Actually I have quite suitable camping gear, so wouldn´t need to buy. I did many tours in Europe with the tent in the past, but not so much anymore (ok I admit, just getting older, and grown a bit tired of putting up & dismantling the camp every day!!)

Another problem (for me) is, the tent alone isn´t enough, we would need sleeping bags, and probably the mattresses also to sleep comfortably - and for 2 people. That is a minimum of 5 items. Combined they will eat up a lot of space.

And regarding this trip: if going south on September, and returning on October, nighttime weather especially north of the Alps is probably getting quite chilly. Can easily drop to minus in Celsius. So we could probably comfortably use the tent only in the Mediterranean. But I´m confident, that that is also a region, where we´ll also be able to find accommodation at reasonable prices, especially because the high season will be gone, but most of the places will still be open. I know it´ll cost more than sleeping in a tent, though. And will depend a lot on the area, and also on us, to do a little work in order to find the cheaper options to stay in.

If it was a 100% summertime/warm weather trip, then I´d much more likely take the camping gear.

BTW, anyone know, if for example in Germany, France or Italy they´d have anything similar as the "Travel Coupon Guide"-leaflet in the US, which listed mostly motels offering special prices (often considerably lower than their list prices) by showing the coupon? May be the whole accommodation thing is a bit different here, not so many motels, etc., but just asking, if anyone has lately run into something like this in Europe?

The first time we did it we were intending to camp but ditched all the camping gear at the last moment. We didnt regret it. Despite it being "high season" in Europe we had little problem finding 3 star hotels right across Europe. On a motorcycle you have the flexibility of being able to ride up the the front door of a hotel to enquire whether they have any vacancies. If full they invariably recommended another place or phoned round for us.

Just imagine trying to do that if travelling by car. It would take half an hour to find somewhere to park and walk back to the hotel to ask if they had a room!

Often the best value for money hotels are down narrow streets or in pedestrian/bike only streets in the centre of town where there is no car parking but you can leave your bike outside under the watchful eye of the night porter.

I have survived on 60 euros a day camping and eating out most nights. It's easy to find good places to eat and good quality food.

* Avoid motorways and tunnels amap,
* Sleep under the sky,
* Heat your own water and carry your own coffee,
* Prepare your own food,

30€ / day .... that was my minumum

To that.....add ...0.6 € / 10 km ... 500 km. --> 30 €

I managed about €40-45 per day recently, camping mostly but got the odd hotel and ate out every now and then.
However that was mostly in Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Italy so not the cheapest coutries.