Quite a lot happened in the motorhome world last week: the 60th anniversary show opened near Paris with 650 model-year 2027 vehicles, Czechia proposed letting heavy motorhomes drive at 100 km/h on motorways instead of 80, diesel in the European Union rose by an average of 1.85% in a week, and a German couple who started travelling at 60 took stock: 300,000 kilometres in 27 years.
Last week's highlights
- France's 60th motorhome and caravan show (Salon des Véhicules de Loisirs) runs at the Paris-Le Bourget exhibition centre from 26 September to 4 October 2026: 150 exhibitors, 650 vehicles, and an adult ticket costs 15 euros.
- The Czech transport ministry has proposed that from 1 July 2027 motorhomes weighing 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes may drive at 100 km/h on motorways instead of the current 80 km/h, and that category B licences stay valid for 15 years instead of 10.
- According to OpenVan.camp's weekly price checks, diesel in the 27 EU countries rose by an average of 1.85% between 19 and 27 September; in Germany a litre costs 2.50 euros, 15% more than at the end of July.
- The Spanish municipality of Llanes (Asturias) issued around 325 fines of 500 euros each to motorhomes in the first season under its new rules, for overnight stays outside the 86 designated spaces.
- Anna and Horst Viviani from Germany started travelling by motorhome in 2000, when Horst was 60, and in 27 years have covered more than 300,000 kilometres, including six trips around the USA.
The Le Bourget show: 650 motorhomes for 2027 and prices that only last until 4 October
France's main motorhome show is celebrating an anniversary this year: it is the sixtieth. It runs from 26 September to 4 October at the Paris-Le Bourget exhibition centre, across 70,000 square metres: 150 exhibitors have brought 650 vehicles, with separate areas for motorhomes, camper vans, vans and caravans. An adult ticket costs 15 euros, teenagers aged 10–18 and students pay 5 euros, and children under 10 get in free. The headline premieres are made more for photographs than for buyers: the 20-tonne Kodiak 6x6 Premium on a Renault chassis at 996,000 euros, and the Westfalia Columbus Liner with a rooftop terrace.
For the ordinary buyer, other things are more interesting. Italy's Rimor has released 60 numbered anniversary motorhomes at 65,900 euros, and that price applies only during the show. The vehicle is built on a Ford Transit with a 165 hp engine and an automatic gearbox, and comes with a lithium battery, a solar panel and a compressor fridge. Stellantis, whose Fiat Ducatoⓘ, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Jumper and Opel Movano sit under more than 60% of French motorhomes, is offering twelve vehicles for test drives with different engines and gearboxes. If you are choosing between them, this is a rare chance to compare them on the road in a single day. For history lovers, hall 2B has around ten motorhomes and caravans from 1959–1979, from the VW Combi T1 Westfalia to the first Hymermobil.
The show also reveals where the market is heading. Five notable trends for 2027: island beds with access from both sides, even in camper vans; full-length slide-outs, as on the Bürstner Habiton 6.1; four-wheel-drive versions from Carado, Sunlight and Pössl; and new compact models from McLouis, Chausson, Dethleffs and Roller Team. The market figures explain why: France registered 26,328 new leisure vehicles last season, with sales of classic motorhomes up 2.54% and van-based camper vans down 2.41%. Manufacturers are responding with camper vans that feel more and more like a full motorhome inside.
What this means for you
If you plan to buy a motorhome within the next year, it is worth either visiting Le Bourget before 4 October or asking your dealer about show prices: anniversary series and discounts like Rimor's usually apply only during the show. Ask for a written offer with the full list of options, so you can compare prices fairly later. Check the gross vehicle weight: the same Rimor comes in 3,500 kg and 4,100 kg versions, and the heavier one still requires a category C1 licence. If you are choosing between a camper van and a classic motorhome, the 2027 models have moved noticeably closer, so the deciding factors will be length, where you park and the routes you usually drive, rather than the layout. If there is no rush, dealers often sell last year's vehicles for less after the show.
Number of the week: +1.85% on the price of diesel
That is how much a litre of diesel rose on average across the 27 EU countries in the week from 19 to 27 September, according to our weekly price checks. Of the 162 countries where we track fuel, diesel went up in 79 and down in only 16. In Germany a litre costs 2.50 euros, compared with 2.42 a week earlier; the price has risen for the third week in a row and is up 15% since the end of July. In Italy diesel went from 2.30 to 2.37 euros, and in Portugal from 2.16 to 2.23 euros. Among the large Western European countries, Spain is still the cheapest at 1.97 euros. In France the price did not change over the week and stays at 2.38 euros, while in Türkiye a litre actually became 3% cheaper, at 93.4 lira.
If you are driving from Germany to Spain, do not fill up completely before you leave: a litre in Spain is more than 50 cents cheaper, which on an 80-litre tank comes to about 40 euros. We update prices for every country each weekend on the Fuel prices page.
In brief
- Czechia, speed and licences · proposal: the transport ministry has proposed raising the limit for motorhomes weighing 3.5–7.5 tonnes on motorways from 80 to 100 km/h, and extending the validity of category B licences from 10 to 15 years. If the amendment is adopted, it will take effect on 1 July 2027.
- Italy, caravans · proposal: caravan clubs are asking for car-and-caravan combinations to be allowed 100 km/h on motorways and 80 km/h outside towns. At present, Italy's limits for such combinations are lower than in most EU countries.
- Russia, St Petersburg · planned: the city has chosen its first site for motorhomes, a car park on Tsitadelskoye Highway in Kronshtadt, where 16 vehicles will be able to plug into electricity at the same time, with up to 3 kW each. The next location will be Prudovaya Street in Peterhof.
- Russia, new model: GAZ showed an all-wheel-drive camper van on the Sobol NN 4x4 at the Comtrans show in Kazan, with a rooftop tent, four berths and a gross weight of 3,500 kg, so it can be driven on a standard category B licence.
- United Kingdom, leaving the market: Ford has stopped selling the Transit Nugget camper van in the UK because of low demand. The model remains on sale in left-hand-drive countries.
- USA, Canada and Australia, rentals: Yescapa, the European peer-to-peer motorhome rental platform, has launched in three new countries, with 25,000 vehicles available from Los Angeles to Sydney.
- USA and Canada, rentals: Cruise America has added the two-berth C18, six metres long, to its fleet; it fits into a standard parking space. It has no generator: the air conditioning and water heater only work on shore power.
- France, taxes · rule already in force: the tax office can demand housing tax from a motorhome owner if the vehicle stays in one place for a long time, is connected to water and electricity and is effectively used as a home. If you receive such a notice, you can contest it by proving that the motorhome is still roadworthy and in use.
Where to go
Abruzzo (Italy), October. Mountainous Italy east of Rome empties out in autumn, which is a shame: from 9 to 11 October, San Demetrio ne' Vestini near L'Aquila will host the third Camperfest for motorhome owners. The programme includes the Grotte di Stiffe caves with their underground river, a walk through the centre of L'Aquila, rebuilt after the earthquake, tastings, and a trip to Bominaco and Castelnuovo, where saffron from L'Aquila with protected designation of origin is grown. October is exactly when the saffron is harvested. Further south, in the province of Chieti, lies the village of Palena with the Grotte del Cavallone caves, where 37 motorhomes were expected on 26 September for the national day of outdoor holidays. If you have long wanted to go to Italy but did not know exactly where, this is your reason.
Watch out
- Spain, Llanes (Asturias) · in force since June: new rules ban overnight stays in any car park and parking outside designated zones, and around 325 fines of 500 euros were issued in the first season (250 euros if paid promptly). Stay overnight only in the 86 equipped spaces, and do not put out chairs or the awning.
- France · in force until 15 November: because of supply disruptions, the sale of summer diesel is permitted, which can start to thicken at around 0 °C instead of the usual −15 °C. If you are heading to the mountains or the north, where nights can drop below zero, add a winter anti-gel additive or fill up with a margin before the trip.
- Germany, buying a battery · rule already in force: the zero VAT rate on lithium batteries for solar systems does not apply to motorhome batteries, even when they are connected to panels on the roof. Do not tick the box for a stationary installation in an online shop, or you risk breaking the tax rules.
- Portugal, the Sines coast · checks under way: police, together with the nature parks authority, carried out a raid in the Southwest Alentejo natural park and recorded 31 offences for overnight stays outside permitted places. On this stretch of coast, stay overnight only at campsites and official motorhome stopovers.
Calendar of the week: 29 September – 5 October
- Until 4 October, Paris (France): the 60th motorhome show at Le Bourget, adult ticket 15 euros.
- 30 September – 4 October, Utrecht (Netherlands): the 61st Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs camping show, online ticket 12.95 euros, under-18s free.
- 1–4 October, Freiburg (Germany): the caravan live show, around 150 exhibitors, a separate area for self-built camper vans, 15 euros at the door.
- 1–4 October, Melbourne (Australia): Melbourne Caravan & Camping Leisurefest at Sandown Racecourse, 165 exhibitors, tickets online only.
- 2–4 October, Malvern (United Kingdom): the last autumn show of the season, more than 250 vehicles from 28 dealers, online ticket 6.50 pounds.
- 2–4 October, Devon (United Kingdom): a gathering of air-cooled VWs: Beetles, buses and camper vans on the edge of Dartmoor.
- 3–4 October, Sagamihara (Japan): Toy Factory will sell two Hymer B-MC motorhomes at the EURO-TOY Motorhome Collection show.
A good note to end on
Two stories worth passing on.
300,000 kilometres after sixty. Anna and Horst Viviani from Rhynern in Germany bought their first motorhome in 2000, when Horst turned 60. Since then they have travelled around the USA six times, driven through Mexico, Morocco and Canada and clocked up more than 300,000 kilometres. They are now 86 and 83; they no longer take long trips, but they still think about short getaways. A good answer to anyone who believes it is too late.
A library on wheels. A Brazilian couple drives a motorhome with a library of about a hundred books around the state of Rio de Janeiro and holds free storytelling sessions for children: the Casinha Viageira project has already visited Tanguá, Rio Bonito and neighbourhoods of Rio, and on 26 September it finished its first tour in Niterói. The children got not only stories but also a tour of the motorhome, so there are probably a few future vanlifers among them already.