Free Travelling around Europe in a campervan sounds like a dream right? We thought so too, but it can be done! Of course, it's not completely free as not everyone has a campervan, you obviously need to eat too and you probably want to buy some nice things here and there. But you can spend the night for free in lots of great places. Some locations better than others but it costs you absolutely nothing! We have tried it out and listed all our tips for you.
Where can I rent a motorhome?
Tour Europe in a campervan and park for free, many travellers have done it before you. It makes roadtripping through Europe cheap and several apps make it easy too. So you can visit one or more countries and keep costs down, ideal!
But let's start with the question, where can I rent a motorhome? If you have a campervan yourself, your parents or one of your friends then this question is quickly answered. But even if you don't have this, there are many options to choose from.
There are three major platforms in the Netherlands where individuals rent out their motorhomes for great prices. These are Camptoo.co.uk, Goboony.co.uk, and Paul Camper. On this website, several individuals and companies offer their motorhomes, each with different options, different insurances and rental terms. Choose a campervan that suits you and your budget. We advise you to go for a campervan that is well insured; WA+ All Risk. You are guaranteed to find a camper van that meets all your requirements.
We rented a motorhome the first time through Camptoo at Wildcampers.co.uk. After this, we rented directly from Wildecampers. We really like this company. They have good motorhomes with which you can tour all over Europe!
In addition, our tip is to go for an RV that is largely self-sufficient. This means you can sleep and cook in the motorhome, there is a toilet (or porta potti) and you have water containers on board for both fresh and waste water.
Tip: Want to camp wild and be on free spots? Choose a campervan that is largely self-sufficient. This means you can sleep and cook in the camper, there is a toilet (or porta potti) and you have water containers on board for both fresh and waste water.
What to expect
Being able to travel around Europe for free is of course super, but you can't expect everything. Paid camper spots are different and offer many more amenities. And while there are beautiful car parks near beaches, national parks and forests, most camper stops are paved car parks on the side of highways or on the outskirts of cities with no facilities. They are provided by the city or municipality usually to discourage travellers from staying there. We ourselves only stopped at places with drinking water facilities, dumping sites and waste disposal. Some free spots even had electricity connections. This does not sound very attractive at first... we understand that too but if it allows you to travel longer or further, why not? Besides, it also took us to beautiful places such as a free pitch at a cheese farm in Italy including a free tour!
How do you find free spots?
Nice all these tips but where and how do you find these free places? We used the app Motorhome Contact & Park4Night. This is an app where you can search for paid and free parking spots in any region. It is super easy and there is no cost!
Tip: Parking works on a first-come, first-served basis. For some free spots, you will be asked to reserve first. The app tells you how to reach the owner of a spot.
Want to know more about our road trip through Europe, free campervan travel through europe, or has anything changed from the text above? Let us know at [email protected]. Need more travel inspiration? Take a look at our landing page.