renting a campervan northern spain

boardlady

Is there anything in particular I need to watch out for? We are complete campervan virgins and want to try out a holiday rental to see do we like it. I know February is not the best month either .. any tips, recommendations, warnings?

many thanks.

Itineoman

A great way to dip the toe in the water and I hope you have a ball.

Some random general things in no particular order:

Small is good - rent no bigger than you absolutely need. You’ll find there is a lot to get your heads around at the start between grey/fresh water, cassette/Fridge, gas etc. When driving, if you haven’t had a high van before, you need to think in 3D and be aware of height restrictions. Depending on the van you rent, tailswing may be a thing to watch out for. Have a co-driver to help when reversing.

Everyone to their own but I’d recommend not driving too far - an hour or two per day and stop to smell the flowers.

You are driving a slow vehicle so go with the flow and enjoy the relaxed pace.

Again everyone is different but we get the most pleasure from discovering places that are out of reach of the normal tourist.

Overnight parking will be a thing. Likewise you’ll need to empty the cassette every two days or so and fill/drain the water less frequently. Park4night app will take care of nearly all your needs. Spain/France/Germany are well set up for vans in this respect. We always use aires when on the continent. If you’re staying more than a week you might want to use a campsite to wash and dry clothes.

Don’t get hung up on electricity hookup unless you really need to use that hair straightener or toaster. Leisure battery should carry you for what you need. LED lights these days mean that batteries last forever.

Have you kids? What do you like to do?

Where in northern Spain are you renting from? Been around there a fair bit on foot/in a motorhome/on a motorbike so might have something to share. Lots of variety and scope to make it your ideal holiday as you are ultimately in charge.

February will likely be cold and damp and probably windy - I was there last April for most of the month on the Camino del Norte this year and the weather was like at home but milder and less rainy.

Northern Spain is cheap compared to Ireland but it varies from region to region Asturia is cheaper than Galicia but it is all relative.

You’ll find other motorhomers are a friendly lot and generally on for a chat about your van/where you’ve been and share a glass of wine or a beer.

Last thing - I found that a almost nobody speaks English if you’re off the beaten track.

boardlady

@Itineoman, thank you so much for your detailed response. There is indeed a lot to think about. I will go back to himself and discuss and I may be back to you if that's alright! Thanks again.

Itineoman

Did you go with it in the end?

boardlady

@Itineoman - no, not this time. Booked south of Spain instead with an apartment! I think February is not the best time of year. We will definitely try it some time though - maybe in autumn.

Choppa32

@boardlady Word of advice if you do want to head to the North of Spain in Autumn as we did it in our van from late Sept through Oct just gone, and had a few weeks down the south before that. Would 100% recommend it, so many great places to visit and explore but a lot/if not all of the campsites up north close seem to completely close towards the end of Oct. There is a Spanish public holiday towards the end of the month and think that was the general date for closure.