Don’t want to turn over every penny on vacation and still save money? Then you’ve come to the right place! As in the other articles in this series, I’ m once again looking at one of the popular camping discount cards. Today I’m taking a closer look at the card issued by what is probably Germany’s best-known automobile club: the ADAC CampCard 2026.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- What is the ADAC CampCard and what does it include?
- Where can you get the ADAC CampCard and how much does it cost?
- What about the old ADAC camping and pitch guide app?
- How do you find campsites that accept the ADAC CampingCard?
- What else you should know about the ADAC CampCard
- Are there alternatives to the ADAC CampCard?
- Experts in the podcast on the topic of “camping discount cards”
- Conclusion on the ADAC CampCard
What is the ADAC CampCard and what does it include?
As you would expect from a camping discount card, you can use it to gain all kinds of financial benefits on the campsite. But of course not all camping cards have the same plus points.
One serves as proof of identity in addition to the discounts, the other includes liability insurance. With some discount systems you can save in the high season, with others only in the low season. But what about the ADAC camping card?
The ADAC CampCard 2026 is no longer tied to a calendar year as before, but is instead valid for 12 months from the time it is activated. It offers you at least 15% discount in the low season and at least 5% discount in the high season.
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Important to know: The ADAC CampCard is not automatically included in normal ADAC membership. To take advantage of the discounts, you must purchase the card separately.
Where can you get the ADAC CampCard and how much does it cost?
There is an important innovation for the year 2026: The ADAC CampCard is now a purely digital product. Previously, the card was a physical card that could be detached from the printed guides and was always valid for a fixed calendar year.
With the changeover, you no longer have to fiddle with the plastic card and instead benefit from a flexible 12-month term from activation. You can obtain the ADAC CampCard in two ways:
1. the digital solution: the new PiNCAMP camping app
The cheapest option is the new “PiNCAMP Camping App by ADAC”. It will replace the previous ADAC camping and pitch guide app.
- Basic version: Free of charge (including access to over 14,000 campsites and 300,000 reviews).
- PiNCAMP Plus subscription: For currently €7.99 per year (early bird offer), you receive the digital ADAC CampCard for exclusive discounts and additional access to over 11,000 campsite data. The subscription is automatically renewed, but can be canceled at any time.
2. the analog solution: the ADAC camping guide
If you prefer to hold a book in your hand, you can still purchase the Germany/Northern Europe or Southern Europe camping guides for €29.90 each.
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Important: As the physical card is no longer available, you will now find a voucher code in the books that you can redeem in the PiNCAMP Camping app. This activates your free year of PiNCAMP Plus including the digital ADAC CampCard.
You can buy the current ADAC Camping Guide Germany/Northern Europe 2026 as a classic hardcover version in the ADAC online shopat Amazon and at Thalia or Hugendubel order.
This volume is ideal if you are more drawn to the north or closer to home. It covers around 2,600 campsites in 17 countries. A total of over 2,500 discount offers await you here.
In addition to Germany, you can find information on Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.
You can also buy the current ADAC Camping Guide Southern Europe 2026 as a classic hardcover version in the ADAC online shopat Amazon and at Thalia or Hugendubel order.
This volume is the right choice for all sun worshippers and Mediterranean fans. It includes around 2,900 campsites in 18 countries and offers you over 2,500 discount offers via ADAC CampCard.
Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Austria, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain and Hungary are covered.
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By the way, the ADAC Pitch Guide will no longer be published as a book from 2026 – you can now find this data exclusively in the app.
What about the old ADAC camping and pitch guide app?
You may remember the classic “ADAC Camping- und Stellplatzführer App”, which appeared in the store as a new version every year (e.g. 2024, 2025). This model is still available in parallel for 2026, albeit as a discontinued model.
The biggest difference: While the new PiNCAMP app relies on a flexible subscription model (12 months from purchase), the classic 2026 app remains true to the old principle: You pay a one-time fixed price of €7.99, and the app and the ADAC CampCard it contains are valid until January 31, 2027.
Here is an overview of the most important points about the “old” app:
- One-off purchase instead of subscription: Ideal for anyone who doesn’t want automatic renewal.
- Fixed term: The discounts only apply for the respective calendar year.
- Offline focus: As usual, it offers a very strong offline search for over 25,000 places.
- Outlook: In the long term, the ADAC will focus fully on the new PiNCAMP app, as it is more up-to-date in terms of prices and availability thanks to the online connection.
How do you find campsites that accept the ADAC CampingCard?
The number of participating campsites almost overwhelms me. In 36 European countries you will find thousands of ADAC-approved campsites and pitches that accept your ADAC CampCard. These include popular destinations such as Germany, Italy, France, Croatia and Spain.
You can easily find out whether your desired vacation destination is included and how many campsites there accept the ADAC CampCard via the Internet or in the traditional way of browsing.
On the ADAC campsite portal PiNCAMP and in the camping guide app you will find all countries in chronological order in which there is at least one campsite that offers you the benefits of the ADAC CampCard.
What else you should know about the ADAC CampCard
Like almost all discount cards, the ADAC Campingcard is personalized. This means that it is only valid if it has been fully registered with your name in the app. If no name is entered, no campsite owner or groundsman is obliged to give you a discount.
So watch out, don’t overlook anything! If you have filled in everything correctly and a campsite still refuses to accept your card, you can contact [email protected] by e-mail. In this case, the employees of the responsible ADAC department will take care of it and make sure that you get your discount.
Are there alternatives to the ADAC CampCard?
There are plenty of alternatives from a wide range of providers, with a wide range of benefits. If you are also interested in one of the other discount cards, you are welcome to compare them in our series of articles on camping discount cards and decide which card is right for you.
You can find more information about the advantage and discount cards for campers here:
- ACSI CampingCard
- CCI – The CampingCard international
- CKE – Camping Key Europe
- DCC German Camping Club
- My place camping card
Experts in the podcast on the topic of “camping discount cards”
Nele and Sebastian also talk about the topic of camping discount cards in general in our podcast. They report on their experiences and provide information and tips. Have a listen:
Conclusion on the ADAC CampCard
The sheer number of campsites and pitches that cooperate with the ADAC and let you spend your vacation at the ADAC discount price is overwhelming. However, and this is just my personal opinion, there are discount cards from other providers that offer other, more or equally remarkable benefits.
What makes the card interesting in the first place is its low price for the large number of participating campsites, which may allow you to camp at a reduced price even during the high season. The ADAC camping card gives you a discount of at least 5% in high season and at least 15% in low season at over 3,000 campsites throughout Europe.
Whether the ADAC CampingCard is right for you or not depends – just like with all other discount cards – on your interests and vacation wishes. I hope I have been able to give you a brief overview of the ADAC CampCard and make your decision easier. Have a good trip and a relaxing vacation!
Cover picture: © ADAC / PiNCAMP
Letzte Aktualisierung der Preise am 2026-02-02 / Affiliate Links / Bilder von der Amazon Product Advertising API
