Renting a Motorhome for Europe

Check your licence before you book

Start here before anything else. Hire companies check your licence at handover and will not hand over the keys if it does not cover the vehicle weight. Better to know now than to find out at the depot with a van full of luggage.

• Passed after 1 January 1997: you hold Category B only, which covers vehicles up to 3,500kg MAM. Most 4 to 6 berth rental motorhomes weigh between 3,850kg and 4,250kg. You will need a C1 entitlement to drive them legally.
• Passed before 1 January 1997: you most likely hold Category B plus C1 as standard, covering vehicles up to 7,500kg. Check the back of your photocard to be sure.
• Adding C1 by test costs around 1,000 GBP. If you plan to rent more than once, or want access to larger and better-equipped vehicles, it pays for itself.

You do not need an International Driving Permit for EU and Schengen countries, including Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland, as long as you hold a UK photocard licence. You only need an IDP if you are still on an old paper licence, or if you are travelling somewhere outside the EU such as Albania.

What your rental insurance does not cover

Collision Damage Waiver, or CDW, sounds like full protection. It is not. Almost every major operator excludes the same four things from the standard policy, and they are the four things most likely to catch you out.

• The roof. Bridges, low branches, petrol station canopies, and car park barriers all count. Roof damage is the single most common rental claim.
• The undercarriage. Steep driveways, speed bumps, and rough ground can all cause scrapes that CDW will not cover.
• The windscreen. Stone chips and cracks are excluded. A replacement can run to several hundred pounds.
• The tyres. Punctures and kerbing damage are not covered.

Deposits and how to pay

• You need a physical credit card in the lead driver's name. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and cards belonging to anyone else travelling with you will be refused.
• Most operators hold a deposit of between 1,000 GBP and 2,500 GBP on your card for the full duration of the rental.
• Disputes over pre-existing damage are the most common complaint on operator review pages. Good handover photos are your best defence. See the checklist below.

Mileage limits and costs to check before you book

The headline price rarely tells the whole story. Check each of these points before you confirm a booking.

• Mileage limits. Budget operators often cap daily mileage at 100 to 150 miles and charge 0.20 to 0.40 GBP per extra mile. On a 3,000-mile European trip, that adds up fast. Premium operators and off-season bookings are more likely to include unlimited mileage.
• European travel supplement. This is a daily fee, typically 5 to 15 GBP, covering cross-border insurance and European breakdown cover. Confirm it is included in the quoted price, not added on when you collect the vehicle.
• One-way drop-off fees. Most operators only allow one-way rentals within the same country or regional depot network. Indie Campers is one of the few that offers genuine pan-European one-way routes, such as London to Lisbon, though you will pay a premium for it.
• Young driver surcharge. Drivers under 25 usually pay an additional daily fee. Some operators will not rent to anyone under 21.
• Pet cleaning fee. Taking a pet usually costs 45 to 75 GBP per trip and must be arranged in advance. Turning up with an unannounced animal can cost you 200 GBP or more in penalties.

Documents you will NOT have

Renting and owning aren't the same on paper. You'll carry a different set of documents. Know what they are before a border guard or a gendarme asks.

• No V5C logbook. You won't have the vehicle registration document. Your rental agreement is your proof of authorised use instead.
• VE103B certificate if you're taking a UK-collected motorhome into Europe. This permits a hired UK vehicle to cross the Channel. Your hire company must hand it to you.
• Insurance certificate in the rental company's name covering the countries on your route. Confirm European extension before you leave.
• European breakdown cover details including the assistance number and policy reference.

Keep all of it in the cab, not buried in a bag in the garage. European police do occasionally ask for proof of ownership at roadside stops. Your rental agreement covers that, but only if you can find it in 30 seconds.

Major operators at a glance

Here are the operators UK renters come across most often. This is not a recommendation, just a snapshot. Terms change, fleets vary by depot, and the only figures that matter are the ones in the operator's own T&Cs when you book.

The handover checklist

Almost every deposit dispute comes down to damage that was already there before you left, and nobody recorded it. Work through this list at every handover and don't feel awkward about being thorough. The depot staff have seen it many times before.

1. Photograph everything. The roof is the angle most people miss. Do the wing mirrors, windscreen, underneath the bumpers, and all four corners. A short video walkround with a visible timestamp on your phone is stronger evidence than photos alone.
2. Write the vehicle height on a sticky note and put it on the dashboard. Both metres and feet. Bridge strikes are entirely your liability. CDW will not cover them.
3. Check the systems. Gas bottle levels, grey water valve closed, heating runs, fridge powers up on gas and 12V, fresh water tank is empty for the weigh-in, habitation door locks.
4. Do a test drive around the depot before you leave. Practise reversing on mirrors alone, as many rental motorhomes have no rear window. Get a feel for tail-swing too. The rear of a long motorhome sweeps wide when you turn sharply.
5. Confirm what documents are in the cab. Rental agreement, VE103B (if applicable), European insurance certificate, breakdown assistance number, emergency contact for the hire company.
6. Check the mileage reading matches the contract exactly before you pull off the forecourt.

Travelling with pets in a rental

Most of the larger operators have pet-friendly vehicles, but you need to request one when you book. Expect a deep-cleaning fee of 45 to 75 GBP. Turning up with an undeclared dog almost always means a penalty of 200 GBP or more on top of that. It's not worth the risk.

EU pet travel requirements apply to rental trips just as they do when travelling in your own vehicle. That means the Animal Health Certificate, rabies vaccination, and tapeworm treatment for the return journey. Get onto your vet well before you collect the motorhome.

See our full pet travel guide for the timeline, costs, and the Northern Ireland trap.

Common questions