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Living full time in a camper van or motorhome in Europe
Many people chose to live full time in a camper van or motorhome in Europe. Many sold their homes and possessions and now live their days in the warmer parts of the continent. Many planed on being away for the winter and have not yet returned home.
If you are thinking of doing the same you are sure to meet many other people for company.
Where to stay
Most people, living full time in Europe, spend the winter months in the warm Algarve of Portugal , or Andalucia of Spain . These are the warmest regions .
For summer, most people find these regions too hot, and move further north, to France , or Spain.
See the guides to winter in Europe and European weather temperatures .
Camper Van Life is brought to you by Darren Lambert, a big fan of camper vans.
Does anyone out there know what the Portuguese legal requirements are for a VW Transporter van conversion into a camper van. We are living in Portugal and recently purchased a Portuguese registered VW Transporter van which we would like to convert into a campervan. We know that France is quite demanding on the legal eg gas, etc. But do not know what if anything is required in a
Portugal.
Any advise would be much appreciated
Hi everyone, can someone please enlighten me on a problem which I cant seem to find an answer for? I am going to register my english motorhome onto italian registration but the insurance there is very expensive, therefore, I am trying to find an insurance company in England who will insure the motorhome when it is re registered onto italian registration plates. I have contacted italsure but they will not insure a motorhome only a car. Any advice?
from the UK going to travel round Europe in a van for an indefinite amount of time, and was wondering about insurance for the year and how to insure it from abroad? will be in France Spain, Italy south for the winters and Holland Germany Denmark north for the summers. may be Possible to get a temporary address in Holland.
Are you from the UK?
I am, and here's what I do.
I insure my van in the UK, it is UK registered. I use my parents address to register the van, and also insure the van at the same address. So all legal.
I insure the van for 365 days use throughout Europe. The policy is via this broker www.campton.co.uk
I can go to any European country, and I'm insured to live in the van all year.
Hi, can you please tell me what you do for an M.O.T. when it expires! I have asked the question if I could have the M.O.T. in Italy but they will not do it unless I register the motorhome there.
Hi guys, just converted a merc 609d into a motorhome.
Plan on leaving England. I have a plasma TV, Toilet, 1000kg water max,
Power shower and sink, roof garden and hug Luton i made myself.
Oh and a log burner and gas cooker plus Rinnai heater.
Anything I should get more! Ha ha
Oh dont have air con or a fridge yet. 17 mpg
Would you prefer less stuff 4 better mpg?
That sounds like a very complete vehicle!
Hey
This site is really good.my partner and i are planning on travelling around europe in a camper next year and my parents are moving out to spain by the end of this year.we have 2 dogs that we are planning on taking with us,can anyone advise if it will be safe to take the dogs.
Thanks
It is safe to take dogs. But be warned, there are stray dogs in Spain, and you should keep yours safe.
See your vet to ensure your dogs are up to date with jabs, and their pet passports.
Hi I am looking to travel round europe next year, and want to know any thing about free camping. where they are if you can stay for longer than one day. any info would be really greatful. :)
Free camping varies from region to country.
Some places allow you to stay for a long time. Some countries encourage it like France and Greece.
Some countries make it more difficult. Some countries don't allow it.
Check out my guide:
http://www.campervanlife.com/camping/free-camping
Also check out:
www.wildcamping.co.uk
Hello folks, we're setting off to travel Europe next March and are presently searching for the 'ideal' campervan. Our aim is to set off and travel as far and wide as possible - our problem is "What's the best campervan for our needs?" It's just going to be the two of us and we're hoping to take along a couple of bikes too.
We've looked at a few Mazda Bongos as they're big enough for us and small enough to get around easily. We're really excited and would be very grateful for any advice you could offer in terms of the best camper to buy for our needs.
Many thanks in advance!
Hi Chris
Let us know a little about your travels.
How many people will be traveling?
How long is your trip?
Will you wild camp or use campsites, or both?
Can you live with making the bed everynight, or do you want a permanent bed?
Do you need to store any large items such as sports equipment?
Can you store or park a large vehicle?
What is your budget?
Hi, my partner an i are going to travel europe for 2 to 3 months in the next year and i was wondering where to buy a cheap van? websites or places when we get to wurope. we will probably be flying into dublin or london to start any help would be appreciated thanks
Hi there
Me and my boyfriend are heading off to New zealand in september and hoping to stay for about a year. We are planning on buying a campervan then travelling around and free camping for the majority of the journey.
I was just wondering how much it would cost for the both of us each month, food, petrol insurance etc? We plan to live off the basics and not drive around too much as we have plenty of time to see the country.
I was also wondering how easy it is to get temporary work in New zealand, such as fruit picking, farmwork etc, and how much we could earn from this work?
Thanks
i really enjoy the site :)
Chloe
Just a word of warning. My son hired a campervan through Backpackers. He had a bad accident and the campervan rolled over. The insurance they offer specifically excludes roll over (regardless of fault) through their awful insurance policy.
If travelling around New Zealand make sure that you go to a campervan outfit which offers you decent insurance options. He now has a bill for thousands of dollars even though the accident was no one's fault and he was seriously shaken up.
These 'insurance policies' only insure the company hiring the van, not you, so be careful. They don't cover damage to your property and the company staff will treat you like rubbish after the event. Don't be bullied into signing anything without getting advice first.
My son has learnt a valuable life lesson so the rest of you don't have to. Check the insurance offered before hiring the van. My son paid extra to have their top insurance and it didn't cover him at all.
We're a couple of 26y/o Aussies arriving in Denmark in December 2011. I'm hoping that my Danish relatives might allow us to register & insure a van in their name and we become second drivers.
This is the first website i've found where the people are PRO buying a car/van. Other sights discourage it and recommend public transport. I'm aware that there is fantastic public transport available but I was hoping to camp, couch surf (www.couchsurfing.com), go to some forests and spend a lot of time in small towns. I want to travel slowly & cheaply. As cheap as possible. I still want to check out the big cities, but that's not all I want to see.
Can I ask for some opinions and thoughts on the following?:
Spending 1000 euros on a second hand van and putting a mattress in the back & buying some cheap second-hand camping equipment. Do you think this is wise? What condition do you think the van would be in? How much of a risks are we taking? Should we spend more?
Registering and insuring in my relatives names. What risk are they at? If we have an accident can we take full responsibility and they have no negative side effects?
Is it likely that we can leave the van unattended for days at a time whilst we head into a big city and use trains/buses. As in, leave it on the outskirts of town in the hope to save money.
We're not you're typical young couple. We love living life at slow-pace, and really aren't in a hurry. If we run out of money we'll just try and get work somewhere. Don't know, don't care! Just want to travel. We're going to be starting out with about $25,000—$30,000 AUD and my partner will be taking half-pay from his work for about 3 months giving us about an extra $500 AUD per week during those 3 months.
Really grateful for any thoughts, I'm struggling to find info.
Hi Guys
Your plan about putting a mattress in a van is great, the sort of thing I'd normally encourage. But the only thing stopping this working is the temperature. Denmark in December is going to be very cold. The van will feel nearly as cold inside as it does outside.
You could line and insulate the van, and then fit a heater that is safe to leave on at night, or use a thick down duvet.
Or spend more money on a insulated campervan? You'll need what to do here. Just a quick tip, the more windows you have, the greater the heat loss, so a van is better than a mini-bus.
But, the temperature aside.
Yes, you should be able to get a nice van for €1,000. Lookout for an old Mercedes which will last very well, and be easy to re-sell. Or perhaps an LDV in good condition. These are generally reliable, but slow and cheap. Old Fords, Renaults, Citroens and Fiats can be considered, but check for rust and bad condition. Also make sure these later makes are low mileage.
You are not at much risk camping in the back of it. I am not sure of the legality of camping at the roadside or in parks in Denmark.
If you are a named driver on their insurance, the driver will take full responsibility in the event of an accident. However, your relatives may lose their insurance discount or no-claims discount in the even of a accident and claim.
Leaving the van unattended should not be a problem. I have done this many times across Europe. They key is to make the vehicle look like any other, blend in. Park in a residential or other area where traffic is coing and going all of the time. Make sure the van will not be left with no other vehicles at night, such as a park, as it looks obvious. Residential housing areas are good. Try and park near other vans.
You should be able to have a great time, and your budget sounds fine. You can get by on little money.
My only comment would be on the weather. December is cold.
If you want to travel in December in Europe, hear south to Southern Spain, Portugal, Italy or Greece. Or visit Denmark in summer (May - September).
All the best
Darren
Thanks Darren,
Yes... I'm not sure I'm prepared for the cold. I've only seen snow a couple of times in my lifetime and I start complaining when it gets below 5ºC! I think what we will do is spend time with my family in Denmark for Christmas and then head to the warmer regions of Europe so sleeping in the van isn't such cold nightmare. When summer comes, we'll make our way up north again.
Thanks so much for your information! It's the best info I've found so far. We're purchasing flights this weekend! So very very excited! It'll be the first time I've left Australia. Yay!
Thanks again
- simone
Sounds like a good plan. If you head down to the Algarve of Portugal, or Andalucia in Spain, or southern Italy or Greece after Christmas you'll find living in the van a pleasure. By early March the weather is really warm down there.
There are a lot of people doing that sort of thing down there, and you'll have no trouble.
Hello, what a great site !
I am looking at a couple of used van conversion in germany. They are both 9,900 euro and have similar miles on them
One is based on 1995 mercedes sprinter 2.0 t 122hp
secound is a 1998 ducato with 122hp
Which vechicle you belive have better reliability ? Cheaper to run ?
What are the cost of living and traveling slowly through out europe in a motor home will cost a year ? Food, gas, petrol, insurance, camp fee etc.
Will a van based camper within 5.5 m be allowed to park on the street in a small town overnight ?
thank you
Hi
The Mercedes will almost always be a more reliable van. The Fiat is popular as it it wider than the Sprinter, and cheaper to buy. But, people who have owned the Fiats for along time generally complain about their reliability.
But, that's not to say they cannot be a good van. If you find a Fiat that has been well cared for, and driven well it can be a great can,
Equally, the Mercedes can be bad if not looked after.
Both will be similar in terms of running costs. The best way to get better mpg is to drive more slowly.
Costs are up to you. For 1 month I spend €50 on insurance, €150 for diesel, €200 on food. I go to campsites about twice per week, costing €15 each time, so thats €120 per week.
You can park a camper is lots of places. As long as you're not a nuisance you can park in most areas. Popular areas by beaches have many designated places to park, and some where it is forbidden.
Europe also has Aires, which are special areas for motorhomes and campers.
Hi, my wife and i want to travel Europe for 6 months but are having trouble finding insurance for our Ford Transit. They will cover us up to 60 days if we return to the UK then go back to Europe. Has anybody had cover for longer than this? And if so, who was that with? Thankyou for any help. Regards, Alan.
Hi Alan
There are several companies that offer more than 60 days of cover.
Try Campton the broker: http://www.campton.co.uk/
Or Sureterm: http://www.sureterm.com/
Me and my husband are selling our home, business and possessions to live life on the Road in a motorhome in the UK and Europe, we are concerned about a couple of issues, with no fixed address, what do we do about any post, Dr's and dentist etc?
We will need to keep our telephones but with no fixed address, how can we do this and other similar stuff?
Any ideas, tips, help please
You will need to find a friend or relative who is happy for you to use their address as your postal address. Then the friend of relative will have to open any post addressed to you.
I use this system, using my parents house,
I get dental checkups when on the road. Most countries are cheaper than the UK, so not a problem.
I'm not sure about Doctors. I never need to visit them. I did however, when travelling in Spain, get a infection and had to visit a hospital Service was excellent and i shoed my E111 card and it cost me nothing.
Hi all, I am a single woman, ealy 60's, thinking of selling my house and buying a motor home, could I live on my pension? Which van is the easiest to drive on mountain / country roads all over Europe, I speak reasonable Spanish but no French or German, what about personal safety? Any opinions/ ideas/ experiences welcome
Hi Kathy
I'd be really interested to hear how you're finding things as I'm thinking of doing the same as you. Can you give an update and any tips you've learnt along the way please?
Thanks
Hi Kathy, would love to hear and learn from your future experiences. I am 57 and live in Denmark. My camper van (Fiat Ducato) is being built by a professional over the next 2-3 month. The intention is to live in it alone full time if possible, but unfortunately I have to work until I am 65. Holidays are usually spent driving around in Norway and Sweden.
Hi Kathy! I'm feeling just the same as you and am seriously considering selling up and going! Have never driven a camper van before and feel a tad nervous, especially as i am on my own, but also excited! be lovely to chat with you and share experiences!
~ Sarah
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