VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
Motorhome speed limits: what (really) changes across Europe
Under or over 3.5 tonnes, country by country: the speed limits for your rental motorhome, plus the recent reforms — Netherlands 100 km/h by day, Spain 30 in town, Wales 20 mph, Ireland 60.
Good news: below 3.5 t, a motorhome follows the car regime almost everywhere. But “almost” hides exceptions that get expensive in fines — and above 3.5 t, everything changes. Country by country.
Under 3.5 t: the car regime (mostly)
France: 130 km/h on motorways, 110 on expressways, 80–90 on open roads. Italy: 130 / 110 / 90. Spain: 120 / 90. Germany: 130 recommended on the autobahn (no general limit, but a loaded motorhome has no business beyond 120–130). Switzerland: 120 / 100 / 80. Virtually every rental campervan, converted van and semi-integrated falls in this category.
Over 3.5 t: light-truck rules
Large A-classes and American RVs sometimes exceed 3.5 t: in France, the limit drops to 110 on motorways and 100 on expressways; in Germany, 100 on the autobahn; Austria and Switzerland apply specific caps too. The gross weight appears on the listing and the registration document — check it; it also determines the licence you need (see what licence for a motorhome).
Recent changes: four reforms to know about
Speed limits move, and sat-navs do not always keep up. Four recent reforms directly affect motorhome itineraries: the Netherlands has capped motorways at 100 km/h from 6 am to 7 pm since 2020 (130 at night); Spain generalised 30 km/h in town on single-lane streets in 2021; Wales switched its urban default to 20 mph (32 km/h) in September 2023; and Ireland lowered its local roads from 80 to 60 km/h in February 2025. These cuts owe nothing to chance: Norwegian researcher Rune Elvik’s work on the speed–accident “Power Model”, synthesised notably in Accident Analysis & Prevention (Google Scholar page), shows that even a modest drop in average speed cuts serious crashes more than proportionally — which is why the whole of Europe is converging downwards.
The classic radar traps
France’s wet-weather limits (110 instead of 130) apply to motorhomes too; Italy caps motorways at 110 in the rain. Fines follow the vehicle: the operator re-bills them to you with €15–30 handling fees per ticket — one more reason to lift off.
The real cruising speed
Beyond the legal number there is the optimal one: 100–110 km/h is where a motorhome is stable, frugal (15–20% fuel saved versus 130 — see our fuel and tolls budget) and restful. Over a 300 km stage, driving at 130 gains twenty minutes and loses a tankful of serenity. The driving basics live in our first time behind the wheel guide.
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