How to Save Money on Campervan Relocation in Europe: 10 Practical Tips
Campervan relocation in Europe already starts at €1 per day — making it one of the cheapest ways to road trip across the continent. But the total cost of a camper relocation trip includes fuel, tolls, food, and getting to the pickup city. These ten tips will help you cut those costs even further — some can save you over €100 per trip. Not sure what campervan relocation is? Start with our complete guide to how it works.
1 Skip the toll roads
French and Spanish toll motorways are expensive — a drive through France can easily cost €60–80 in tolls alone. Set your GPS to "avoid tolls" and use the Routes Nationales (N-roads) instead. They run parallel to most autoroutes and are free. You'll add 30–60 minutes to a day's drive, but save enough for several meals.
Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg have no toll roads for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes. Routes through these countries are automatically toll-free.
2 Choose deals with a fuel allowance
Some providers include a fuel credit of €50–150 as part of the deal. This is essentially free money toward your biggest expense. When comparing two similar routes, the one with a fuel allowance is almost always the better deal even if the daily rate is slightly higher.
Imoova and Roadsurfer are the most likely to include fuel allowances, particularly on longer routes.
3 Sleep in the campervan
This is the biggest money-saver most people overlook. You're driving a fully equipped campervan with a bed, kitchen, and often a bathroom. Use it. Instead of paying €60–100 per night for hotels, park at a free or cheap overnight spot and sleep in the van.
Apps like Park4Night and Campercontact show thousands of free and low-cost overnight parking spots across Europe. Many are in beautiful locations — lakesides, mountain passes, coastal viewpoints — that no hotel can match.
4 Cook in the van
Every campervan has a kitchen with a stove, fridge, and basic utensils. Stock up at a supermarket at the start of your trip — bread, cheese, pasta, fruit — and cook your own meals. Restaurant meals in France or Spain average €15–25 per person. A supermarket meal costs €3–5.
Fill up the fridge before you leave. Lidl, Aldi, and Mercadona (in Spain) are your best friends on a budget road trip.
5 Chain multiple relocations
One relocation is a cheap road trip. Two or three chained together becomes a budget European tour. The trick is finding deals where the drop-off city of one trip is close to the pickup city of the next.
Example: Munich → Lisbon (3 days), wait 2 days, Lisbon → Barcelona (2 days). Total vehicle cost: under €10. Total distance: 3,500+ km across 5 countries. You'd pay over €1,000 for the same trip in a regular rental. Check our guide to the top 5 campervan relocation routes in Europe for the best routes to chain together.
Movacamper lets you search from your drop-off city immediately after booking, making it easy to spot chaining opportunities. Or use Relocamp to plan your full multi-leg trip visually on an interactive map.
6 Use budget transport to reach the pickup
Don't let the cost of getting to the pickup city eat into your savings. FlixBus routes start at €9. Ryanair and easyJet flights start at €15–30 one-way. Even a €40 train ticket is worth it if the relocation deal saves you €300+ compared to a regular rental.
Book transport early for the best prices. FlixBus is usually cheapest for distances under 500km. Budget airlines win for longer distances.
7 Book early in the week
New deals are typically posted by providers on Mondays and Tuesdays. By the weekend, the best routes are often taken. Check on Monday morning for the freshest selection. Set up email alerts on Movacamper to get notified automatically when deals matching your preferences appear.
8 Be flexible on dates
The more flexible you are, the more deals you'll qualify for. A route that's available next Tuesday might not be available the following week. If you can leave within a few days' notice, you'll have access to deals that people with fixed schedules miss.
The highest deal volume is in autumn (September–November). If you can plan a flexible trip during these months, you'll have the most options.
9 Fuel up at supermarket stations
Motorway service stations charge 15–25% more for fuel than town stations. Supermarket fuel stations (Leclerc, Carrefour, and Intermarché in France; Eroski and Repsol at Mercadona in Spain) are consistently the cheapest. Fill up before you hit the motorway and again when you exit for overnight stops.
The app GasBuddy (or Essence&Co in France) shows real-time fuel prices along your route.
10 Compare across all providers
The same route can vary significantly in price between providers. A Munich-to-Lisbon deal on Imoova might be €1/day while Roadsurfer offers the same route at €5/day but includes a €100 fuel allowance. The second deal is actually cheaper overall despite the higher daily rate.
This is exactly why we built Movacamper — to show you every deal from every provider side by side, so you can compare the real total cost rather than just the headline price.
Compare deals across all 5 providers — find the cheapest total trip cost.
Search deals on Movacamper →Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to travel Europe by campervan?
Campervan relocation deals let you drive campervans between cities for €1–5 per day. By chaining multiple relocations together and sleeping in the van, you can tour Europe for weeks spending less than €20 per day on transport and accommodation combined.
Are there hidden costs in campervan relocation?
The main costs beyond the rental fee are fuel (€80–150 per trip depending on distance), tolls (€0–100 depending on route and country), and food. Some providers include a fuel allowance. There are no hidden booking fees, but exceeding the kilometre limit or returning late can incur extra charges.
How do I avoid toll roads on a campervan relocation?
Use Google Maps or a GPS set to "avoid tolls" to find free alternatives. In France, the Routes Nationales run parallel to most toll motorways. Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands have no toll roads for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes. Planning a toll-free route can save €50–100 per trip.
Related articles
📖 What is Campervan Relocation? — The complete guide to how campervan relocation works in Europe, what it costs, and what to expect.
🗺️ Top 5 Campervan Relocation Routes in Europe (2026) — The best routes with distances, drive times, and scenic highlights for each leg.
📅 Best Time for Campervan Relocation Deals in Europe — Month-by-month guide to when the most deals appear and which routes open up each season.