A rented motorhome or campervan turns a multi-country European trip into something closer to slow travel than a conventional road trip — you're not booking ahead every night, and the vehicle itself is part of the itinerary. It also comes with its own rulebook: licence categories older drivers may not realise they need, wildly different camping laws from one country to the next, and site networks that reward planning. Here's what to work out before you book.
Do you need a special licence?
In most of Europe, a standard car licence (category B) covers motorhomes up to 3,500 kg, which includes the vast majority of rental fleet vehicles aimed at holidaymakers. The complication is for UK licence holders who passed their test after 1 January 1997: your category B entitlement is capped at 3,500 kg with no automatic upgrade, whereas drivers who passed before that date often have grandfathered rights to drive larger vehicles up to 7,500 kg. If you're booking a larger "coachbuilt" motorhome rather than a compact campervan, check its maximum authorised mass against your specific licence entitlement before you book — not after you've paid a deposit on a vehicle you're not legally allowed to drive.
An International Driving Permit is rarely required for motorhome hire within the EU for EU, UK, US, Canadian or Australian licence holders, though see our International Driving Permit guide if your licence is outside the Roman alphabet or you're combining the trip with a non-EU country such as Turkey.
Booking: fleet size, pick-up hubs and one-way fees
Motorhome rental depots cluster around a handful of hubs — Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux countries have the largest fleets and the most competitive pricing, while Iberia and Scandinavia have smaller, pricier fleets. Picking up in a large hub country and dropping off elsewhere usually carries a one-way fee, sometimes substantial; our guide to one-way car hire fees covers the same logic, which applies at least as strongly to motorhomes given how much rarer it is for a depot to need to reposition a large vehicle back to its origin.
Book well ahead for July and August — European motorhome fleets are heavily booked in peak summer, and last-minute availability in popular hubs can be thin or expensive. Spring and early autumn offer both better prices and, in southern Europe particularly, more comfortable driving and camping conditions than the height of summer.
Campsites versus wild camping: it varies enormously by country
This is the single area where assumptions from one country actively mislead you in the next.
- Germany, Austria and Switzerland — generally strict on wild camping (sleeping outside designated sites), though many towns operate official "Stellplatz" areas specifically for motorhomes, often with basic services and modest fees, distinct from full campsites.
- France — wild camping is broadly tolerated in many rural areas for a single night if discreet and not causing a nuisance, though it's restricted or banned in specific protected zones, and France's "Aire de Camping-Car" network of motorhome-specific stopovers is extensive and worth using.
- Scandinavia — Norway and Sweden's "allemannsretten" (right to roam) permits wild camping quite broadly in nature, including for motorhomes in many contexts, though local restrictions near towns and on private land still apply; see our guide to driving in Norway for the detail.
- Italy, Spain and Croatia — wild camping is more tightly restricted, particularly near beaches and in protected coastal areas, with fines for non-compliance in some regions; official campsites and Aire-style stopovers are the safer default.
What it actually costs
Beyond the daily rental rate, budget for: a kilometre allowance (many rentals cap free kilometres and charge per kilometre over), a compulsory cleaning or "final clean" fee, gas and water top-ups, campsite or Aire fees (typically modest per night for a basic pitch, more for full service), and motorway tolls and vignettes in countries that charge them — see our guides to vignettes in Europe and motorway tolls explained, both of which apply to motorhomes, sometimes at a higher rate band than cars given the vehicle's weight and length.
As with car hire, a rental company will place a deposit hold on a credit card at pick-up, typically larger than for a standard car given the vehicle's value — budget for a meaningful chunk of your card's available credit to be tied up for the duration.
Practical realities of driving a motorhome
A rented motorhome handles nothing like a car: wider, taller, slower to accelerate and considerably harder to reverse or manoeuvre into a tight town-centre space. Height matters more than most first-timers expect — low bridges, multi-storey car parks and some fuel station canopies simply aren't compatible with a motorhome's roofline, and the vehicle's exact height should be written down somewhere visible in the cab, not left to memory. Fuel and service stations equipped for motorhomes (wider bays, height clearance) are common on European motorways but worth identifying in advance for rural routes.
Many first-time renters underestimate how much time daily "housekeeping" — filling and emptying water tanks, finding a suitable overnight spot, connecting to power — takes compared with simply parking a car and checking into a hotel. Build this into your daily itinerary rather than planning drive times as if the vehicle were a car.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive a rented motorhome on a standard car licence?
Yes, for the vast majority of rental fleet vehicles up to 3,500 kg, a standard category B car licence is sufficient across the EU. UK drivers who passed their test after January 1997 should check a larger motorhome's weight against their specific entitlement before booking.
Is wild camping legal in a motorhome across Europe?
It varies significantly by country and even by region — permissive in much of Scandinavia under right-to-roam rules, tolerated with caveats in rural France, and more tightly restricted in Italy, Spain and Croatia, particularly near coasts. Check local signage and use a recognised stopover app when unsure.
Are one-way motorhome rentals expensive?
Often, yes — a one-way drop-off fee for repositioning a large vehicle tends to be higher proportionally than for a car, especially between countries. Picking up and returning to the same depot avoids the fee entirely.
What's the biggest thing first-time motorhome renters get wrong?
Underestimating the vehicle's height and the time daily tasks like water and power hookups take, and planning driving days as if in a normal car. Build in slower days and confirm the exact vehicle height before setting off each morning.
Sources and further reading:
- Licence categories: International Driving Permit guide on Viamo; UK DVLA and equivalent national licensing authorities for category entitlements.
- Tolls and vignettes: Vignettes in Europe and motorway tolls explained on Viamo.
- Wild camping and right-to-roam rules: national tourism boards and the European Commission for cross-border rules.