Motor Homes Can Give Travelers a Price Break : Transportation: Touring Europe by rented RV is one way to beat the high cost of hotels and restaurants. Most include refrigerator, gas stove and hot water shower.

Travel by motor home is becoming an increasingly popular way to explore Europe, with more companies than ever offering the service. But there are numerous factors that travelers should consider before choosing this kind of trip.

Among the key questions to ask yourself: What size motor home fits your needs? Is unlimited mileage offered with the rental? Can the motor home be returned to a different station than where it was picked up? In preparing an itinerary, did you remember to factor in the use of campgrounds when parking for an overnight stay?

Most motor homes, also known as recreational vehicles (RVs), range from 19 to 24 feet in length and accommodate three to eight adults. They come with flush toilets, hot water shower, refrigerator and gas stove. Optional add-ons include color television, bicycle racks and camping chairs.

“Motor homes are for travelers who want to see Europe in a more independent fashion, and not have to frequently pack and unpack,” said Ed Kelemen, president of Van Nuys-based Foremost Euro-Car, which rents motor homes out of Frankfurt, Germany. “They’re like a mini-hotel on wheels, but travelers have to do their homework in advance and plan their itinerary carefully.”

Kelemen said there has been a steady increase in Europe motor-home travel the past few years. “We had a 10%-15% increase in rentals in 1990 over 1989. While the Persian Gulf War slowed things down this year (by an estimated 15% to 20%), people are now booking again, and we’re especially getting deposits for travelers going to Barcelona next year for the Summer Olympic Games and to Seville for World Expo. Hotels are likely going to be hard to find in Barcelona.”

Frankfurt serves as the major departure point for motor homes on the Continent. In fact, motor homes are difficult to rent in other countries on the Continent except Amsterdam. Motor-home rental is also available in the United Kingdom.

Price comparisons are always relevant when considering a motor home. Travelers should measure what a motor-home journey would cost versus renting a car and staying in hotels.

“You have to figure on a hotel room costing from $70 and up a night, but three or four people in a motor home would be around $40 to $60 per day, and that covers both transportation and accommodations,” Keleman said. “Our average cost runs about $134 a day, with the rental price covering insurance, the value-added tax, a full tank of fuel and a tank of propane gas for cooking and heating the motor home. The propane tank usually holds up for two or three weeks, depending on usage.”

Motor homes also use diesel fuel, which is less expensive than regular gas. Keleman estimated current diesel fuel costs to be about $1.95 to $2.75 a gallon on the Continent, compared to $2.50 to $3.50 for a gallon of gas.

A full tank of diesel costs about $35 in Germany, according to Judy Cash, a spokeswoman for DER Tours, a Santa Monica-based tour operator that this year launched its first motor-home rental program in Europe. Cash said that motor homes in DER’s program get about 18 to 20 miles per gallon.

Smaller motor homes can be navigated with greater ease through many of the narrow European streets, and parking is easier to find. It’s a trade-off between greater interior space and maneuverability.

“Some Americans shy away from renting motor homes because they feel they can’t use them so much in cities. But that depends on the size of the motor home,” said Lisa Wilson of Nonstop Travel, a Santa Monica travel agency specializing in motor-home rentals in Germany. “Smaller motor homes can certainly go through the same city streets that larger tour buses go through.”

But, tour operators advised, travelers do have to be careful where they take their motor home when driving through cities. “Some renters have ventured down streets too narrow for them to get through and wound up blocking traffic,” said Kelemen.

Parking at sightseeing attractions is usually in the same area reserved for tour buses.

“You can park your motor home anywhere that’s legal, including right in front of the downtown museum or other attractions you want to visit,” said Cash.

Parking a motor home overnight is another matter. City laws invariably mandate that motor-home renters must park their vehicle overnight at a campground, which can generally be found in suburban areas.

Companies renting motor homes provide renters with a guide to campgrounds in Europe that spell out the cost of an overnight stay, and what amenities--such as swimming pools and tennis courts--that might be offered. “Some campgrounds just charge a fee per motor home, while others also charge a certain amount for each person,” Cash explained. “The average cost is about $15 per night.”

With DER Tours, motor homes have to be picked up and returned to Frankfurt. There is no drop-off permitted elsewhere in Europe. Rental rates range from $940 to $1,700 per week, depending on the model. Minimal rental period is one week.

All of these motor homes sleep four to six adults, though only the deluxe model is air-conditioned. Rates include unlimited mileage, insurance, road maps and campground guides, transfers to and from Frankfurt Airport, bedding, kitchen equipment and the 14% VAT.

In addition, renters get 10 gallons of propane gas. An extra 10 gallons is stashed away in the motor home, though there is a charge if any is used.

Los Angeles-based Meier’s World Travel has also broadened its motor-home program this year. Meier’s offers motor homes in Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich. However, there is a drop-off fee charged for returning the motor home to a different station than where it was picked up.

Unlimited mileage is offered with rentals of more than 10 days. Otherwise, travelers are allowed 350 kilometers per day, with additional kilometers charged at a rate of 20 to 40 cents each. Minimal rental periods are three to seven days, depending on the time of year. Prices start at $90 per day.

An international driver’s license may be required to operate a motor home, depending on the country where the home is rented. Licenses are available through the American Automobile Assn. to drivers 18 and older. They are good for a year.