If you’re planning to drive in any of a growing number of German cities and large towns, you will now have to purchase an “environmental badge” for your motorhome or car. This is thanks to the growing popularity of Low Emission Zones - LEZs - rather like our own LEZ in London.

Known as “Umwelt Plakette”, the exact cost of these depends on your vehicle but if purchased in advance, they seem to cost around €30-€40. It’s worth noting that they appear to be a lot cheaper if bought locally in Germany, but finding a suitable outlet may not always be easy.

Full details of all of the German green zones can be found on the official Umwelt Plakette website and badges can also be purchased online in advance here, too. All vehicles (including foreign-registered vehicles) must display a badge and there is apparently a €40 fine for non-compliance.

There is a more general overview of all European LEZs here.

If you normally drive a petrol car, I expect that pulling up to a petrol pump and grasping the green fuel pump is second nature to you.

It certainly seems to be for the estimated 150,000 people (according to the breakdown organisations) who fill up their vehicles with the wrong type of fuel each year. This problem mostly afflicts drivers of diesel vehicles, because petrol filler nozzles are slightly smaller than diesel nozzles - meaning that it’s easy to slip a petrol nozzle into a diesel filler neck without realising.

The giveaway should be that the nozzle is a much looser fit than normal - but far better is not to let it get that far! If you’re driving a hire motorhome - or your own - that you don’t drive very often, consider adding a label above the filler cap reminding you which fuel you should be putting in.

The consequences of running a diesel engine on petrol can be dire - a full engine rebuild in the worst case, and a costly mechanic call out to pump out your fuel system in the best case. If the vehicle is hired, you will be liable for all costs - as it is a completely avoidable error.

However, help may be at hand. A new device has recently been launched which claims to make it impossible to fit a petrol nozzle into a diesel filler neck - whilst allowing free access for diesel nozzles. It’s simple enough to fit yourself in minutes and requires no maintenance ever.

To find out more, click here.

Although many panel van conversion and smaller motorhomes will sleep 4 people, actually doing so can become quite a cosy arrangement! It’s a catch-22 situation; when you are parked up, you want your motorhome to be as big as possible - but when you’re driving, you want it to be as small as possible.

One solution to this dilemma can be to take a small tent - sometimes referred to as a’pup tent’. Very often, campsites will allow you to pitch a small tent near to your motorhome for no extra cost.

The benefits of this are several:

• Children (and their parents) can enjoy a bit more privacy and space at night
• When going out in your motorhome for the day, the tent marks your pitch as taken
• You can store folding tables, chairs, etc in the tent, rather than packing them up between uses
• You can use the tent as a washroom (useful for small campervans without bathrooms)
• You can use the tent as a store room or as guest accomodation

For all of these reasons, taking a tent along with your motorhome is an increasingly popular choice. If you’re thinking about hiring a motorhome but are anxious about its size, deciding to put your children (or wash facilities) in a tent could be the ideal solution.

It allows you to rent a small motorhome, enjoy stress-free driving and still have enough space when camped up - the best of all worlds!

One of the best things about touring France in a motorhome or caravan is the ready availability of cheap - or free - serviced stopover points.

Known as Aire de Service, these rest areas usually have basic facilities (water, sewage and perhaps electric hookups) and allow tourers to park for no more than a nominal fee for each night. Many are free, although finding these can be difficult (the Aires you see signposted from the Autoroutes are sometimes just standard motorway rest areas!).

Now it seems that the success of Aires in Europe has caused Ireland to start experimenting with them. The first Aire de Service in Ireland has just opened in Askeaton, County Limerick. The local authorities believe it will encourage visitors to patronise local restaurants and shops and should attract visitors to the region. Askeaton’s Aire is a proper motorhome service point, offering all the water and waste facilities you need for an overnight stop.

Incidentally, the easiest way to find all the best Aires in France is to by the definitive book on the subject: All the Aires - France. It details more than 1100 stopping points suitable for motorhomes, campervans and caravans all over France, including 600 inspected locations which guarantee a certain level of facilities/quality.

Consumer magazine Which? has produced some handy tips for people who are new to motorhoming - see here for their article.

For a more detailed guide, have a look at our guide to choosing a motorhome.