Camping or cheap accommodation riding further afield

Over the years I have enjoyed camping in my trips to the Alps, I find a blend of living in the tent and the odd B+B stay if its raining works out well for me.

I am now in the early stages of planning a trip that will take me further afield down the Adriatic coast and onwards through Turkey and a possible circumnavigation of the Black Sea.

Ideally I would take the tent and follow my protocol for my Alpine trips, however I have been having a quick look at the available facilities to pitch a tent and it does seem to be a lesser done thing in these areas. So I would like the views of you guys on the following....

1. Can you wild camp in Turkey, Croatia etc....is it safe?
2. Would I be better leaving the camping gear at home and just staying in cheap accommodation?
3. What would be an average cost of a cheap hostel type accommodation
4.The campsites that I have googled seem to be more geared for motorhomes with very little grass....is this a correct analysis?
5. Can you reliably get cheap accommodation by booking on the day?

Chris...

1. Can you wild camp in Turkey, Croatia etc....is it safe? Yes, away from the coastal areas its easier and less populated, wild camping for me involved putting up the tent at dusk and down early in the morning, so nobody knows I was there.

2. Would I be better leaving the camping gear at home and just staying in cheap accommodation? Carrying camping gear is a burden but it offeres the utmost flexibility in all situations, i.e. offers another choice. In places like Montenegro and Albania its not always possible to find accommodation in some of the more remote areas.

3. What would be an average cost of a cheap hostel type accommodation. I think you would struggle to find a cheap hostel in some areas especially along the Croatian coast

4.The campsites that I have googled seem to be more geared for motor-homes with very little grass....is this a correct analysis? Again I agree in some areas where there are lost of tourists to fleece, the campsites are expensive and geared to caravan and motor-homes, but I also stayed on many where its just a quiet field on small tents.

5. Can you reliably get cheap accommodation by booking on the day? In remote areas no, unless a 50/100 mile detour is acceptable.

I guess it also depends how comfortable you are wild camping in a remote area on your own...Does anyone wild camp in the Alps? It seems we all do the Alps, yet tend to camp in a nice campsite rather than an area that is theoretically (prejudicially) and presumably a safer place to wild camp.

Google says

https://matadornetwork.com/read/everything-need-know-going-wild-camping-legally/

Practically every European country has different rules and regulations on wild camping. To simplify things, these are the areas of Europe where responsible wild camping is encouraged, even if not strictly legal:

England and Wales — Wild camping is legal only in Dartmoor National Park.
Scotland – Camping must be lightweight, done in small numbers, and only for two or three nights in one place.
France — Wild camping is permitted only on private land with the consent of the owner.
Sweden — Camping is permitted for a maximum of two days.
Norway — The right to roam, also called the right of access, or allemannsretten, confirms the public’s right to wild camp.
Finland — Campers must be a suitable distance from homes or cabins.
Denmark — While it’s illegal to wild camp wherever you want, you can pitch a maximum of two small tents together in at least 40 approved forests.
Romania — Although not strictly allowed, wild camping is widely tolerated. Check with the landowner first.
Iceland — Camping with no more than three tents is allowed on uncultivated ground for a single night, although the use of campsites is preferred.
Slovakia — Wild camping is legal but forbidden in areas with a level three protection and above. Campfires are not permitted.
Turkey — Wild camping is legal, and the Go Turkey Tourism website even provides some helpful tips.

Across the rest of Europe, wild camping is either strictly illegal — as in Italy, Croatia, and Portugal — or allowed but only in certain regions, such as in Spain. If you have any doubts, ask the landowner for their permission. You never know, they might be more than happy for you to set up camp for a night or two.

I've always preferred to camp when I can. I found it very difficult to find campsites in some countries like Romania and certain parts of Croatia. Plenty along the coast there though.
Romania has very cheap hotels as do a few of the others
Just ridden through Poland and the Ukraine to Kiev and found no campsites on route but the hotels are again very cheap. We have a hotel in Kiev which is very nice for 3 nights which cost just £102.00 for two of us. So about 17 quid a night each. There were many for less than a tenner a night but we decided to go upmarket.
One on the way through the Ukraine was more like a hostel but only cost us 7 pounds each. It did us for the night.
I would still take your camping gear and use it when you can.
I've never really understood wild camping myself. Would much rather have a toilet and shower and somewhere to eat or buy some food. Each to their own I suppose. But for a few quid a night I'd rather have the facilities.