Germany by campervan: costs and prices

Practical costs in Germany: currency, cards, cash, fuel, groceries and budgeting for a campervan trip. 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

Money

Germany is a euro country where cash still matters. Supermarkets, chains and petrol stations take cards without a thought. Bakeries, market stalls, village restaurants, small museums and a lot of Stellplatz payment machines do not, or take only a German debit card. Carry 50 to 100 euros in notes and a pocket of coins, because barrier machines, showers and waste points often want exact change.

One hand passing a banknote to another across a shop counter — Cards in the supermarket, coins at the barrier. Bring both

Practical prices for camper travel

Diesel, 1 litre: €2.43
Campsite or camper area, 1 night: €40.82
Inexpensive restaurant meal: €15
White bread, 500 g: €1.90
Bottled water, 1.5 litres: €0.95

Cards, cash machines and Pfand

Girocard is the national debit card, and some small businesses accept it and nothing else. A foreign Visa or Mastercard is fine in chains and increasingly normal elsewhere, but it is not universal.
Use a bank's own cash machine. Standalone machines in tourist streets and station halls charge the most and offer the worst rate.

Tipping and what is included

Tipping is light and not a percentage ritual. Round up, or add roughly 5 to 10 percent for a good meal in a restaurant.
Say the total you want to pay as you hand over the money, rather than leaving coins on the table afterwards. That is the local habit.

Fuel is the figure here most likely to be out of date. The 2.43 euros a litre for diesel is a national average for the week of 14 September 2026, and Autobahn service stations sit far above it while supermarket and edge-of-town pumps sit below. Fill up off the motorway, and check a price app before a long leg.