Introduction

So, you have bought/rented your van and you are ready to go explore a continent rich with culture, beautiful landscapes, history and culinary delights.  If you’re new to travelling Europe by motorhome/camper, it may seem overwhelming at first as you don’t know what to expect or where to start. Even for us it was a new approach to travel and a little bit of a learning curve. We learnt from our own mistakes and mishaps and invested hours of reading Forums,Blogs and Facebook groups.

Having already spent 5 months travelling Europe in 2018, our own experience has provide a wealth of information which we want to share with other newcomers to assist in making your trip easier and rewarding.

So lets go…

Sleeping

 

 

 

 

 

 

Europe is a motorhome/campervan paradise, it is loaded with so many options of places to park up for the night from wild camping on the Norwegian fjords to 5* camp grounds in France; there is no shortage of places to stay.  Below gives you the options of the different places you can stay around Europe. At the end of the list will be a selection of suggested websites and apps for finding that ultimate sleep spot.

Wildcamping/Freecamping

If you can camp for free as much as possible then you will save heaps of money. Money you don’t spend on camp grounds you can spend on a nice bottle of wine instead!  As much as we like the idea of free camping it’s not always possible as each country has laws with regards to this and it is something you should check.  In 2018 we traveled 17 European countries and found that most do tolerate free camping to some extent. The best country for wild camping is Norway, that is because Norway has “allemannsretten” or freedom to roam “everyman’s right” an ancient law which says you have the right to roam and camp on land for up to 2 nights and longer in more remote areas.  It’s a good job they have this law as Norway is a very expensive country to travel and being able to wildcamp everywhere was a bonus.

Countries we free camped:

• England – (please refer to my blog – Aussies Budget Guide to Touring the UK with a Motorhome/Camper)
• France
• Austria
• Slovenia
• Denmark
• Slovakia
• Hungary
• *Croatia (please note it’s illegal to freecamp in Croatia, we did one night as it was late in the year and no camp grounds were open)
• Montenegro
• Switzerland
• Sweden
• Norway
• Poland

Croatia is one country that does not tolerate wild camping especially around the coast. If you are caught the fines are hefty.  Belgium, Netherlands and Germany also frown on free camping although you can get away with it to some extent. We found the motorhome stops in these countries quite reasonable (less than €10).

Dedicated Motorhome Parkings

In Germany they are known as Womoplatz ,in Scandinavia Stellplatz. These dedicated motorhome parking sites are setup only for Motorhomes and Campers (tents and caravans are not allowed) as they assume you are self-sufficient and don’t need the services of bathrooms and showers.  They were some of our favourite because for less than €10 you can have a safe and pleasant overnight stay with everything you need minus the expensive trimmings of a campground like bathrooms, play areas and swimming pools. A typical Womoplatz will have marked bays, with electric hook-ups. There will be a dump point and water refill station as well as bins for your trash. Some are manned, others are self-service where you swipe your credit card to open a barrier to allow you in and charge your credit card on exit.

Marina Parkings

These were another favourite overnight parking area, they provide everything you need plus water views! Like motorhomes, boats have the same requirements for servicing so many marinas are equipped with electric hook-ups, dump points, water, bathrooms and even a launderette so they extend their marina to include motorhomes.  Marinas set aside dedicated parking areas for motorhomes often overlooking the water.  Because of the extra facilities they can be a little more expensive than motorhome parkings.

Aires

Aires are motorhome stopovers mostly on public land with some being offered on private land for a small fee. Most aires are free and offered by the local municipality as a way of inviting you into their town/area where you are likely to spend tourist dollars.  Aires usually have service points offering grey/black water disposal and fresh water.  The rules of Aires sites are only motorhome/campervans are allowed and no camping behaviour (no putting out table and chairs, awnings, BBQ’s, dumping of grey water on the ground).  Aires sites don’t have the security of a campground, usually the security is the local neighbourhood watch of your fellow campers!  It’s best to arrive at an Aire site during the day so you can get a feel for the place.

Aires can be found mostly in France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg

Go to the Aires website for a guide to finding Aires

http://en.airecampingcar.com/

Comprehensive Aires guides as well as other useful guides can be purchased from Vicarious Media.

https://www.vicarious-shop.com/

Farmstays

Many farmers have set up a section of their land to host motorhomes, campers and even caravans and tents.  Some offer basic facilities, others more and very often you will have a chance to purchase fresh farm produce.  If you are using the “park4night” app then farmstays will be shown as a “tractor” symbol.

Camp Grounds

Camp grounds are in their thousands across Europe and come in all sizes and standards.  We haven’t used one yet but France its reputed to have some of the best camp grounds in Europe with 5* facilities such as restaurants and pools. We prefer the small family run campgrounds and have stayed in some nice ones in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.  Our experience of campgrounds has been hit and miss, with campgrounds in Montenegro having no toilet paper to staying in one just outside Venice that had heated bathrooms!  Campgrounds can vary in price from as little as €10 to as much as €70 a night like one we stayed in Switzerland!

Camping Card ASCI

Camping Card ASCI is a camping guide and card that gives you up to 50% discount at ASCI campgrounds throughout Europe in low season only.  If you plan on travelling Europe in low season, then it’s worth getting this card.

Camp Hosting  

Camp hosting is a way of getting off the beaten path and staying for free with one of the many gourmet friendly hosts.  If you like your food and wine then staying a night at a winery, pub, cheese, honey or fruit farm is a way of experiencing some local fresh produce and enjoying a safe and peaceful night in a rural retreat.  

Farmers, Publicans and Wine Growers invite you to stay for free at their properties for up to 24hours. There is no obligation to make a purchase, but chances are you will, why wouldn’t you? It is a wonderful opportunity to try some local produce. 

Two popular hosting schemes are:

France Passion (Mostly France)

French Passion offers you the opportunity to stay the night with wine growers and farmers all over France. It’s safe, peaceful and an opportunity to experience local produce.

The way it works is you pay a yearly membership which gives you a sticker and a comprehensive guide and map of where hosts are located.  More information can be found on the France Passion website

https://www.france-passion.com/

France Passion has International Partners with similar networks worldwide, you will find more information on the website.

https://www.france-passion.com/en/france-passion/similar-networks

Britstops (UK)

Britstops works the same way as France Passion and operates throughout the UK and Ireland. Like France Passion you are given the opportunity to stay for 24hrs for free at country pubs, wineries, breweries and a number of other wonderful hosts.  More information can be found on the Britstops website

http://www.britstops.com/welcome.php

Websites/Apps

Below is a list of websites and apps that we use to find our sleep spots! We use all the apps as one app might have a camp spot that another doesn’t show.

APPS

park4night

This is a favourite, we used this app most of the time covers all the different camp sites I mention plus dump points and car parks.

 

caramaps

Good app for finding paid campgrounds

 

campervan.guide 

A good app and worth paying the subscription.

 

Camperstop

A paperback guide accompanies this app (details below under book section)

 

Motorhome Parkings

Also known as Campercontact.  You can also pick up the paperback guide (details below)

 

ASCI Campings for Europe and UK

 

 

Motorhome parking Ireland

 

 

Websites

Park4night – https://park4night.com/

Campercontact – https://www.campercontact.com/en

Camperstop – https://camperstop.com/

Search for Sites (mostly UK) – https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/

Aire Camping Car (Aires sites in France) – https://en.airecampingcar.com/

Pitchup – https://www.pitchup.com/

France Passion – https://www.france-passion.com/en/

Britstops – http://www.britstops.com/welcome.php

ASCI Sites – https://www.acsi.eu/en/home/l2-n144/

Books

Camperstop and ASCI guides can be picked up in any outdoor shop/camping stores or Motorhome/Caravan suppliers throughout Europe. Aires (both France, Spain and Portugal) and France Passion guides can be purchased from Vicarious Media

The Bristops book comes with a sticker for your windscreen and can be bought from the Britstops website

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Gas

Like fuel, topping up with gas is a necessity and it’s straightforward except for few idiosyncrasies which I will discuss in a moment.  We found in the 5 months of travel we didn’t have to fill up with gas too often, we topped it up once a week at the most, it was surprisingly quite efficient. 

We had two bottles in our motorhome:-

• Autogas (LPG) with an external connector – used for cooking, fridge, hot water and heating.
• Propane – backup bottle but mainly used for the BBQ

There are a few things you should know, concerning gas filling in Europe:-

There is no such thing as “one standard” of LPG adapter across Europe

Yes, you read correctly!  There are 4 different standards and you will need to carry all 4 adapters if you plan on travelling most of Europe, as you don’t know which one you may need in which country.  Make sure before you set off you have these adapters, we had all the adapters supplied with our motorhome.

The four different kind of adapters are:

  Euroconnector or Euronozzle – Mostly used in Spain and Portugal

 

 

 

Acme – Used in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

 

 

Bayonet – Used in Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, UK

 

 

Dish – Used mainly in Eastern and Southern Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Switzerland

 

For more information on the adapters and which country uses which adapter please refer to this excellent web link:

https://www.mylpg.eu/adapters

We had all the fittings provided with our van but check before you set off.

Most gas station attendants will not fill an LPG gas bottle unless it has an external connector

When we purchased our motorhome we had to make some minor modifications. One of these was to fit an external filling point as we learnt that many gas stations won’t let you fill a bottle directly by opening the gas cabinet (they consider it dangerous). More and more countries are getting strict on this, even when we returned to the Netherlands this year (2019) we found the government had made some changes and an “external filling point” fitted on your van is mandatory.

Fortunately, Vaughan is handy so could do it himself.  This is something to consider if you do not want the continuous hassle of trying to fill a gas bottle.  

The below photo shows our external filling connector which we fitted next to the gas cabinet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some countries prefer Swap and Go over Autogas

The UK is a good example of this. Even though we were able to find LPG in fuel stations, the UK preferred way of refilling gas is to swap out the empty for a full.  Italy, I think is another country that prefers this method. For most countries in the continent, Swap and Go is not always an option so you may want to think about having a setup for LPG which is by far the easiest, cheapest and most convenient.

Not all countries have an abundance of LPG stations

Norway is an example of a country where LPG is not common, you will rarely find it at petrol stations. Instead there are special gas filling stations which are either manned or self-service.  For countries where LPG is not common then you need to plan your gas refills and refill whenever you get the opportunity.

Some countries refuse to let you fill LPG

Italy is a prime example here. We had no end of trouble trying to fill gas in Italy and it was a surprise as Italians love their motorhomes.  We found that you had a better chance of filling your gas at rural locations than on the major highways. My advice is fill up before you enter Italy and fill when you get an opportunity even if it means driving a few kilometers out of your way (I will share with you further down this page a useful app for finding LPG filling points) or better still have a second full bottle as backup like we did.

LPG does not work too well in cold conditions

If you are travelling during the winter months then you might want to consider having a second bottle that is propane as LPG doesn’t work too well under freezing conditions.

Websites/App

 

 

By the far the best app to use to find places selling LPG is:

https://www.mylpg.eu/

Motorhome Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Servicing is an essential part of travelling with a motorhome/camper. I’m not talking about an oil change here, I’m talking about emptying and refilling.  First though some terminology:-

Grey Water – This is your waste water produced from your sinks and shower, in other words any fresh water that came out of the tap and has been soiled from washing and showering will go into the grey water tank.

Black Water – This is the contents of your toilet.

Servicing involves:-

1. Refilling your freshwater tank
2. Emptying your Grey, Black water and garbage

Service points are usually indicated by a sign like the one in the photo below:-

Service points vary considerably from all-in-one dedicated service points like we encountered in Denmark (photo below) to a makeshift hole in the ground and hose connector like we encountered in Eastern Europe.  They can be anywhere from service stations (normally free)  to private property (camp grounds etc)  If you are staying in paid camping then chances are you will have access to a service area and you will do a service before and after you leave but if you are free camping then you will be looking for somewhere to dump and refill with water and this is not always easy.

Grey water dump is usually into a grate and fresh water will be away from the back water.

We found the best country for free service points was Denmark which meant we could do mostly free camping, Norway also had plenty of free service points.  The worst countries were the UK and Croatia where service points outside of campgrounds were almost none existent.

Websites/App

 

 

park4night

We found this to be the best app for showing where the service points are.

 

Internet

Having good internet was important to me for my blogging and planning. We bought a 4g-Huawei E5577 MiFi unit with an antenna from Motorhome WiFi in the UK, they had the best deal and their customer service is excellent.  Having the external antenna gave us a much stronger connection and faster speeds.

While in the UK we bought EE Sim cards for both the MiFi and our phones.  Before we left for Europe we bought Vodafone sims. Vodafone doesn’t have the usage restrictions that other UK mobile companies have. We were able to use our sims continuously for the 5 months in the EU countries with the “roam like at home” plan, in other words charges are no different in the EU to that of the UK  and top up is easily done on-line.  Now we are back in our motorhome as of April 2019 we re-activated our sims by topping up using the Vodafone app and we are ready to go again! 

In non-EU countries like Montenegro and Bosnia we bought local sims which were cheap and had plenty of data.

Some campgrounds offer free WiFi but the speeds are not always great.

Navigation

When we first started the trip, we bought a Garmin SatNav from Amazon UK. It lasted two weeks before it failed, we sent it back to Amazon and didn’t bother getting it replaced.

We decided a better and cheaper option was to use a satnav app on the phone.  In the UK Vaughan found mapFactor to be the best, in Europe he used iGo because mapFactor European maps were expensive and he also like the iGO interface.

 

 

 

Google Maps we used mainly for when we were out and about on foot.

In addition to the Navigation, Vaughan also had OSMand+ on his Android tablet to track our route. The advantage of this app is it doesn’t require internet.

Parking and Driving small Towns/Villages

If you come from a new world country like Australia, US and Canada then you would know that space is not a problem. Towns and cities are built to accommodate modern vehicles, we are used to big ride roads and large parking areas, only inner cities can be an issue. Europe is a continent where human settlements can date back to over a thousand years so roads were originally built to accommodate horse and carts and not the big juggernauts we have today.   Thankfully and surprisingly many roads through old towns and villages on the continent have been widened  or a bypass built around said town/village.  Only the UK has roads the width of a footpath and notorious stone walls and hedges that hide them, in Europe we never never found issues with narrow roads and parking.  Europe generally accommodates larger vehicles and most are motorhome friendly providing dedicated parking. To find out more about travelling the UK by motorhome then see my blog Aussies Guide to Touring the UK with a Motorhome/Camper.

In general most countries accommodate for motorhomes in their car parks with dedicated motorhome parking spaces or taking up a couple of spots is not a problem or you can use a bus parking spot. Some car parks will even allow you to park overnight.  A good navigation system will have options for setting routes to avoid places where larger vehicles won’t fit.  We always use a combination of our park4night app which shows motorhome friendly car parks and also Google Maps where you can get birds eye view of roads and car parks.

Websites/App

 

 

park4night

We use this app for finding motorhome friendly parking.

 

Insurance and Tax

When we purchased the motorhome through Happy Camper’s in the Netherlands they also organised tax and insurance for us. We took out fully comprehensive insurance which included road side assistance and I wouldn’t recommend anything less.

You only pay TAX when the vehicle is on the road; when the vehicle is in storage you do not pay road tax.

Green Card Insurance

The Green Card is an international certificate of insurance providing visiting motorists the minimum compulsory insurance cover required by the law of the country visited.  A green card is no longer compulsory for all countries in the Green Card System and you will not be asked for it. However, if you plan on visiting the following countries then you need to carry the green card with you and may be asked for it at the border.  We were asked for it at the Montenegrin border!

Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Israel, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine

The card is an A4 sheet on green paper and must be the original, a copy printed on white paper will not be accepted. Details of your vehicle like registration number, make and model, validity to/from will be printed on the form so make sure these details are correct before setting off on your journey.

On the Green Card form will be country codes and check boxes, make sure that a country you plan to visit is not “checked” if it is, it means it is not covered.  There is an option to buy insurance at the border, costs will vary.

Note: Kosovo is not covered but you can purchase basic insurance at the border.

If you are purchasing in the UK then DU Insure offer insurance cover for non-UK Residents.  Bear in mind they don’t cover all European Countries.  

Road tolls

Road tolls are inevitable in some parts of Europe and unless you want to take the long slow roads to get from A to B which could take hours then you will most likely be taking some of the faster freeways/motorways that are tolled. 

Some countries require you to buy a pass often referred to as a “vignette” before using the toll roads, others use toll booths as you enter and exit.

For example, to use toll roads in Poland, Croatia and Italy you take a ticket from the machine as you enter the toll road and when you exit you pay the fee either using an automated credit card machine or manned toll booth.

Some countries require you to buy a vignette either on-line or at the border.

Vignettes are used in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

In addition to ferries, Norway has some 200 toll stations which makes it the most expensive country to travel. The easiest and most convenient way of paying Norway’s tolls is to create an account and register your vehicle on-line with the European Parking Collection. After using the toll roads you will be sent an invoice about one to two months after.   

Some of the most expensive tolls are the bridges between the islands in Denmark especially the Oresund Bridge connecting Denmark to Malmo, Sweden.  Sometimes the ferry between Helsingør (Denmark) and Helsingborg (Sweden) can be a little cheaper but not much considering it’s such a short crossing.

Websites/App

 

 

The below website will give you information on toll roads:

https://www.tolls.eu/

Ferries

Unless you plan to stay in mainland Europe then at some point you will be using ferries especially between Islands and throughout Scandinavia.  Norway has some of the most expensive ferries in Europe and they charge based on length.  If your vehicle is 6 meters or more then you will be charged double the fare of a vehicle that is less than 6 meters in length.

We used ferries between mainland Europe and the UK, Denmark and Sweden, Denmark and Germany and throughout Norway.  Excluding Norway, we got away with registering our vehicle as 6 meters even though we were over 6 meters and we were never questioned. In Norway however this is difficult to get away with, Norwegian ferryman have a sharp eye and won’t even ask you your vehicle length they can tell just by looking at your vehicle how long it is, they are experts and not easily fooled!!  But unless you want a 200-kilometer journey around the fjord then trust me, you will want to take the ferry!

Websites/App

 

 

The following websites are best for booking ferries between countries

www.directferries.com – We used this website mostly

www.aferry.com

www.ferries.co.uk

To get the best bargain with your ferry fares avoid peak times, weekends and school holidays. The earlier you book the cheaper the fare. It’s also worth comparing ports eg. Calais vs Dunkirk. Sometimes fares can be cheaper from the minor ports.

Local Laws/Rules

Each country will have its own rules and laws in regard to what to carry in your vehicle in case of breakdown or an accident.  At most you will be required to carry the following:

• Warning Triangle
• Hi-Vis jacket
• Breathalyser – Mandatory in France
• First Aid Kit
• Spare bulbs
• Fire Extinguisher

Some countries require you to have your headlights on at all times.

Note:  Radar detectors are forbidden in Europe

The AA (Automobile Association) has more detailed information on compulsory equipment to carry.

LEZ (Low Emission Zone)

 

 

 

 

 

In 1992 the European Union introduced restrictions on vehicles that they call the “Euro Standards” Low Emission Zones were imposed to reduce pollution from older vehicles with the aim of improving air quality for residents. Many cities and major towns have enforced zones and restrict the type of vehicle allowed into the zone. Each country has its own rules about the type of vehicle that can enter the zone.

Euro Standards are categorised from 1 to 6.   1 having the highest emissions (vehicles around the early 1990’s vintage) and 6 being the lowest (vehicles September 2014 and onwards).  Basically, if your vehicle is not category 6 (shown by a green sticker on your windscreen) then you can’t enter a LEZ.

The Urban Access Regulations website details where the LEZ are in each country so you can plan for your visit.

International Drivers Permit

If you have a non-EU licence then some countries will require an International Drivers Permit in conjunction with a valid driver’s licence, which you may or may not be asked for if stopped by the police.

Vehicle-rent.com has good information on which countries require an IDP.

Travelling In The Colder Months

If you’re used to travelling in Australia/New Zealand or even the USA chances are you can travel anytime of the year without any changes to your vehicle. In Europe as the leaves start to turn and drop off the trees so do the road rules change for certain countries. From about mid-October though to mid-April some countries enforce the “Winter Tyre” rule. This means you have to swap your summer tyres over for a complete set of tyres that are suitable for winter conditions that are M+S (Mud and Snow) and have at least 3mm to 4mm tread.  In addition to this some countries also require you to carry snow chains.

For us temporary travelers who only have their van for a few months this is an expensive exercise that we want to avoid.  If you are caught driving in those countries or get into an accident without the proper tyres fitted you could face some serious trouble so you are best avoiding those places during the colder months.

Most of the countries I speak of are in Central Europe for example Germany and Austria.  On our drive back to the Netherlands we were travelling during October/November so had to plan our trip so we went around Germany and Austria so had to take a route through Switzerland and France instead.

Michelin UK have good information on the regulations for each country.

Schengen 

If you are lucky to own a EU passport like myself (well, until Brexit anyway ☹) then you can travel anywhere in Europe for as long as you want. For the rest of you, you are required to either have a visa or be subject to the visa waver Schengen which is 90 days in a 180 day period.

Currently, 26 countries make up the Schengen Zone, as shown in the map above (countries in blue and green).  Countries coloured orange are required to join. It will be interesting to see if they increase the Schengen time.

Schengen in my opinion is stingy on its time limit especially given the number of countries that are in the Schengen zone and for us who have a motorhome and want to enjoy travelling Europe for as long as possible then 3 months for 26 countries is a joke. With more of the Eastern European countries required to join (Croatia in 2020) do they think of extending the Schengen time limit? No they don’t, it sucks.

The Schengen rules give you 90 days out of a 180 day period, if you use up your 90 days then you need to spend 90 days out before being allowed back in again.  It’s not worth trying to be sneaky and overstaying because they will know and you could be barred, it simply isn’t worth it.  The only thing you can do is manage your time like we did and extend your stay by visiting non-Schengen countries (UK, Ireland, most of far Eastern Europe and the Balkans).

If you are an Australian then it is possible to extend your stay in the Schengen zone with bi-lateral agreements. The bi-lateral agreements pre-date Schengen and allows Australian’s to extend their stay in countries that are part of the agreement beyond the 90 days. It requires a lot of pre-planning with obtaining “letters from the Embassy of that country”, collecting and keeping receipts for proof of your stay and most cases you need to make that country your very last stop. It’s easy if you are flying in and out of that country but not so easy when you are driving your motorhome! We investigated this but it’s a lot of work and faffing about and not worth the hassle in our opinion.  

There is information on the internet, but we found AussieEuropeanTour blog has useful information on the topic.

Last year we traveled 5 months in Europe, 3 of those were in the Schengen zone, the 2 months were outside (UK, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Your Schengen visa starts from the day you are stamped in to the day you leave, Vaughan only having an Australian passport used all 90 days and we flew out of Amsterdam on his very last day!

Websites/App

 

To keep track of his Schengen time Vaughan uses this excellent app on his phone. The free version does the job, the pro version doesn’t give you anything extra.  

Schengen Calculator

 

 

Security

Like your home country, Europe comes with its fair share of mongrels and how to keep your contents or even your motorhome safe from theft is something to think about.  You can invest a lot of money into security like immobilizers, trackers and door locks, neither comes cheap.  If your like us and only have your motorhome for less than a year then investing a heap of money into security adds to the setup costs.  Instead we invested in enough security to hopefully “deter” said thief, enough to encourage them to move on to an easier target.  Having an older motorhome is less attractive to thieves as they tend to target newer and more expensive vehicles that they know they can on sell.  It still doesn’t stop them perhaps wanting to take a peak inside!

Below are devices we have added for securing our vehicle, neither break the bank.  We use the steering wheel lock whenever we are parked in a public place.  We use the wheel clamp in addition to the steering wheel lock if we feel the area might be a higher security risk, around cities and big towns for instant.  You can pick up these items from any motor or caravan/motorhome stores.

Steering Wheel Lock

 

 

 

 

Wheel Clamp

 

 

 

 

Door Locks

In addition to this we would have spent the money on an additional door lock but the design of our door and placement of our fridge made it difficult to install one. Below are examples of door locks you can install:-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any of these items can be picked up from places selling motorhome/campers.

 

Securing your Contents

For us this was an easy solution as we carry a Pacsafe backpack protector when we travel.  Wherever we stay whether it’s a hotel, backpackers or even travel on a sleeper train we always use our Pacsafe to secure our stuff.  

How it works ?

We lock our stuff into a backpack then put the Pacsafe around the bag and lock it to a fixture.  The mesh cannot be cut it will take a lot of effort and time to try break open a Pacsafe.  Pacsafe also make bags, wallets and a 12 litre roll up safe, we have one but its too small for our needs.  Below is an example of how the Pacsafe mesh protector looks:-  (Note: this is not ours)

 

 

 

 

 

If going out for the day and parked in a public car park then we generally take our passports, a portable drive containing a complete backup of our photos and our cameras with us, everything else gets locked up.  If we are parked in a campground then we don’t go to this extra level of security.

Another option for securing your stuff is to install a safe, a friend of ours has done this recently.  Safes can easily be picked up from any store selling motorhome/camper and caravan accessories.

Securing your stuff when wild camping 

Wild Camping is a great way to save money but also depending where you park up for the night can come with risks.  I have to be honest I don’t sleep as well wild camping as I’m always worried who will come a knocking! It may come as a shock to you but thieves breaking into your van while your in your slumber has known to happen.  Avoid at all costs sleeping in motorway service stations especially France. Try to arrive at your nights camp in the day then that way if it doesn’t feel right you have time to move on. 

If you do wild camp then leave nothing valuable at the front of the van while sleeping, lock it away or bring it too bed with you.

In our 5 months of travel in 2018 we never had any issues, only once we had to move the van at midnight in Cetinje Montenegro when hoon’s turned up later that evening. They left us alone but I didn’t trust that they might not plough into us!!!

Storage

If you are like us wanting to keep your motorhome for a second year then chances are you will want to store it over the winter months and escape somewhere warmer.  It’s also an opportunity to reset your Schengen time.  We stored our motorhome from November 15^th 2018 to April 13^th 2019, we stored it back at Happy Campers where we purchased it.  During storage you don’t pay road tax and insurance is reduced to basic insurance.  Storage costs were reasonable especially as we stored it outside.  Two months before we returned the van was plugged into electric to recharge the batteries.  There are plenty of storage facilities around Europe, many larger campgrounds will offer winter storage.