Renting a Motorhome or campervan in Europe provides lots of freedom and flexibility. When travelling in Europe the EU or European union has 28 Countries with free movement within.
- How to choose a good rental RV Campervan rental company.
We always book our rental RV well in advance. During the planning phase of the trip, it saves time to use our booking software to choose the best price. It takes extra time to price out five companies manually, but prices can vary widely depending on promotions and supply and demand, and it has been worth it to do this extra work in order to save money.
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Different Pick-Up and Drop-Off Locations.
Sometimes you may want to pick up a Motorhome at
one location and drop it off at a different location.
For example you may like to pick up a motorhome in Paris and do a tour of the Loire castles and then travel to Bordeaux and end in Nice.
This is possible in France but there will be a minimum rental period of eg 10 days hire. There will also be a one way charge which can vary from 300 Euro to over 1000 Euro to drop back in a different country.
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Picking up a Motorhome at an Airport or Train Station Adds an Extra Fee
Some rental supplier will arrange either an airport transfer to their rental depot or will deliver the campervan to the airport where allowed. This is built into the airport quotation online or in some cases a message will show if the vehicle is not available at the airport. All Motorhome rental companies are located well away from the airports. A taxi will be required in most cases to travel to the local rental depot.
- How to travel across Borders in Europe in an RV.
The European Union has free travel to all EU Countries including Switzerland and Norway. You may travel to all countries the only restrictions are in some countries like Albania and Serbia.
Consult us as we can advise as we have some rental centres in Croatia that allow travel to Albania and Serbia.
You could start in Germany and travel for several weeks across Europe without any restrictions. It is cheaper if you drop back the Campervan to the original renting depot. - Get an International Driver’s permit.
Countries that require you to have an IDP are Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. You may not be asked to show your IDP when picking up your rental car in these countries, but it’s still a good idea to have one just in case.
UN Licence holders do not require an IDP.
Age rental limits are from 21/25 to 70 years of age for motorhome hire check with the rental company. All vehicles under 3500 kgs are ok on a normal licence. - What luggage to bring to Europe.
I would recommend that you travel light with collapsible luggage so they can fit in under bed compartments. You may either buy sleeping bags or hire them from the local company on booking.
Most companies supply extras like bedding and kitchen equipment. Prices vary so look at the extra equipment page when booking.
- What fuel to use in Europe.
All Campervans or RV vehicles in Europe come with a fuel efficient Turbo Diesel engine. Be very careful when refueling that you use the diesel pump only. You need also to be careful that you do not put diesel into the Water storage tank for drinking.
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Driving on the Left in the UK and Ireland.
If you are accustomed to driving on the right side of the road, making that switch to the left can be intimidating. At first, it takes a lot of concentration. Roundabouts, busy city streets, and entrance ramps onto highways can be nerve wracking. You may take a Lefthand drive Motorhome from the UK to Europe and drive on the opposite side of the road. I recommend that you do not do this as overtaking is a bit daunting.
- Manual Transmission versus Automatic
99.9% of Motorhomes in Europe are Manual transmission models. Automatic gearbox Campervan as few and far between.
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What about Campgrounds
Campgrounds are in plentiful supply in Europe from large rural campgrounds to Aires in France and city campgrounds in towns.