RVing in Europe

Insight into what?
Sights to see, places to visit, location of campgrounds, food to buy, restaurants, what?
I hardly think that two weeks will give you enough time to drive around three or four countries.

The first insight is to get a map of Europe and look at the distances involved. Too much ground for two weeks. Second, the Europeans are big on RVs but the typical RV in Europe is much smaller than the US so be prepared for very tight quarters. Third, stick to small towns and villages. An RV in the bigger cities will be a real problem driving and parking.

From what I have read - Germany rates are the lowest. We understand the 2 weeks are limited and was wondering if one way rentals were an option? We are interested in any of the Southern Europe countries. I can manage the itinerary selection but looking for insight on RV renting transactions and companies reputations. Much appreciative.

One way rentals within the same country are usually OK, possibly a small surchrage.
One way international rentals (from one country to another) have huge surcharges. Basically, the rental companies are not allowed to rent out a foreign registered vehicle. So they have to drive it back to its home country, and charge you for it.

I agree to get a map and check distances as your fiirst stage of planning. Or go to www.viamichelin.com
Also most southern European countries (Spain, France, Italy, ...) charge tolls for their Autopiste/Autoroutes/Autostrada. That must be budgeted for if you are going long distances.

insight on RV renting transactions and companies reputations.

If that is what you are looking for you need to check web sites devoted to RVing. You will not get much help here since RV traffic is almost non-existent. There have been a couple of postings in the past so you should use the search function. Good luck.

This is a fun idea for seeing rural or mountainous areas - not if you are hoping to visit any big cities.
That said, campgrounds/RV parks in Europe are very posh compared to the US and you will be quite comfortable. Many have things like pools and mini golf along with small grocery stores and even cafes sometimes.
The issue becomes how you will get to the sights/places you want to see. Unless you plan to rent a car and drag it behind the RV you won't be able to easily get into cities and even some towns. Even seeing natural sights can be difficult with small winding roads that are not designed for these kinds of vehicles - although Europeans do it all the time! It's terrifying where they try to drive them! You can use public buses to get into towns and cities and out to some sights - we have done this before - and it can work but it adds quite a bit of travel time to your itinerary. The problem is that many RV parks and campgrounds are not on bus lines. You'll need to do your homework regarding this aspect.
Also consider cost. They are NOT cheap to rent and with European gas prices, you will spend an amount equal to or greater than what you would spend on train fare and hotels. The cost of staying in RV parks in Europe is not a bargain either...with the amenities they offer it approaches the cost of an inexpensive hotel.
Driving a regular car around Europe can be stressful - using an RV just compounds this.

Take a look at this English language website to see if some parts of it might be of help. The majority of these posters are motorhome users from the UK who holiday at home or in Europe.

http://www.motorhometalk.co.uk/community/

Prior to our first trip to Europe, I researched RV rental. We were used to camping in Colorado and through-out the west and sleeping in a small RV. So it seemed reasonable to do the same in Europe until I learned more about the campgrounds - more expensive and very different than US camping. Full services but basically parking lots. And not convienent to the sites we wanted to see. And the roads into the small towns are too small for a bigger vehicle. And the total cost was not less than lodging costs. We found the lower cost hotels as described in "Europe Through the Backdoor" to be a great way to travel and gave up the idea of RVing in Europe.

If you want to mingle with locals and mostly hang out in a playground with your children, it may be great for your family. If you want to see European sites, you may need to reevaluate your plan.

Enjoy the planning and the trip!

One other point to consider (depending on which countries you visit) is that you'll need a highway tax vignette for countries like Austria and Switzerland. Hefty fines for those caught without one! There are also the ZTL (limited traffic areas) in Italy but you probably won't encounter those if you stay outside of the towns.

If you are going to rent a RV, stick to just one country. You maybe disappointed how small European vans are compares to those in the USA. Many European campsites are quite a way of out town and without bicycles to get around, you may have it a hassle to pack up your van every time you want to go anywhere. European campsites tend to be more expensive than those in the UK and the pitches are very close together. I understand that the pitches in the US are much more spaced out.

Renting a RV is very expensive - some limit the number of km that can be driven before high excesses have to be paid. One way drop offs between countries will either not be permitted or very expensive. At that time of year, it would be more practical to a rent say 3 properties in different areas for a few days each on Airbnb and rent a car.

Caravanning in southern Europe sounds like an educational experience.

I've avoided driving in Europe but know that's they are a lot of regulations and rules that are foreign to us North American drivers. For example the UK Caravan club advises about urban access regulations such as:
http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/advice-and-information/route-planner/low-emission-zones
http://www.urbanaccessregulations.eu

Many cities in Europe use Low Emission Zones, Urban Road Tolls,
Traffic Limited Zones and Traffic Restrictions to improve air quality,
reduce traffic congestion and make historic city centres attractive to
tourists. This website answers your questions on where you are allowed
to drive in European cities. We include maps of the areas, the
requirements to enter, whether stickers or permits are needed, what
the penalties are and much more.

In addition to all the discouraging words already posted (which seem pretty spot-on to me), I would just add that southern Europe in July is not my idea of fun. Hot. Crowded. If that's the only time you can go, OK, but if you have the flexibility to pick when you go...consider a time when the weather won't be uncomfortably hot, and everyplace won't be clogged with both foreign tourists and Europeans on holiday too (May or September are much more enjoyable for many of us).

Remember: Europe is not like the great open spaces of the American west. It's crowded, and very popular with tourists from all over the world - developing countries like China and India have huge and growing middle classes, and for many people in those countries, international travel had previously been out of reach, only for the rich. Now those newly prosperous countries are going to Europe in great numbers. You will not find the same "free, open road" experience that you have enjoyed in the US - lots of things are different there.

Re: Europe is not like the great open spaces of the American west. It's crowded, and very popular with tourists from all over the world....

While true with respect to driving, much of Europe respects the freedom to roam: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam

The freedom to roam, or everyman's right is the general public's right
to access certain public or privately owned land for recreation and
exercise. The right is sometimes called the right of public access to
the wilderness or the right to roam.

In England and Wales public access rights apply to certain categories
of mainly uncultivated land—specifically "mountain, moor, heath, down
and registered common land." Developed land, gardens and certain other
areas are specifically excluded from the right of access. Agricultural
land is accessible if it falls within one of the categories described
above. Most publicly owned forests have a similar right of access by
virtue of a voluntary dedication made by the Forestry Commission.
People exercising the right of access have certain duties to respect
other people's rights to manage the land, and to protect nature.

In Scotland and the Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway and
Sweden as well as the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania the freedom to roam may take the form of general public
rights which are sometimes codified in law. The access is ancient in
parts of Northern Europe and has been regarded as sufficiently basic
that it was not formalised in law until modern times. However, the
right usually does not include any substantial economic exploitation,
such as hunting or logging, or disruptive activities, such as making
fires and driving offroad vehicles.

Perhaps this will help. We had investigated purchasing a European camper and storing it between visits several years ago which led us to look at rentals. The Schengen Treaty implamented a limitation on number of days allowed for non EU visitors, plus increased the bank loan restrictions for non EU citizens, eliminated our further efforts of a purchase. We did visit BW Campers in Amsterdam and just checked their current site. It has good info on rentals and illustrates what they are talking about for the different types of camper rigs. Also, some of the equipment you may need in the rig is rented for additional cost per item. We have made numerous European tours and have often visited with RVers who are on the road--They have fun and enjoy the experience, but it is a different experience from the US, from dealing with the black tank disposal to washing dishes, to the actual campground looks and layouts. On our U.S. RVing have attended lectures by Mike and Terri Church (RV writers--Pacific NW, South West, Baja, Alaska ect). We have their "Traveler's Guide to European Camping" (2004). In the US, Escapees RV Club has a forum which you can enter and ask questions on. If there is not an immediate reply try again to catch an interested responder. The Escapees RV Club publishes a bymonthly magizine and I recall a past feature about renting in Europe. Perhaps you can call them and check that out. In the Escapees RV club there are different interest sub groups. One we belong to is called World Wide Travlers (WWT). A monthly letter is published. Kathy Howe writes the current WWT news letter. Good Sams also has an active RV forum
Enjoy your research and have fun if you pull it off.

World Wide Travelers news letter (which is an Escapees RV Club birds of a feather sub goup) = editor is Kathy Howe <[email protected]
Amsterdam, RV camper rentals and purchases--note there are many others = www.bwcampers.com
Escapees forum = www.rvnetwork.com
Good Sams forum = www.goodsamclub.com/forums
"European Camping" = by Mike and Terri Church, 2004, published by Rolling Homes press, 161 Rainbow Dr, #6157,
Livingston TX, 77399-1061
UK Caravaning Club = www.caravanclub.co.uk/sitemap

may I suggest you rent a car for two weeks and stay in small hotels and b@bs.. you will get that "local" enjoyment and freedom.. but without the extra expenses ( gas is VERY expensive in Europe and RVS drink a lot of gas.. never mind all the tolls etc )
You will actually be able to visit smaller out of the way places with a car.. with any rv you will have to be a lot more careful in towns.. and in larger cities you will have to park outside ( and pay ) and get public transport in..

We were an rving family( we owned first a 24 ft , then a 26 ft.. then a 30 footer , over 12 years) .. we had three kids so rving was a fun and cheaper way to holiday for years for us.. but when it came to Europe we decided based on our experiences in North America and the differences in Europe.to not rv there.. but if you had a month.. might be something to consider.. but for only 2 weeks I would really think hard about it..

Europe is not good for RVing. Expensive gas, narrow winding roads, usually heavy traffic, some countries require special drivers license (not just for cars) for bigger RVs. If I would ever consider RVing in Europe, it would be Norway, Sweden, Finland. Gas is not cheaper there but traffic out of cities is lighter and you can get far away from everything.