Route Planners and Other Tech Designed to Make Motorhome and Campervan Trips Easy

The key to a stress-free and enjoyable experience when you do anything is often as simple as employing good planning and using the right tools. Over recent years, advances in technology have made it easier than ever, particularly in motorhomes and campervans. Modern route planning apps and other specialised tools can simplify navigation, help you find the best campsites and services, and even uncover hidden gems to visit along the way. This edition of the Wandahome blog explores some of the best route-planning apps and other essential tech designed to make motorhome and campervan trips easy and enjoyable.

Route Planning is Essential

There are unique challenges for motorhomes and campervans when it comes to navigating roads and finding suitable places to stop. Issues such as height restrictions, weight limits, and narrow roads can make certain routes impassable. Also, motorhome travellers need access to specific services (such as waste disposal, water refilling and parking areas that are able to accommodate larger vehicles). Although more general ‘map apps’ provide useful navigation, they often fail to account for that sort of information. This is where specialised route planners and travel apps become invaluable, as they are geared around the specific needs of motorhome and campervan users. 

Best route planning apps for Motorhome and Campervan trips

Park4Night: This is one of the most popular apps among motorhome and campervan travellers, as it helps users find safe and suitable overnight stops such as campsites, service areas and even wild camping spots. There are reviews and recommendations from other travellers, helping you find hidden gems and avoid problematic spots.

Key features: Thousands of listed stopovers including free and paid sites, offline mode for areas with poor internet coverage, and community-based reviews and updates.

Campercontact: This app provides a database of over almost 40,000 motorhome stopovers across Europe. It provides detailed information on each site, including the availability of water, electricity, waste disposal and Wi-Fi.

Key features: Comprehensive filtering options, user ratings and reviews, and offline maps available with a premium subscription.

Roadtrippers:  This is an excellent app for planning longer road trips. It allows you to customise your route by adding points of interest, campsites, and scenic stops. Roadtrippers also provide estimated fuel costs and travel times.

Key features: Customisable trip planning, suggestions for unique attractions and hidden gems, and offline maps available with a premium subscription.

Waze: While not motorhome-specific, Waze is still valuable for real-time traffic updates and suggestions of alternative routes. It can help you avoid traffic jams, road closures and accidents - particularly useful when driving a larger vehicle.

Key features: Real-time traffic alerts, speed camera and hazard notifications, and voice-guided navigation.

Google Maps (with My Maps): Google Maps remains one of the most reliable tools for navigation. When it is combined with the My Maps feature, it’s possible to create a custom route, add some en route stop-offs and mark specific points of interest.

Key features: Global coverage, custom route creation, and offline maps available for use without data.

CoPilot GPS: This one is specifically designed for larger vehicles, including motorhomes. It allows you to input your vehicle’s height, length and weight, ensuring the route it generates avoids low bridges and weight-restricted roads.

Key features: Offline navigation, custom routing for vehicle dimensions, and turn-by-turn voice guidance.

Sygic GPS: This app is tailored for larger vehicles, helping to avoid potential obstacles like narrow roads and low bridges. It also includes information on nearby campsites and rest stops.

Key features: Custom routes based on vehicle size, offline maps, and POI (points of interest) database for motorhome users.

Best apps for finding campsites and overnight stops

Pitchup: This app helps travellers find and book campsites across Europe. It includes detailed information on facilities, user reviews and real-time availability.

Searchforsites: This app lists over 30,000 campsites and motorhome stopovers across Europe. It also allows filtering based on site facilities and user preferences.

Brit Stops: This app provides access to over 1,100 free stopovers at locations such as pubs, farms, and even vineyards across the UK. You’ll need to purchase a membership book to access the full database.

Best apps for petrol stations, EV charging and services

PetrolPrices: A good app to help you find the cheapest fuel near to your location in the UK. It’s possible to filter results by fuel type, and even the brand.

Zap-Map: This one is designed for electric vehicle (EV) drivers. It shows the location of charging points and provides real-time availability information.

Flush: A handy app that locates nearby public toilets. This can be essential for motorhome or campervan travellers who may not always have easy access to facilities.

Best apps for entertainment and information

Spotify / Audible: Long drives require great entertainment. Spotify provides streaming access to music (as well as some podcasts and audiobooks), while Audible is perfect for long stretches of road where you want to relax and listen to a story.

Autio: Autio offers location-based audio guides, providing fascinating historical and cultural insights about the places you’re driving through.

Magic Hour: This handy app helps photographers find the best times for sunrise and sunset – the perfect times for capturing stunning shots of your travels.

Best apps for budgeting and money management

Splitwise: This app helps you keep track of shared expenses, which is particularly useful when travelling with friends or family. It calculates who owes what and so makes settling up easy.

TravelSpend: This one helps you track your overall travel budget, providing valuable insights into where your money is going.

Best apps for safety and emergencies 

What3Words: This app provides precise location information using a unique three-word code for every 3-metre square on the planet. Emergency services in the UK and other countries now use this app to locate people quickly.

myRAC: The myRAC app offers roadside assistance and real-time traffic updates. It also helps you find nearby petrol stations and garages.

Met Office: The Met Office app provides accurate weather forecasts, helping you plan your stops and activities according to weather conditions.

The Future of Motorhome and Campervan Travel Tech

Technology has revolutionised the way we do almost everything, including travel. There’s every possibility that the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) and real-time data will further improve motorhome and campervan travel. Things like predictive traffic analysis, real-time weather forecasting and AI-driven trip suggestions will make the future campervan or motorhome lifestyle even more manageable and comfortable. By combining all of the technological resources at your disposal, a modern campervan or motorhome traveller can enjoy the freedom of the open road without too many of the traditional challenges. To check out the fantastic new and used motorhomes and campervans currently available at Wandahome, browse our website – and get in touch if you need more info!