Travelling to Germany with a motorhome in winter: all you need to know

Are you taking the camper van to our eastern neighbours in the winter months? At these locations in Germany, a motorhome site is within walking distance of the ski slope, a Christmas market or a beautiful nature reserve. So you can be the first to the ski slope, buy the most beautiful Christmas accessories at the Christmas market and admire the beautiful winter scenery and warm up quickly in your motorhome after your visit.

The most beautiful skiing locations in Germany from the motorhome

Winterberg
Winterberg is the best known and largest skiing area in the German Sauerland. Here are mostly slopes for novice skiers and skiers who have already stood a number of times on the slats. There are 27 kilometres of slopes spread over 34 runs on 7 mountains. The 27 kilometres of slopes consist of 14 kilometres of blue slopes, 12 kilometres of red slopes and 1 kilometre of black slopes. There are numerous ski rental shops in the area, so it is not necessary to bring skis with you. It is also with its many ski schools a good area for a skiing holiday with children.

From the motor home park Parkplatz Stadshalle in Winterberg you are on the ski slope in no time.

Feldberg
The name of the Feldberg ski area comes from the Feldberg, the highest mountain in the Black Forest. This ski resort is particularly suitable for advanced skiers, but beginners can also have fun here. In total, there are 30 kilometres of slopes, of which 11 kilometres are blue slopes, 14 kilometres red slopes and 5 kilometres black slopes. The Feldberg is known as a fantastic environment for skiing, because the surrounding forests are beautifully covered in snow in winter and the waterfalls are frozen. You can admire this directly from the slopes!

You can spend the night in Feldberg at the Altglashütten motorhome stopover.

Berchtesgaden
In the so-called Berchtesgadener Land, during your winter campervan trip to Germany, you can enter several ski areas with the same ski pass. There are ski slopes for every level of skier, which makes it a great ski area for families. There is a total of 43 kilometres of slopes, of which 22 kilometres are blue, 16 kilometres red and 5 kilometres black. The Obersalzberg is the most famous area because of its historical value. During the Second World War Hitler owned a house that you can see from the slopes.

You can spend the night in Berchtesgaden with your camper at Reisemobilstellplätze Allweglehen.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen
You may know Garmisch-Partenkirchen from the ski jumping on 1 January, but it is also a perfect ski area to visit with your camper! The pistes are particularly suitable for advanced skiers. There are 18 kilometres of red slopes and 10 kilometres of black slopes, compared to 12 kilometres of blue slopes. If you are looking for a challenge, the Kandahar-Abfahrt is recommended. This descent is one of the most difficult of the World Cup descents. Near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, you will find the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze.

Spend the night in Garmisch-Partenkirchen at Alpencamp am Wank.

Discover more of Germany on a magical motorhome route, the Fairy Tale Route! On this route, fairy tales really come to life. In Hameln, for example, the fairy tale of the Pied Piper of Hameln comes to life and in Marburg you will see a life-sized Cinderella's slipper. These are the highlights of the route.

- The Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany.

Keep this in mind when travelling to Germany in winter with a motorhome

Winter tyres are compulsory in Germany during wintry weather. Winter weather includes black ice, slippery snow and ice or slush. Therefore, please check the weather forecast before leaving in a motorhome equipped with summer tyres. And if a sign indicates that snow chains are required, this is compulsory.

The best Christmas markets in Germany to visit with the motorhome

Aachen 19 November - 23 December
In winter, from 19 November to 23 December, Aachen is transformed into a town in a beautiful Christmas atmosphere with atmospheric Christmas lights and trees. The Christmas market takes place around Aachen's cathedral and town hall. In addition to the delicious mulled wine and hot chocolate, the Aachen Printen is a must-taste. This delicacy resembles gingerbread, but should certainly not be compared to it. You can find these 'biscuits' in every bakery in Aachen.

In Aachen, you can spend the night with your camper van at Stellplatz Bad Aachen.

Düsseldorf 18 November - 30 December
In Düsseldorf, the capital of the German state North Rhine-Westphalia, there are several Christmas markets to visit. The Christmas markets are spread over different squares of the city. All shopping streets are cheerfully decorated during this period, so it is certainly no punishment to walk from Christmas market to Christmas market! Each Christmas market has a different theme. At Heinrich-Heine-Platz, for example, you will find an Angel Market in Art Nouveau style. And at the town hall, you will find a Christmas market full of nostalgia, as various old crafts are performed here.

You can spend the night in Düsseldorf at the P Rheinterasse motorhome stopover.

Bonn 17 November - 23 December
The Bonn Christmas market is located in the city centre. Here there are four squares filled with stalls where you can buy the most delicious products and nice Christmas decorations. The Christmas market is known as one of the largest in Germany. Yet you can visit everything because you can easily walk from square to square. Besides the stalls, there is also an ice-skating rink for young and old to enjoy the winter atmosphere even more.

In Bonn, spend the night at the An der Rheinaue motorhome stopover.

Munich 22 November - 24 December
In Munich, the capital of Bavaria, there are several Christmas markets you can visit during your campervan trip to Germany. The Christkindlmarkt, located on Marienplatz, is the largest. This Christmas market is particularly known for the wooden nativity scenes that are sold there. Until the 19th century, the Christkindlmarkt was held during St Nicholas. So don't be surprised if you see Sinterklaas walking over the Christmas market. Walking next to him is Krampus, a terrifying mythical figure from the Alpine region who is the companion of Santa Claus. The Christkindlmarkt was held until the 19th century, which is why St. Nicholas walks around there. You can also eat Pfeffernüsse - also known as pepernoten!

In Munich, spend the night with your campervan at Allianz-Arena Wohnmobilstellplätze.

Germany is full of beautiful sights. The Geierlay, for example, is an exciting pedestrian bridge on the Rhineland Slate plateau and Bremen is a beautiful old Hanseatic city. Here are 6 highlights you should not miss during your motorhome journey to Germany.

- At one of the many Christmas markets in Germany, you can buy the most beautiful Christmas accessories.

The most beautiful winter scenery in Germany with the motorhome

The Hintersee
The area around the German Hintersee is beautiful in the winter: the lake is frozen, the mountain peaks are covered with a thick layer of snow and the immense white forests make a motorhome trip in the winter complete. You can take a nice winter walk, for example the Prinzregent Lutipold Weg. This hiking trail takes you around the lake in 2.5 kilometres. During a campervan trip to Hintersee, you can also go cross-country skiing or skiing. The German Alpine Road almost passes by Hintersee. It is therefore highly recommended to take (part of) this 450-kilometre-long campervan route! You will pass the most beautiful spots of the German Alps on the way.

Harz National Park
In the Harz National Park, you can of course take lovely walks through the snowy forest, but you can also experience a lot more in the wintery nature! Take your skates and visit one of the many skating locations. In Hohegeiß, for example, you can skate on natural ice at winter temperatures. In the various half-timbered towns in the area, you will also find various Christmas markets. There are about 50 towns in the area, so there is always one nearby that you can visit during your campervan trip through Germany!

The Camperstop-App contains more than 12,000 motorhome sites in 30 European countries, including Germany. From the app you can easily navigate using, for example, Google Maps, read and share numerous reviews about camper stops and you can also use the app offline. Read all about the Camperstop-App here.