Aussie Travel to Europe – 9 Top Tips for Campervan Hire.

 

Top Tips for European Camper Hire By Leslie Brown

 

Top Tips for European Camper Hire in Europe. In order to make your trip to Europe as enjoyable and hassle-free as possible, we have put together these 9 Top Tips for Campervan Hire for Australians coming to Europe.

 

 

1. Insurance

 

It is very important to ensure that you have comprehensive travel insurance that covers the countries that you wish to visit. Make sure that it also covers repatriation in case of illness or injury.

 

2. Visa information

Top Tips for European Camper Hire

 

Australian tourists who are planning to spend less than a total of 90 days within a 180 day period in the ‘Schengen area’ do not require visas for countries which are parties to the Schengen Convention.

The following countries are parties to the Schengen Convention:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • The Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Slovenia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland

Make sure that you get your passport stamped on entering the Schengen area.

 

Check you have the correct visa to enter the European Union and you will also require a visa for non EU countries.

 

3. Passports and other documentation

 

Be very careful of your documentation; make sure it is kept secure. If there is a safe in any hotels you stay in, ensure that your documents are kept there.

 

It is a very good idea to make copies of your passport, driving licence, visas and credit cards, etc. A good trick is to simply take a photo of the documents with a smartphone and send them to your own email address, accessible over the web.

 

4. Campervans and Motorhomes information

 

Campervans in Europe are known as both motorhomes and campervans and are a very cost effective way of travelling around Europe.

 

Unlike Australia campervans in Europe are virtually all manual models. There are very few automatic models available. All models are turbo diesel and they are very fuel efficient.

 

In general motorhomes do not have air conditioning in the rear of the vehicle only in the driver’s cab. This is because a lot of motorhome renters were not completely aware of the height of the motorhome with the A/C box on the roof, and causing severe damage by driving the vehicle under bridges that were too low, etc.

 

Most motorhomes in Europe are either 2,4 or 6 berth vehicles, with some 7 berth vehicles.

 

5. One way travel between countries

 

Most companies allow you to travel across the EU and some East European countries with no restrictions. There are some cross border hire companies that allow one way rentals e.g. pick up in one location and drop back in a different location in another country.

 

Top Tips for European Camper Hire have compiled a list of locations that offer a one way service on our International One Way Motorhome Information page..

 

Should you require a one way rental within Europe you need to book this about 6 months in advance if it is in high season. Also, please note there is generally a 14 day minimum rental requirement.

 

6. Motorhome rental seasons

 

The campervan high season in Europe is June , July and August so if you are travelling in this period you should make your campervan booking several months in advance or you will be disappointed.

 

There are many sporting events each year e.g. Tour de France in July , car racing events and Festivals when motorhomes are booked out months in advance.

 

7. Driving License information

 

An ordinary Australian driving licence is sufficient to drive a motorhome in most European countries. The main exception is Italy, where you are required to have both an Australian and an International driving licence.

 

Certain suppliers also have larger vehicles available. These are generally large, 6 person or more vehicles. They weigh over 3500kg, and therefore require a Class C Commercial license. These will be clearly indicated in the booking engine.

 

By the way, your license needs to be a full license. A provisional, or learners license is not sufficient.

 

8. Campgrounds

 

Campgrounds are readily available across Europe and you may buy campground books which list all the camprounds by country. An excellent resource is the Alan Rogers website, at http://www.alanrogers.com.

 

9. Top Tips for European Camper Hire Excess Insurance

 

We recommend that you take out excess insurance policy to cover any damage incurred on your trip as repair bills can be expensive. You should note that motorhomes are custom, coachbuilt vehicles, and spare parts and labour to fix seemingly minor damage can be quite expensive. We have a page of useful information from one of our suppliers where you can see examples of the kind of damage that occurs, and the cost to repair.

 

Security deposits may vary between 600 Euro to 3000 Euro depending on which supplier you use. These deposits are refunded when you bring your motorhome back in the same condition you received it. You can buy campervan motorhome or car hire excess insurance to cover yourself against loss of this deposit. We have more information available.

 

Should you require any assistance please contact one of our European travel experts who will advise the best travel option for you. Our campervan travel company represents all the major motorhome hire companies and can give you unbiased travel advise that best suits your requirements.

Top Tips for European Camper Hire have a contact page which lists all the ways you can contact us.

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