I'd like to clear something up about European culture.
Yes, they like to hike hut to hut style.
But it is not mandatory (in many countries)
When we hiked the HRP (Pyrenees high route), there were huts spaced apart on an average of 1 or 2 per day.
We NEVER slept in any of them.
We tented out every night.
Here is a picture from one of those nights:
IMG_0075.JPG
Now I am presently in the process of planning a trip to the Balkans to hike the Via Dinarica trail, which also has a hut system.
Many blogs I've been reading have hikers sleeping in tents or bivouac. (definitition of that in Europe seems to mean, sleeping out in tent or bivvy, and leaving early in the morning)
There are different categories of huts also. In Eastern Europe (Balkans), There are 3: Cathedral is a managed hostel with fees. 2/ Kuka is open only on weekends and cost about 9 Euros. Skloniste are simple cabins and are free.
It's not illegal to sleep in tents
It's just not the European way.
They prefer to have someone serve them a bottle of wine and sleep in a bunkroom.
Different countries may have different rules but the one's I've hiked in, we were allowed to camp in tents.