When planning a road trip, this question is bound to come up. Will you travel by car and stay in hotels, Airbnbs or even a tent, or will you choose a small campervan as a transport and home. You should answer four questions before making a decision:
- What is your destination?
- Which season are you traveling in?
- What is cheaper: campervan or car?
- What is the main focus of your road trip?
At the end, we are happy to share our approach with you to help you decide as well.
We have asked ourselves this question multiple times when planning a trip, and so have our friends. We will give you real-life examples and promise you will have a decision after answering these four questions.
What is your destination?
The country you are heading to should impact the decision of what type of travel you should pick. Before you start weighing the pros and cons for campervan or car for that particular country, do your research, whether campervan rental even exists. There are only 44 out of 193 countries in the world, where you have the option to rent a campervan, and not all 44 countries offer the same variety.
Let's take Peru, for example. There is only one provider, and the route you have to take is pretty set up in advance, as the campgrounds need to be organized by the rental company. This fact doesn't allow you a lot of freedom and flexibility, which is often a big reason for choosing a campervan.
We have made multiple road trips through Guatemala, Jen's home country, and only judging by the incredible nature the country offers; it would be a campervanning paradise. However, that is not the case. First off, there are no providers and no campgrounds, and second off, it is not the safest place to sleep with all of your belongings in the outdoors.
Another factor that will have an impact on your decision is the opening hours of rental companies and their location.
When you are shorter on time, pre-planning will help you make the most out of your trip. A big part is your arrival and departure time and whether you plan on hitting the road immediately or only the next day after arrival. Not all campervan rental companies are open on Sundays everywhere in the world, whereas most car rental companies at airports are open seven days a week.
As an example, since Jen and I fell in love with campervanning, we also wanted to experience it close to home in Germany. We had planned a short road trip for a long weekend starting from Berlin and heading to the Baltic Sea of Germany. With only four days to enjoy the trip, it was crucial for us to have an immediate pick-up and drop-off at the airport. It was impossible to make that happen for a small campervan, as drop-off was not possible on a Sunday evening.
Consequently, we chose to road trip in a car with Airbnbs, hotels, and even a night on a sailboat.
To save you some long hours of researching, whether campervanning is possible in the country you are interested in, Jen has compiled a comprehensive list of all 44 countries, in which you can rent a campervan, including some tips and things to look out for. You can thank Jen for this research masterpiece in the comments. 😉
Which season are you traveling in?
To some of you, this matters; to others, it does not at all. There are some serious fans of winter campervanning out there, while some of you might cringe by the thought of it. We cannot share our own experiences with you (yet!); however, we do see the enticing factor:
- even more flexibility due to fewer tourists
- higher chances for seeing the Northern Lights in the Nordics
- a cozy romantic feeling inside the van
- usually lower prices due to low season
Things to consider in advance:
- usually, fewer campgrounds are open
- renting a van with an indoor kitchen
- having less daylight to cover driving distances
You don't feel like exiting a campervan into cooler air or rain to use the bathroom? Then a car with an Airbnb or hotel option will be the better choice for you when the likelihood for rain or cold is high for your chosen season.
What is cheaper: campervan or car?
Very often, the decision for the form of transport is also connected to your budget. The question of what is cheaper may play a role. However, speaking from experience, my personal word of advice - cheaper is not always better. Always compare price for value or experience that you are getting out of it.
Your calculation should consider:
Rental price including insurances for both a car and a campervan
+ average nightly cost (hotel/Airbnb/campground)
+ possible overnight parking fees
+ average daily cost for food (cooking or eating out)
+ fuel consumption & cost
+ Toll fees or ferries (if applicable)
Rental price including insurances
The basic rental price will most definitely be higher for a campervan over a car. Remember, you are not just renting another vehicle but a home.
Average nightly cost (hotel/Airbnb/campground)
The cost will be higher with a regular car rental. There is only one exception, and that is choosing to tent camp with a regular car rental.
Average daily cost for food (cooking or eating out)
Eating out will most likely be more expensive than shopping at a supermarket and cooking yourself.
Fuel consumption & cost
Since we are talking about small campervans the fuel consumption is not that much higher than of a regular car (also depending on the engine type).
Toll fees or ferries
Should you use toll fees or ferries on your route, the charges might be higher for a campervan (should it no longer be considered a car).
Now do the math on what is higher. The savings on accommodation and food with a campervan or the savings in rental price and fuel by renting a car? In most cases, you end up with less cost by choosing the campervan.
This is, of course, very opinionated and based on our own experience. This calculation could end up completely different, depending on your lifestyle choices, e.g., eating out often, despite having a campervan, choosing a premium model van, which has a lot higher fixed cost, etc.
Don't be tricked into thinking that car renting and tent camping will be the most budget way to road trip, as you benefit from less expensive campsites and lower car rental prices compared to the campervan. This belief is only true when you can bring (most of) your car camping equipment from home. Buying or renting the basic kit can turn out to be pricy. REI in the US, for example, rents a car camping kit that includes the following for US$270 for the first night and US$40 every extra night.
Should you choose to rent or buy, your cost-benefit might be smaller than expected or non-existent.
Cost Calculation based on real-life example
Below you can find a calculation that I did based on our own trip through the Southwest of the US and California, starting and ending in Los Angeles.
Distance: 2,750 miles / 4.426 km
Travel time: 15 days at the end of April of 2018.
Vehicles: We rented our campervan with Lost Campers and used the Toyota Yaris 1.5 as a rental from Europcar for the comparison. Both vehicle rentals have a maximum excess reduction insurance. Should you be unsure of what insurances for your campervan rental, please read our post about 'What Type Of Insurance Should You Get For Your Campervan Rental?'
References
Average fuel price in California in April 2018: https://www.eia.gov/
Average meal price per traveler per day: https://www.budgetyourtrip.com/
Average hotel price per couple per day: https://www.budgetyourtrip.com/
(I even only took US$150 per night on average, as we would not stay in upmarket hotels)
At the end of the day, you have to decide for yourself whether saving a couple of hundred bucks on any transport and sleeping style will give you the joy and fulfillment you are looking for in your upcoming vacation. Which leads us to our last questions:
What is the main focus of your road trip?
When choosing your country and starting to look into itineraries, what do you envision to experience, and what are the routes you are considering?
Do you plan on road trippin' from one city to another? Is your goal to experience the vibe lifestyle of these cities?
→ You might want to consider renting a car and staying at hotels and Airbnbs in the city centers to discover it's shops, restaurants, and sights on foot.
Do you plan on visiting several National Parks? Is your goal to spend a lot of time in nature while also stopping at smaller and bigger cities?
→ A campervan will give you the better experience and the best of both worlds. Are you unsure of what to do with your campervan in cities? We have an answer for you in our post 'The 4 Best Approaches To Stay In A City With Your Campervan Rental'
Our choices
Where did we choose a car?
For our road trip through Andalusia in Spain, we chose to rent a car and stay at hotels and Airbnbs. Our focus on that trip was to visit Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, and Sevilla, and we didn't like the thought of staying at a campground outside the cities and taking public transport each day and night. We wanted to stroll through the streets and live in the heart of the cities.
Andalusia could also be a heaven for campervanning when the cities become a bonus, and your focus lies more on exploring the coastal area and backcountry combining it with some of the fantastic hiking options the area has to offer.
The same goes for our road trip through Northern Spain and Southern France. We explored the Basque country from Bilbao via San Sebastian to Toulouse and Bordeaux with a rented car. We also stopped and stayed at many smaller towns surrounded by nature. If I'd get to go on this trip again, I would probably choose to campervan it the next time and rent an Airbnb for a night or two in Bordeaux - my absolute favorite city in the area where I wouldn't want to miss the winebars and atmosphere at night.
Where did we choose a campervan?
Our first campervan road trip was to the Southwest of the US and California, and wow, was it amazing! We started in L.A. and headed to the Southwest, staying only in or around National Parks. Cities like L.A, Las Vegas, and spontaneously San Francisco were a nice add on, but not the focus of our trip. We can only recommend campervanning in the Southwest and California!
After the US, our choice to campervan Down Under was set. We had our eyes locked on the Great Ocean Road and the East Coast of Australia. Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane were easily navigable by small campervan, and the surrounding nature is best explored while embracing it and camping in it.
The Verdict
Both ways of road trippin' have their advantages and disadvantages, and you should choose what you will feel most comfortable with.
That being said, I firmly believe in leaving your comfort zone every once in a while to grow and learn and adapt to new opinions.
One absolute advantage of campervanning that I have not mentioned yet is not having to repack every night!
We will always consider campervanning first. Should it not be possible, pose to be too complicated or simply not match the intention of our trip; that's when we start looking for renting a regular car.
How do you prefer to road trip and why? We are curious to read your thoughts on this subject.
