Since we converted our campervan back in 2020, the UK is the place we have been fortunate enough to explore the most.
From the northern most tip of Scotland, to the southeasterly stretches of Cornwell, we have seen it all!
And by far the best way to explore the UK is by motorhome or campervan.
Offering the best flexibility and freedom in exploring all the wonderful sites on offer.
And luckily enough, there are plenty of different options when it comes to choosing campervan and motorhome rental firms in the UK, with pickup locations found up and down the country.
This article is going to delve into the best companies out there, what they offer and which types of campers/motorhomes are available to rent.
Helping you decide which company is best for you when planning your trip!
With so many firms out there, choosing and booking a campervan or motorhome in the UK can be very overwhelming.
Especially with any added costs like insurance, amenities and any hidden extras, it’s often not an easy task.
This is why I highly recommend starting your search with GoSee Travel.
They are a price comparison site for motorhome and campervan rental firms for all across the world, not just the UK so are a very trusted and reliable site.
It's by far the easiest and best place to find the best deals, and availability for your chosen dates.
Rentals in the UK can sell out fast depending on when you are planning your road trip, so GoSee will show you what’s available to book rather than leading you down the garden path so to speak.
They can also make booking your chosen rental a lot smoother, and more enjoyable with:
For more info, read our in-depth review of GoSee Travel (Motorhome Republic).
Spaceship Rentals is known to be the UKs most reliable and trustworthy campervan and motorhome rental company.
They provide unlimited mileage, 24-hour roadside assistance and a range of comprehensive insurance options.
They also pride themselves on having a no hidden costs policy meaning you know exactly what you’re paying for.
Another bonus of hiring from Spaceship Rentals is that during your hire period, you will get a temporary access code to the Caravan and Motorhome Club.
We rented a campervan from them in Ireland and had an incredible time!
All of Spaceship’s vehicles are compact, easy to drive and fuel-efficient making them more
economical.
The company offers three different vehicles that sleep between 2-7 people.
All vehicles come with built-in awnings, cooking & kitchen facilities including a fridge/freezer, washing facilities and storage areas.
However, if you choose a motorhome they also come with a cooling and heating unit, meaning you can travel around the UK at any time of year. This comes in handy, as the winter season includes the cheapest rental months of the year.
Apollo is a campervan rental firm that operates in Europe and the UK. It offers motorhome rentals in Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland, which makes picking up your hire van pretty easy.
They have an app you can download called ApolloConnect which offers features such as 24/7 roadside assistance and local vehicle support teams.
Apollo is known as one of the most affordable motorhome rental firms and depending on when you book, you may be able to get yourself a campervan for less than £100 per day.
This is incredibly cheap for motorhome hire, and not something many companies in the UK can match.
Apollo has five different vehicles to hire ranging from 2-6 berths.
Each vehicle comes equipped with onboard heating, cooking facilities, a shower and a toilet, to cater for everything you could need.
When it comes to size, all of Apollo's vehicles are relatively big so you will have plenty of room. That means lots of room to relax, move around and have enough storage space for items.
Bunk Campers is one of the best campervan rentals in the UK, as it offers such a wide variety of vehicles.
With each rental, they provide unlimited mileage, driver insurance, 10% discount on ferry crossings during your trip and 30% off UK Camping and Caravan Club campsites.
During your trip, you will have access to 24/7 roadside assistance, a vehicle support team and videos on how to use your motorhome.
When booking with Bunk Campers you also have complete flexibility to change the dates of your booking, the duration of your trip and the pickup location.
Bunk Campers currently has one of the widest choices of campervans in the UK and Ireland, with 7 different vehicles to choose from.
All vehicles come with cooking facilities, a toilet, shower and heating, meaning you can travel through the UK no matter the weather.
You also often benefit from a built-in sat-nav and reversing cameras, which are a massive bonus if you aren’t used to driving large vehicles.
The vehicles available to hire range from 2-6 berths, and there are some smaller options available if you don't want to drive something big.
Just Go claims to have the largest choice of rental motorhomes in the UK with 10 different vehicles to choose from.
They specialise in larger motorhome rentals and their fleet is replaced each year, so you know the vehicles are modern, clean and safe.
With a range of competitively priced vehicles, on the road phone and email support and a wide variety of vehicles, Just go is a great choice.
When taking in the cost, it’s important to note that Just go automatically adds a charge of £5.00 per night to each motorhome hire. This is to support the government's low emission tax.
With 10 different motorhomes to choose from, you’ll likely find something to your fancy.
With newer technology such as reversing cameras, Bluetooth and a GPS, each vehicle is well equipped to make your trip smoother, and more enjoyable.
The motorhomes range from 2-6 berths and are incredibly spacious with extra luxuries including a TV, oven and full electric system.
If you can’t decide which is the ideal van for you, then the company offers a mystery option for a 2,4 or 6 berth motorhome. This often works out cheaper, and you are still guaranteed a top-quality van.
Land Cruise offers a wide variety of rental vehicles ranging from smaller campervans to large motorhomes.
With such a variety, it can be difficult to choose based on your budget. Luckily Land Cruise has a budget motorhome hire section, meaning you can eliminate some of the more expensive options easily.
Breakdown cover, a membership to the Camping and Caravan Club during your rental and secure parking for your car during your trip are provided with any hire.
Not only does Land Cruise have a variety of rental vehicles available, but they also have numerous layout options within each model.
Currently, they have a total of 20 different motorhome/campervan layouts, each suited for different travelling styles.
They even have a selection of dedicated dog-friendly vehicles, which feature a dog area at the rear of the motorhome.
Land Cruise offers a variety of vehicles ranging from the smaller 4 berth campervans to spacious 6 berth motorhomes.
The campervans are a lot smaller in size so there is no onboard toilet or shower, but the motorhomes come with a toilet and shower inside.
McRent is Europe’s biggest Motorhome hire company, which means they have a tonne of experience and are a trusted brand throughout the UK.
With 5 different pickup spots up and down the country, McRent offers more flexibility than most other rental companies.
Each rental includes unlimited mileage (depending on the vehicle), WC chemicals, and comprehensive coverage. 24/7 Camper Care and 24hr roadside assistance also come included.
With pick up spots located all across Europe, we have comes across their rentals in Portugal, Spain, France ... basically all over the place!
McRent is a great company to choose from if you are planning to travel around Europe after your trip to the UK.
With 10 different vehicles available ranging from campervans to luxury motorhomes, there is something for everyone.
McRent offers vehicles ranging from a 2 berth to a 6 berth but specialises in large vehicles so if you want something smaller this company may not be for you.
Each rental comes with a full camper water system, and all necessary accessories such as an outside awning, and a water hose and cables.
Before we go any further, it’s important to note that Open Road only has a pickup service in Scotland.
However, although their website mainly promotes Scotland, the vehicle is also insured for mainland UK and any islands such as the Hebrides and Orkney.
That means it can be taken all across the UK but has to be picked up and dropped off in either Edinburgh or Glasgow. This is a pretty good way to do it if you are planning to do an entire circular route around the UK.
Open Road regularly updates its fleet of vehicles, and currently, in 2022, all their vehicles are 2018 models or above.
Open Road offers both campervan and motorhome rental, so has the best of both worlds.
It‘s one of the only Motorhome hire companies in the UK that specialises in luxury motorhomes.
Their vehicles range from 2-6 berths, but if you’re looking for something a bit smaller their 4 berth campervan still comes with everything you need. It’s also a bit handier if you are driving around those tiny lanes!
Each rental comes with washing, toilet and cooking facilities, utensils, a BBQ set, and a picnic table with chairs.
Open Road also supplies its own linen and bedding, and 1 full gas bottle. Many other motorhome rentals in the UK often charge for these items so it’s important to take that into account when comparing prices and packages.
Touring Cars is one of the largest motorhome rental companies in Europe, so is perfect if you want to explore the UK and then head over to Europe. It is actually one of our top picks for motorhome and camper rentals in Norway.
They specialise in high-quality brand motorhomes, that have all driven less than 100,000km so you know you are getting a great vehicle.
Each rental comes included with airport transfers, insurance, 24/7 road assistance and unlimited mileage.
No previous experience is needed to hire a motorhome, and the staff will go through everything with you before you head off.
Touring Cars offer a range of motorhomes, ranging from 2-6 berths.
However, although Touring Cars have 2 berth vehicles they are still on the large side, and possibly not the best choice if you don’t want to drive a large vehicle.
All rentals come with cooking facilities and cutlery, a refrigerator, gas stove, toilet, shower and a heating and air conditioning unit.
Indie Campers are one of the best road trip providers in Europe, with lots of different vehicles to choose from.
What makes this company incredibly unique is the fact that not only do they rent out their own campervans, they also rent out other peoples too.
That gives you a lot of choice when it comes to berth, design, amenities and space.
They also have a very flexible cancellation policy, meaning you can cancel your trip for free up to 15 days before your hire date.
Indie Campers have an incredibly wide range of vehicles to choose from.
As mentioned previously, they also rent out other people’s campervans and motorhomes aside from their own.
However, it’s important to check what comes included with each rental.
Some rentals include insurance, and unlimited mileage whilst some don’t. There is also a large variation in price between the vehicles.
If you decide to hire one of Indie’s own campers they often come with a discount for longer hire periods.
Cool Camping is a website that brings together campervan rentals from all across the UK.
They have listings from people across the country, so you can search the area you want and see which vans are closest to you.
To make things easier for you they have specific sections for campervan rentals in Wales, Scotland and England, as well as specific areas of the country like the Lake District.
They also have sections for classic campervans, dog-friendly campervans and motorhomes & RV’s, making it easier to find the type of vehicle you are after.
With a huge variety of unique vehicles and various pickup points throughout the UK, Cool Camping is incredibly convenient.
Whether you want a classic van like a VW or a large motorhome, you will have endless options.
Each listing on the website has images, a description and notes from the owner so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Some of the listings are even from trusted rental companies like Indie Campers so you know the company is reliable.
Like Cool Camping, Quirky Campers aren’t their own hire firm and exclusively list self-built campervans and motorhomes.
There is a wide variety of vehicles to choose from, and pick up points can be found up and down the UK.
To help narrow down your search, the website has specific sections on hiring a camper in Scotland, Wales and London, as well as sections for dog-friendly campervans.
If you are looking for a special road trip around the UK in a camper that is different and 100% unique, then this may be the company for you.
The range of vehicles at Quirky Campers differs each year, due to new campers being added and old ones being taken down.
When it comes to the reliability of each vehicle you have nothing to worry about, as each van is converted by approved converters who know exactly what they are doing.
The beauty of Quirky Campers is that as the name suggests, each campervan is different and unique.
With beautiful interior designs and quirky features, each camper offers something special.
Camper Rent is a motorhome rental based in Yorkshire, that specialises in high quality, modern motorhomes.
Although they only have one pick up site, they offer discounted airport transfers from Manchester and Leeds airport.
What makes this company unique is that they provide tailored packages to suit your requirements including several customised options.
Each rental comes with fully comprehensive insurance, roadside assistance, reversing camera and unlimited mileage.
Camper Rent offers 6 different vehicles ranging from 2-6 berths.
Some are smaller campervans, whilst others are large motorhomes with a lot of space, so you have the best of both worlds.
Every vehicle comes with an onboard shower and toilet, a fully equipped kitchen with utensils, an electric hook up cable and a TV.
Similar to cool camping, Goboony is full of rentals from across the UK.
You also have the opportunity to get in contact with the owner and arrange a viewing/test drive of the vehicle before you hire.
This is perfect for less confident drivers, as they get a chance to ‘try before they buy’ or in this case rent.
With pick up points all across the UK, a wide variety of vehicles and affordable deposits, Goboony is a great choice.
Goboony has every vehicle you could think of including small vans, VW’s and large motorhomes.
There are endless vehicles to choose from and each listing has images available, amenities included and reviews so you know exactly what you’re getting.
This gives you incredible flexibility over design, size, cost and pickup location.
VW Camper Hire specialises in (you guessed it) Volkswagen campers.
Some of the campers are dog friendly and insured to let you travel around Europe at an extra daily cost.
Each rental includes unlimited mileage, full comprehensive insurance and 24-hour support from VW Camper Hire.
VW Camper hire has 11 vehicles in total that are either the T2 Bay model, the T5 model or the T5 California.
Every vehicle comes with kitchen utensils, a gas hob, a gas bottle and a fridge, so has everything you could need for a road trip.
If you are looking for a retro camper with a more ‘back to the basics’ vibe then this could be a good company to check out.
Causeway Campers is specifically for people who want to travel around Northern Ireland and then travel over the border into the Republic of Ireland.
Each rental comes with full comprehensive insurance, AA breakdown cover and unlimited mileage.
Causeway Campers has 8 rental vehicles in total ranging from 2-6 berths.
Each vehicle is a stylish modern design, and the amenities inside depend on whether you choose a small campervan or one of the larger motorhomes.
All vehicles come with cooking utensils and a facility to cook, whilst the larger vans come with a toilet and shower.
Some vehicles also come equipped with a heating unit, meaning you can travel around Ireland in winter and take advantage of the brilliant off-peak prices.
The cost of campervan rental in the UK varies depending on which company you choose, the time of year, how long your hire duration is, the size of the vehicle and its amenities.
However, generally expect to pay anywhere from around £100-£160 per day for a larger motorhome, and between £60-£100 for small campervans.
Wild camping is illegal in many parts of the UK including England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, wild camping in Scotland is relatively legal. Be sure to research ahead of time as the rules for wild camping in a camper are different to those in a tent.
If you are planning to take your campervan around Scotland, you will find wild camping spots up and down the country.
Generally, most places in the UK are accessible in a motorhome. Large motorways connect the north and south of the country making it easy to travel around.
However, there are some mountain roads, and lanes in each part of the UK that are very narrow with small passing areas, and steep drop-offs.
If the road is too narrow, there will likely be a sign to tell you but sometimes you just have to use your judgement.
How old do you need to be to hire a motorhome in the UK?
When it comes to hiring a motorhome in the UK, some companies prefer you to be 25 and over but it varies. Some won’t allow drivers under 30, and some firms will allow you to rent a motorhome if you are aged between 18-24.
However, if you’re under 25 you may have to pay a young driver surcharge so the costs will be higher. You can get more information about this from your chosen rental provider.
When parking in cities and urban areas, it’s important to make sure you head to the larger car parks that don’t have a height barrier.
Parking bays in the UK can be pretty small too, so make sure the bay is big enough for your vehicle.
Wild camping is only "legal" in Scotland, so it’s important not to just park up for the night anywhere else in the UK.
Now you’ve got your perfect rental sorted, it’s time to get excited for the juicy stuff!
Are you a bit apprehensive about van life? Well you don’t need to be. Exploring the UK by campervan is a once in a lifetime experience and you will have a blast.
As the more technical planning part of your trip is now sorted, it’s time to get planning the ultimate adventure around the UK (and Ireland) if you choose.
We’ve put together some more guides to help you plan parts of your trip around the UK, which is based on our own personal experience. We have included our favourite spots and the best road trip routes to make your planning a little easier!
To get your inspiration flowing, you may find these posts useful..
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop them in the comments below!
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