Germany by campervan: best regions and routes

Areas of Germany

The regions of Germany: the Alps, the wine rivers and two coasts

Germany is 900 kilometres from the Alps to the North Sea and the country changes completely on the way: the mountains and the lakes in the south, two river valleys full of vineyards and castles in the west, sandstone gorges and rebuilt cities in the east, and two flat, windy, extremely popular coasts at the top. Pick the region by the month you are travelling.

Bavarian Alps

The Bavarian Alps: the highest country in Germany and the shortest season

The southern edge of Bavaria, from the Allgäu through Garmisch and the Zugspitze to Berchtesgaden and the Königssee, with Munich an hour north of it. Lakes, limestone, cable cars, castles and the best-organised mountain infrastructure in the country.

Best June to September

What it is like

• Garmisch-Partenkirchen averages 23 °C in July and 192 mm of rain in August. Afternoon thunderstorms are the pattern, not the exception.
• It is busy. This is where Germany goes on holiday, and where much of Austria's overflow goes too.

Where to go

• Berchtesgaden and the Königssee
• The Zugspitze, from Eibsee or Garmisch

For the vehicle

• Munich runs an environmental zone with a diesel ban: Euro 4 and older have been barred since February 2023, and the fine is 128.50 euros. The green sticker is required across the whole zone.
• Avoid Munich entirely from 19 September to 4 October 2026, the Oktoberfest dates. Every pitch, campsite and hotel within an hour is taken.

Black Forest

The Black Forest: high roads, warm valleys and the best driving in the south west

A block of forested hills running 160 kilometres down the Rhine's east bank, from Karlsruhe to the Swiss border, with Freiburg at its foot and Baden-Baden at its head. Spa towns, cuckoo clocks, gorges, and a ridge road built for slow driving.

Best May to October

What it is like

• Freiburg is the warmest city in Germany, averaging 26 °C in July, while the ridge above it is 8 to 10 degrees cooler on the same afternoon.
• The valley floor is wine country and the hills are forest and dairy. You can do both in a morning.

Where to go

• The Schwarzwaldhochstraße, Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt
• The Wutach gorge, on foot

For the vehicle

• Stuttgart is the hardest city in Germany for an older diesel. Euro 4 diesels are barred city wide and Euro 5 inside the small zone, at 108.50 euros.
• Ridge roads are wide and well surfaced, valley roads are narrow and full of cyclists. Motorcycle traffic is heavy at weekends.

Moselle and Rhine

The Moselle and the Middle Rhine: castles, vineyards and riverside pitches

Two river valleys that meet at Koblenz: the Moselle winding down from Trier through Bernkastel and Cochem, and the Rhine gorge running north from Bingen past the Lorelei, a UNESCO world heritage stretch with a castle every few kilometres.

Best April to October

What it is like

• Trier averages 25 °C in July and is mild into October, which makes this the longest usable season in Germany.
• September and early October are the wine harvest, and every village runs a festival. It is the best month here and the busiest.

Where to go

• Bernkastel-Kues and the Moselle loop at Trittenheim
• Burg Eltz, from the car park and a walk

For the vehicle

• This is the best riverside Stellplatz country in Germany. Nearly every wine village on the Moselle has one on the bank, often for well under 15 euros with a service point.
• The valley roads are narrow, walled and busy with coaches in season. The vineyard tracks above them are not for a motorhome.