Visit Europe in Camping-Car: tips, areas, routes

How do I visit Europe by camping-car or van?

Going on an itinerant journey through Europe is the unique opportunity to visit breathtaking landscapes and live an unforgettable journey, free of charge. Slip the roads to visit all the charms of the "old Continent", between the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic facade, the mountainous mountains, the cities and villages of the European countries, go to contact the local populations, sleep in the middle of nowhere in the middle of nature, without building up in a hotel room, all this tempting you?

Making a tour of Europe in camping-car or in furnished van is a very good idea of holidays, but still it is necessary to go. Your routes will be logically defined according to the duration of the road trip and according to the legislation and culture specific to each country. For it will be necessary to leave for several months if you want to visit the countries of Europe, Portugal to the Italy France, Spain, Spain Germany England or Scotland.

Doing a tour of Europe by camping-car does not mean stopping where to sleep anywhere you want: in most European countries, the wild camping is forbidden. Therefore, check the legal provisions applicable to each country, as well as the specificities of road traffic (highway connections, road code rules, etc.).

Here is a mini-guide to help you prepare your tour of Europe by camping-car!

Ideas of itineraries in Europe by motorhome

Europe is an extended continent on 10.18 million km2 , which extends from Portugal to the Ural and Caucasus barriers, representing a third of Africa or a quarter of Asia: it is therefore a very wide and varied continent, composed of a multitude of small countries each with their own culture.

It is therefore impossible to propose an exhaustive list of routes. These will depend on the duration of the trip. It will be impossible to visit Portugal, Spain , Italy, France , Germany and push to Greece only 4 weeks holiday.

The route of your tour of Europe in camping-car will also depend on the season. If it can sun over 30°C in Southern Europe in the spring, the northern parts of Europe can be fresh and/or rainy all year round (especially England, Scotland, etc.) Norway or Germany).

Do you take a sabbatical year, leave without pay, 2 or 3 months to travel in love? To make this tour of Europe in motorhomes, several solutions are available to you: either to book at least 1 month per country, or to restrict the route to one or two regions of a country, such as Catalonia, Languedoc and Provence, Tuscany, and Istria. Without this, your trip will take the form of a race and you will miss a lot of things. Here are some ideas of itineraries!

Western Europe

If you start your tour of Europe by camping-car in the west of Europe, don’t miss your own country first: France. Then walk the roads Netherlands , Belgium , Germany and Switzerland :

• The Pyrenees, the Mediterranean basin and Provence, Corse or the Languedoc-Roussillon: the Cevennes (the Gorges du Tarn), the coast Vermeille, the Calanques de Marseille, the cities and villages of the Midi (Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Béziers, Sète, MontpellierArles, Nice, Perpignan, Toulouse), the Canal du Midi, the Périgord, Castles Cathares, the Corsica of Bastia in Bonifacio, etc.,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• La région Auvergne-Rhônes-Alpes : Lyon, Grenoble, Annecy, Clermont-Ferrand, Chambéry, Les parcs nationaux des Alpes (Mercantour, les Écrins, la Vanoise, le Vercors),

Photo credit: Caramaps

• The Atlantic Coast, Biarritz, Bordeaux, the Arcachon basin, the islands of Re andOléron, the Vendée, the Breton coast, the landing beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel, Paris, the wine route of Champagne, the Vosges, the cities of Alsace, the Jura.

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In Switzerland:Geneva (old city, shores of Lake Geneva, Saint-Pierre Cathedral, museums), Lausanne, Montreux, Les Alpes vaudoises (Les Diablerets, le parc naturel régional Gruyère Pays-d’Enhaut), Fribourg, Neuchâtel et le lac, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Bern, les montagnes de l’Oberland, Interlaken, le glacier de la Jungfraujoch, Lucerne, Zurichthe fall of the Rhine, Basel, Valais, Lugano, Lake Maggiore, Punta Terrarossa, Natural Park of the Binn Valley, Grisons, Lake Walenstadt, Lake Constance,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In Germany: the Bavarian Alps, typical cities like Oberammergau, Munich, Nuremberg, Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, FrankfurtHanover, Hamburg,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In Austria: Lake Constance, Grossglockner Pass, SalzburgOberösterrich and Vienna, Salzkammergut lakes, Worth Lake, Schönbrunn castle, the city of Graz, Linz and the Danube valley,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In the Netherlands:Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Gouda, Delf, Haarlem, the Keukenhof Park (in spring), museums (House Anne Franck, Van Gogh Museum, Heineken Experience, Rembrandt House Museum, etc.), Leidseplein and the old church of Amsterdam, the villages of Ijsselmeer (Middleken, Monnickendam, Volendam, Edam, Zaanse Schans), the national park De Hoge Veluwe, the nature reserve Oostvaardersplassen, Lelystalemdorn, Kampen,

The North of Europe

Are you going north of the continent for your tour of Europe on a motorhome?

• In England: London, Essex, Kent, Stonehenge’s site, Cornwall, Birmingham, the Midlands of the West, Manchester and LiverpoolLindisfarne,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In Scotland: Old TownEdinburgh, the island of Skye, the countless lakes, Glasgow or the Speyside region, whisky producer, Inverness, Thurso,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In Norway: the Nasjonal turistveg Oslo, Bergen and fjords, the National Park of Hamangervidda, the seaside resort of Kristiansand, Lillehammer, to the mountains of Trollheimen, Trondheim, the Lofoten Islands, Tromsø.

South of Europe

Where to go for a tour of Europe on a motorhome? Choose, for example, the countries of Southern Europe, which gather dream destinations: Italy, Spain, Greece or Portugal give a view of sublime landscapes, but some destinations are very touristic. The easiest thing is to start your tour of Europe by camping-car in Spain or Portugal:

• In Spain: Extremadura (the "via de la Plata", Cáceres, Plasencia, Mérida),AndalusiaSeville, Jaen, Grenada, Antequera, Malaga, Cordoba, the park of Sierra Nevada), the region of Murcia and Cartagena (Bateria de Castillitos, the cliffs of Puerto Mazarron), Madrid then the Pics of Europe Regional Park, Barcelona and Catalonia, the Costa Brava, the natural park of the Serrania de Cuenca, Zaragoza, or the cities of the "Francois Camino", stages of the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela, etc.),

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In Portugal: the Algarve, the nature park of the Côte Vicentine and the cliffs of Ponta da Piedade, the Alentejo, LisbonCoïmbre, Porto, the Douro Valley,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In Italy: the lakes (Majeur, Lake Garda, Como), Milan and Turin Venice, Cinque-Terre, Pisa, Florence, RomeNaples, Pompeii, Puglia, Sicily (Taormine, San Vito lo Capo, the Egades Islands, the Greek ruins of Agrigento, Etna, Syracuse, Palermo and Catania), Sardinia,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• In Greece: Macedonia, Thessalie and Epire, the beaches of the Chalcidic Peninsula, Mount Athos, Ioannina, Kalambaka, Delphes, Athens (Acropolis, Agora, archaeological ruins, districts in Plaka and Syndagma), the islands of the Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Minos) and Crete,

Photo credit: Caramaps

• ♪ Croatia Istria and the Pula Peninsula, Rijeka and Opatija, Paklenica National Park, Plitvice Lakes, Zadar and the islands, Split, HvarKrka, Dubrovnik, the mouths of Kotor, Primosten, Trogir, the beaches of Sunj, Uvala Blace, Saharun.

Photo credit: Caramaps

How and where to rent a motorhome in France?

Do you want to leave France hexagonale to travel to Europe with your camper or van for example? It is now easy to rent a motorhome in the Hexagon. How? Using interrelationship platforms between tenants and particular camper owners as Yescapa For example. Note that if you wish, you have the opportunity to rent a motorhome in another country in Europe according to availability.

How does it work?

• At first, you have to choose the motorhome in your city (For example Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse, Paris, Montpellier or Marseille).

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

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

• If your request is accepted and after payment, you will have access to the owner's contact information to organize a First meeting.

• Day J, present your driver's license and pour bail.

• One. status of premises is executed and a lease is signed between the two parties. When you return, after running the roads, sign the state of the return places and the tour is played!

Driving in Europe in motorhomes : traffic rules to know

Circulation

In most European countries, driving is on the right, with the exception of the United Kingdom — where you drive on the left-hand side — and the road code is singularly the same for all countries. However, some specificities are observed according to the legislation in force, despite the integration of the community law established in Brussels in the texts of national laws. We also apply priority on the right everywhere except the United Kingdom (where the ground marking defines the meaning of priority).

It is necessary to redouble caution when driving in camping-car, because secondary roads can be narrow, especially in mountain, and motorists often like speed.

Safety and equipment

Whether you’re making a tour of Europe in a camper or in a furnished van, you’ll have to have your driver’s license, the vehicle’s gray card, and the insurance certificate, as well as a fluorescent vest and a signage triangle (to anticipate rescue in the event of an accident).

Speed limits

In Europe, speed limits are more or less harmonized, except for a few small differences:

In Southern Europe

• Spain: 50 km/h in agglomeration, 80 km/h off agglomeration, 90 km/h on rapid roads, 100 km/h on highways,
• Portugal50 km/h in agglomeration, 70 km/h on secondary roads, 80 km/h on separate roads, 100 km/h on highways,
• In Italy and Croatia50 km/h in agglomeration, 90 km/h on secondary roads, 110 km/h on separate roads, 130 km/h on highways,
• In Greece: 50 km/h in agglomeration, 90 km/h off agglomeration, 110 km/h on the highways.

In Western Europe

• France and Corsica 50 km/h in agglomeration, 70 or 80 km/h on secondary roads, 110 km/h on separate roads, 130 km/h on highways,
• In Austria: 50 km/h in agglomeration, 100 km/h on secondary roads and 130 km/h on highways,
• Switzerland: 50 km/h in agglomeration, 80 km/h off agglomeration, 130 km/h on the highways,
• In Germany: 50 km/h in agglomeration, 100 km/h outside agglomeration,
• To the Netherlands: 50 km/h in agglomeration, 80 km/h off agglomeration, 130 km/h on highways.

In Northern Europe

• United Kingdom: 30 mph, (48.2 km/h) in agglomeration, 40, 50 or 60 mph (64, 80 or 96 km/h) off agglomeration, 70 mph (112 km/h) on the highways,
• Norway30-50 km/h in agglomeration, 80 km/h off agglomeration, 90 km/h on highways.

Alcoholemia

What about the rate of alcohol in Europe? Generally, the legal threshold is around 0.5 g/l . Except in England (0.8 g/l), the Netherlands and Norway (0.2 g/l).

Note that the wild camping is strictly prohibited almost everywhere in Europe, except for Scotland where it is tolerated if you are far from the homes.

Motorways in Europe: what price for your motorhome category?

During a tour of Europe in camping-car or in fitted van, you can take the highway several times to go from one site to another.

And of course, users are not subject to the same rules or to the same rates according to countries.

Indeed, we find toll motorways in the west and south of Europe (France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia), autoroutes à vignette in Northern Europe (Austria, Germany, Switzerland) and countries where free motorways (England, Scotland, Netherlands).

In addition, bridges and tunnels are often subject to to tolls, including the Mont Blanc tunnel (€60.40), the Fréjus tunnel (€61.40), the border tunnel between Italy and Austria (€9.50), etc.

Here is an indicative scope of the fares of highway tolls in Class 2 (class of motorhomes whose weight is less than 3.5 tonnes) for your tour of Europe by camping-car :

• France : according to the length of the section (e.g. 55,4 € for Paris-Lyon, 95,5 € for Paris-Marseille, 36,7 € for Toulouse-Montpellier, 27,4 € for Aix-en-Provence-Nice),
• Greece: 11,70 € for Athens-Patras, Athens-Thessaloniki (41,15 €),
• Croatia: 46,83 € for Zagreb-Dubrovnik, 39,40 € for Zagreb-Split, 13,36 € for Zadar-Split,
• Spain: 124 € for Perthus-Séville, 47,95 € for Perthus-Valencia, 14,45 € for Perthus-Barcelona,
• Portugal: 15,45 € to cross the Algarve, 6,85 € for the highway of Porto, 6,70 € for the motorway Norte Litoral,
• Italy: 70 € for Como-Bari, 47,40 € for Como-Roma, 27,10 € for Como-Firenze.

The thumbnail to circulate in class 2 on the highways costs:

• In Austria: 9,20 € (10 days), 26,80 € (two months), 89,20 € (12 months),
• In Germany: 74 € (12 months), 2.5 € to 25 € (10 days) and 7 € to 50 € (two months),
• Switzerland: €36.50 for vehicles with a weight of less than 3.5 tonnes.

Note : in Norway, Scotland and Corsica there is no highway. The axes can be narrow, careful! In England and the Netherlands, free motorways are available.

Camping-car areas in Europe: where to park?

With the exception of Scotland, where bivouac is tolerated outside habitat areas and natural parks, it is almost always forbidden to sleep on wild camping in Europe. However, European countries have had excellent reception facilities for motorhomes: service areas for campers, private and public campsites.

In addition, the countries of Europe have vast areas of wild nature, where one feels like the only one in the world, where one can find a “spot” where to park to sleep one night away from the indiscreet looks and police rounds.

There are more tolerant countries than others in terms of bivouac on the public road, in kind or on the parking lot. If it is tolerated to sleep in its vehicle in the day, and to park with its motorhome or van fitted on the parking spaces of the cars, the law of a country can be more strict than that of a neighbouring country.

In Norway and Scotland, for example, local authorities and populations are deemed to be caring for campers. Sometimes people even let travellers park in their garden! On the other hand, practice is poorly seen in Austria, Switzerland or Germany.

In Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece, it is easier to evade in the middle of a pampa to park on the side of the road and spend the night, but on condition of isolation. And the gendarmerie or the police can still make rounds. In Corsica, for example, where the hunt for wild campers was declared especially in the summer: in practice, some gendarmes tolerated if the vehicle was inflatable (a Renault Kangoo or Peugeot Partner, for example).

In any case, even if you pass between the mesh of the police net, tell yourself that you take a risk, that the fine can be salted and that it is absolutely necessary to leave the place as you found it the day before leaving: no trash and no dirt or welders on the ground.

How do I know where to park during a tour of Europe in a camper or in a furnished van? Mobile application Park4night serves as a reference in this area. It is a tool for sharing spots between travellers, completely free of charge, on which you can find the campsites, the service areas for camping-car, the parking lot and the vague pitches where you can park in the middle of nature, referenced on an interactive map.

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

But then, what is the best time to make a tour of Europe in camping-car? From Portugal to Norway, from Scotland to Italy, to Greece and Germany, there is a great deal of interest. plurality of climates Europe. Climate influences can vary considerably within a single region, depending on whether you are on the seaside, in the mountains, on a plateau or on a plain.

Overall, Europe enjoys one temperate climate , influenced by the oceanic climate (on literals, mild and humid all year round), the Mediterranean climate south of Europe (winter, hot and dry in summer), and the continental climate (inland: cold in winter, hot in summer). There is a cold mountain climate in the Alps and on the heights of the mountains of more than 1,500 meters above sea level. The north of Europe enjoys less relief than in the south of Europe, with mountains and high mountains.

Thus, the best season to make a tour of Europe in camping-car in the south of Europe is the period that extends from the late spring to early autumn (between late April and early October). In the north of Europe and in the interior of the land, the climate is more humid and fresh: it will be preferable in summer, between July and August . But the winter, sometimes harsh on the altitude, can also be a good choice, especially in the Mediterranean regions, because the tourist affluence will be the lowest of the year.