There are tons of similarities between certain countries in Europe and the United States, and an adoration for van-life is certainly one of them. The United States is sprawling and expansive, and people can move freely between states so road tripping with a van RV is a wonderful way to travel. Similarly, citizens of the European Union can freely move between countries to explore neighboring nations.
During the summer months, you’re likely to see plenty of campers and RVs making their way towards the coasts and national parks in both the U.S. and Europe. Both are ideal places for unforgettable road trips. Although some Europeans may opt for more eco-friendly methods of transportation, like train travel, road tripping in a camper is still quite popular. That being said, certain aspects of traveling in a camper van or RV in Europe can take some American tourists by surprise.
Road tripping in a van or RV, which is commonly referred to as “caravaning” in Europe, may be slightly more challenging for American drivers. Throughout many parts of Europe, the roads are much narrower than they are in the United States, and navigating them safely may take some getting used to.
North America and Europe have very different road widths
On my first trip to Europe, my mom and I decided to rent a caravan and explore Ireland. I only had two weeks off work, and we wanted to see as much as possible. We picked up our David Bowie-themed camper van rental, hit the road, and quickly discovered that we were woefully unprepared for the narrow European streets. The average residential street in the United States is around 50 feet wide, whereas the European average is 15 to 25 feet wide. Just moments into our drive, we turned onto a tiny residential street and side-swiped a hedge, nearly knocking our rear-view mirror clean off.
City driving was the most challenging due to traffic and parked cars, but rural roads weren’t much wider. One day, as we were cruising down a winding country road through the rolling green hills of the Irish countryside, we suddenly came upon a large group of cyclists that turned out to be athletes practicing for the Tour de France. There was no opportunity to pass them on the single lane road, and so for about three hours we inched along at a snail’s pace in our David Bowie van.
The experience turned out to be one of our most cherished travel memories, but had we been on a tight schedule, it could have been a very frustrating situation. It’s a good idea for American travelers to prepare for traffic and congestion caused by the narrow roadways when traveling in an RV in Europe. The narrow roads are also the reason that most camper vans and RVs in Europe are much smaller than options you’ll find in America. Don’t expect to find semi-truck-sized campers across the pond.
Tips for caravaning on narrow roads
