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Enjoy the Black Forest in a motorhome like you have never enjoyed a route with your house on wheels.

This article is part of our guide to traveling to the Black Forest at Christmas, which you can complement with the complete guide to traveling to Alsace at Christmas , for a Christmas road trip through Alsace and the Black Forest in a motorhome that you'll love.

We are the Kucavana family, and we travel with our two children, ages 7 and 10, and our two adopted dogs . We usually travel in our campervan, also called Kucavana, but we also enjoy flying and backpacking. We love learning as a family and hope to help you enjoy traveling as much as we do.

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With this article we want to explain our Christmas experience touring the Black Forest, learning at the destination and thus help you prepare your next trip through the Black Forest in a motorhome or camper.

Hold on, we start the route!

Oh and if you don't have your own motorhome, here's some advice. Rent directly in Germany or France, which is much cheaper than in Spain and you can save more than 50%.

Our personalized motorhome route assembly service for your trip to the Black Forest by motorhome

If you want to save time and rely on our experience of two trips through the Black Forest by motorhome, we remind you that we have a personalized motorhome route assembly and organization service.

With our service you will have a fully interactive Click & Go roadmap, so that you only click and the GPS will take you to each of the essential places without losing any setbacks. Access the service by clicking and filling in the following form:

The Black Forest by motorhome: roads, parking, camping and overnight in a motorhome in Germany

Regulations on parking and spending the night in a motorhome in France freely

The regulations in Germany regulate that you can park and spend the night anywhere that a vehicle can, as long as you do not camp (leave the perimeter of your vehicle, that is, take out tables, chairs, etc.), just like in Spain , although with particularities, which we will see later. This is the general rule, you can park and stay overnight if there is no explicit ban anywhere in Germany.

Now, the reality is that in the Black Forest there are sometimes some that are prohibited for motorhomes that we must know to avoid them.

Regulations on motorhome camping in Germany and the Black Forest

Camping in Germany is carefully regulated.

As a general rule, the legislation tells us that free camping (putting out tables and chairs, opening windows, awnings, etc.) is prohibited in any public place throughout Germany.

Therefore, in the Black Forest we can only camp in campsites, private motorhome areas that allow it or other places authorized for this purpose.

Services and motorhome areas in Germany and in the Black Forest by motorhome

Traveling to Germany by motorhome is very easy, as it boasts the second largest network of motorhome areas in Europe, with over 4000 sites . These areas offer full services, including waste disposal and water filling, and many also have electricity.

Most overnight parking areas for motorhomes or campervans are municipal or private, but almost always require payment, between €10 and €20 . There are very few free motorhome areas in Germany compared to those that require payment.

In addition, another thing you'll notice on your Black Forest motorhome route, characteristic of motorhome areas, is that water and electricity filling services are usually paid for separately.

In practically all points of interest or tourist towns you will find a motorhome area, and generally always central or well connected to the center of towns. And if there is no area there will surely be some parking reserved for motorhomes, which in these you will see that since they do not have Services, most of them are free.

If the French have a doctorate in camping and the world of caravanning, the Germans have a master's degree, and it shows.

Something important to know about water in motorhome areas in winter

You should know that in Germany, as in all countries, the water fountains are shut off when temperatures drop below freezing. This means you'll need to conserve water from your tank, and you should look for campsites that are open in winter, as these are few and far between. Also, consider bringing a long hose to reach the designated watering point, usually located inside one of the campsite buildings, typically the restrooms.

Routes

In general, the roads are good in the Black Forest. The national roads usually have a hard shoulder and are usually fine, they are quite easy, although with quite a few curves and sometimes changes in level.

The motorways are very good and, best of all, free , but they are very slow despite the reputation for having no speed limit on many sections in Germany. The Germans are experts in road infrastructure construction , and this sometimes creates kilometer-long traffic jams on the roads and motorways.

Finally, you should know that in winter in Germany if it has snowed or there is a forecast of snow, it is mandatory to drive with winter tires or 4 seasons approved for snow, and here it is not worth wearing chains.

If you'd like to read an article about which snow chains and/or winter tires are best for a motorhome, here 's one based on our experience with our own motorhome. We've also included this video we made about traveling in a motorhome in the snow, which will surely be helpful for understanding potential problems and solutions in snowy conditions.

Summary of our trip through the Black Forest by motorhome at Christmas

Our trip through the Black Forest is a 5-day trip during the Immaculate Conception and Constitution Day long weekend in December.

A trip, which as always, we do as a family. With our two children, ages 10 and 7, and this time with our motorhome by road.

In total there are 10 hours of driving and about 1000 km is what separates Barcelona from the Black Forest on our route. Although it can be accessed by plane from Stuttgart and from there rent a motorhome or camper.

In addition, renting a motorhome in Germany is much cheaper than in Spain. And a piece of advice: through the Yescapa platform, between individuals, such as an AirB&B, it is the best option to rent a motorhome in Germany. Rent at this link and you will also help us to maintain this blog and continue writing.

Our Black Forest road trip in a campervan is actually part of a larger journey. A 10-day trip we're taking through Alsace and the Black Forest in Germany at Christmas , during the 10-day December holiday weekend.

We loved this route so much that it's the second time we've done it , that says it all.

It's like walking into a Christmas story. With its decorated towns, all full of lights, its endearing Christmas market stalls, its “gluhwein” (spiced hot wine with a thousand flavors) and beautiful towns and cities with a lot of Christmas magic.

Costs of our trip: the Black Forest at Christmas

On our 10-day trip through Alsace at Christmas and the Black Forest, we spent a total of €1710 for the four of us traveling.

If you'd like a breakdown and more information on each cost, we've written a more detailed post. In it, you can see the cost of a Christmas trip to Alsace , which is the same price you'll pay for the Black Forest or for combining both destinations, since our costs are based on the same 10-day trip to both places.

What we liked the most and what we liked the least about traveling by motorhome through the Black Forest at Christmas

The best thing about traveling to the Black Forest by motorhome at Christmas on our trip has been…

• Undoubtedly the market that we liked the most and had the most Christmas magic was the one in the Ravenna gorge, the Ravennaschlucht. A beautiful pass under the aqueduct surrounded by nature, although I'll tell you about access later and it's not as easy as parking and that's it.
• Sleep next to the Pforheim Wildpark, an impressive and large animal park with beautiful free access where you can feed the animals with food that is sold there. Very cool to be able to feed him and be so close to all the animals.

14 Things you should know and tips for traveling to the Black Forest by motorhome

Before moving on to the route and the must-see sights in the Black Forest at Christmas, here are some tips to keep in mind before you go.

1 In the Black Forest at Christmas it is cold and it often snows: Mandatory winter tires

That said, if you are going to travel to the Black Forest in a camper or motorhome at Christmas, keep in mind that in Germany it is mandatory to wear winter tires when there is a forecast of snow or it has snowed. Therefore, take winter tires on your trip to the Black Forest with a motorhome at Christmas.  

And another tip, the chains can also get you out of trouble if there is ice. Even if you have winter tires, take chains.

In the video above this post we explain the problems that you can have in the snow in a motorhome and the possible solutions that you will have to apply, pay attention.

2 Documents needed to travel to the Black Forest at Christmas

For this trip, don't forget to bring your valid ID or passport for both adults and children.

Also, in case of any health problems, carry your European Health Insurance Card . You can get it on the social security website and have it conveniently delivered to your home.

Furthermore, we've been using Iati Escapadas travel insurance for years . Its affordability gives us peace of mind when traveling with the children, and we know we'll avoid any co-payments that are common in German healthcare. I've included a link here with a discount. If you purchase it through this link, you'll be helping us keep writing on the blog.

3 When it's cold the fountains are cut off, so rationalize the water and take a long hose if you travel by motorhome or camper

If you travel by motorhome or camper, you should know that if the temperatures are below 0, all external sources will not have water. Neither in motorhome areas nor on the street you will be able to refuel water. The best solution, apart from saving water, is to look for campsites that are open in winter. These are few, but you will find some.

Also, remember to take a long water hose to refuel at the water refill points provided by the campsites, usually inside the bathrooms.

Our map of visits and plans we made to travel to the Black Forest at Christmas

Next, we leave you the interactive map that we made for our route with the most emblematic Christmas markets in the area and places of interest in the Black Forest by motorhome at Christmas.

The 20 essential things to do and see in the Black Forest by motorhome at Christmas

In this post you can read the 20 essential plans to do and what to see in the Black Forest by motorhome at Christmas. Most are plans that you can also do in summer.

It is the compilation of our favorite plans from the two trips we have made through the Black Forest.

Our route through the Black Forest in a motorhome at Christmas of 5 days for some of these 20 essentials

Below, we briefly explain our last route through the Black Forest in a motorhome at Christmas. A route through one of the 20 essentials that we have detailed above.

And remember that we can organize and set up your personalized route through the Black Forest in a motorhome with our exclusive route assembly service. Access here and we will begin to help you in no time!

The entrance gate and dream forests of the Black Forest camper van at Christmas

Our Black Forest route began at its gateway from Alsace, in Freiburg . A beautiful university city, its Christmas market, spread across five areas and boasting over 120 stalls, enveloped us in the magic of a German Christmas. Here, we discovered that Christmas in Germany is all about gathering with friends and family around the cold evenings at its markets.

From Freiburg we headed towards Felberg, its highest mountain, but first we stopped in Titisee to enjoy its Badeparadise water park, full of slides for our little ones and its lake. From there, we took a shuttle bus to the Christmas market in the Ravenna Gorge , the Christmas market we've enjoyed the most so far in both Germany and France . It's incredibly beautiful and unique, nestled in nature and under the viaduct. You do need to buy tickets in advance, also booking the shuttle bus from Titisee, where we found a campervan area with all amenities just 5 minutes from the bus stop.

In the post about the 20 essential plans for the Black Forest at Christmas you have all the details of where and how to book the entrance to the Ravenna Christmas market as well as everything you need to know about it.

Along the cuckoo clock road

From the Titisee and Felberg area, where we didn't find snow for skiing this time, we headed north into the Black Forest along the Cuckoo Clock Road. Our must-see stop here was Triberg . In Triberg, we visited Germany's tallest waterfall and its Black Forest Museum, which is included in the same ticket as the waterfalls.

From Triberg we continue uphill, stopping at different points. Just after Triberg you can see the largest cuckoo clock in the world, the blown glass museum or some of the mines that can be visited in this area.

Finally, we arrived at another highlight of the route: the town of Gengenbach , home to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . There, we also found the world's largest Advent calendar in its town hall, where every day at 18 p.m. they put on a small show and open the window for the following day. Each year, the windows tell a story, and the show is a dramatization of that scene. This year it was The Little Prince—beautiful.

To the north of the Black Forest by motorhome

From Gengenbach, we head to Germany's most luxurious spa town. Baden-Baden has a campervan area, though it's a bit far from the town center, but easily accessible by the nearby bus. There, we find two spas for a refreshing dip and a Christmas market where we can enjoy some mulled wine again.

From Baden-Baden we traveled up to Pforzheim , a city on the way to Esslingen am Neckar , known as the "gold of the Black Forest" for its jewelry tradition. Esslingen is well worth a visit for its charming medieval market and its beautiful old town with half-timbered houses.

Neither in Pforzheim nor in Esslingen did we find a motorhome area with services, although both have free parking without services reserved for motorhomes. In Pforheim, but we advise against going there. Instead, we can tell you that we slept in the most beautiful place on our entire route here, right next to the Wildlife Park, a fairly large free-access park with animals where you can feed them and sleep next to them.

So far our route this year and the second time in the area, although we encourage you to go to other places and Christmas markets that we point out in our article on the 20 best plans.

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See you on the road, say hello!

Continue reading our guide to travel to the Black Forest Germany at Christmas

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