Germany in Camping-Car: advice, areas, routes

How do I visit Germany by camping-car or furnished van?

Going to visit Germany camping-car , in a van or a fitted van is part of your dreams forever? We understand you: the country offers a wide variety of landscapes, a dense road network and excellent quality, a fantastic historical heritage including grandiose buildings and famous monuments all over the world, rich and delicious culinary specialties as well as a welcoming population, although known for its discretion!

It is not, to visit this country at the same time close to and far from its French neighbour, essential to take the plane and to book a expensive hotel when you can, after crossing the border, sleep where you wish it freely.

How? We explain to you while letting you discover our mini-guide to visit Germany by camping-car, van or fitted van!

Idea of itineraries in Germany by motorhome

Germany occupies a fairly large territory in Western Europe, including gigantic forests, rivers and rivers covering the entire country, mountain ranges to the south and beaches bordering the North Sea or the Baltic Sea. In this country, which is one of the world’s first economic powers, the city centers are a success and one of the must-sees in Germany, which we come to survey them and to discover the architectural attributes, or to party there until the end of the night!

In addition, this country is one of the places of European culture: here were developed innumerable trends of philosophical thought, many musicians and poets spent the great hours of romanticism, and the intellectual radiance of this nation on others is no longer to be demonstrated; We can therefore, when we go there, measure at every moment the cultural grandeur of this country!

You will have understood this: you will have the embarrassment of choice when you come to visit Germany in a furnished van! Creating a route to discover the country would be rather difficult, especially if you have little time. If you arrive from France, Western neighbor of Germany, it is in the Länder of Germany Rhineland-Palatinate , Saar or Baden-Wurtemberg , adjacent to the French border, that you can have a concise overview of Germanic culture and visit Germany in fitted van, if you only have time for a weekend.

If you have the chance to have more time, sink more into the country and go to discover the sumptuous Bavaria, where the rigorous Germanic mentality closes the warmth of the alpine culture! The plains and monuments of the center of the country (Länder de Saxony-Anhalt , from Thuringia...) are a tourist offer to enjoy without moderation when you come to visit Germany on a motorhome, while the oceanic climate of the territories of the north of the country, which border the Baltic and the North Sea, will welcome lovers of sea and large sand.

To give you an idea of the possibilities of course depending on time, here are some Route ideas in Germany depending on whether you have a week, two weeks or even a month’s vacation:

• 7 days in Germany: Discover the most beautiful sights of the Bavarian Alps, one of the jewels of the country, from Füssen to visit the famous Bavarian castles like that of Neuschwanstein, discover beautiful villages such as Oberammergau and its typical frescoes, before enjoying a beer in the most beautiful city of the country, Munich !

Photo credit: Caramaps

• 15 days in Germany: Nice circuit to be realized in the country, starting from Sarrebruck, then passing through Reutte, Munich, NurembergDresden, Berlin, Leipzig, Coblence and Frankfurt. A complete tour to explore the country in depth!

Photo credit: Caramaps

• One month and more in Germany: The same route as the previous one, but you can prolong the pleasure by discovering the northern part of the country: Cologne, Hamburg, from the beaches with a loss of sight licked by the winds at Jasmund National Park, the points of interest are not missing.

Photo credit: Caramaps

Of course, these routes are indicative circuits and the advantage, when you come to visit Germany in a furnished van, is that you can freely choose the route: do not hesitate to trace yourself the path of your dreams to enjoy your stay in full!

How and where to rent a motorhome in France?

It is now easy to rent a motorhome in France. How? By passing through interrelationship platforms between tenants ( yourself) and particular camper owners as Yescapa For example.

How does it work?

• Start by choose the motorhome in your city (For example Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse, Paris, Montpellier or Marseille).

• Careful choose unlimited mileage, to check the number of beds available and if it is possible to travel abroad.

• Perform one online rental request and share your travel information (dates, rental options, mileage, etc.) to the owner.

• If your application is accepted, you will have after payment access to the owner's contact information to set up a First meeting.

• On the day of departure, present your driver's license and pour the bail.

• L’status of premises is executed and a lease is signed between the two parties. On return, after having made an unforgettable road trip, sign the state of the return places and the tour is played!

How and where to rent a motorhome in Germany?

Before landing to visit Germany on a motorhome, it is recommended to make an online reservation. And yes, it would be a shame to arrive at Dresden , Berlin, Leipzig or Stuttgart and discover that there is no vehicle available in any agency, or worse, that the rates have climbed up.

To have a camping-car, we recommend you go through a rental platform for motorhomes and vans arranged online. These sites are now numerous on the road-trip and wild camping market. The principle is simple: you choose the desired vehicle – depending on the daily price, the type of camper/van/van fitted, the equipment of the vehicle -, you send an inquiry to the owner.

Last step: After the online payment, you receive a confirmation email and here you go to visit Germany on a camping-car!

Drive in Germany by motorhome: traffic rules to know

The rules of conduct in Germany are substantially the same as in France , and it also applies to fitted vans: the driving is done on the right track, having a pre-signalization triangle and at least one safety vest on board is mandatory in all vehicles. The possession of a first aid kit not perished is also mandatory.

In addition, it is obviously mandatory to have on yourself its driving license, insurance and gray card of the vehicle. Each passenger must close his/her safety belt before taking the road and no one can sleep or move in the motorhome when it is on! For children under the age of 12 and under the age of 1.50 m, they must be attached to approved seats.

The speed limits to visit Germany on motorhome are identical to those applicable to cars:

• 50 km/h in agglomeration
• 100 km/h off agglomeration, on national roads
• There are, except for certain exceptions, no limitations on highway speed in this country. But when you come to visit Germany on a motorhome, it would be quite foolish to want to beat a speed record in a vehicle that is not at all designed for it! Do not exceed 130 km/h, and stay well on the right track so as not to embarrass other drivers, more bikes.

In winter conditions it is mandatory to drive a vehicle equipped with winter tires . The use of a hand-held telephone is prohibited, but the use is prohibited free hands kit Stay tolerated. Concerning the alcohol , the limit is - as in France - 0.5 g/L for confirmed drivers, but 0 g/L for young holders of the permit (less than 21 years or 2 years of licence).

Since 2008, environmental zones have been built in 35 German cities; These are only accessible to vehicles equipped with an ecological thumbnail whose price ranges between 5 and 10 euros.

One last thing: Benzin means "petrol" in German, and they say Diesel for "gasoil". Make sure you don't fool yourself!

Motorway in Germany: what fare for your motorhome category?

The German motorway network stands for about 13,000 kilometres. It is therefore almost certain that you will take the highway during your visit to Germany on a motorhome. But good news, German highways are totally free , including for motorhomes... for the moment!

Indeed, the Autobahn network should no longer be free for a very long time since Germany planned to set up a vineyard toll in 2019. Its cost, applied to foreign vehicles, will depend on their respective emissions and would be of 74 € on average per year but short-term thumbnails (ten days or two months) will also be offered to visitors. The rates will go 2,50 € to 25 € for 10 days and 7 € to 50 € for 2 months . It will not be a physical vignette but an immaterial tax, supported by a network of porticoes scattered on the German road network and automatically recognizing the registration plates.

Payment could be made online or in-store, and the absence of registration would cost 150 € to offenders or even 260 € in case of recurrence ... and in both cases the fine will be combined with the mandatory purchase of the annual formula!

Camping-car areas in Germany: where to park?

When you come to visit Germany in a furnished van, you enter a territory where camping-car ferus count by tens of thousands! The Germans love this mode of movement allowing them to reconcile speed and freedom. That said, the wild camping is not appreciated by the rigorous Germanic mentality! There are many parking areas, sometimes paid but, where applicable, always at reasonable rates, and parking spaces reserved for motorhomes.

You want to visit Germany in fitted van, we recommend the mobile application Park4night : this is a major reference for organising a bivouac or a multi-day excursion, since it makes a great part of user experiences, that it offers an interactive map giving access to all the necessary information - camper-cars, area favorably recognized as an ideal "spot" where to sleep or, on the other hand, unadvised areas! With a precise indication of paid areas or fully free parking spaces, it is therefore an indispensable one when looking to visit Germany by camping-car or by fitted van!

Of course, other options exist to effectively locate and find a perfect place, such as websites Campercontact or Caramaps .

What is the best time to travel by motorhome in Germany?

Finally, when do you visit Germany on a motorhome? In general, in this country in the continental climate, winters are cold, warm summers, and the climate amplitude is perhaps less marked in the north of the country - which runs along the Baltic Sea - than in the plains and forests of the centre, or the mountainous regions of Bavaria, in the south.

Our advice is to take advantage of Germany during the summer season , since the weather is more than often at the rendezvous and it is possible to enjoy many inaccessible tourist activities in winter ! Provide a complete maintenance of your air conditioning system, which will allow you not to suffocate during the hottest nights!