With the gradual lifting of the corona lockdowns, opportunities arise again to travel through Europe with your electric car. But before you set out on that well-deserved holiday, you might have some questions, like: where and how can I charge in other European countries? And what are the rates? To provide you with answers, we’ve compiled this holiday guide to charging in Europe.
Last Mile Solutions currently has one of the largest networks in Europe: with your charging card you can go to more than 230,000 charging points in almost all countries in Europe.
Our app tells you where to charge and what the costs will be. It’s a good idea to check the price in advance, because the rates in most European countries are often higher than the relatively low charging prices in the Benelux.
To help you on your way, we will provide an overview by country or region:
Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg
In the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg you can charge almost everywhere with your card, because we have contracts in place with all parties. The networks in the Benelux are excellent and in general you don’t have to plan ahead to find a charging point in any of these countries.
Germany
In Germany you currently have access to almost all major networks, including Ladenetz, Innogy and EnBW. With more than 50,000 charging points, there is always one within reach. All fast chargers from IONITY, e.on, EnBW and Fastned will also help you on your way.
Berlin is an exception – there it can be quite a challenge to find a working charging station. This has to do with the rather old-fashioned way of working there, which makes it complicated to access the different networks for roaming. However, we hope to gain access this year. Until then, you can load ad hoc in the German capital. Follow the instructions on the charging point, or use the URL or QR code.
France
In France there are more than 100 different networks with many different rates, but there is a large network coverage for most parts of the country.
Check the app to see if your holiday region has enough charging points. You will also find plenty of fast chargers on the highways throughout the country. If you are going to use toll roads, it is wise to find out in advance where the fast chargers are located. Sometimes it can be difficult to search locally.
It’s also important to check the rates in advance. At many charging stations you pay a rate per minute. This is to prevent cars from sticking at charging stations longer than necessary.
Austria
Austria is a different story. There are plenty of charging points, but we’re not yet connected to all networks due to extremely high connection or usage costs.
You can go to the major networks of Wien Energie, Kelag, Illwerke, da emobil, TIWAG, Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe, Ella and Salzburg AG.
Due to legislation on the supply of electricity, many networks in Austria have switched to charging per minute. This can involve very high rates. Charging your car normally often costs only a fraction more than in the Benelux, but it’s important to remove your car as soon as it’s full. Spending the night near a charging point can lead to unpleasant surprises. We’ve already seen charging sessions of €150 or more.
Always check the app in advance to see what the costs are and do not stay at a charging station longer than is necessary for charging your car.
Switzerland
You can use your charging card at all major networks in Switzerland, such as Swisscharge, Green Motion, Move Mobility, Alpiq, Plug’nRoll, Repower and eCarUP.
In Switzerland charging can also be quite expensive. Just like in Austria, different networks charge a price per minute. So here too applies: do not leave your car connected to the charging station when it’s full.
Italy
Italy has an excellent network of charging stations, almost all of which are accessible with your charging card. Networks from Enel X, Neogy, Hera Comm, Duferco, Go Electric Stations, Route 220 and JOINON are all available, as are the well-known fast charging networks from IONITY. The rates are generally a bit higher than in the Benelux. There are a few networks that also charge per minute. Always check the app to see what the costs are before you dock.
Spain and Portugal
Spain lags a little behind the rest of Europe, but it’s catching up. This means there’s a good chance you will find a brand new charging station on your way. We’re connected to the largest networks, such as Iberdrola, IONITY, EDP, Fenie Energia, IBIL Gestor de Carga and Endesa X, but it’s important to plan your route along the charging stations in advance. Use the app to see where you can go.
Portugal is more complicated, as you can only charge with a local pass from Mobi.e, or ad hoc. Due to Portuguese legislation, all charging stations must be connected to Mobi.e, but in turn, Mobi.e in does not want to connect with foreign parties. We are doing our best to add this network to our roaming network soon.
Great Britain and Ireland
Roaming is also a difficult story in Great Britain and Ireland. We currently have contracts with Alfa Power, Ecotap, EV-Box, Franklin Energie Life, GreenFlux, Hubsta, IONITY, NewMotion, Shell Recharge, and Osprey. Larger networks, such as BP Pulse, are currently not open to roaming.
Fortunately, many networks offer the option to pay with your credit card. Therefore, our advice is to use that if you are assigned to one of these networks.
At the moment, the connection to the Irish network is unreliable, so make sure you have an alternative payment method ready if you want to travel there. We are currently negotiating with the Irish to resolve this.
Denmark
In Denmark there are a number of large networks from Clever and E.ON available. The country has enough charging points to make electric travel easy. Unfortunately, charging in Denmark is not cheap, so check the app for the rates.
Norway
Norway has a good network, but because electric driving is very popular there, many charging points are almost continuously occupied and sometimes there are charging queues for the fast charging points of IONITY and E.ON. That is something to keep in mind.
This also means that the largest parties in Norway are not eager to admit foreign pass holders. Our Norwegian roaming network is therefore limited, but we hope to add the largest networks in the remainder of the year. For now, before embarking on your holiday, make sure you arrange a local pass or know how to charge ad hoc.
Sweden
In Sweden, the situation is similar to Norway, but here we have managed to connect larger networks, such as Park & Charge i Sverige. Fast charging is possible via E.ON and IONITY. Due to the large distances that you cover when travelling the country it is wise to plan your trip in advance.
Finland
Virta and, more recently, K-Auto charging points have made the network in Finland mature. You should always be able to find a charging point, especially around the major cities in the south. Traveling north? Then plan your trip well.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
The quality and availability of the charging infrastructure in the Baltic States differs considerably from country to country. In terms of charging points, Latvia has excellent coverage with the AS Unified Post and Elektrum networks. For Estonia, we will probably be able to add the largest network this summer. Lithuania lags behind on this. There are very few public charging stations there, so good planning is required.
Poland
Poland is rapidly installing charging points, but the networks are quite spread out. You can currently use the EVPlus and Greenway networks with your charging card. We expect Lotos to be connected in the coming months as well. There are other networks available, but you have to pay at the charging station.
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary
These countries in Central Europe are rapidly catching up. We are adding a new network to our roaming network almost monthly. In the Czech Republic you can now charge using the networks of E.ON, EnBW, IONITY and QMX. In Slovakia you can go to the large network of Greenway and the fast chargers of IONITY, and in Hungary E.ON, MVM Mobility, Elmu Emasz and Greenetik are the available networks.
Balkans
The availability of charging points is somewhat lower in the entire Balkan region, although there are differences between the respective countries.
In Croatia, for example, you can charge at quite a few places using the network of E.ON and Hrvatski Telekom. Slovenia has a large network of Petrol where you can go to. Other countries offer other possibilities, but it’s wise to plan your trip based on the charging points available in the app. In some regions it’s difficult to find a charging point at all. Just to be safe, make sure you have a 220 Volt charger with you.
Romania
The coverage in Romania is not what we’re used to in the Benelux. It can be quite a search to find charging points, but they are there. The networks of E.ON and Renovatia are currently growing rapidly and there are enough charging points in strategic locations to easily drive across the country. Use the app to find the locations and plan your route.
FAQ
Where can I find charging stations?
Use our app to see how many charging points there are near your destination, or on the way there. In the app you can also see where the charging points are, so you can plan your route.
How much does charging abroad cost?
In addition to the standard roaming rates of your provider, we charge the rates that apply to roaming customers of the network. In some countries these are lower than in the Benelux, but in other countries they are much higher. Note that fast charging is always a lot more expensive.
My charging card doesn’t work on a connected network. What can I do?
If the network you’re trying to load from is on our list, but the charging still doesn’t work, there could be a technical cause.
In some cases, we can help you remotely, but then we need some information, such as your card number and the location (and number) of the charging station. It also helps if you take a picture of the charging point and send it to us.
With this information we can find out which network the charging station belongs to and together with that party find out why charging is not working.
Be sure to always check whether the pass works on other networks or charging stations of the same network. It could be there is a malfunction in the charging station or pass.
My charge card does not work on a network. What can I do?
As mentioned, we have one of the most extensive roaming networks in Europe, but it can happen that a network abroad is not yet connected.
In principle, you should be able to charge everywhere with the so-called ad hoc rate. According to European legislation, charging must always be possible, even without a charging card or subscription. Almost every charging station has a QR code or a URL with which you can pay immediately.
For some countries it pays to research their local charging cards options, which can also be cheaper. However, it can be complicated to apply for a local card from abroad.
And what if I can’t find a charging point?
The Benelux has the most extensive network in the world, but you can’t expect that everywhere while on holiday in Europe. For example, in some countries it can be difficult to find a charging point nearby, or the charging speed can be a lot slower than you are used to.
Therefore, always make sure to have a “Granny charger” with you on these types of trips. This is a plug with which you can connect your car to the regular 220 Volt electricity network. Charging this way takes a very long time, but after a night you have enough power to comfortably drive to the next, faster charging point.
