After arriving in Warsaw, we continued our European motorhome journey southwest toward Barcelona, Spain. This was going to be one of the longest sections of our trip: roughly 2,200–2,400 km, depending on the route.
We were travelling as a family — my wife, our child, our dog and me — so instead of trying to cover the distance as quickly as possible, we planned several overnight stops.
Our route was:
Warsaw → Wrocław → Dresden → Nuremberg → Stuttgart → Strasbourg → Lyon → Montpellier → Perpignan → Barcelona
This meant crossing Poland, Germany, France and finally Spain.
Leaving Warsaw
We left Warsaw early in the morning with a full tank of diesel, fresh water in the motorhome and enough food for the first day.
The first destination was Wrocław, approximately 350 km from Warsaw.
Polish motorways are generally comfortable for travelling with a camper, although toll rules depend on the road and the vehicle’s maximum authorised weight.
For a normal campervan below 3.5 tonnes, travelling is relatively straightforward. Larger motorhomes above 3.5 tonnes can fall under different electronic tolling rules.
Before leaving Warsaw, I filled the tank at an ORLEN petrol station.
Diesel was roughly €1.45–€1.60 per litre, depending on the station and exchange rate.
Our motorhome consumed around 10–11 litres per 100 km, so fuel was going to be one of the biggest expenses on this journey.
Warsaw to Wrocław
The drive to Wrocław took us approximately 4 hours, including a short stop.
Travelling with a child and a dog meant that we normally stopped every two or three hours anyway.
At motorway service areas we could walk the dog, prepare coffee inside the camper and give our child a break from travelling.
We didn’t book a hotel in Wrocław. Instead, we found a motorhome parking area where overnight parking was possible.
For camper parking in Poland, we normally expected to pay around:
- parking only: €10–15
- camper area with electricity: €15–25
- campsite with showers and facilities: €20–35
That evening we walked around Wrocław, bought some groceries and cooked dinner inside the motorhome.
Wrocław to Dresden
The following morning we continued toward Germany.
Wrocław → Dresden is approximately 270 km.
One advantage of travelling through Germany is that passenger cars and most motorhomes up to 3.5 tonnes generally do not pay motorway tolls.
There is also no motorway vignette for normal passenger vehicles.
After crossing the Polish-German border, there was no traditional border checkpoint. We simply continued onto the German Autobahn.
Germany was probably one of the easiest countries on this route for travelling by motorhome.
Driving on the German Autobahn
From Dresden we continued southwest toward Nuremberg.
The Autobahn network is excellent, but driving a motorhome requires more attention than driving a normal car.
Even where there is no general speed limit, I normally stayed around 100–110 km/h. At that speed the camper was comfortable and fuel consumption remained reasonable.
We stopped at an Aral service station to refuel.
Diesel on German motorways was noticeably more expensive than at stations inside towns. We paid approximately €1.70–€1.85 per litre.
This became one of our rules during the journey:
avoid filling the entire tank directly on the motorway unless necessary.
Leaving the Autobahn for a nearby town could sometimes save €0.10–€0.20 per litre.
Overnight near Nuremberg
Germany has an excellent network of Wohnmobilstellplätze — designated motorhome parking areas.
Instead of using a full campsite, we stayed at a Stellplatz.
We paid approximately €15 for the night, plus a few euros for electricity.
There was:
- fresh water
- grey-water disposal
- toilet cassette disposal
- electricity
- waste bins
For us, this was enough.
We cooked dinner in the camper, walked the dog and went to sleep relatively early.
Nuremberg to Stuttgart and France
The next morning we drove from Nuremberg toward Stuttgart and then continued toward the French border.
This section was roughly 400 km.
We stopped near Stuttgart for fuel and groceries.
Buying food at supermarkets such as Lidl, Aldi or Kaufland was considerably cheaper than eating at motorway service stations.
For lunch we normally spent around €15–25 for the whole family when buying groceries, compared with potentially €40–60 at motorway restaurants.
From Stuttgart we continued toward Strasbourg.
Crossing from Germany into France was easy, but this was where the motorway costs changed significantly.
Entering France – Toll Motorways
Unlike Germany, many French motorways are tolled.
On traditional toll sections, you normally enter the motorway, take a ticket or have your vehicle detected electronically, and pay when leaving the toll section.
Payment is usually possible by:
bank card or compatible electronic toll tag.
For a motorhome, the toll can be considerably higher than for a normal passenger car depending on the vehicle’s dimensions and classification.
Our route through France was approximately:
Strasbourg → Besançon → Lyon → Montpellier → Perpignan
We budgeted roughly €100–150 for French motorway tolls for this part of the journey, although the exact amount depends heavily on the camper’s category and the roads used.
Strasbourg to Lyon
The next major stage was approximately 490 km.
We didn’t want to drive the entire distance without stopping, so after about two hours we pulled into a motorway service area.
French motorway rest areas were generally very convenient.
Large aires often had:
- toilets
- restaurants
- petrol stations
- picnic tables
- children’s areas
- dedicated spaces for larger vehicles
Fuel was expensive.
At motorway stations diesel could approach approximately €1.80–€2.00 per litre, while supermarkets and stations outside the motorway were often cheaper.
Before reaching Lyon, I therefore left the motorway and filled the camper at a supermarket petrol station.
That saved us roughly €10–15 on one tank.
Motorhome Stop near Lyon
We didn’t want to take a large camper into central Lyon.
Instead, we found a campsite outside the city.
The price was approximately €30–40 for one night, including a motorhome pitch and access to sanitary facilities.
After several nights using simple parking areas, having a proper shower, electricity and water refill was worth the extra money.
We also emptied the grey-water tank and toilet cassette before continuing south.
Lyon to Montpellier
This was when the journey started to feel noticeably more Mediterranean.
From Lyon we followed the motorway south through the Rhône Valley.
The distance from Lyon to Montpellier is approximately 300 km.
Traffic became heavier around major cities, particularly during the afternoon.
French toll gates were easy enough to use, but with a camper I always approached slowly because some lanes were narrower than others.
Whenever possible, I chose a lane suitable for larger vehicles and paid by bank card.
During this section we paid several separate motorway charges.
By this point our total French toll expenditure was already approaching €100.
Overnight near Montpellier
Instead of staying directly in Montpellier, we chose a motorhome area closer to the Mediterranean coast.
The price was approximately €18–25 for the night.
We parked the camper, connected electricity and spent the evening walking near the coast with our dog.
This was one of the best things about travelling by motorhome.
A normal road trip usually revolves around hotels. With the camper, we could decide at 17:00 where we wanted to sleep and search for an appropriate motorhome area nearby.
Montpellier to Perpignan
The following morning we had only around 160 km to Perpignan.
We refuelled before approaching Spain because I wanted enough diesel to reach Barcelona comfortably.
We also bought groceries in France.
By now the landscape had changed completely — vineyards, dry hills and increasingly Mediterranean vegetation surrounded the motorway.
Then the Pyrenees appeared in the distance.
That was the moment when it really felt like we were approaching Spain.
Crossing from France into Spain
We followed the A9 motorway toward the French-Spanish border near Le Perthus/La Jonquera.
After crossing into Spain, the road continues toward Figueres and Girona, eventually reaching Barcelona.
There was no normal passport booth where every vehicle had to stop, although temporary police or customs checks can occur within the Schengen area.
Almost immediately after entering Spain, we noticed large service stations and shopping areas around La Jonquera.
It was also a convenient place to stop.
Fuel in Spain
Spanish fuel prices were generally attractive compared with French motorway stations.
Diesel was around €1.45–€1.60 per litre at many stations we encountered.
I filled the tank again near La Jonquera.
For approximately 65 litres, the bill was around €100.
We walked the dog, had coffee and continued south.
La Jonquera to Barcelona
From the border to Barcelona we still had roughly 170 km.
We drove past Figueres and Girona before continuing toward Barcelona.
Spain has changed its motorway toll system considerably over the years, and many former toll motorway sections in Catalonia are now free.
Nevertheless, I always checked the route before driving because some Spanish roads and tunnels can still charge tolls.
The closer we got to Barcelona, the heavier the traffic became.
Driving a motorhome here required concentration.
There were motorcycles everywhere, multiple motorway lanes and complicated junctions.
Instead of driving directly into Barcelona’s historic centre, we headed toward a designated camper parking/camping location.
Parking a Motorhome in Barcelona
Taking a large camper into central Barcelona is not something I would recommend unless you know exactly where you’re going.
Apart from narrow streets and traffic, Barcelona also has environmental restrictions.
Before the trip, I checked whether our vehicle could legally enter the Barcelona Low Emission Zone (ZBE).
Foreign-registered vehicles may need to be registered before entering restricted areas.
For this reason, staying outside the most restricted central area and using public transport was much easier for us.
A secure camper parking area around Barcelona generally cost approximately €20–35 per night, while a proper campsite could cost around €35–60+, depending on season and facilities.
We chose the campsite option because we were travelling with our child and dog.
Our First Evening in Barcelona
After connecting the camper to electricity, I finally turned the engine off.
From Warsaw to Barcelona, we had driven approximately 2,300 km.
We had crossed four countries and spent several days living almost entirely on the road.
That evening we didn’t cook.
After showers and a short rest, we went out for dinner and ordered pizza, seafood and drinks.
Dinner for us cost around €45–55.
Afterwards we walked for a while before returning to the camper.
Our dog was exhausted from travelling, our child was finally asleep, and for the first time in several days there was no need to think about the next motorway exit.
Approximate Cost of Warsaw–Barcelona by Motorhome
For our journey, the expenses looked roughly like this:
| Expense | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Diesel | €350–420 |
| Polish road/toll expenses | €0–25 |
| German Autobahn | €0 |
| French motorway tolls | €100–150 |
| Spanish road tolls | €0–20 |
| Camper parking/campsites | €100–170 |
| Groceries | €100–140 |
| Restaurants/coffee | €70–120 |
| Electricity/water/services | €15–30 |
| Total | approximately €735–1,075 |
The exact cost depends strongly on fuel consumption, motorhome weight, French toll classification and how often you use campsites instead of simple camper parking.
Distance and Driving Time
Our complete route was approximately:
Warsaw → Wrocław → Dresden → Nuremberg → Stuttgart → Strasbourg → Lyon → Montpellier → Perpignan → Girona → Barcelona
Total distance: approximately 2,300 km
Pure driving time: around 24–27 hours
For a family travelling in a motorhome, however, I would allow at least 4–5 days.
Trying to cover 2,300 km in two days would have turned the trip into an endurance test. Taking several days allowed us to stop in different countries, walk the dog, spend time with our child and actually enjoy travelling.
When we finally arrived in Barcelona, the camper already felt less like a vehicle and more like our small home on wheels.
And Barcelona wasn’t the end of our journey — it was simply the next stop.