Camper Van Hire: Compare Campervans and Prices

Camper van hire in the UK gets you a converted van with a bed, a small kitchen and room for two, or four with a pop-top roof. It drives much like a large car, fits most parking bays and copes with narrow lanes, which is why it is the usual choice for couples and small families. Typical rates run from about £50 to £180 a night for a 2-berth, depending on the season. This page helps you compare the types of van, the roof styles, the parking and overnight rules, and the prices.

Types of campervan you can hire

Panel-van conversions

A standard van with the windows added and the inside fitted out with a bed, a cooker and storage. They are the most common campervan on hire. Many are built on mainstream vans, and owners usually list the base vehicle, so you can see what you are driving.

Pop-top campervans

A pop-top has a roof that lifts to give standing room and, in many layouts, a second bed upstairs. With the roof down the van stays low enough for most car parks, and with it up you get headroom for cooking and changing. Some roofs lift by hand, others use a hydraulic system.

High-top campervans

A high-top has a fixed tall roof. You can stand inside at all times, and storage is easier, but the van is taller than a car on the road and will not fit under every height barrier.

VW-style vans

Volkswagen conversions are the type many people picture. The VW Transporter is a common base for conversions, and Volkswagen sells its own California in Beach Camper, Coast and Ocean versions. Many hire examples are older models, and prices vary with age and finish. Our guide to VW campervans goes into the models and what to expect.

Pop-top, high-top or fixed roof: how to choose

• Parking and barriers: a fixed low roof is the easiest. A high-top is the most restricted.
• Standing room: a high-top or a lifted pop-top lets you stand to cook. A low-roof van means sitting or crouching.
• Sleeping: a pop-top bed upstairs frees the lower bed for adults, so it suits a couple with a child or two.
• Weather: a canvas pop-top roof is less insulated than a solid roof, which matters on cold nights. For off-season trips see campervan holidays in the winter.

Driving and parking: height limits and car parks

A campervan feels like driving a large estate car, but height is the main new thing to learn. Many car parks, especially at beaches, harbours and town centres, have barriers set low enough to stop taller vans. A hired van's listing should give the height; write it on a note in the cab and check it against any barrier sign before you drive in.

Narrow lanes are where a campervan wins. Because they are usually shorter and narrower than a coachbuilt motorhome, they are easier to place when you meet oncoming traffic. Take them slowly, use passing places and look well ahead for somewhere to pull in.

Weight is rarely a problem. Almost all campervans sit within category B, which covers vehicles up to 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass. If you want the licence rules in full, read whether you need a special licence, and for your first drive see driving a campervan for the first time.

Where you can stay overnight

The rules are different in England and Wales from those in Scotland. It is worth understanding before you set off, because a hired van is no more exempt from the rules than your own.

Campsites and club small sites

Ordinary campsites and holiday parks are the simplest choice, and you can find some at holiday parks that take campervans. For quieter stays, the two big touring clubs each approve small, privately owned sites that only their members can use. The Caravan and Motorhome Club's Certificated Locations take up to five caravans, motorhomes or campervans at a time, with drinking water, chemical waste emptying and dry rubbish disposal as standard. The Camping and Caravanning Club's Certificated Sites take up to five caravans or motorhomes and ten tents. You need to be a member of the relevant club to stay, though the Camping and Caravanning Club says you can join in advance or on site.

England and Wales

There is no general right to camp in a vehicle, so on private land you need the landowner's permission. Brit Stops, a paid membership scheme, lists farm shops, pubs and vineyards that let members stay a night, and it says buying something from the host is optional. Public lay-bys and council car parks come under local rules rather than one national law, so read the signs, and move on if you are asked.

Scotland

Scotland's access rights are often misunderstood. They cover walking, cycling and lightweight tent camping, but not motor vehicles: the Scottish Outdoor Access Code's camping guidance says plainly that access rights don't include motor vehicles. Sleeping in a campervan is not something the access rights give you, so you still need to park somewhere you are allowed to. Formal sites, and landowners who say yes, are the safe options.

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs

The national park has camping management byelaws that apply from 1 March to 30 September along the busiest loch shores. In those zones you need a booked pitch or a permit to stay overnight in a campervan. The national park's motorhome and campervan page lists permit areas at Firkin Point, Inveruglas and Three Lochs Forest Drive, where you can stay up to three nights in the same permit area. Permits are booked online up to four weeks ahead and cost £4.50 per vehicle per night in 2026, plus a £3 access charge at Three Lochs Forest Drive. Outside the byelaw season, from October to February, no permit is needed, but you should still park responsibly, and dumping chemical toilet waste in the countryside is a criminal offence.

Camper van hire prices in the UK by season

Owners set their own prices, so treat these as typical ranges per night, not a quote.

A compact 2-berth campervan for a week usually comes to around £490 to £875. Winter and midweek bookings sit at the low end, and August and bank holiday weekends at the top. Our page on how much a campervan costs to hire works through weekly totals and the other costs on a trip.

What is included

• Insurance and payment protection: included with every booking made through Outdoorsy. The excess you would pay on a claim is typically £500 to £2,500.
• Roadside assistance: an optional extra, so add it if you want it.
• Kitchen kit: hobs, a kettle and basic utensils are common, but check each listing.
• Bedding and chairs: sometimes included, sometimes charged.
• Mileage: set by the owner. Some allow a fixed number of miles a day, others unlimited.
• Bike racks, extra drivers and delivery: usually charged on top.

For a full list, see what campervan hire includes.

Campervan or motorhome: who each suits

Prefer something bigger? See larger coachbuilt motorhomes.

Where a campervan works well

• Cornwall and Devon: narrow lanes and small harbour car parks suit a compact van. See Cornwall.
• The Scottish Highlands: single-track roads with passing places on the North Coast 500.
• Short breaks: a weekend away does not need much space.
• With a dog: see dog-friendly campervans.

For routes and ideas, see the UK road trip itineraries and the UK hire overview.

Is a campervan right for you?

A campervan is a good fit if:

• there are two of you, or two adults and a small child;
• you want to park in towns and small car parks;
• you want something that drives like a large car;
• you prefer simple, low-cost hire.

It is a poor fit if:

• you need a private washroom;
• you have teenagers or more than three travellers;
• you plan to spend wet days inside the van.

How hire works

1. Search for vans near your pickup point and dates.
2. Check the listing for roof type, height, berths, mileage, the excess and delivery.
3. Book through our partner Outdoorsy, with insurance and payment protection included.
4. Collect the van, or have it delivered if the owner offers that.
5. Take the handover and return the van as agreed.

First time? Read our step-by-step guide to your first trip.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sleep in a hired campervan in a lay-by or a car park?

There is no general right to, and no single national rule. Lay-bys and council car parks can have local bans on overnight stays, so check the signs, and private land needs the owner's permission. A campsite, a small club site or a host who has agreed is the safer choice.

Can I wild camp in a campervan in Scotland?

Scottish access rights do not cover motor vehicles, so sleeping in a campervan is not part of them. Park only where it is allowed, and note the Loch Lomond permit season.

Will a campervan fit in a normal car park?

A low-roof campervan usually will. A high-top or a pop-top with the roof raised may not, so check the height on the listing against the barrier.

Is a pop-top or a high-top better?

A pop-top is lower on the road and sleeps more; a high-top gives standing room all the time. Choose by how you will park and sleep.

Can I hire a campervan in winter?

Yes, and prices drop. You need a van with heating and good insulation, and fewer sites are open. See campervan holidays in the winter.

Is a campervan big enough for a family of four?

Only if it is a 4-berth with four belted seats, usually a pop-top. Teenagers will find it tight.

Find one for your dates: search camper vans near you.