A great many drivers who have always lived (and driven) in the UK will never have driven up (or down) any kind of proper mountain roads.

At least, not the kind of miles long, deceptively-steep mountain roads that you can encounter in continental Europe. The reason for this is simple - we don’t have anything to equal the Alps, the Dolomites or the Pyrenees (and many more).

Yet if you hire a motorhome to go on holiday to Europe, these are exactly the kinds of roads you might encounter - in a vehicle much larger and heavier than your usual car.

The other problem is that many younger drivers have never driven older vehicles - the ones with poor brakes that forced drivers to learn about engine braking. Most modern cars allow you to get away with ‘driving on your brakes’ on UK roads - our roads are either not steep enough or not long enough to cause the dreaded brake fade.

(Brake fade is the result of brakes which have overheated and ceased to be effective. The result is that you don’t stop as quickly as normal - or even at all…)

The result of all of this is that when you first encounter proper mountain roads, it can be a bit daunting. With sheer drops on one side, a wall of rock on the other and seemingly neverending hairpin bends, it’s not an environment that forgives any mistakes.

Add in the fact that you might be driving a large hired motorhome for the first time and the result can be seriously scary. It doesn’t need to be.

People have been driving cars, motorhomes, buses and lorries up and down mountain roads for years. All that’s required is a bit of care and the correct method.

Here’s a 10-second guide to mountain driving:

• Go down a mountain road in the same gear (or one lower) than you went up it
• Let the revs rise when descending - higher revs will slow the vehicle without the use of the brakes. It won’t harm the engine as long as you keep the revs in the green zone on the rev counter.
• When you do need to brake, do so in short, firm bursts of perhaps 5-10 seconds - then release the brakes and allow them to cool again.
• Don’t leave your foot lightly on the brake the whole way down the hill - this is a recipe for overheating brakes as they won’t get a chance to cool down between uses
• If you are on a road with hairpins, aim to come almost completely to a stop just before each bend. You may need to stop if something large is coming the other way and this approach will set you up safely for the bend and the next stretch - try not to brake too much between bends
• Ignore the people queuing up behind you. They aren’t responsible for your passengers’ safety. You are.

Although I was inspired to write this post by this very useful thread on the Motorhome Facts forum, I can personally confirm that this approach works well, having used it successfully on some of the steepest roads in the Alps and Pyrenees.

Get it right, and moutain driving is a terrific buzz - and enables you to see some of the finest views in the world. Once you’ve driven a few Alpine passes, ‘ordinary’ roads never seem the same again! Here’s a snap of my old car at the top of the Furka Pass in the Swiss Alps - 2,436m above sea level. Despite the snow, it was late June!

P.S. If you think I am exaggerating the risks of mountain driving, remember that a motorhome is not a car - it is a commercial vehicle. It probably weighs 2-3 times as much as your car and takes a lot more effort to stop. It is also less stable and forgiving on tight bends.

Anyone driving in France from the 1st July 2008 is now required to wear a reflective jacket (e.g. yellow hi-viz jacket or vest) when leaving the vehicle in the event of an emergency.

The new law applies at any time of the day or night and affects drivers of all types of vehicle. The safety jacket must be accessible from within the vehicle and should be put on before exiting the vehicle.

Failure to obey this new rule could result in a fine.

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.