Europe has many wonderful corners waiting to be discovered by travelers. If this vacation you leave motorhome trip and you have decided to take the leap and cross the border, we have prepared for you some tips that will be very useful to organize your trip around Europe.
Documentation in order
Wear the documentation in order, both personal and vehicle, is essential to not have any problems when we travel outside of Spain, especially if we have to present them to the competent authorities in case of mishap. It is advisable to keep the documents with you when we leave the motorhome parked to avoid theft that could disrupt our vacations.
Most European countries can be visited with the same documentation that we use in Spain. However, when preparing the trip, it is worth visiting the page of the Embassy of each country to verify that there are no additional requirements that we have to take into account.
When driving through Europe, we will only need our valid driver's licenseas well as a vehicle documentation in order. Of course, we must consult the specific driving rules of the country through which we are going to travel, such as speed limits, special circulation cards for its roads, tolls, parking areas, etc., to avoid being penalized.
The checked vehicle
Una vehicle tuning with which we are going to travel is very important to avoid, as far as possible, avoidable breakdowns due to lack of maintenance. Checking that the gas, electricity, kitchen, refrigerator, water pump, etc. systems work, as well as a mechanical check (oil, filters, brakes, tires...) will make our trip much safer.
If you rent a vehicle with Express motorhome, you will travel with the certainty that the vehicle is completely checked and ready to enjoy the trip.
Health, the most important
Keeping health aspects covered is also essential. Although nothing has to happen, you are never exempt from suffering a mishap, such as a fall, an illness (and more so in these pandemic times), an allergy, etc. And to travel with peace of mind, it is best to carry a health card that covers us in case of problems.
La European sanitary card It allows us to be treated in hospitals and health centers throughout Europe just as if we were at home. It is free and can be requested on the Social Security page.
If you want to be even more protected, in case you need assistance, transfers to Spain, etc., you can always resort to a private travel insurance that covers another series of aspects that the health card does not cover. There are different companies with various policies adapted to the needs of each traveler.
Likewise, it is convenient to carry in the motorhome a basic medicine cabinet with drugs or accessories that may be useful to us, such as plasters, bandages or gauze.
Are you traveling with a pet?
If you travel with pet, it is convenient to consult the possible requirements demanded in the country or countries to which you are going to travel.
As a general rule, the legislation requires that the pet has implanted the chip corresponding, as well as to be up to date with the vaccines, but certain countries may require other treatments or have a European passport for the animal in question.
Badge of environmental zones
For some time now, due to compliance with the 2030 Agenda with the goal of sustainable development, many countries have required a environmental badge to circulate with our vehicles through certain areas, especially those with low emissions.
Unfortunately, so far, there is no common badge for all countries, demanding each one their own, even if it is a foreign vehicle. For example, France demand your sticker Crit'Air to circulate in large cities, as well as in other areas considered to have low emissions. Germany does the same with the environmental sticker with TUV Rheinland. Denmark has its own distinctive within an air pollution monitoring program, called ecosticker. In Belgium called REG Certificate and it serves to circulate through cities such as Brussels or Ghent. And in Austria It is called Abgas-Pickerl.
Most of these badges can be requested on the official pages of each country and, attaching the vehicle data, they will be sent to your address.
gas cylinders
On the subject of gas cylinders, the European Union does not show that "union" that it bears in its name either, and the models differ quite a bit from one country to another, so The cylinders and connectors that we use in Spain are not valid.
If we travel in summer, as a general rule, with one or two Spanish cylinders we can endure the entire vacation, since the heating is used less. In winter and for long trips, we will have no choice but to buy the corresponding adapters in each country where we have to change the gas cylinder.
Internet
Since 2017, the roaming is free in Europe and calls made in another European country are billed by the companies according to the plan that we have contracted in Spain. You can also browse the Internet for free according to the data contract that we have with our telephone operator, although some aspects should be taken into account.
In the first place, although we have a flat data rate, most operators restrict them to a certain number of traffic, which can vary from one company to another. The best thing is that you consult with your company what the conditions are outside of Spain.
Secondly, even if they are in Europe, the countries that do not belong to the European Union, as is the case of Andorra or Switzerland, do not include free roaming and the fees for navigating are usually quite high. Keep this in mind if you are going to travel to these countries and disconnect the data so as not to find yourself with a scare on the bill.
Overnight places
In Europe, countries are more or less permissive with motorhome overnight areas. Likewise, they have their own legislation on prohibited or restricted areas, so we will have to investigate a little each place we want to visit and find out if they have special protection areas on the coast, natural landscapes, etc.
Fortunately, many of these countries, such as France or Germany, have been enabling places for motorhomes and they have many specific areas for our vehicles, as well as municipal campsites, private land, etc. where you can spend the night without problems. Apps like Park4night, Caramaps, Campercontact and others will help us a lot when it comes to finding places to stay.
Weather
La climatology It varies a lot from one country to another and it is advisable to go prepared, with appropriate clothing, footwear, etc. On the Internet we can find different pages to check the weather forecast by countries, areas or cities that will be very useful to us to prepare our stay.
And, in any case, it never hurts to put an umbrella, a raincoat or warm clothes in the trunk in case we find ourselves in an atypical summer.
Taking these tips into account, all you have to do is prepare your luggage… and enjoy! And if you don't have your own vehicle, remember that in Express motorhome you have a wide range of rental motorhomes and campers to make your dream trip through Europe.