Germany by campervan: driving, tolls and rules
Driving a campervan in Germany: speed limits, tolls, low-emission zones, required equipment and key road rules. What to know before you go.
Published 18 September 2026Last checked 18 September 2026
Currency
Euro
EUR. Cards are normal, cash is still needed
Language
German
English is widely spoken in cities
Driving
Right
Autobahn has no general speed limit
Power
230V, type F
The standard round two-pin Schuko
Tap water
Safe to drink
Ask for Leitungswasser
Emergency
112
Police 110. ADAC breakdown 089 20 20 40 00
Driving
Driving
There is no motorway toll for a campervan in Germany, whatever it weighs. The road charge under the Bundesfernstraßenmautgesetz applies only to vehicles intended or used for carrying goods with a technically permissible mass over 3.5 tonnes, so a motorhome falls outside it even at 7.5 tonnes and above. The threshold moved down from 7.5 to 3.5 tonnes on 1 July 2024, which is why the rule is often quoted wrongly, and the plan to charge cars was abandoned after the European Court of Justice struck it down in 2019.
Speed limits by weight
| Vehicle | In town | Outside town | Autobahn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 3,500 kg | 50 km/h | 100 km/h | No general limit, 130 km/h advised |
| Over 3,500 kg to 7,500 kg | 50 km/h | 80 km/h | 100 km/h |
| Over 7,500 kg | 50 km/h | 60 km/h | 80 km/h |
| Any vehicle with a trailer | 50 km/h | 80 km/h | 80 km/h |
The 100 km/h on the Autobahn for a motorhome between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes is not in the StVO itself. It comes from a separate exemption regulation to the StVO, which lifts the 80 km/h limit for vehicles described as a Wohnmobil in the vehicle papers. If the registration document says something else, 80 km/h is your limit.
What the rules and the charges cost in 2026
| What | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Motorway toll for a motorhome | none | The toll covers goods vehicles over 3.5 t. A motorhome is outside it at any weight |
| Umweltplakette | €5 to €20 | One off, for the life of the vehicle. Registration offices, TÜV and DEKRA stations, or online. Foreign plates included |
| Entering an Umweltzone without one | €100 | All 36 German zones require the green sticker |
| Munich diesel ban | €128.50 | Euro 4 diesel and older barred from the environmental zone including the Mittlerer Ring since February 2023 |
| Stuttgart diesel ban | €108.50 | Euro 4 diesel city wide, Euro 5 and older inside the small zone covering the Talkessel, Bad Cannstatt, Zuffenhausen and Feuerbach |
Fuel and the Autobahn
- Never fill up on the motorway if you can help it. A Raststätte on the Autobahn is the most expensive fuel in the country. An Autohof signed just off the junction is far cheaper and built for large vehicles.
- Diesel averaged 2.43 euros a litre in the week of 14 September 2026 and petrol 2.36, on the European Commission's weekly readings.
Parking a large vehicle
- Vehicles over 7.5 tonnes may not regularly park in residential, spa and clinic areas from 22:00 to 06:00 or on Sundays and holidays, under the StVO. Below that weight the rule does not apply.
- Height barriers are the real constraint. Most city car parks are under 2.1 metres, and the ones that take a van are on the edge of town.
Winter tyres are required by the situation, not by the date. Under the StVO you may only drive in ice, packed snow, slush or frost if every wheel carries winter tyres, and since October 2024 only tyres marked with the Alpine symbol, the mountain and snowflake, satisfy that. There is no calendar season: on a clear November day nothing applies, and on a snowy October morning it does.