Driving a motorhome in Germany

Motorways, tolls and vignettes

What a vignette is: in some European countries you buy a permit before using the motorways, now often digital and linked to the number plate, valid for a set period instead of paying at toll booths.

Motorways are free for cars and motorhomes and no vignette is needed.

The heavy vehicle toll (LKW-Maut, over 3.5 t) applies to goods vehicles: according to Toll Collect, motorhomes do not pay it. Some tunnels have a separate toll.

Official website

Environmental sticker, ZTL and low emission zones

To enter an Umweltzone you need the green sticker (Umweltplakette), also with a foreign number plate. Order it from TÜV, DEKRA or GTÜ, not from private resellers.

Low emission zones in our data

32 zones, including: LKW-Fahrverbot Stuttgart, Umweltzone, Umweltzone Aachen, Umweltzone Berlin, Umweltzone Bochum, Umweltzone Bonn, Umweltzone Bottrop, Umweltzone Bremen, Umweltzone Düsseldorf, Umweltzone Eschweiler, Umweltzone Frankfurt am Main, Umweltzone Hagen….

Official website

Useful rules for motorhome travellers

Winter tyres are compulsory with snow, ice or slippery roads: they must carry the mountain-and-snowflake symbol.

Where the motorway has no limit, the recommended speed is 130 km/h; motorhomes over 3.5 t have lower limits (100 km/h on motorways up to 7.5 t).

One night of rest is usually tolerated in car parks where it is not forbidden, but without camping.