Perks of Buying a Second Hand Motorhome or Caravan

Europe is a wonderful continent with so much to see and do in each country. There is a plethora of culture, nature and scenery to last you a lifetime of trips. While it’s always good to get away on holiday and be catered for at a hotel, the best way to ‘do Europe’ is in a second-hand motorhome or campervan. You can be your own master and do things at exactly the pace to suit you. In this edition of our blog we’ll offer up some tips on how to maximise your enjoyment – the things you need to do in advance, and the things you can do on the road.

Basic Legal Requirements

You should always do your research and, if possible, make up some sort of a rough schedule. Before you set off, check that you have all of the right documentation appropriate to each country you are intending to visit. In France, for example, you must pay speeding fines or documentation violations on the spot, no argument – so it’s essential to make sure that you are fully prepared for every eventuality.

You must have at least three months remaining on your passport (which must have been issued within the past ten years) at the date of departure back from Europe. From November 2023, all visa-free travellers making trips to countries within the EU (European Union) will need to register online with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. A UK driving licence is a requirement for touring in a campervan or European motorhome in Europe – this allows you to drive in all EU countries. If your licence was issued by the jurisdictions in Jersey, Gibraltar, Guernsey or the Isle of Man then in addition you will need to get yourself an International Driving Permit.

You need to display a UK sticker on the rear of your motorhome or campervan, rather than a GB sticker – unless you have a numberplate displaying the Union Jack flag. In Spain you will need the UK sticker even if you have the new style number plates.

Other Paperwork / Admin to Sort Out:

GHIC or EHIC (Global or European Health Insurance Card)

This is not actually a legal requirement, but it’s free. This will allow you to access medically necessary state-provided healthcare when you’re visiting an EU country (with ‘medically necessary’ meaning healthcare that cannot reasonably wait until you come back to the UK.

Travel insurance and Europe motorhome / campervan breakdown cover

Again not a legal requirement, but worth investing in so that you are covered in the eventuality of anything ‘going wrong’ with your vehicle while you are travelling around Europe.

Your Motorhome Before you Set Off

Make sure that your second-hand motorhome is roadworthy – undertake checks and maintenance to, for instance, ensure that tyres are the correct pressure, the brake and indicator lights are functioning correctly, the water and gas systems are up to speed and so on. If you can get a professional mechanic to check over the engine for any signs of problems before you go (and get them repaired if there are any) you could save yourself a lot of hassle.

Planning

Spend some time working out your route through the countries you will be visiting – and take care to account for things like toll roads. Often there is more than one route to get from A to B, and one of these might involve toll roads while another might not. Work out which approach is best for you. If time is limited then toll roads might be the way to go as they tend to be the more direct routes between places, but if you have more time and are happy just cruising along then toll roads might not be as crucial to making the most of your time. Be aware of the distances you are going to be travelling, too, and research the best points along the way to stop for refuelling and/or a rest.

It’s also well worth researching the ‘right’ places to park your motorhome or European campervan when you’re travelling. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you are visiting a particular beauty spot or site of interest in a particular country but there is nowhere to park your motorhome or campervan legally or appropriately. There is a whole host of websites available which can ‘point you in the right direction’ regarding your parking, and your overnight stays etc.

Planning also means thinking about domestic things like what you will take with you to ensure you have enough food, appropriate clothing and bedding and so on. Will you be exploring the areas you stop at by bicycle? Don’t forget your puncture repair kit, then! It’s also worth taking spares of things like lightbulbs, toilet roll, toothpaste…

There’s nothing quite like seeing Europe – whether it’s France, Spain, Holland or Germany, or any of the other wonderfully picturesque countries you’ll find yourself drawn to. Travelling ever more East is also a highly attractive proposition which you will find incredibly rewarding. The main advice we can offer is a summation of all the points we’ve raised throughout this blog – be prepared. Life on the road is freedom, for sure, but the price of that freedom is a little bit of sensible planning. You’ll thank us later!