Germany is, alongside France, one of the great powerhouses of European motorhoming. Its camper culture is highly developed, with a spectacular network of sites (the famous Stellplätze) everywhere you look, many of them charming and well equipped. Add its fairy-tale castles, its rivers, its forests and its cities, and you get a comfortable, deeply rewarding destination. Here are some ideas.
Stellplätze: the German luxury
Germany has thousands of motorhome sites, often in prime locations (beside rivers, in charming villages, near town centres), with good facilities and reasonable prices. Finding somewhere to sleep is incredibly easy with the right apps. It's the camper culture at its very best.
Route ideas
- The Romantic Road: from Würzburg to Füssen, with medieval towns (Rothenburg) and Neuschwanstein Castle (the one Disney's castle is based on).
- The Black Forest: forests, lakes, cuckoo clocks and postcard villages.
- The Rhine Valley: castles above the river, vineyards and the Loreley rock.
- Bavaria and the Alps: Munich, alpine lakes and mountains.
- Berlin, Hamburg and the major cities, with sites on the outskirts.
What you need to know
- Umweltplakette (environmental sticker): to enter many cities you need Germany's environmental badge. Without it, you risk a fine. [Note: check the cities and requirements currently in force.]
- Autobahn: motorways are toll-free for cars and light campers and, in parts, have no speed limit (although you'll likely take it easy in a camper regardless).
- Documentation and insurance up to date (see documentation for Europe).
Practical tips
- Enjoy the markets and the local beer.
- Make the most of the charming Stellplätze; we cover them in the best apps.
- Choose one region rather than trying to cover the whole country.
In short
Germany is a camper's paradise thanks to its Stellplatz network, with fairy-tale castles, rivers and forests; you just need the environmental sticker for the cities. The step to take today: if you're planning a trip to Germany, sort out the environmental badge before you set off and choose one route (the Romantic Road, the Black Forest or the Rhine) rather than trying to cross the whole country. Link it with the routes through Europe.
