Planning a Bavaria campervan itinerary from the UK? This 9-night route takes you from Dover to Bavaria via Cologne, the Romantic Road and medieval Rothenburg — finishing on the shores of Forggensee beneath Neuschwanstein Castle, with a day trip across the Austrian border to walk Highline 179.

It’s a route we’ve tested as a family of four — balancing manageable drives, great campsites, wild swimming, castles and theme park thrills — without overcomplicating things.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly campervan route in Germany, this is a great place to start.

Check our other itineraries through France and Spain if you are on a full European adventure!

Why this Bavaria campervan route works

This Germany campervan itinerary works brilliantly for families because the route builds naturally from city to countryside to mountains, the driving distances are manageable, and every stop offers something completely different — culture, theme parks, medieval history, wild swimming and Alpine adventure. It’s an ideal first family campervan trip to Germany.

• Fast, flexible Le Shuttle crossing from the UK
• Ideal distances for a family road trip in Germany
• Combines Cologne, the Romantic Road, Bavaria and the Austrian Alps
• Easy mix of cities, castles, lakes and mountains
• One brilliant lakeside base camp for stress-free campervan travel in Bavaria

We crossed with Le Shuttle — Folkestone to Coquelles, 35 minutes under the Channel with the van. No seasickness, no lengthy check-in, and you’re straight onto the French motorway network. For a trip heading east into Germany it’s the obvious choice. [Check routes, dates and availability here]

8-night Germany campervan itinerary

This route is designed to keep driving times manageable while still covering some of the best places to visit in Germany by campervan.

Day	Location	Our Highlights
1	Dover Park & Ride motorhome stopover	£4 overnight stop, five minutes from Le Shuttle; sunrise from the van
2-3	Cologne (Köln) & Phantasialand, Brühl	Gothic cathedral, Hohenzollernbrücke love locks, the Rhine, Schweinshaxe and Kölsch in the Altstadt. We stayed in a hotel and visited Phantasialand, a world class theme park; one of Europe’s best for thrill rides
4	Rothenburg ob der Tauber	Medieval walled town lunch stop on the Romantic Road; Plönlein, town walls, Schneeball
4-7	Camping Brunnen, Forggensee, Schwangau, Bavaria	Lakeside pitches beneath Neuschwanstein; wild swimming, e-biking, Alpsee, Highline 179
8	Ensdorf, Saarland	Saar Polygon, lido swim; before driving back to Calais via Luxembourg and Belgium

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 — Dover Park & Ride Motorhome Stopover (Start of Your Germany Campervan Trip)

If you’re travelling from the north and doing an early Le Shuttle crossing, the Dover Park & Ride motorhome stopover is a brilliant pre-tunnel overnight.

• £4 for the night — a designated motorhome stopover, twenty minutes from the Le Shuttle terminal
• Easy to find, felt secure and was very quiet (once the pub across the road had finished its Grease medley, anyway)
• Worth knowing: the toilets are locked overnight and open at 6am, so plan accordingly
• Sunrise from a motorhome in a car park is, as it turns out, genuinely quite lovely
• Book Le Shuttle in advance, especially in school holidays

➡️ Official site: Le Shuttle – Folkestone to Calais

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Day 2 — Cologne (Köln): Cathedral, Love Locks & Pork Knuckle

Cologne is roughly 5 hours from Calais and makes a perfect first proper stop on a Germany campervan trip. We stayed in a hotel for two nights so we could explore on foot — navigating a loaded VW California through a German city centre needs some forward planning.

• The Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) is one of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe — construction began in 1248 and took over 600 years. Spend time looking at it properly
• Walk to the Hohenzollernbrücke, the famous love locks bridge over the Rhine — around 300,000 padlocks and counting. Beautiful at golden hour
• Eat Schweinshaxe (roasted pork knuckle) with sauerkraut and mustard in a traditional Brauhaus in the Altstadt, washed down with Kölsch, Cologne’s local beer
• Stroll the riverside Rhine promenade in the evening

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Day 3 — Phantasialand (Theme Park Thrills near Cologne)

If you’re travelling with older kids, Phantasialand in Brühl deserves a full day. The theming rivals Universal Studios — six immersive themed lands, each one extraordinarily detailed — and the rides are genuinely world class. It’s regularly rated among the best theme parks on the planet.

• Taron — a multi-launch coaster set in the Norse-themed village of Klugheim, all rockwork and twisted track. The boys’ favourite and widely considered one of the best coasters in the world
• F.L.Y. — a flying coaster in the steampunk land of Rookburgh, where you’re tilted into a flying position before launch. The other big hit with the kids
• Black Mamba — a B&M inverted coaster diving through trenches and tunnels with 7 inversions. Left me feeling properly dizzy but the kids went back for more – five times!
• Chiapas — a beautifully themed log flume with the world’s steepest flume drop.
• Colorado Adventure — a deceptively intense runaway mine train, originally opened by Michael Jackson. Loved this one too
• Mystery Castle — an enclosed drop tower experience that might be my favourite theme park ride of all time!
• One day is enough to cover all the main rides; two days if you want the shows and immersive areas too
• About 20 minutes south of Cologne city centre, with motorhome parking on site

➡️ Official site: Phantasialand

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Day 4 — The Romantic Road & Rothenburg ob der Tauber

From Cologne, take the A3 autobahn south towards Würzburg and on to Rothenburg ob der Tauber — a straightforward motorway run. It’s at Rothenburg that you pick up the Romantische Straße (Romantic Road), a 460km scenic route linking 29 historic Bavarian towns from Würzburg down to Füssen. You don’t need to drive all of it; the southern stretch from Rothenburg is where it gets genuinely magical, so picking it up here is perfect.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is the most famous stop on the route and it earns the reputation — a perfectly preserved medieval walled town that looks like a film set. An hour is enough for a lunch stop.

• Park at P2 on Nördlinger Straße — a motorhome-friendly car park about 200m from the old town gate, outside the Umweltzone so no sticker needed (around €2.50/hour)

• Walk to the Plönlein, the most photographed corner in town, and up onto a stretch of the medieval town wall
• Grab a quick schnitzel sandwich from Bäckerei Striffler and a Schneeball (the local fried-dough pastry) from Diller before you leave. Note: it’s more shortbread than doughnut which took me by surprise!
• The P2 car park also works as an overnight stop with water and waste facilities, if you’d rather linger

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Days 4–7 — Camping Brunnen, Forggensee (Lakeside Base Beneath Neuschwanstein)

Camping Brunnen sits on the western shore of Forggensee, a large Alpine reservoir lake about 5km north of Füssen, directly beneath Neuschwanstein Castle. The pitches run down to the water. There are cows with cowbells in the next field, cuckoos calling in the morning, and the Alps reflected in the lake. We spent four nights here and could happily have stayed longer.

• Lakeside pitches with direct swimming access — cold, clear and mountain-fed
• Free area bus travel included via the Königscard guest card — great for car-free days out
• E-bikes hired from our campsite — the 30km Forggensee circuit is a perfect e-bike day
• Five minutes from Füssen, the southern end of the Romantic Road

Wild Swimming in Forggensee

Forggensee fills with snowmelt each spring and is swimmable from late May. We had unseasonably hot weather for our trip (a novelty for us), and while the lakes were fresh, we were comfortable swimming without wetsuits — though in a cooler year, or for longer swims, I’d still pack one.

However warm the air, mountain-fed lakes stay cold beneath the surface, so the usual open water rules apply: enter gradually to avoid cold water shock, know your exit point before you get in, and wear a buoyancy aid or tow float. Life jackets are a must for anyone on a SUP or packraft. For our full approach to swimming safely with the family, see our wild swimming guide.

➡️ Official site: Camping Brunnen, Forggensee

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Day 6 — Neuschwanstein Castle, Marienbrücke & Alpsee

Neuschwanstein is the castle that inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, and it looks exactly as you’d imagine. Go early or on a weekday — the paths are busy by mid-morning.

• Take the free Bus 78 from Schwangau (included with your Königscard) to Hohenschwangau village, or cycle like we did.
• Walk 40 minutes uphill to the Marienbrücke — the suspension bridge that gives the classic castle viewpoint everyone photographs
• The secret bit: cross the bridge and keep climbing 5–10 minutes more to a quieter clearing where you get the castle and the Alpsee in one frame. The best shot of the whole trip
• We didn’t book tickets to go inside the castle — we just did the walk and the viewpoint, which is free and, for us, the best of it. If you do want the interior tour, book well in advance online as slots sell out

Swimming at Alpseebad

Alpsee is a natural lake directly below the castles — the kind of place that doesn’t feel real until you’re in it. Alpseebad is the designated swimming area, with a wooden jetty, changing facilities and a small café. €11 got all four of us in. The water is properly cold (a wetsuit helps), and the backdrop with both castles above you is extraordinary.

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Day 7 — Highline 179, Reutte, Austria

Just 20 minutes across the Austrian border, Highline 179 is a 406-metre suspension bridge stretching across a valley 114 metres above the ground, connecting the ruins of Ehrenberg Castle to Fort Claudia. It was purpose-built to break a world record at the time when it opened in 2014, and it’s designed to sway — even a single person stepping on it makes it move. In wind, it really moves.

• Van parking: €4
• Family ticket: €30 — buy inside the ticket office, not at the machine, which works out more expensive
• Open daily from 8am; a 20-minute uphill walk to the bridge (or pay extra for the lift)
• Take water — the café is at the bottom, not the top
• Family-tested: everyone in ours crossed it, including one very nervous adult who went back and did it twice

➡️ Official site: Highline 179, Reutte

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Day 8 — The Drive Home via Saarland

For the journey home, a clockwise loop back towards Calais works well with one or two overnight stops. We stayed at Ensdorf, and continued through Luxembourg, Belgium and France to reach Calais, avoiding the tolls.

Ensdorf, Saarland

The Saar Polygon is a striking former coal-mining monument standing above the River Saar, visible for miles. The Freibad Ensdorf lido sits right next door — a large outdoor pool with water slides and diving boards, around €9 for a family of four, open until 8pm on weekends. A brilliant final swim of the trip.

What to Pack for a Bavaria Campervan Trip

• Wetsuits — essential for the cold Alpine lakes. We use Zone 3 for open water
• Packrafts — we hired ours from Adventure Kit Hire, a great way to try kit before you buy. Lightweight, packable, and far harder to steer than they look
• Green emissions sticker for German low emission zones — buy online before you go
• Layers — Alpine weather changes fast, even in summer

For our full kit recommendations, see our Family Campervan Kit List and Campervan Packing Checklist.

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A Note on Language

You don’t need to speak German to do this trip. I’ve got very basic high-school German — essentially the pleasantries — and that was plenty. Almost everyone we met at campsites, restaurants and attractions spoke excellent English. The one time I really needed help was at the garage during our breakdown, where the vocabulary went well beyond “please” and “thank you”, and Google Translate saved the day. Download the German language pack for offline use before you go, learn a few basic courtesies (it’s always appreciated), and you’ll be absolutely fine.

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We’ve Only Scratched the Surface

An honest disclaimer: we only had a week over half term, and we’re very aware we’ve barely scratched the surface of what Germany and this corner of Bavaria have to offer. There’s so much more we’d love to go back for — more of the Romantic Road, the Black Forest, the Bavarian lakes we didn’t reach, deeper into Austria. So please don’t treat this as a complete guide by any stretch. It’s simply the route we did, what worked for us, and the things we wish we’d known before we went. Take it as a starting point and make it your own.

Bavaria Campervan Itinerary FAQs

Can you take a campervan to Neuschwanstein Castle?

Yes, but you can’t drive right up to the castle. Park in Hohenschwangau village below (there are large pay car parks that take motorhomes) and walk or take the shuttle up. Better still, base yourself at a nearby campsite like Camping Brunnen on Forggensee and use the free local bus (Bus 78, included with the Königscard guest card) to reach Hohenschwangau without any parking stress. There is also an excellent cycle network so bike hire is another great option. From the village it’s about a 40-minute uphill walk to the Marienbrücke viewpoint.

Do you need an environmental sticker to drive in Germany?

Yes, for many city centres. Cologne, Stuttgart and numerous other German cities operate low emission zones (Umweltzone) that require a green emissions sticker (Umweltplakette) displayed in your windscreen. Buy one online before you travel — many smaller garages don’t stock them, and driving into a zone without one risks a fine. Rural Bavaria, the Romantic Road and the Füssen area don’t require one.

Is Forggensee good for swimming?

It’s excellent. Forggensee is a large Alpine reservoir near Füssen that fills with snowmelt each spring and is swimmable from late May through summer. The water is clear and mountain-fed — fresh, but glorious on a hot day, with Neuschwanstein and the Alps as a backdrop. Many lakeside campsites, including Camping Brunnen, have direct swimming access. As with any open water, enter gradually, know your exit point, and use a tow float or buoyancy aid.

Is Highline 179 suitable for families and children?

Yes. Highline 179 in Reutte, Austria (about 20 minutes from Füssen) is a pedestrian suspension bridge with high safety fencing, suitable for children and anyone reasonably comfortable with heights. It does sway, by design, and gets windy, but it’s perfectly safe. A family ticket is around €30 — buy it inside the ticket office rather than at the machine, which works out cheaper. Allow a 20-minute uphill walk to reach it, or pay extra for the lift.

How long does it take to drive from the UK to Bavaria?

From the Channel crossing, allow roughly 10 hours of driving to reach the Füssen area, which most families split over two days. We broke the journey with two nights in Cologne (about 2.5 hours from Calais) and a lunch stop in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which makes the drive south part of the holiday rather than an endurance test.

What’s the best time of year for a Bavaria campervan trip?

Late May to September. Late spring and early summer bring wildflowers, swimmable lakes and fewer crowds than the July–August peak. We travelled at May half term and had unseasonably hot, dry weather. Avoid winter unless you’re equipped for snow and cold, as many campsites and attractions close.

Planning your own Germany campervan trip? Drop your questions in the comments below — we’ll keep adding to this guide as we learn more about the route.

Follow along on Instagram @thevanfam4 for the full Germany trip in reels and stories.

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