Roadsurfer Campervan Hire Review: Everything You Need To Know

Van life is something that we’ve always wanted to try. So, we did some research into campervans for hire UK and, when we discovered Roadsurfer (and that there was campervan hire available directly from London) we thought now was the perfect time to test it out for a week or two and see if it was for us! It was an incredible trip that left us wanting more. We loved the flexibility and freedom that it allowed and, as two people who get itchy feet after staying in one place for too long, it was the perfect way to see a lot of places in a short time.

We opted to collect our van in London (where we currently live) and drove to Bavaria, Germany over an 8-night period.

In this post, we’ll tell you all about Roadsurfer: where it started out, where it has office and hire locations, the type of campers that are in its fleet and the facilities that the campers offer. Plus, we’ll discuss all of the benefits of travelling in a camper.

Who are Roadsurfer?

Roadsurfer is a camper-rental company that was established in 2016 by 5 friends who had the desire to provide travellers with the possibility to experience the unique feeling of travelling with a camper through Europe.

The company was first established in Germany, where it still has its headquarters today. Over the past few years, the company has branched out to various other countries. They currently have over 70 stations across Europe and North America and 16 countries. They currently have a fleet of over 5,000 vehicles.

What are the benefits of travelling with a Campervan?

If you love the feeling of freedom, sleeping in some incredible spots or being out in nature then a campervan might be for you… here are our top benefits of hiring a campervan:

– Ultimate freedom – We loved travelling in a campervan the most. The ability to decide where you want to spend the night at the last minute is unmatched.

– Being among nature – Waking up surrounded by looming mountains, lakes and rivers is incredible. It is wonderful to have them right on your doorstep in spots that would otherwise only be reserved for 5-star hotels.

– Flexibility – The flexibility to change your destination or how long you plan on staying in one place is a real benefit to hiring a campervan.

– It can be more affordable. Travelling with a camper can save you some money. You don’t have to pay for expensive hotels, and you can take transport, plus you can buy food at the supermarket and cook in your camper. This can be especially helpful in countries such as Switzerland where eating out can be very pricey but the supermarkets are pretty affordable.

Can you hire a campervan in the UK?

Yes! Roadsurfer has offices in London, Bristol Edinburgh and Manchester. From here, you can then opt to either take your campervan across to France on the ferry from Dover and embark on a road trip across France or further into Europe (which is what we did). Or, you can explore the UK. Head to Dorset, Devon and Cornwall or towards the Lake District or even to Scotland. We absolutely loved the freedom that having a campervan allowed us.

What was our 8-day itinerary?

Night 1 – Saint-Omer, France

Night 2 – Champagne, France

Night 3 – Stausee Steg, Liechtenstein

Night 4 & 5 – Lake Eibsee, Germany

Night 6 – Luxembourg

Night 7 – Brugge, Belgium

Night 8 – Dunkirk, France

Our route was jam-packed and definitely not for those looking for a relaxing holiday. We both get itchy feet easily and love to constantly be on the move. However, it was a bit too fast-paced even for us. A few extra nights in some of the stops would have been perfect. Keep this in mind if you’re planning a similar trip.

You can read all about our 8-Day European Road Trip Itinerary here.

What is the cost of hiring a Roadsurfer Camper van?

The cost of hiring a Roadsurfer campervan or motorhome varies based on factors such as the type of van, the season, the duration of the hire and where you hire your camper from as they have options to hire their fleet all over Europe and across North America. If looking for campervan hire in London, prices generally start from around £69 per night for a compact model (this includes the ‘Surfer Suite’ from London) during the off-peak season, rising to over £150 per night for a premium model during peak times. Additional costs may include insurance, mileage limits, and optional extras like bike racks, bedding or additional camping seats when looking to hire a campervan in the UK.

To save a little on your booking, you can use our code “MEMORIES24” to get £75 discount off all bookings (valid until 30/09/2024)

Additional costs except for rental fees

Of course, the cost of your campervan hire isn’t the only one that you need to factor in. There are also additional things that you will have to pay for besides hiring your campervan in the UK.

Additional extras: These include things that you might like to add to your Roadsurfer booking such as additional seats, bed linen, a bicycle carrier, a car seat, a camping toilet if you’re hiring a campervan without one in it etc.

Fuel: Unfortunately, you can’t get anywhere without fuel. You will hire your campervan with a full tank and be expected to also return it with one.

Campsites: In a lot of countries it is not legal to wild camp, meaning that you will have to pay to park on a campsite for the night. The cost of this of course varies depending on where you are and if it is off-peak or not. This also means that you can fill up your water, empty your waste and use the facilities for the night. So, even if you can ‘wild camp’, sometimes it’s just nice to treat yourself! You’ll also ideally need to stay in a campsite during the first and last nights of your trip so that you can fill your water up and empty out your grey water. We made the mistake of not booking on our last night and ended up driving around for hours trying to find a campsite or somewhere that we could empty our grey water out to.

Benefits of hiring from Roadsurfer

Roadsurfer offers some additional benefits if you book through them which most other campervan companies don’t offer. These include:

• Unlimited mileage
• Free 2nd driver included
• Rebook or cancel with the Flex option up to 48 hours before departure
• Roadside assistance
• Free camping equipment and kitchen utensils included

Roadsurfer also has a large range of campervans and motorhomes, a lot of which are new and have brand-new integrated appliances, beds etc. The team is also super friendly and offers a chat system the whole time you’re away, so you can easily contact them if anything goes wrong or you don’t know how to work something.

Which campervan did we hire?

We opted for the Cosy Cottage Motorhome. This is one of Roadsurfer’s larger vehicles and one of their newest. It sleeps up to 3 adults and 1 child and comes equipped with a spacious kitchen with a large fridge, air conditioning that also works whilst stationary, and a comfortable bathroom with hot water plus, an indoor shower and toilet. It also has air conditioning and heating (which we used both – on the same trip). Plus, an extra large rear boot (probably big enough for 4 people to stand up in) is perfect for popping all of your suitcases, a surfboard or other watersports equipment that you might be travelling with.

Campervan hire in London

When deciding which campervan company to opt for, a large part of our decision process was to find a campervan hire in London (as this is where we currently live). Luckily for us, Roadsurfer has an office right next to Heathrow Airport, opposite Hatton Cross tube station. Making it super easy to access if you live in London, or if you are flying in and out of London and want to explore with a campervan.

Our review of Roadsurfer camper

Do we recommend renting a Roadsurfer camper? Yes! Without a doubt, we can’t fault the company.

Every Roadsurfer camper is in immaculate condition and rentals are fairly priced. The staff were also incredibly friendly and helpful and the website and rental process is all straightforward. Prior to collecting your campervan, you’ll be sent a video explaining how everything in your van works, when you then collect it you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions and will be talked through everything.

We’ll definitely be hiring a Roadsurfer again (our next plan is a road trip across Canada!)

Our final thoughts on hiring a campervan with Roadsurfer

With the flexibility to choose our routes, spend as little or as much time in each spot as we liked, and the ability to wake up to incredible views each morning we absolutely loved the freedom that campervan hire allows. Roadsurfer’s fleet is all in immaculate condition and each of the rentals is priced. The camper that we borrowed was large enough that it was easy to move around and you didn’t feel too on top of the other person whilst you were in the camper.