If you’ve ever parked your RV next to a lake, mountain, or beach and woken up each day to that view, you know what it’s like.
It is a typical day in the company of a European motorhome tourist. In the privacy and convenience of your mobile home, you may choose when, where, and how you want to travel. Go to your next destination after looking at the map.
First-time European campers could find it difficult, mainly if they are not native. They may find it difficult to camp in Europe for the first time.
Why try RV in Europe?
Initially, we assumed that rail travel and low-cost lodging would be our most cost-effective options. It turned out to be more expensive than we expected, and it felt like it would take a long time to figure out how to interact with others, particularly in light of the vastness of the terrain we want to traverse. Consequently, we began looking at different Eurorail passes and other travel options.
In addition to seeing large cities, we also wanted to visit rural areas, so we quickly realized that rail travel would not provide us with the flexibility we needed. We decided to put the concept of flying on the back burner and instead focus on getting behind the wheel.
To be clear, we’re not saying that rail travel is a bad idea. There are several advantages to public transit, not the least of which is that it is less harmful to the environment. If we were going to spend the money on a lengthy European vacation, we determined early on that we didn’t want to go by train.
We didn’t even think of cycling as an alternative. We like leisurely bicycle rides and can do 20-30 miles on our own, but we can’t imagine pedaling throughout Europe.
Next, we weighed the pros and drawbacks of renting a vehicle vs. renting a camper or RV (which helped to avoid spending a budget on tent rentals). Even though the rental charges, gasoline, and park fees sounded prohibitively costly, we considered renting a motorhome at least a few times. We went back and forth before settling on RV camping in Europe as our final option.
We selected RV travel for our European vacation for the following reasons:
- When we wanted to travel anywhere, we could.
- Having to move bags between cars and hotels constantly.
- We were curious to experience an RV family camping vacation as full-time RVers in the United States.
- Local food may be purchased and prepared at home. We hoped that dining at home would help us save a few euros. Going to the local markets, grocers, and supermarkets in other nations was also a big draw for us.
- Maybe naively, we rationalized the cost of RV travel by anticipating finding low-cost locations to stay along the way.
How much does renting a campervan and going on a trip cost?
Today, a two-star European hotel double room costs roughly $130 per night. If you have a family of four and hire a midsize vehicle ($470 per week), you’re looking at paying at least $200 per day for a couple or $280 per day for a family of four.
In contrast, a campervan serves as a vehicle and a place to stay. Weekly rates are about $700 ($910 in the summer); you may find more information below. While you could leave it overnight on the side of the road and not pay a dime, let’s pretend you’d rather stay at a campsite. It’ll cost you an additional $30 each in peak season. Up to four persons may be transported and accommodated for $130 per day ($175 per day in peak season).
That’s a fraction of the cost of a hotel room and a rental car.
You’ll indeed use more petrol, but because most RVs run on diesel, which is far more common than in rental automobiles, you will almost entirely offset the price difference in gasoline.
Would you be interested in hearing about a trip to Europe?
Next week, I am doing RVing in Europe for another slideshow.
I have done many of these in the past, but lately, I have been doing fewer.
Most of the slideshows have been done at local libraries on adventure travel.
This is one of the family’s adventures a few years ago.
RVing Adventure In Europe
It’s time for Rick Kaselj to tell you about a six-month-old, a camper van, and a family’s journey to Europe. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Six weeks, five countries, 4,000 kilometers, and a slew of European cities set the setting for this thrilling four-wheeled odyssey. We hope you will join us on this European journey with Rick as he shares his experiences from Frankfurt to Hoffenheim to Berlin to Vienna to Salzburg to Zagreb to Dakovo to Omis to Split to Bled. Did I mention they traveled with their six-month-old child during this vibrant and energetic presentation? This trip had highs and lows and plenty of sausages, drinks, and European cheese. Join Rick as he recounts his RVing experiences with two former backpackers and their “raveler in training” in tow.
Where: RVing in Europe
Chilliwack Library
45860 First Avenue
Chilliwack, BC
V2P 7K1
(604) 792-1941.
When: RVing in Europe
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
To Register:
Call the library at (604) 792-1941.
We will see you there!
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you there.
I know this has nothing to do with exercises and injuries, but it has to do with fun. Fun is good.
Take care.
Rick Kaselj, MS
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