Everyone starts in your position and a tour is simply daily commutes of any size linked together. There is no single purist version of cycle touring. People have ridden your route on every type of bicycle from single speeds to racing bikes.
European touring offers you many alternative choices from camping only, mixing camping with hostels and B&B's and credit card touring. You also have the option of hoping a train or bus to avoid stretches of terrain you would not like to cycle. Only your budget will dictate the choice.
If you choose to cycle the entire route completely equipped for camping only start slowly for the first week or so to allow your bodies to adjust to the added physical stress.