By Cheri Sicard
Have you ever wondered about RVing in Europe? In the video below, Andre and Lisa, of the YouTube channel of the same name, break down their expenses for a full year of RVing in Europe. The video is from 2022, so prices may have changed some, but at least you will get a ballpark idea.
At the beginning of 2022, the couple started their journey from the south of Spain and traveled through the following countries: Portugal, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lichtenstein, and Italy (including San Marino), plus Gibraltar. They technically also drove through Switzerland, but did not stay long enough to count it officially.
They are not rich nor extravagant, nor are they traveling on a shoestring, which gives this video a nice middle-of-the-road perspective.
The cost of buying and owning their European motorhome is not part of the discussion, nor is health or vehicle insurance. This video only covers the travel components of full-time RV living in Europe.
The video provides a lot of information about RVing in Europe, so it is best to watch it for all the details it provides. They calculate costs according to how long they spent in each country, what it costs for food and fuel, cell phone, sightseeing, etc. The couple contrasts these costs against what it would have cost had they been staying in more traditional lodgings and eating all meals out.
They also discuss each individual country and its pros and cons, seasons, tips, and more.
The couple stresses that despite traveling through so many countries, they did not move all that quickly—only 13,000 km (8,078 miles) for the year. Nonetheless, that is not insignificant, and they have a lot of valuable information to share about the experience. They also emphasize that prices can and do fluctuate. For instance, during their three months in Italy, they saw 10-15% price fluctuations.
Some nights they stayed in paid campgrounds, and others nights they boondocked for free. Some countries are easier than others in this regard, which they also cover in the video. Out of the entire year, they only paid for camping for 86 nights. Of course, they also cover fuel costs, tolls, internet and phone charges, propane, and other expenses you can expect when RVing in Europe.
##RVDT2522
I do not like to watch videos and prefer to read an article. It would have been informative to show their numbers from their trip on some type of chart or summary.
Me too Charles! I would much rather read an article, than watch a video.
So don’t follow the video column. See how easy that was? There are PLENTY of articles to read on RV Travel, and PLENTY of people who like videos.
June 2024 RV costs in northern Germany – long term site rental, €1,000 per year (roughly $1,050 at the current exchange rate). This did not include metered water and metered electric, and at least at this RV park, no sewer connection at the site. Cassette toilets are popular and honey carts for grey waste. Fuel costs are about triple the cost in the U.S. The big issue is on the road weight. At a certain point, (and most U.S. motorhomes and truck/trailers would exceed this point) not only is there a steep surcharge for vehicle licensing, but the driver would need an expensive driving license endorsement. So, RVs tend to be small due to the surcharges, and not due to road widths.
Who cares?
Well Gary, I care. My wife and I travel Europe extensively in fact earlier this year we met a couple of young full timers in a small euro class C in England that gave us some valuable insight. For example their French made rig averaged about 25+mpg even tho it was a similar size to our Winnebago View which on a good day gets 15 mpg. We have considered renting a rig to travel throughout Europe and this kind of knowledge is invaluable to us. No one is forcing you to read the article or watch the video. Gary B.
Thank you, Cheri! I admire them driving so many miles on ancient (?) roads. At least it was on the right side of the road. Certainly nothing I’d willingly attempt. Happy new year and safe travels! 🙂