What is the Cost of Living in a Motorhome in Europe?
If you are planning a motorhome or campervan tour of Europe in 2026, one of the first questions you will ask is simple: how much is this actually going to cost? With rising fuel prices, shifting campsite fees and different costs from country to country, it can feel difficult to pin down a realistic budget before you set off.
The truth is that motorhome travel in Europe can cost vastly different amounts depending on how you do it. A two week summer road trip, moving every day and staying on serviced campsites, will look very different financially from a slow three month tour with regular off-grid stops. Where you travel matters too. Southern Europe is generally kinder on the wallet than Scandinavia or Switzerland, and toll roads and ferries can quietly inflate your spend if you are not prepared.
We base our figures on more than seven years of real life motorhome travel across Europe, in all seasons and across a wide range of countries. In this guide, we break down what it truly costs to live and travel in a motorhome in 2026, so you can plan with clarity, confidence and a budget that works for you.
Factors That Will Affect the Cost of Travelling Europe in a Campervan
When you are budgeting for living in a campervan in Europe, bear in mind the following:
The exchange rate may affect you if you are travelling long term and regularly need to change pounds into euros, or other currency.
The country you are travelling in will have a huge affect on budget. The per day costs of living in Spain for example, are less than half of that for Norway or Ireland.
Your choice to you use campsites, aires or free overnight wild camping spots will impact your costs significantly.
How far you want to travel and what type of roads you use will affect your fuel costs and travel bills.
Not all motorhomes are created equal. The vehicle age, engine size and the way you drive will affect your fuel consumption. If you are looking at used motorhomes for your Europe trip, check the efficiency online first.
The value, make and model of your motorhome can have a huge impact on insurance costs, especially if you require full-time insurance cover.
Sadly, your age will affect the cost of any travel or medical insurance.
Your motorhome travel philosophy will probably have the biggest impact of all. How often you like to eat out, whether you’re a culture vulture and want to visit every museum or prefer a free hike, the wine you like to drink… all will affect your budget.
The Ultimate Guide to Motorhoming in Europe
If you’re planning a motorhome trip to Europe for the first time, our guide has tips, advice and information to help you plan your European tour.
Don’t struggle trying to plan your Europe trip, find out everything you need to know before you go + loads of motorhoming tips for when you arrive.
In this example year, from January to December, we spent three months in France, two months in Portugal, five months in Spain and two months in Norway. We updated these costs in 2026 to reflect the increased cost in fuel and living expenses across Europe.
Cost of Travelling Europe in a Motorhome by Length of Tour
ANNUAL
£19,710
MONTHLY
£1,642.50
WEEKLY
£379.04
DAILY
£54.00
Cost of Travelling Europe in a Motorhome By Category
FOOD £3970
All groceries but not meals out
We generally shop at budget supermarkets like Lidl
FUEL £4450
Diesel to cover 10k non-motorway miles at an average cost of 1.80p per litre and assuming 22mpg
Equip your motorhome with the right accessories. Solar power will mean you can wild camp for longer and not pay for EHU where its an extra cost on a campsite. Refillable gas is much cheaper at the pump than continually replacing bottles and buying new country specific regulators.
It makes sense to get an ACSI camping card to help with the cost of campsites out of season – it will pay for itself even if you only use sites occasionally.
Shop daily or every couple of days if your trip itinerary allows. Motorhome fridges are not always that efficient if you’re traveling Europe in a motorhome in summer – we’ve found ourselves throwing food away.
Lidl is a popular budget supermarket across Western Europe. Did you know they source much of their fruit and veg locally? This means you’ll always get what’s in season with a low carbon footprint. Also, Lidl don’t have height barriers to their car parks and often provide motorhome parking spaces …the perfect supermarket!
Slow travel if you can, and really savour getting to know new places. You’ll use less fuel over a longer period of time, especially if you steer clear of driving on motorways and avoid toll roads.
Make sure that you use a card provider who doesn’t charge for overseas purchases or ATM withdrawals, or try an international transfer service like Wise, which also comes with a card.
Try and get breakdown cover (and travel insurance) with your bank if possible. Some motorhome insurers include breakdown cover at a much reduced cost.
Go dry for your trip… ok, just an idea!
We use a lot of data to manage our touring Europe in a motorhome blog, so our contract is expensive. Try looking at European data only sims for your time abroad and download when you’re in supermarkets, cafes and other places where wifi is provided free of charge.
Shop around for motorhome insurance and motorbike insurance if you carry one, and remember that if you’re full-timing, it will always be more expensive.
Take public transport when visiting a city. Camp on the outskirts and catch a train or bus into the centre. It’s safer to see cities in this way too.
Research what you can do for free when you visit new places. Museums often have days of the week when it’s free to visit, and some have a city pass which covers the cost of transport and attractions.
If you remain unsure about whether the budget is manageable, hire a motorhome for a few weeks to get a feel for costs.
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Expertise: road trips, full-time travel, motorhoming, Europe travel, overlanding and writing itineraries. Likes: living in a box, wine and croissants!
Bio: Izzy has been a travel writer since 2019 covering everything from gap years to travelling in Morocco, Turkey and the Caucasus in a motorhome. Izzy is the author of Selling Up to Live in a Motorhome and along with hubbie Phil, enjoys helping others to live their dreams through The Gap Decaders. Visit our about page.
2 thoughts on “What Is the True Cost of Touring Europe in a Motorhome?”
Thank you 🙂
Awesome page and info Izzy! Thanks