Planning your RV trip through Europe

Renting a vehicle

Search online for “RV rentals, Europe.” Be sure to reserve well before the peak summer holiday season; the transaction can be accomplished by e-mail. We rented ours -- too late in the season when pickings were slim -- through Vano Mobil near Bruges, Belgium (www.vanomobil.eu), and later concluded we paid too much -- 3,620 euros, or about $5,100 for 18 days. Cost depends also on the countries visited.

Insurance should come with the rental, with an additional refundable security deposit required to serve as the deductible.

Driver’s license

Obtain an international driving permit ($15, no test) through the AAA.

Campgrounds

To avoid leaving your passport with campground managers as security, contact the Canadian Automobile Assn. (www.caa.ca) in advance for a “camping card international” ($20), which is widely accepted at European campgrounds as ID and provides discounts at many campgrounds.

Travel guides

We referred most often to “Europe by Van and Motorhome,” by David Shore and Patty Campbell.