If you like the idea of a holiday where you are in control of your destination and itinerary then motorhome hire could be for you.
Motorhome hire opens up the whole of the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond to exploration. Whether you enjoy roaming windswept beaches, hiking up mountains, seeing the sights of central London or exploring ancient castles, there is so much variety on offer when you get behind the wheel of a motorhome. You also get to fit a lot more in as you won’t be spending hours checking in to hotels or waiting at London Heathrow airport!
Once you have an idea of where you would like to go, it’s time to knuckle down to the serious task of booking your motorhome. If this is your first motorhome hire, you might be wondering what sort of budget you need.
Here is some guidance:
How much does it cost to hire a motorhome?
A quick calculation using our handy motorhome search feature reveals that the most common price range for one week’s motorhome hire is between £550 and £1700 +However, this average blurs over a lot of important detail.
There are many factors that combine to determine the price for a week’s motorhome hire. They include:
Season
Special holidays
Special events
Type of motorhome
Berth
Mileage allowance
Chargeable extras
Airport/train station transfers
Let’s look at these in turn.
Season
The dates of your planned holiday is likely to have the biggest effect on the weekly campervan hire and motorhome rental price you can expect to pay. If you are flexible about when you want to travel, the period between November and February is usually the cheapest for motorhomes (apart from during Christmas and New Year of course).
As soon as you hit May, campervan hire prices can shoot up, often by as much as £200 per week for a four berth motorhome. When the summer holidays arrive (July and August), you could find the owner asking double what they were in the low season.
Special holidays
Many campers hire a vehicle over Christmas, New Year and Easter so one thing you will find is that the normal low seasonal rates are likely to jump up at this time. Depending on the owner, you might have to pay anywhere from £25 to £150 or more extra per week.
Special events
If you intend to travel to a music festival, sporting event or other popular crowd-puller, expect to pay a bit more for campervan hire (and make sure you book early to avoid disappointment). Owners will put their prices up when a popular local event is happening whether or not you are attending it so it is a good idea to look ahead at your chosen destination’s events calendar for the period in which you are travelling.
Type of motorhome
The type of motorhome you hire will also have a major influence on cost. At the top of the price scale would be a luxury coach-built Class A motorhome by a big brand such as Winnebago, Newmar, Tiffin or Entegra.
Smaller in size are the truck or van-based Class C’s. Top brands include Lazy Daze, Winnebago, Entegra, Renegade and Dynamax.
Then there are the humble Class B camper vans which generally retain the appearance of vans but have room for living and sleeping within. We are all familiar with the classic VW campervan of the 60s and 70s but if you want something more modern, Coach House, Leisure Travel Vans and Pleasure-Way all do decent Class B motorhomes.
For those not familiar with the motorhomes lingo, the berth is simply the number of beds that are available for travelers to sleep in. Higher berth motorhomes will add extra cost to your campervan rental but the extra legroom and storage space can be worth it.
Mileage allowance
Unless you are intending to park up at a campground and keep driving to a minimum, it is almost always worth paying extra for unlimited mileage. If you do opt for a restricted mileage deal, you could save £150 or more off your campervan rental. However, be warned! If you do exceed the mileage limit you could end up paying even more than the unlimited mileage rate.
Chargeable extras
When browsing for motorhome rental prices, be sure to study the list of amenities and chargeable extras carefully. Extras can range from bike rack hire and additional driver cover to pots and pans and bedding. Before deciding on a vehicle, be clear about what is essential for your comfort and enjoyment and what you are willing to spend on luxury extras.
Airport/train station transfers
If you are flying to your holiday destination, you will need to factor in airport transfer costs as well. If you are coming into the United Kingdom, be aware that the price of London transfers can vary a lot depending on which airport you are arriving at. If you have to travel to the city centre to pick up your hire, London Gatwick airport transfers average around £60, London Heathrow airport transfers will cost around £45-£50 and London City airport transfers are much cheaper at £30-£35.
How much is it to rent a motorhome for a week?
How about if you want to take a weekend away? Will you have to pay more than the day rate?
While some motorhome owners may apply a weekend surcharge, many won’t. As long as the availability is there, you will usually be able to hire a vehicle at the standard rate for that season.
The exception is during bank holidays and during special events (festival weekends, sporting events, etc.) where a higher campervan rental rate is likely to apply.
Again, making a quick calculation using our search function, we found that motorhome owners were charging £180 to £350+ for a weekend’s motorhome hire. London prices were a bit higher.
Where to hire a motorhome
When you’re ready to begin looking for your ideal motorhome hire, we recommend the popular peer-to-peer platform run by our partners Outdoorsy. This will connect you with vetted motorhome owners in your local area or, if you prefer, at your chosen destination.
There are now two ways you can use the powerful Outdoorsy search engine to narrow down your options. As well as using the standard ‘Search’ function, you can secure your vehicle sooner than ever thanks to our new ‘Book Instantly’ feature. In either case, all you have to do is enter a specific or broad location for your motorhome hire (London, Wales, Manchester, New Zealand, etc.), narrow the results using the filters provided and then click on the motorhomes that interest you.
The only difference with Book Instantly is that, providing the dates are available, you won’t need to wait for the campervan owner’s approval.
Each motorhome listing page is organised into clear, simple to understand sections so you can see exactly what you’re getting and how much it will cost you. You can also use filters to narrow down your options and an online calendar to choose the dates you want to travel. Owner star ratings and reviews give you an idea of the customer service you can expect on arrival.
Campervan Hire Near Me
Once you’ve been bitten by the campervan hire bug, your holidays will never be the same. With campervanhire.com, you will always be only a few short clicks away from your next exciting motor home adventure.
Pet Friendly Motorhome Hire
Click here for pet friendly campervan hire in the UK and central London for your family run motorhome 2, 3 and 4 berth vehicles from our london depot.
Search here for campervan hire london and motorhome rental London enquiry form.
Do not forget about the congestion charges if you drive to buckingham palace or terminal 5 in your London motorhome or campervan hire in London on way to the Jurassic coast for example.