A mighty Hymer Exsis-i 578 motorhome appearing over a bridge in Stein am Rhein, near the Swiss-German border is our cover star in the January issue. Lucky Clare Kelly visits Lake Constance, then sees the largest waterfall in Europe, the spectacular Rhine Falls in Neuhausen, and discovers the enchanting Christmas market at Konstanz, hand made crafts sold from a hundred little huts, in a glittering scene straight from a fairytale. The tour doesn’t end there, however, since she visits the Zeppelin Museum and finally explores the Erwin Hymer Museum, to see gorgeous vintage motorhomes and discover more about the history of motorcaravanning in Europe. 

With Christmas fast approaching, it’s tempting to order gifts online, but it’s much more fun to turn Christmas shopping into a holiday or a series of weekend breaks, touring Christmas markets full of unique hand crafted gifts and other surprises. That’s why in our latest issue we round up 101 fabulous festive markets in the UK and across Europe from Norway and Sweden to Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and many more destinations. Don’t forget to check our Nightstops list to see if there’s one near your chosen UK Christmas market. The January issue is on sale from 20 November, so there’s plenty of time to plan your magical motorhome tour of these festive markets. 

We’ve got Christmas all wrapped up with our Gift Guide, too, with motorhome and campervan themed gifts, camping gizmos and even an amazing kit that can turn a hatchback or minivan into a cool little campervan in minutes! Plus – here’s a Christmas present idea – tour smarter in 2015 by subscribing to Practical Motorhome magazine. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for a friend, a loved one – or yourself! Simply visit The Magazine Shop for our great Christmas offers.

Our winter wonderland theme continues with a 27-page Germany special in our January issue, with visits to Hanover, Moselle and 10 top Stellplatze. Caroline Mills traces British history along a new Royal Heritage route in Lower Saxony and discovers the beautiful medieval German roots of our Royal Family tree. Keith and Geoff Bass discover the wines and castles of the Mosel Valley. Plus we look at Germany’s thermal spas.

Back in Britain, there’s a treat for the keen cyclists among you – Geoff Crowther uses two motorhomes as support vehicles for his extreme coast-to-coast bike ride. 

New Tests Editor Mike Le Caplain braves a storm to witness a record-breaking attempt. Creation Campers built a Fiat Doblo campervan especially to beat the world motorhome land-speed record. Do they crack it? Find out in our Practical Motorhome Exclusive in this issue!

What about our latest motorhome tests and reviews? In this issue Editor Niall Hampton gives the brand new Swift Esprit 494 a full-live-in test, to deliver his verdict on this four-berth coachbuilt motorhome with its transverse island bed. Plus we assess the GM Coachwork Panorama, a campervan purpose-built for wheelchair users. We also report on our top 15 ‘vans from the NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show, ranging from luxury campers to chrome liners.

Our used ‘van challenge this month is to find bargain A-class motorhomes for less than £30,000. You’ll be surprised at the delightful results. We also have a Used ‘Van Buyer’s Guide to 1995-2006 Hymer A-class tandem-axle models, giving advice on what’s available, which are the best models, what to pay and any issues to watch out for. Gentleman Jack gives us a handy running report on his 30 months of touring in his 2008 Autocruise Wentworth, too.

In Stacie’s Super Savers. You can save 20 per cent on the clever SwissRoomBox freeTech, the car-to-camper kit mentioned in our gift guide. There’s also money off a campsite in Wiltshire and a way to escape those pesky mobile phone roaming charges. Plus we have a great competition! Win a holiday to Europe worth £500 with Practical Motorhome, Halfords and Alan Rogers Guides – click here to enter. 

And finally, we bring you the latest Practical Motorhome/Motor Caravanners’ Club Nightstops, your letters, holiday hotshots and A Tour That Changed My Life. We hope you enjoy our January issue – it’s on sale in the shops from 20 November, 2014! It’s also available by post from our Subscription Order line (0844 848 8812). To find out more about Christmas subscriptions please visit The Magazine Shop online or ring 0845 124 7040 and quote XPA14.