Yesterday, we presented our cost for 1 year of motorhome travel around Europe, in an blog posts. We decided to write about this because we received many questions, and because we think it might help others. We received a lot of feedback - both here on the blog and on Facebook - and we thank you for that!
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ShareWe received comments that were thankful, curious, surprised or not surprised and sometimes wondering. We also received many comments about other motorhome owners' costs for holiday trips or wintering. We are very happy for all the feedback, and feel the need to answer some concerns and perhaps clarify some points.
Yes, it is cheaper if you stay in the same place for a long time.
Some overwinterers (people who spend the winter in a motorhome down in Europe) have commented that they live cheaper per month than the costs we have presented. We are grateful for these comments, and it is also valuable information for others who are planning future winterisations!
Yes, it is often cheaper if you stay in one place for a long time. Bear in mind that the costs we presented are for an adventure trip around almost all of Europe, but long distances and lots of ferry connections - not for wintering in a few places. We never got any "long term discounts" on campsites or internet as we were constantly moving. So yes, wintering in one or two countries can certainly be much cheaper per month!
Internet became expensive - here is the explanation
Many people have commented that the internet became expensive during our trip. This is true! In fact, the Internet is the only item that directly exceeded our estimate and budget. So why was it so expensive? Many readers write that they found good and cheap internet solutions down in Europe. Yes, that is certainly true. Our internet consumption was expensive for two reasons:
- We moved all the time and changed countries and campsites frequently. Many campsites have good deals on the internet, but they only apply if you stay at least a week. We rarely did that ... Sometimes we found cheap sim cards with internet, but sometimes we changed countries before we even used it up. Because we changed countries often, it also sometimes took time to learn and find the best deal...
- We use many GIGs. Not only do we surf, but we upload large images, films and manage websites. So we consumed more GIGs than most people might. We also prioritised internet over most other things, so we often chose to buy internet even when it was expensive.
It costs to live - we have included EVERYTHING
Some people have compared our monthly budget with monthly holidays. Some (especially people travelling without a motorhome) have commented that the trip seems quite cheap, while others (especially people travelling with a motorhome) have commented that it seems a bit expensive. Yes, it's cheaper to travel by motorhome and cook your own food than to stay in a hotel! But why was it still more expensive per month than some readers' motorhome holidays?
We believe this is because we have included EXACTLY ALL the costs we have incurred during the year. We haven't just included diesel, camping, food and entertainment. We've also included insurance, doctors' visits, medication, repairs and maintenance, clothes we've had to buy for a whole year, books we've wanted to read, new stuff we've had to buy for the motorhome, etc.
So we have included all these items in the costs, which you might not do if you are travelling on a month-long holiday. Thank you again for your valuable comments and we hope we have answered some of your questions!
You might also like:
Insure your motorhome - some companies have switched to annual insurance
Motorhome in winter - here's what we're doing this year
Motorhome models - which model is right for you?
Burglary in the motorhome - one broken window
Motorhome/caravan bathroom - tips and upcoming products
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Hasse says:
Interesting reading, thanks for all the info, it's inspiring.
15 December 2015 - 9:05
Catherine says:
Very valuable facts! The cost is always so difficult to calculate when travelling in h very important.
15 December 2015 - 9:10
Ninni, Henrik and the Knasen motorhome says:
Hi! interesting. Yes, it is quite obvious that it will be more expensive to travel around than to stand on one or two campsites all winter. But oh so much more you can see as you did. I am so keen to be able to do something similar in the future.
15 December 2015 - 9:15
seriousness says:
Thanks for the interesting reading.
I also belong to the category of motorhome owners who drive around a lot.
Don't want to die curious.
15 December 2015 - 10:03
Benny Sköld says:
Thank you for a rewarding report. Very readable for a prospective "long-distance traveller".
15 December 2015 - 10:25
Ann-Sofie says:
We travel around too, but by sailboat. The problem with the internet is that you have to buy a prepaid card if you don't have a permanent address in the country in question. Some countries also require a tax number, which is easy to get, but if you only stay a few weeks it feels unnecessary with all the bureaucracy. In Greece, however, we managed to get a fixed subscription for data traffic when we stayed in the same place for 6 months and could use the marina as our address. Then, 2 years ago we paid 40Euro/month and 10 Gb.
A prepaid card is valid for 30 days or as long as the number of Gb on the card lasts. Spain is the least expensive with a maximum of 1.2 Gb per 30 days and Italy is the most generous with 20 Gb. The price is between 30 and 40 euros per card. The card itself costs 5 Euro. Note that I am only talking about internet connection. If you want to be able to call as well, there are other prices.
For example, in Italy with 3, for 20Euro/month I have access to 4×500 Mb data, 100 min domestic calls and 100 national SMS. Since I have a Swedish ab for telephony, I have not bothered so much about that part.
If you are lucky, you can buy access to a WiFi network for 20-40 Euros/month. The advantage is that there is no limit on usage, but the quality of the network is often not what you expect.
I saw that the EU has proposed free data roaming in the future, i.e. if you have a fixed subscription in your home country, you should be able to use it everywhere in Europe at no extra cost. I am really looking forward to that!
15 December 2015 - 10:29
stig salhus says:
Very good article. The costs are in our experience about 1000 kr/day + a few kroner. Great to read your experiences. Wishing you a Merry Christmas.
15 December 2015 - 10:31
s p i n d e l t j e j e n says:
Well, the internet isn't cheap at home either.
If you compare here at home in a year, you (usually) have broadband/fiber at home for many hundreds. Then the mobile phone is added to it (also several hundred usually) and in addition to that, there is also often a cost for mobile / surf during holidays (if you go on short trips). So I still do not think it was super expensive compared to home? 🙂
15 December 2015 - 9:35
Mr Lars Permelin says:
Thank you very much for your excellent cost statement with explanations. It will be very helpful. The comment from Ann-Sofie is also valuable, thank you for it.
15 December 2015 - 11:01
Ditte says:
I thought it was a very reasonable, to.o.. "cheap cost" to be away for a whole year. And so much you have seen and experienced! Fantastic! Of course, it is cheaper to lie still and make few movements, but then you miss part of the "adventure" in my opinion. You have basically experienced all of Europe during your year.
And of course you want to treat yourself to a good time, with all that entails, even if you are away for longer, even if the more expensive restaurant visits are cancelled in favour of cooking good food yourself from good ingredients.
15 December 2015 - 11:03
nils-åke hansson says:
We have never looked at costs before. BUT this year I got the idea to write everything in Excel. We have bought WiFi this year 30Euro/month free use of Gb . Only have an idea about Diesel T/R about 12000 SEK We have always reasoned that we must live here in the South as we do at home. But we have probably thought that we live cheaper here than at home.
15 December 2015 - 11:11
Birgith Roos says:
Thanks for a great description of the costs, we have never been that careful. Diesel and camping, pitches, is what we usually calculate and road tax. Living costs wherever you are, but I find that it is generally cheaper in Spain and Portugal. The most important thing for us is to get away from the grey cold, we leave after Christmas and come home in May!
15 December 2015 - 12:46
admin says:
Hasse, very happy if we can inspire someone! 🙂
Katarina, it was really hard for us to know too, so we hope to help others plan - whether you're travelling shorter or longer or have different priorities.
Ninni, it's good that you can travel in different ways, depending on what you want, but yes, the costs will probably be a bit different....
Spider girl, you are right that internet is not always cheap at home either! It's probably easy to forget about the costs one has at home... We have lived abroad for a year and we use a lot of internet if you say so 😉.
Ernst, no who wants to die curious? 😉
Benny Sköld, fun, when and where are you going! Great if we can contribute with some planning help, then you have to plan based on your own priorities and how you intend to travel ...
Ann-Sofie, thank you for sharing your experience!!!! We recognise the fact that it is differently stingy/generous in different countries. 20 GIG in Italy was a good deal. 1 GIG runs out in an instant for us 😉.
Stig Salhus, thank you for your comment and your calculation! Our year probably ended up slightly cheaper than that, but it may be a reasonable thought. Merry Christmas!
Lars Permelin, great if we could help! 🙂
Ditte, for our part, we wanted to travel light this way and we are very happy with our trip! But it may be good to mention that it will be different depending on how much you have travelled. Of course we have held back when it comes to restaurant visits, but we have got a lot of other things instead and still good food, but in the motorhome 😉.
Nils-Åke, free use of GIG is great, but harder to get when travelling around. In Croatia, however, you could buy a SIM card with free GIG limited to one week for about 100 SEK. Great! Interesting to get some control over the costs!
Birgit Roos, agrees that Spain and Portugal are relatively cheap countries. France and Italy were more expensive!
15 December 2015 - 13:29
Olof Pfeifer Johansson says:
Fantastic description of a thought we had for a future "free year". Thank you very much.
I am so cheeky that I suggest you sell this description + a bit about travelling routes to some motorhome magazine. This is exactly what we motorhome owners want to read about when we dream away (and don't have the time)?
Not about new motorhomes, accessories and other things you find on google???
15 December 2015 - 17:22
Monica says:
Thought it was interesting to read how the costs were distributed and then immediately thought that they seemed reasonable for two people for a whole year. It is not exactly free to live here at home either:-). Reacted to the internet costs first but as someone writes with, they are quite expensive at home here too for two and understand how you prioritised it.
And a big difference of course if someone goes away for a month and lives in the same place, it is not possible to compare at all, maybe take the dirty laundry home again:-) and also all your fees for roads, ferries, etc. Completely understandable. And some luxury dinners did not become such a large part of the budget, but you have to treat yourself a little extra, especially when you filled evenly:-). So (and you don't have to answer that:-) but assume that your boat berth costs about 5000 / month and that you might be able to rent out the houseboat for 15000 / month then there will be a rental income there when your costs are deducted at 120000. Do not know if you are taxed for it, I think so. So in summary, you give the impression of having a good overview of where the money takes / took the road: -). And also thought about in the first post that you bought things you need such as clothes that can be used for a long time to come, is perhaps nothing either that people generally buy on their trips to motorhome campsites. And so on all the experiences and impressions you have gained, it is difficult to put a price on:-).
Hope you have a good year here at home too!
15 December 2015 - 18:01
BP says:
Good with the explanations! I can only say that as a faithful follower of your fine blog, I am very grateful that you prioritised the internet and its costs. I would have done the same, without the slightest hesitation. I know how "handicapped" I feel when I can't blog. It is like a diary that you can read over and over again now that you are home and want to relive / refresh the memory of this fantastic adventure you have been through.
It is obvious (to me at least) that all the actual costs you had - including insurance and repairs - are included.
15 December 2015 - 17:46
Ama de casa says:
Of course, travelling around costs more than staying in the same place. It's a matter of taste, of course, but I prefer your version of travelling to staying in the same place. Even if it also has its charm, of course.
🙂
I would also prioritise the internet. It will have to cost a lot before I back down, I can say... 🙂 ðŸ™'
15 December 2015 - 19:18
Katta's Considerations says:
How good you were at keeping track of your expenses. An investment in your life, in yourself!
15 December 2015 - 19:57
admin says:
Olof Pfeifer Johansson, haha, why not? Thanks for the tip! Do not know if it can be sold perhaps, but it may be interesting for readers of motorhome magazines? Thanks for your comment!
BP, haha, yes, without the internet it would not have been blogged so frequently! 😉 What you spend money on is a priority. It must be different, but for us, the internet was prioritised before much else!
Monica, thank you for your comment! Maybe you should write down your expenses for a year here at home as well... it might be just as interesting? You probably don't really know what you're spending... Of course, it's true that we have received a little extra on the rental of the boat and also a few kronor on ads and the like on the blog (no big money, but still). The rest we have saved. We are not totally poor yet, but we have to start working to get some balance in the economy again...!
Ama de casa, you should of course choose to travel exactly as you want (and are able to), but the costs will of course be different and not entirely comparable. And yes, when it comes to internet, you are like us I hear... 😉.
Kattas Considerations, it is largely estimates and not exact, but the sum is correct in any case and several items we have a pretty good control of. In any case, we do not regret the trip, it feels like a fantastic memory and experience! 🙂
15 December 2015 - 21:33
Motorhome Helge says:
Admirable that you have kept track of all the different types of expenses, this requires a lot of discipline and interest according to us. Your entire travelogue has provided valuable information and parts of it have formed the basis for our travel planning. Lying still or travelling around provides two different dimensions of HB life. It is not everyone's privilege to be able to spend a whole year travelling as you did. That's what's so great about HB, you lie still or move around according to what you want or are able to do. It is the freedom that we rank highest, i.e. FREEDOM. We look forward to new travel stories with excitement.
15 December 2015 - 23:02
ActiveDays-Camilla says:
Interesting! Thank you for sharing this too! And it's easy to forget that it costs quite a lot to live at home for a whole year too....
15 December 2015 - 22:56
admin says:
Camilla, yes, the costs include both things that are "extra" because of the trip and things that always cost - food, medicines, insurance, clothes. But, of course, the challenge is that it is difficult to have an income when travelling (although it is not completely impossible if you have a job you can do via the internet, for example).
Motorhome Helge, it's great that we've been able to do this trip - but we also planned it for seven years. And of course you should choose to travel the way you want. Standing still in a place in southern Europe for a long time can of course be a great way to spend the winter and avoid the Swedish cold - we just wanted to make it clear that there are different costs if you stand still or drive around. And of course there will be new travel stories, of different types 😉.
16 December 2015 - 8:39
Renate's travels says:
How nice that you share with us what such a journey costs. There are certainly many who are curious and dream of doing a similar journey themselves! Considering that you are two people and have been away and travelling for a whole year, 300,000 is something I would assume you would spend on such a trip. I was a bit surprised at how much it cost for the tolls and ferries though! But the campervan is pretty big, and you probably took quite a few ferries around. The internet also sounded a bit expensive, but that's how it is unfortunately. In any case, it has been very fun to follow you around Europe in the past year, and I guess every penny was worth it! 🙂
16 December 2015 - 20:08
Elisabeth says:
Some costs are different in different countries. The internet is often expensive and sometimes it works poorly, but it has become a "vital" thing. It's nice to catch up on what I haven't had time to read before.
20 December 2015 - 13:56
admin says:
Renate, we took a lot of different ferries and yes, a large motorhome is much more expensive than a regular car. Motorway tolls add up over a year, a little here and a little there. But it has certainly been worth it. We don't regret the trip for a second!
Elisabeth, yes, it has been different in different countries. In Spain, food is cheap, but electricity is expensive, for example.
We are very dependent on the internet...
20 December 2015 - 17:57