The Complete Guide to Motorhome Electric Hook-ups in Europe
At home, 16 amps is the standard and you never give it a second thought. Cross the Channel and that can drop to 6 amps, or as low as 3 in a quiet corner of rural Italy. Carry on as you would on a UK pitch and you will trip the bollard before the kettle has boiled. This guide explains what the amperage numbers actually mean, what you can safely run at each level, and how to avoid hunting for a warden in the rain at 11pm.
Last verified: 15 April 2026
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What the amperage numbers actually mean
European mains runs at 230 volts. The sum is simple: Watts = Amps x 230. That gives you the maximum load you can draw before the bollard trips. Keep it in mind whenever you plan what to switch on.
| Amperage | Maximum load | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| 3A | 690W | Lights and phone charging only. Common on rural Italian agricampeggios. |
| 6A | 1,380W | A travel kettle or a small heater. One appliance at a time. |
| 10A | 2,300W | A travel kettle and a small heater running together, or a domestic kettle on its own. |
| 16A | 3,680W | The UK standard. You can use your appliances much as you would at home. |
What you can run at each amperage
Here is how common motorhome appliances behave at each amperage. Yes means it runs without any bother. Caution means it is fine on its own but will trip the bollard the moment you add a second appliance. No means it trips the breaker by itself before you have even sat down.
| Appliance | Wattage | 6A | 10A | 16A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights, phone charging, TV | 100-300W | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Travel kettle | 750-1,000W | Caution | Yes | Yes |
| Motorhome fridge on electric | 100-150W | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Truma / Alde heating on 1 kW | 1,000W | Caution | Yes | Yes |
| Truma / Alde heating on 2 kW | 2,000W | No | Caution | Yes |
| Domestic kettle | 2,000-3,000W | No | Caution | Yes |
| Hairdryer | 1,800-2,200W | No | Caution | Yes |
| Roof-mounted A/C (running) | 900-1,200W | Caution | Yes | Yes |
| Roof-mounted A/C (startup) | 1,500W+ surge | No | Caution | Yes |
Air conditioning deserves a special mention. The running draw can sit within 6 amps, but the surge when the compressor kicks in is usually enough to trip a sensitive bollard. On low-amp pitches, leave it switched off.
What to expect by country
As a general rule, the further north you travel, the more amps you can expect. Southern Europe is tight. Eastern Europe is a mixed bag.
Generous supply: 10 to 16A typical
United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Supply is reliable and the infrastructure is modern. You can use your appliances much as you would on a UK pitch.
Restricted supply: 6 to 10A typical
France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro. Think before you switch anything on. Rural sites in Italy and France can drop to 3 or 4 amps. On some sites, 16A is available as a paid upgrade if you ask at reception.
Variable supply: check before you book
Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary. Newer sites tend to offer 10 amps. Older sites are often still on 6 amps. Check the listing on ACSI or Pitchup before you book.
Metered electricity: In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, electricity is usually charged by the kilowatt-hour on top of the pitch fee. If you plan to heat on mains, factor that into your daily budget.
What actually happens when you trip the breaker
Draw too much and the campsite bollard trips first, not your motorhome. Your own consumer unit is typically rated at 10 or 16 amps, which means on a 6-amp pitch the bollard is always the weak link.
On UK sites the breaker is on the bollard and you can reset it yourself. On many French and Spanish sites the cabinet is locked, so you have to find the warden to do it for you. Some sites charge a small fee if it keeps happening. None of that is enjoyable at 11pm in the rain. Plan around it and you will not have to find out.
Decide what you are going to run before you plug in. Prevention is far easier than a late-night walk to reception.
How to avoid tripping the breaker in the first place
Switch to low-wattage appliances
A travel kettle rated under 1,000 watts is one of the most useful things you can pack. Camping-spec toasters and hairdryers work on the same principle. A 900-watt kettle takes a little longer to boil than the one on your kitchen worktop, but it will not knock you off a 6-amp supply.
Use gas for your heating, fridge, and hot water
Your fridge, heating, and water heater almost certainly run on gas as well as electric. On a low-amp pitch, switch them over to gas and keep the mains supply for charging batteries and smaller appliances. If you need help keeping cylinders topped up as you cross borders, our guide to motorhome gas and LPG in Europe covers exactly that.
Stagger what you run
Turn the heater down while the kettle boils. Do not run the hairdryer with the fridge on mains. It sounds obvious, but most tripped bollards come down to two appliances on at the same time. Stagger them and you will almost never have a problem.
Victron MultiPlus PowerAssist (the premium answer)
Many regular European travellers fit a Victron MultiPlus inverter-charger. Its PowerAssist function lets you cap your shore-power draw at, say, 5 amps. The moment you pull more than that, the unit quietly makes up the difference from your leisure batteries, then tops them back up when demand eases. The bollard never sees a spike. It costs roughly 800 to 1,500 GBP fitted, which is not a small sum. But it removes the problem entirely.
Cables, plugs, and adapters
Most European campsites use the CEE blue 3-pin plug (IEC 60309), the same standard as UK sites. Your normal UK hook-up cable plugs straight into the bollard and works without any fuss.
Smaller and older sites still use domestic wall sockets, so carry a continental 2-pin adapter. You want one with a female CEE blue socket on one end and a 2-pin plug on the other, compatible with both:
- French Type E (earth pin protruding from the wall).
- German Schuko / Type F (earth clips on the side of the socket).
Most adapters sold in the UK cover both types, so one is enough. Budget 15 to 25 GBP.
On cable length and thickness: 25 metres with a 2.5mm core is the sensible minimum. Shorter cables will not reach the bollard on a large pitch. Thinner cores run warm under load. Stick with 2.5mm.
Reverse polarity
This is a safety issue, not just an oddity worth knowing about.
Reverse polarity means the Live and Neutral wires have been swapped at the campsite socket. It is most common in France and Spain, either because continental plugs can go in either way round, or because an older site was wired incorrectly.
UK motorhome consumer units switch only the Live wire. If polarity is reversed, your Neutral becomes the live conductor. Appliances stay electrically live even with the switch off. Changing a bulb or pulling a fuse on a reversed supply can give you a serious shock. Test before you touch anything.
How to handle it
- Carry a plug-in socket tester (5 to 10 GBP). Once you are connected to the bollard, plug it into any mains socket inside the van. It will flag reverse polarity straight away.
- Carry a reverse polarity crossover cable (15 to 25 GBP). This is a short lead with Live and Neutral swapped at one end. Fit it between the bollard and your hook-up cable to correct the problem.
- Retest once the crossover is in. Some sites need it at the bollard end, others at the motorhome end. The tester tells you which, and removes any guesswork.
Checking amperage before you book
Booking sites do not always make amperage obvious, but the better ones do include it if you know where to look.
- ACSI Eurocampings (eurocampings.co.uk). Reliable and consistent. Search filters and individual site pages both show amperage clearly, for example "Hook-up 6A".
- Pitchup (pitchup.com). Amperage is listed under pitch facilities.
- SearchForSites / Park4Night. Amperage is not always filled in. Check recent user reviews and photos of the bollard for a realistic picture.
If you are travelling in winter and relying on mains heating, only book sites that clearly state 10A or 16A. Do not assume.
Common questions
What amperage are European campsite hook-ups?
It varies considerably. UK sites are 16A as standard. France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro are usually 6A to 10A, with some rural sites as low as 3A or 4A. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and Denmark are generally 10A to 16A. Always check the listing before you book.
Can I use a kettle on a 6A hook-up?
Not your one from home. A standard UK kettle draws 2,000 to 3,000 watts. The ceiling on a 6A supply is 1,380 watts, so it will trip the bollard the moment you switch on. A travel kettle rated under 1,000 watts works fine on 6A, provided nothing else heavy is running at the same time. Pack one before you go.
What is reverse polarity and is it dangerous?
Reverse polarity is when the Live and Neutral wires have been swapped at the campsite socket. It comes up regularly in France and Spain. UK motorhome consumer units switch only the Live wire, so when polarity is reversed, appliances stay electrically live even with the switch turned off. That is a genuine safety risk. Carry a socket tester and a reverse polarity crossover cable.
Do I need a different cable for European campsites?
Your standard UK CEE blue cable plugs straight into most European bollards. You will also want a continental 2-pin adapter for older sites that still use domestic Schuko or French Type E sockets. Use a 25 metre cable with a 2.5mm core as your minimum.