Camuyano’s European Campervan Trip
Introduction
Although this trip may not really qualify as an “expedition”
in that we will be traveling primarily over paved highways on a regular
campervan, any self-guided driving tour of a foreign country can be an
adventure and camping allows for the kind of cultural exchanges
that are at the core of overland travel. It is also a reconnaissance trip for
more ambitious trips from Western Europe to Northern Africa, Eastern
Europe and beyond.
Background
I don’t know when the idea of a European campervan trip
began. Perhaps it was during my first and only trip to Europe
as a teenager with my father and sister. We were on a guided bus tour of the
“essential” European sights. Trying to cover all of Europe’s
main attractions in twenty-one days required a schedule as intense as that of a
rock band on a world tour. The excursion also featured many “un-scheduled”
stops where we would be funneled into some souvenir shop or restaurant that no
doubt had an arrangement with the travel company. I hated these stops and felt
that we were missing the “real” Europe so I
vowed to return on my own and explore the continent at my own pace now that I
knew which places I wanted to see more of.
Most college students choose to explore Europe
traveling by train while living out of a backpack and staying at hostels. While
this is probably the cheapest and most adventuresome way of seeing Europe, it seemed just a bit too “exposed” for me. I
wanted to have a place I could retreat to at times when the road got to be too
much for me. I’ve always had a fascination with vehicles that also serve as
living quarters, such as cruising sailboats and, of course, campers. If I could
have such a vehicle with me in Europe, I
thought, it would be the perfect means to see the continent the way I wanted
to. Later, when I got married, I was certain that the backpacking/hostel thing
wasn’t going to work. After some initial hesitation, my new bride came to
embrace the campervan idea and grew to be even more exited than I was about the
trip.
This article outlines our preparations for the trip and will
eventually link to on-the-road updates and photographs.
Research
Since I had been thinking of the trip for many years, much
of the research has been done years in advance. The first thing I did was get
on the Internet and Google “Europe camper van
rental”. There are many campervan rental companies that have websites as well
as sites that allow you to search for vans by country.
Through my Internet search I found a book, which I consider
an invaluable reference for planning a campervan trip through Europe.
It’s called Europe by Van and Motorhome by David
Shore and Patty Campbell.
The book contains information on the different options such as renting, leasing
or buying new or used, from a private party or an agency that caters to tourists.
It also discusses campsites, driving techniques, trip preparation and
country-specific information.
I recently came across another book called Traveler’s Guide to European Camping
by Mike & Terri Church that is on its 3rd edition. This book
contains more information on campsites by country and is a good reference to
take along in order to help locate campsites and know which are
the better ones.
Another useful reference is the AA
Caravan & Camping Europe Guide, a directory of campsites throughout
mainland Europe published every year by the
British Automobile Association. (The 2005 guide hadn’t come out as of this
writing. If camping in Scandinavia be advised that the comments in Amazon.com
say that the books doesn’t include campsites in Scandinavia.)
In addition to the campsite directory, the latest Michelin
Europe Tourist and Motoring Atlas is also essential if you want to be able
to locate the campsites.
Finally, other useful references to study beforehand and
carry with you on the trip would be the Haynes
Driving Abroad guide as well as a good guidebook of Europe
to know where to go and what to do once you arrive at each destination. Taking
travelers language courses before leaving is also good practice as well as
carrying phrasebooks for the languages you will encounter. Even though you are
not likely to become fluent in all (or any) of the languages that you will
encounter in your trip, people are always much more willing to help if you make
an effort to communicate in their language.
Documents
When traveling abroad, it is important to have a valid
passport (though some countries might not require it). It’s best to apply for a
passport and/or renew sooner rather than later since a rush passport
application can be expensive. If you are only traveling to countries within the
European Union (EU), there is no need to arrange for travel visas beforehand if
you plan on staying less than 90 days (in most cases); however, if you plan to
travel to countries in Eastern Europe such as Ukraine or Russia arranging for
visas prior to travel is extremely important. Border crossings into non-EU
countries can be very time consuming and complicated and all the van’s
documents need to be in order. (I am not sure if you can even get a rented van
into some of these countries.)
In addition to the usual documents required for travel
abroad, campervan travelers may wish to apply for an international driving
permit and international camping carnet. The international driving permit is
available in the US through AAA and in Canada through CAA. Although some question the
usefulness of the international driving permit, it may be useful as additional
identification; however, always carry the license issued by your home country
since the international driving permit is not valid without this
license.
The international camping carnet, on the other hand, may be
more useful for the campervan traveler. Many campsites will offer discounts to
camping carnet holders but, more importantly, the camping carnet may be used in
place of a passport when checking into campsites. It is important not to leave
your passport at the campsite office even if requested to do so, not only to
prevent its loss but because one should carry a passport at all times when
traveling abroad. (A money belt worn inside your clothes is the safest way to
carry identification papers, credit cards and traveler’s checks.) The
international camping carnet is available to AAA members through the CAA.
Van Rental
There are many van rental agencies throughout Europe. A good website to locate camper rental agencies
in Europe and throughout the world is MotorhomesWorldwide.com.
The website allows visitors to locate motorhomes by
country and compare the features of different vans and motorhomes.
It is always a good idea to do an Internet search on the company, check out their
website and contact them with questions to gage the responsiveness of their
customer service.
The two books mentioned above also contain lists of van
rental agencies; however, these may be obsolete by the time of print as
companies go out of business and new ones appear. We were all but decided on a
company called BW
Campers based in the Netherlands
since I had found their prices to be the best during my previous research and
they seemed to be an established company with offices worldwide. However, we
later found a relatively new company called McRent that had better prices and whose compact vans
had a better layout than the VWs and Ford Nuggets offered
by other companies.
The following is a list of some of the camper rental
agencies in Europe by country:
United
Kingdom
·
Sunseeker Rentals Ltd.
·
Turners Motorcaravan
Hire
Ireland
·
Motorhome Ireland Ltd.
The Netherlands
·
Braitman & Woudenburg
·
Campanje Campervans
and Campers
·
Volkswagen Campercentrum
Nederland
Germany
·
DRM
·
Reise-Profi Service
GmbH
·
McRent
France
·
Hertz Trois Soleils
Italy
·
Freedom Holiday
·
Camper Tours Italy
Spain
·
Autocaravan Express
Switzerland
·
Moby Campers
Van and Equipment
Selection
Most agencies have several different levels of vans
available with different equipment and amenities. European motorhomes
vary from the ubiquitous VW van (called the California in Europe) with a canvas
pop-top or fixed high top to motorhomes build on a
cut-away van chassis similar to American Class C motorhomes
to larger coaches similar to American Class A motorhomes.
In general European motorhomes tend to be smaller
than American models and there are reasons for that. For one, fuel is almost
three times as expensive in Europe so bigger rigs with more powerful engines
will most-likely consume more fuel. Additionally, roads near villages and
cities may be narrower than roads in the States and parking spaces and pitches
in campsites are smaller. For these reasons it is wise to pick the smallest rig
that would meet your needs and one that has a diesel engine if possible.
The differences in European camping will also affect the
choice of equipment for the camper. Pump out sites for RV sewage systems are
few and far between in Europe so a cassette
toilet is generally the wisest choice since it can be emptied in any public
restroom. Electric hookups are also less common and tend to be of amperage
suitable only for running lights and smaller appliances so you may not be able
to use a microwave oven even if the van is equipped with one. (I don’t know why
you would want to eat TV dinners with all that great food around, anyway!) I
don’t of any European rental motorhomes equipped with
generators either; however, even if one was fitted, strict emission standards
may prevent running the generator for any length of time. During my previous
tour of Europe I remember that the bus driver wasn’t allowed to idle the bus to
run the air conditioning while waiting for passengers at a pickup point in Germany
because emission laws were strictly enforced.
The typical equipment on a compact van is a double bed on
the pop-up or high top roof, a dinette that converts into a single or full bed
and compact kitchen with propane range, refrigerator and sink. A porta-potti may be rented as an option; however, European
campsites tend to have good facilities so the porta-potti
may only be used for emergencies or midnight trips to the head. There are also
extended compact vans that have an enclosed bathroom and permanent double bed
in the rear in addition to a convertible dinette. These may be a good
compromise, offering comfort in manageable package.
The bigger vans have an enclosed bathroom with shower and
more bunk space with the addition of the cabover bed.
This may be a good choice for a family of four with small children. I would not
get a coach unless traveling with a larger group of six or more due to
increased cost and the complexities of handling a large vehicle in Europe. Even though it is always better to leave the van
outside of cities and towns and travel into town using public transportation
and/or bicycles, it is always better to have a smaller van in case one was to
unwittingly wander into a tight spot.
In addition to the standard equipment that comes with the
van rental, optional equipment varies from company to company. On some
companies, linen service and cooking utensils may be optional. Additionally, an
awning and portable chairs and/or tables may be rented as options. European
campsites may not have picnic tables so it may be a good idea to rent these or
ship your own ahead of time. (In addition to picnic tables, fire rings are
normally absent from European campsites as campfires are rarely a part of European
camping.) Bike racks and/or bicycles may also be rented beforehand; however, I
have read that bicycle rental may be expensive and that it may be worth it to
ship your own bikes. (Many camper rental agencies no longer rent the bikes but
only the racks and you must rent the bike from a different company or ship your
own.)
For our trip we decided on a group 1 compact van from McRent like the Globebus. This van offers more comfort than the regular
compact vans while still being relatively small and manageable. In addition,
prices for rental vans seemed to be much lower in Germany. (This is also reported in
the Traveler’s Guide to
European Camping.) Picking McRent would mean that
we would have to start our trip in Frankfurt
so our schedule would have to adjust accordingly as described below.
Route and Schedule
Once decided on a particular rental agency, a tentative
schedule for the trip may be outlined. One of the advantages of traveling by
campervan is the flexibility to change plans on a whim or alter the planned
route when conditions dictate. Despite this, it is a good idea to have a plan
and research the possible routes, campsites, local transportation and lodging
beforehand. (If traveling during the high summer season, reservations may be a
necessity to guarantee space at certain campsites.)
In developing a schedule, the first step is to make a list
of places that one wishes to visit and their relative priority. Once the list
has been compiled it may be necessary to make adjustments because of
constraints imposed by the duration of the trip and the distances that must be
traveled. In deciding where to go and how long to stay, I have found it useful
to consult a travel website such as expedia.com
that offers driving directions.
First, look at a map of Europe
in the Atlas and imagine a circle connecting all the destinations you wish to
visit. Then, get driving directions for each leg of the journey from the
website and write down the mileage and the time in route. Try different routes
by changing the order in which you will visit nearby destinations as true
mileage may hard to judge looking at the big map and the mileage calculations
of the mapping software for the website may show that a particular route is
more efficient.
The following is the mileage chart for the destinations for
our upcoming trip:
|
Leg
|
Route
|
Distance
|
Time
|
|
1
|
Frankfurt/Dettenheim
|
142 mi.
|
2 hrs. 8 min.
|
|
2
|
Dettenheim/Stuttguart
|
63.0 mi.
|
1 hrs. 9 min.
|
|
3
|
Stuttguart/Munich
|
137 mi.
|
1 hrs. 58 min.
|
|
4
|
Munich/Salzburg
|
88.3 mi.
|
1 hrs. 20 min
|
|
5
|
Salzburg/Prague
|
238 mi.
|
4 hrs. 42 min.
|
|
6
|
Prague/Vienna
|
203 mi.
|
3 hrs. 29 min.
|
|
7
|
Vienna/Venice
|
370 mi.
|
5 hrs. 20 min.
|
|
8
|
Venice/Rome
|
329 mi.
|
4 hrs. 56 min.
|
|
9
|
Rome/Florence
|
171 mi.
|
2 hrs. 42 min.
|
|
10
|
Florence/Nice
|
260 mi.
|
3 hrs. 42 min.
|
|
11
|
Nice/Paris
|
580 mi.
|
8 hrs. 26 min.
|
|
12
|
Paris/Brussels
|
190 mi.
|
2 hrs. 49 min.
|
|
13
|
Brussels/Frankfurt
|
348 mi.
|
4 hrs. 54 min.
|
Here is the preliminary route that we have chosen for our
month-long tour:
Date
|
City
|
Arrival
|
Departure
|
Comments
|
9/29
|
Washington D.C.
|
|
1630
|
|
|
9/30
|
Frankfurt
|
0625
|
|
Check into hotel/Rest day
|
|
10/01
|
Frankfurt
|
|
|
Pick up campervan at McRent
main office
|
|
10/02
|
Frankfurt
|
|
|
Sightseeing in Frankfurt
|
|
10/03
|
Frankfurt
|
|
0800
|
Early departure for Dettenheim
|
|
10/03
|
Dettenheim
|
1300
|
1600
|
Visit Unicat factory
|
|
10/03
|
Stuttguart
|
1730
|
|
Stay at campsite near VW Autostadt
|
|
10/04
|
Stuttguart
|
|
1300
|
Visit VW Autostadt
|
|
10/04
|
Munich
|
1530
|
|
Stay at campsite near Munich
|
|
10/05
|
Munich
|
|
1500
|
Sightseeing/BMW museum
|
|
10/05
|
Salzburg
|
1700
|
|
Stay at campsite near Salzburg
|
|
10/06
|
Salzburg
|
|
|
Sightseeing in Salzburg/Rest day
|
|
10/07
|
Salzburg
|
|
0700
|
Early departure for long leg to Prague
|
|
10/07
|
Prague
|
1300
|
|
Check into hotel in Prague
|
|
10/08
|
Prague
|
|
|
Sightseeing in Prague
|
|
10/09
|
Prague
|
|
0800
|
Early departure for drive to Vienna
|
|
10/09
|
Vienna
|
1300
|
|
Stay at campsite near Vienna
|
|
10/10
|
Vienna
|
|
|
Sightseeing in Vienna
|
|
10/11
|
Vienna
|
|
0600
|
Early departure for drive to Venice
|
|
10/11
|
Venice
|
1300
|
|
Take ferry to campsite on the Lido
|
|
10/12
|
Venice
|
|
|
Sightseeing in Venice/Lido
|
|
10/13
|
Venice
|
|
0600
|
Early departure for drive to Rome
|
|
10/13
|
Rome
|
1300
|
|
Check into hotel in Rome
|
|
10/14
|
Rome
|
|
|
Sightseeing in Rome/Vatican City
|
|
10/15
|
Rome
|
|
|
Sightseeing in Rome/Vatican City
|
|
10/16
|
Rome
|
|
0600
|
Early departure for drive to Florence
|
|
10/16
|
Florence
|
