My thoughts about
maybe going camper-vanning
in Europe.		          Please send any comments to me.

This page updated: May 2006		       


Overview section
Buying A Van section
Places To Go section



Overview
"Motor Homing in Europe" by Steve Hunt
Campervanning in Europe
Myths about driving in Europe
excerpts from "Road Trip Europe" book
Jim Franklin's "An RV in Europe" book



Buying A Van
Campervanning in Europe - Buying the Van
IdeaMerge - Motorhome-Camper Purchase

Ways to buy:

Summarized from Campervanning in Europe - Buying the Van:
  • Buying is cheaper than renting if the trip will be long.
  • Buying takes longer than renting; expect to spend several weeks looking for a van. And the search process costs money.
  • May be easier (for an English-speaker) to buy in England, and may be less administrative overhead for a non-resident to buy in England or Germany.


  • Diesel fuel is cheaper, and diesel engines get better fuel mileage, so diesel vans are harder to find and more expensive.
  • Beware of homemade conversions of vans into campers; quality varies greatly.
  • Very old gasoline-powered vehicles may require leaded gasoline, which means buying fuel additives yourself.
  • Sales are very seasonal, at least in England: buying in March, selling before winter.
  • Asian manufacturers are harder to get serviced in Europe.
  • A toilet is an absolute must-have.
  • A solid top is preferable to a pop-top. Pop-tops tend to leak more, and require effort to put up and down.
  • You need a stove, refrigerator, sink.
  • Good ventilation is essential, especially in hot summer in Europe and especially Spain.
  • Nice to have: awning for sitting in shade, insect screens on windows, leveling blocks to put under the wheels.


  • Insurance: not cheap. Many don't cover foreigners, or don't cover over 90 days. Downunder Insurance Brokers.
  • Repairs and servicing can take a long time in Europe; there's a shortage of skilled servicepeople.

From IdeaMerge - Motorhome-Camper Purchase:
"It is no longer legal for a non-resident of a European Union country to obtain normal registration and in turn to insure a vehicle in such country." If you own and register the vehicle yourself, you must get "the compulsory (minimum third-party liability, international 'green card') insurance sold on the open market which is very expensive for tourists". If you have a European company "carry the insurance and registration for you, ... you will effectively have normal registration and plates and you will pay just a bit more than does a resident for insurance ..."

From IdeaMerge - Motorhome-Camper Purchase:
"Many countries require of foreign drivers no license apart from a valid domestic drivers license. However, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, and Spain do require non-Europeans to carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) along with their domestic license. Bulgaria and the Czech Republic require all non-resident drivers to carry an IDP. ... The local office of your auto club (AAA, CAA, etc.) sells IDPs for about US$21. If you need an IDP, take your license, two passport-sized photos and the requisite cash to the club office."

From "Motor Homing in Europe" by Steve Hunt:
  • "There are three ways to acquire your camping van or motor home: rent, lease, or buy."
  • [In 2004] "Campgrounds averaged 15 euros per night for one person, electric hook-up, and camper. ... My low was eight euros and my high 28. Some people save money by free camping, but I did so only in an emergency and don’t recommend it as a standard practice. Besides, you miss one of the big advantages of camping Europe. When you’re in a campground, it’s hard not to socialize and meet people. Fellow campers will be intrigued by the fact that you’re an American camping through Europe."


  • "A good campground guide is essential for locating places where you want to stay. Another essential item to get before you leave is an International Camping Carnet card. This provides admittance to most campgrounds (in some cases at reduced rates) and is held by the campground instead of your passport. Don’t leave home without it."


  • "Finding space in campgrounds is a lot easier than finding space in hotels (although at popular vacation destinations in July and August, it’s helpful to call ahead and reserve a spot). Not all campgrounds take reservations, so if the area campgrounds are crowded the best bet is to arrive early. I never made a reservation during my eight months of travel and was only turned away twice because a campground was full. In both cases, I got a spot at a neighboring site. I also tried to arrange my itinerary so I avoided crowded vacation destinations during the summer."




Places To Go
From Campervanning in Europe:
  • "... provided you exercise some discretion, you can park overnight all over Europe, whether it is strictly 'legal' or not. Not only is it tolerated well, but it is widely practised by Europeans themselves, almost everywhere. You will find some places where they have signs indicating no campervans, or restrictions on parking hours at night. But they are few, mainly around lakes in Switzerland, Austria and Germany."


  • "Security reports caution regarding southern Italy, and against certain scams and petty highway crime in Spain. ... The general rule is that the further south you go in Europe, the more all sorts of security problems increase."


  • "Avoid parking outside residential premises if at all possible; pick an industrial, commercial, parkland, or similar 'uninhabited' area."


  • Check to see if your home-country Auto Club "has reciprocal arrangements with Auto Clubs all over the world to provide basic breakdown assistance and road side service."







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