We have collected tips and tricks for fellow travellers
Possible to rent an RV or caravan in China? The answer is yes! How can a foreigner drive an RV/caravan or rent a motor home in China? The first “must” is a Chinese driving license classified as C1 (C6 for the caravan from 1 April 2022). Please check the links below for information on acquiring a Chinese driving license.
There are two types of driving licenses for foreigners: the permanent type for residents and the temporary one, which is mostly for tourists.
Check our video on how to get a temporary driving license in Shanghai in 1.5h
If you want to Renting an RV or caravan in China, here are the payment options
Then, the payment. Due to the small market needs for motor homes, most renting companies are small-scale compared to their European and Western counterparts; therefore, only cash, local credit cards, and other Chinese smartphone payments (WeChat and Alipay) are accepted. Foreign credit cards will be rejected. Usually, a large amount of the deposit is required; 20kCNY has been the most common. Most of the deposit will be refunded a few days or a few weeks after returning from the motor home, while a small amount (an additional 2000) will be kept for a month in case there are traffic violation records during the renting period.
Negotiating the price, this company is closed now, and we lost two days in membership fees. At the moment, avoid Tiande
How much are RV rentals in China? RV rental prices
Rental prices might vary depending on the season and where you rent from. Prices have been between 1200 and 1500 CNY/day. Some places have membership fees, including rental days, but you must be careful. Use all included days immediately, as it is common for the company to change owners or close. If this happens, you might have difficulties using the upfront paid days in your membership.
We have a small checklist to consider for Renting an RV or caravan in China.
RV physical check
- Motor-home physical condition, for example, checks the tyres and engine oil.
- Shoot video and photos on the details and overall before heading out.
- The car needs to be returned with a full tank.
We have had one previous experience with a passenger car: the rental company insisted the car be returned tank-half full.
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Documentation and Insurance
- Check the insurance conditions and their coverage. Commercial insurance typically adds costs around an additional 50CNY/day.
- The yearly check has been done, and the correct owner is on the documents.
- Return policy overall. Some rentals might have a rent-and-drop policy.
- The car’s third-party insurance should cover caravan insurance. Some insurers have disclosed that, so it is better to check the fine print.
The day-to-day use of articles
- Which are not included in motor homes and are different from those in other countries. The renting company does not supply these unless you request, which include but are not limited to:
- Bed sheets, cooking ware, gas bottle, external generator, cables for external electrical connection. Water hose and connectors.
- Even to check if the water tank is complete, the standard size seems to be 140 litres.
Additional information
- The RV is usually equipped with A/C but will need external power or a generator. It can be run shortly with batteries. A/C can be used for cooling, and some A/C units can also be used for heating.
- For electrical sockets, three standards exist. Please check the picture.
- Heating is usually done using a diesel heater (Webasto or similar) in wintertime. Verify if your RV has one in case you travel in a cold area.
- External generators or fuel tanks will be complicated to fill at the gas station.
- You will need a letter from PSB or a Chinese ID; they will still refuse to fill it in many places. Internal generators are not a problem.
- Gas bottles, if taking a ferry, no gas bottles are allowed.
- Remember to verify that the province you are travelling to allows 10kg gas bottles, which is prohibited in some places.
Here are the standard grounded 10A and 16A sockets normally used in China. Notice the size difference between them.
NOTE:10A and 16A sockets are not universal
Some campgrounds have started to use this single-phase industrial 16A socket that is safer can be used outside in the rain and can withstand some splashes of water. More information from here
Personal checklist
- Remember to bring your passport and a valid visa. If you have recently changed your passport, bring the old one with you, as exit and entry stamps need to be verified. Have copies of documents on mobile or paper.
- Chinese driving license, minimum grade C1.
- China has mutually recognized driver’s licenses with the United Arab Emirates UAE, France, and Belgium and inked such an agreement with Serbia.
- I don’t have the official information, but this could be found in the news
- Contact information in case of breakdown. Some of the rentals have offices in major cities.
- For your safety, a First Aid kit. This needs to be provided by yourself.
- Most of the campsites we have visited have been friendly, and they have been able to register with the PSB (Public Security Bureau). There are some exemptions, and most don’t fill in the form to the police because they are unsure of the law regarding foreigners.
- Check routes with campsites. The problem is limited internet information, and English sites are almost nonexistent. Sometimes, when unable to reach our destination, we stayed overnight at large Service Stations along the highway (in the southern part of China). The good point is that those are normally open 24/7 and have restaurants, public toilets, and security.
- An exception to this was during our road trip to Inner Mongolia. The further north we drove, the lower the quality of the stations, and we would not have liked to stay overnight in one of those.
- In China, boondocking is not recommended. There are seldom suitable parking areas, and safety concerns must be considered. Check a place with many people.
- More information Wikipedia and English/Chinese Road traffic safety law in Peoples of Republic of China (中华人民共和国道路交通安全法)
- More information on road law in China from here
Recommended links
Important
Please note that under the newest traffic law, when accidents happen between
pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, motor vehicles, and cars, the cars must
bear most of the responsibility unless the other party violates the traffic
law. This means car insurance needs to take responsibility in 99% of the cases.
There are some very good apps in China for DIY travellers. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any in English.
Emergency telephone numbers in China:
- 110 may be used for all emergencies. It is the first number to call.
- 12110 Police (Text message)
- 12110 First-aid Ambulance
- 120 Fire
- 119Traffic Accidents
- 12395 SOS in Water
Traffic and toll fees for RV/caravan in China?
Traffic in China is a bit chaotic compared to Europe because of the vast number of road vehicles. Even though the traffic has improved dramatically, drivers’ habits have not changed much. For example, sudden lane changes without prior notice and electric bikes are still the most significant road challenges. Cars from residential areas and small roads seldom look left before driving turns. Most of the highways are in perfect condition. Survive traffic jams
One thing to be emphasized here is that toll fees usually need to be paid before getting off the highway. There are “ETCs” for electronic payment (a prepaid card with a reader glued on the windshield, and the cost will be deducted automatically when the car drives through an ETC lane). There are also lanes for manual payment available.
Fueling the car
Highway service centres provide gasoline and diesel, but some gasoline stations do not have diesel in cities. Diesel cars are not popular in China at all; only bigger trucks and I use them. Every time I fill up my car, they check the tank cap to ensure that my car runs on diesel three times.
Navigation in China, check our page for the most useful applications for navigation in China
My experience of using GPS in China comes from 2 different apps.
The first one is iOS Maps, which can be used entirely in English. It is sufficient for most foreign travellers. The Other Chinese options, both for iOS and Android, are the AMAP Autonavi (高德地图) and Baidu maps (百度地图). Both can be found on Google Play or downloaded from their web page. Unfortunately, Amap/Baidu is a pure Chinese application, which is a limiting factor for non-Chinese speakers.
