger ways. The Camino Portuguese starting from Porto can for example be done in two weeks. And offer a lot of the same experience. Flying into Porto is also a lot simpler than getting to Saint Jean.

West Highland Way – Scotland

The West Highland Way is one that is technically not in Europe anymore since Brexit, but geographically speaking it is still in Europe. On this hike, you can wild camp it completely, and therefore it is a great first introduction to full Thruhiking with wild camping involved. And carrying everything you need to carry to make that happen. Such as a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, cooking gear, etc.

The hike is only a week long and can therefore be a great introduction to the “sport”. It is at certain points a bit tougher hike in my experience, but certainly doable for anybody that is able-bodied. You can take in the Highlands and drink from the streams with your water filter, cook your meals, and drink with a stunning view on standby.

Hexatrek – France

A quite recent addition to Thru hiking in Europe is an ambitious project called the Hexatrek, which takes you through all of France in its 3034 kilometer length. And is therefore one of the biggest you can walk in Europe. The Hexatrek is also supplied with a Mobile app that will lead you on existing paths that are combined into the Hexatrek. Speaking French is recommended for this hike.

Check out all the information on the official website: https://www.hexatrek.com/en

How to find hikes you can Thru Hike?

There are tons of hikes you can Thru hike in Europe, a good place to start is to research the country that you want to hike in and look for their bigger hiking trails. Often there is a government website that will take you to the bigger hikes, and lets you know what is out there. If you’re looking for a big challenge you can take a look at the list of E hikes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_long-distance_paths

A good place to start is also a library or bookstore, a recommendation is for example Epic Hikes of Europe by Lonely Planet.

In the Netherlands, there is also Wandelnet. That provides and supports a lot of longer-distance hiking paths.

A big website in Germany is for example Wanderbares Deutschland.

In the UK there is the National Trails website.

A big site that has hikes from all over the world and can be a great inspiration is TrailDino.

In your local language, you can search for “long distance hiking paths “combined with the name of your Country. There will be lots of results that will show you the way.

Let everybody in the comments know if you have found a source that brought you further, or hike that you loved to thru hike in Europe. (Be sure to not make it a link, since this will be filtered out by my SPAM filter)

Happy hiking and Hike for Purpose!