RVing in Europe is lovely any time of year, but there are certain seasons we prefer.
Summertime (June-Aug) is high season and frankly our least favorite time to RV. Kids are out of school so it’s crowded, rentals and campgrounds are more expensive, and you often have to book ahead, especially in popular areas. The only exception we make to summertime RVing is Scandinavia, where crowds remain low and summer temps are near-perfect. That’s a special experience.
The shoulder seasons (April-May, Sept-Oct) are lovely just about everywhere, so they’re our top-recommended time to explore UK and Continental Europe. Crowds are gone, temps are mild and prices on rentals and campgrounds are all lower. Some sites start to shut-down towards the end of September, but otherwise it’s near perfection. We just love these months!
Winter RVing (Nov-Mar) can be fabulous in southern Europe, especially in countries like Spain and Portugal. Lots of retirees head south in winter, so there’s a decent number of campgrounds that stay open all-year, plus rentals are reasonable, weather is fab and travel is wonderfully easy. It’s another great time to go!
In the states (and Canada) we use All Stays Camp and RV to find campgrounds. Is there something similar in Europe that accomplishes the same thing?
Yes absolutely! The biggest is Park4night. It covers everything from regular camping spots to boondocking sites. We use the app constantly and it’s the #1 app one I recommend to folks traveling over.
There are also a few other apps I like and use in conjunction with Park4night, in specific CamperContact (great for Aires) and Searchforsites (a UK based app that has more detailed reviews).
Nina
Is it possible (realistically safe & affordable) to take pets with you to RV in Europe?
My husband and I rented a motor home five times for travels around Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria. We loved it! There is nothing like being able to stop for lunch, or cake and coffee, along the “backest” of the back roads, or on a mountain top, whenever one wants. And it’s so convenient having a potty, or a cold drink, available any time. The campgrounds are great. Don’t be afraid to try camping in Europe!
We have been RVing in Europe for over 10 years. We write about our travels in the Escapees group newsletter for the World Wide Travelers BOF. All of our practical articles are at our website. TheRoadGoesEverOn.com. Our camper is stored this winter near Edinburgh and is for sale.
@deb – your question about bringing pets is a great one, with a potentially very long answer. I’ll try to condense it as much as possible 🙂
Yes, you can travel over with pets. They need to be microchipped (with an international chip), and have a rabies shot (> 21 days before travel) plus a health certificate issued by a USDA certified vet (within 10 days of travel) which must then be endorsed by USDA right before leaving. That’s the paperwork. It’s not difficult. It just takes planning!
Then there are the logistics of actually getting them here. Depending on size your pet can either travel with you in cabin (generally small pets only, one pet per passenger) or they have to go in a special pressurized section of the plane. This travel must be booked in advance since planes have limited space for pets.
Finally once in Europe they can travel up to 4 months with you on their US issues health certificate. If staying longer they will need à European Pet Passport which you can get in EU. And when you go back to US you will need paperwork for that too.
I have a ton more details about this on my blog, but hopefully that gives you a taste. We moved over with our 3 pets (2 cats, 1 dog). So it can be done!
Nina
Thanks for a terrific overview.We were just beginning to epxlore whether we might do this next year (2020). Very timely!
Nice article to get “feet wet” about renting an RV in Europe. We’re considering this as an option for our trip to Europe next September/October. Hugs/pets to all!
How wonderful, Brenda. We’d love to see you over here!!!
Nina
I would really be interested in knowing how you get residency in France. We bought an RV from Happy camper in Sept 2017 then travelled 90 days in western EU then out 90 days in Morocco then back in EU 90 days. We then sold the camper back to Happy camper. Great people to work with ?. But we would like to travel without restrictions ?. HAPPY RVing.
Hi Lyd,
Well I’m lucky in that I’m European by birth (Danish) and my father lives in France. So Paul (who is American) was able to get a long-term stay visa through me.
That said it is totally possible for US citizens to get long-term visitor visas for France. It just takes some paperwork & patience. You apply in the USA for the visa (before you come to EU) and you need to provide a local French address (which is the hardest thing -> most folks take out a longer-term Airbnb rental or something similar), proof of resources (basically enough cash to prove you are not going to be a burden to the system while you are here), and several other documents. The processing of the paperwork takes around 2 weeks. Then, once you land in France you need to go through some additional steps to validate your visa on this side. That’s it!! If you want to stay beyond the first year, you’ll need to renew with all the paperwork again (but that you can do locally in France).
If you’re interested in long-term visa info you can go to the official French Visa application website (https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/) and read more.
Nina