Are you one of those people who head down to more southern latitudes with your motorhome every winter - or are you one of those who dream of it? Right now, many people are planning for the trip, and some have already left. We spent 365 days on the road in Europe last year and know a thing or two about what to expect. Here are 10 tips for wintering with a motorhome in Europe.
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1. get a road atlas and a good guidebook
GPS is great, but it's good to supplement it with a good old-fashioned road atlas. The GPS is perfect when you already know where you're going, but the road atlas is good for getting an overview and thinking about possible routes and destinations.
We also recommend the book Discover Europe by car 2016-2017 from Motormännen. Here you'll find lots of practical travel facts country by country: driving rules, how motorway tolls work, what petrol and diesel are called in the local language, etc.
2. Get good lists of campsites and pitches
If you don't plan to stay at the same campsite for the whole winter, it's good to have one (or preferably several) lists of campsites and pitches. We usually use the German Bordatlas, ACSI Eurocampings, the Campercontact app and lists of pitches at the various motorhome clubs.
3. Get an ACSI card
If you plan to stay at the same campsite for the entire winter, you can probably get a good seasonal price. However, if you want to travel around, it's a good idea to get an ACSI card. This card gives you a big discount at all ACSI-affiliated campsites during the low season (varying dates, but pretty much all year round except July and August). An international camping card can also be useful, although some campsites (including in Spain) prefer passports.
4. Download our e-book with packing tips
We probably didn't pack quite right for our long trip around Europe, but with hindsight we have a pretty good idea of what to bring and what not to bring. We have made a packing list for the motorhome, which you can use.
5. Get roadside assistance
When our motorhome stopped in northern Spain one Sunday in the middle of winter, we were glad we had roadside assistance. The guys at the petrol station were not particularly interested in helping, but when we called the roadside assistance in Sweden, it didn't take more than an hour for a mechanic to arrive. We have M Väghjälp via Motormännen and have been very satisfied, but there are many other companies that may also be good.
6. Think about the gas
Swedish LPG tanks are difficult to change in Europe, as each country has its own system and its own connections. One solution is to install refillable tubes so that you can fill up with LPG. If not, it's a good idea to at least get a set of different couplings.
7. pack a gas grill instead of a charcoal grill
We carried a charcoal grill with us all over Europe, but our experience is that charcoal grills were banned on many campsites in southern Europe. A LPG grill would have been much more useful!
8. Follow motorhome blogs
Following motorhome blogs is a great way to get inspiration and tips for your European trip. There are many motorhome bloggers and many of them regularly travel down to Europe. You can find a list of motorhome bloggers at our links page.
9. Join forums and Facebook groups
Wow, how many times we were helped by forums and Facebook groups when we were down in Europe. You post a question, and soon you get an answer. Fantastic! More from the major motorhome clubs have forums on their sites and there are lots of Facebook groups that you can join (sometimes you need to be a member of an organisation, sometimes you need to have a motorhome and sometimes nothing special): Husbilsklubben, Husbilsgruppen, Husbilar - Hit kör vi, Vi som ska till Kroatien med Husvagn/Husbil etc.
10. Have fun and enjoy life!
Travelling by motorhome in Europe is easy! Most people you meet are incredibly friendly and helpful, and if there are language problems, there's sign language, Google Translate and apps that translate. And if you've forgotten something, you're sure to find it somewhere along the way. Just roll on and enjoy life!
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The start of motorhome life - Maria and Jöran's review
Motorhome exhibition in March - don't miss Motorhome 2022 Sthlm!
Tips for new campervan owners
Latest news on the camping industry - direct from Elmia
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Lennart says:
Thanks for the tips!
We hope for a normal departure.
20 September 2016 - 6:55
Bengt-Göran says:
Thank you for the tip about driving in Europe!
Fun to read and learn for your own future travels.
You are great bloggers!
20 September 2016 - 7:41
Anna, New York - My Bite of the Big Apple says:
So, last picture: Life on a stick!
Wintering down in Europe without the cold wouldn't be a bad idea. I hope this guide will be very useful for all motorhome travellers! It's great to gather your experiences like this.
Have a great week!
20 September 2016 - 9:56
Ditte says:
Great tips for anyone who is travelling or planning a trip. I'm sure many will benefit from your e-book with great packing tips.
And I think good maps are even more important because if you only drive a normal car, you can see that GPS is not always reliable for new roads or small roads.
Enjoying life is even more important!
You seem to be doing that here in Portugal.
20 September 2016 - 10:28
Dessan says:
What we noticed during our trip now...do not go with a large car?.difficult to get large enough places so you can fit in the campsites (ours is 7.90). It was probably difficult. Good you share tips and help? Hugs to you
20 September 2016 - 11:08
Mr Steve says:
Invaluable tips you offer for those planning to winter in Europe.
I have a former work colleague who every year goes down to Spain with his camper van on Boxing Day and then back home for May Day.
The Motormännens road atlas has maintained high quality throughout the years. I remember it since the 60s.
20 September 2016 - 11:37
Elisabeth says:
Great tips!
20 September 2016 - 13:12
Goatfish says:
Such nice tips you offer! 😀
I can say that blogs and groups on Facebook are gold for sharing experiences and this applies to most things in your life, not just camping. So I say thank goodness for all the information served! 😀
20 September 2016 - 16:07
Lena says:
Very good tips!
20 September 2016 - 16:20
Ama de casa says:
Great tips! The last one was the very best I think 😀.
20 September 2016 - 16:25
admin says:
Lennart, that sounds great!
Bengt-Göran, thank you for your nice comment! It is warming to hear!
Anna, many people (especially retirees) have found a great way to spend their winters 😉.
Ditte, I agree that GPS is not always enough. GPS combined with a map is great!
Well, we can probably agree! Of course, it depends on how you want to travel, but if you want to travel on small roads and in small villages, it's nice not to have a too big car 😉.
Steve, your former colleague seems to have found a nice way to spend some of the cold season! 🙂
Geddfish, agree! I am also in FB groups about travelling and blogging among other things 🙂 .
Ama de casa, the last tip is the nicest part 🙂 .
20 September 2016 - 19:07
Snows says:
Given your experience, I'm sure these are good and useful tips in every way. The last one is also so important 😀.
20 September 2016 - 19:20
Matts Torebring says:
Great post as usual! I think your trip was fantastic. Several people standing in the same place for most of the winter. We would never be able to do that. We want to see new places, discover new things all the time.
20 September 2016 - 19:32
Husis blog says:
Thanks for all the tips and a good and informative blog for us who are new to motorhomes. Can agree with the size of the car as we have been in Croatia on two occasions, once with a slightly smaller car and once with a slightly larger one (almost normal in Sweden) and there was a noticeable difference.
We must belong to the group that longs for the winter even if it can be a week in the heat....
20 September 2016 - 20:15
BP says:
Good with your tips that are entirely based on your own experiences irl if you say so. Especially stuck on the Road Assistance - fantastic! And of course the charcoal grill - ooooops. How can you know that if no one talks about it?! So eloge here again: -)
20 September 2016 - 20:43
admin says:
Znogge, agree that the last one is important 😉.
Matts, we couldn't imagine standing in the same place all the time, but some people like it,
Husisblogg, thank you for your comment! Glad to hear that you appreciate our blog! Croatia is nice with a motorhome 🙂
BP, right? We didn't pack perfectly, but in retrospect we have a pretty good idea 😉.
21 September 2016 - 7:13
Shamrock says:
Great tips. Of course we dream of going away with the motorhome during the winter months - but we will probably have to wait a few years until we become pensioners.
21 September 2016 - 19:08
Malta says:
Are super good tips☺????❤ ?⌚?
27 January 2018 - 14:00