Happy Fireworks Day!

Whether we like it or not, it is most definitely approaching the end of the year and things are starting to turn wintery (at least here in the UK!)

That means it’s time to start thinking about cold-weather motorhoming.

Broadly speaking, there are four types of people who use their motorhomes in the winter:

• The ones chasing winter sunshine
• Others chasing snow and mountain life
• Those who love a weekend away, whatever the weather
• And those who live full-time in their motorhome or campervan

Each of these groups have slightly different considerations, although much of the planning stays the same.

Some of the biggest challenges are:

• finding campsites which are still open
• gear to take; both legal and useful
• planning routes
• dealing with wet gear/ dogs/ boots
• condensation
• using more gas/ diesel for heating and having less solar power to draw on.

WINTER VANLIFE TIPS

When I quit my job to travel in a motorhome, I never really considered the winter.

Oh, I thought about the fun bits: where we might go, Christmas markets we could explore, snowy mountains ranges we might visit — but I completely skipped planning the practical stuff like:

• Snow chains: do I carry them all year and take the payload hit, or store them somewhere and have to come back before winter to get them? (I ended up storing winter gear with family)
• Winter-appropriate tyres: when do you change them, especially if you're already abroad? Should I have a 'summer' and 'winter' set? Or just go for all-season ones? (In the end, I went for Michelin CrossClimates and have used them ever since.)
• Heating & bedding: should I take two duvets? Swap to a thicker one? Use an electric blanket? (I went for the third option- and just have the one duvet).
• Water & damp: how do you keep tanks from freezing… and stop the inside of the van dripping with condensation every morning?

These are the things you only learn the hard way (ask me how I know…🥶).

If you'd like some tips for winter motorhome trips, continuing reading here:

France/Europe Winter Tyre Law

If you're heading into Europe this winter, you need to be aware of the laws requiring the use of winter suitable tyres, particularly in mountainous regions.

For many countries, including France, the legal requirement is to wear winter-appropriate tyres or carry winter equipment between 01 November and 31 March. Yes, this applies even if you're just driving through France down to Spain or Portugal.

In France, the law only applies to specific departments (you can see a map here) and even then ONLY on specific roads (which are clearly marked).

So if you're planning a winter trip to the north of France, you're pretty safe (although I highly recommend having at least all-season tyres during winter in a motorhome; black ice and slippery roads can happen anywhere.)

​You can read more about the France winter tyre law here​

Take care (and safe travels if you're planning a winter adventure!)

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P.S: If you have the Secrets of France Road Trip Planner or the Europe Unlocked Toolkit, all the info above is in there for you.

(If you don't, get them while they're on sale using the links above)