Campervan or motorhome?

If you wish to completely explore a country, especially all those hidden places, your best and most affordable bet is to rent a motorhome or a campervan. The question is: what is best for you?

Both options allow you to travel from one beach to another, visit old towns and castles, sleep by a river side… But what is really different is the space and quality of the interior.

First, let's clarify the differences between a camper van and a motorhome:

A Camper Van is typically a cargo vehicle, with all the exterior in metal exactly as provided by the car manufacturer. There is generally no divide between the cab and the living quarters. It has basic facilities for cooking, washing, and sleeping. The doors are original – typically there’s a double door on the back and a sliding door on the side.

A motorhome is a vehicle built on top of a truck or bus chassis and designed to serve as self-contained living quarters for recreational travel. There is normally a divide between the cab and the living quarters behind, which contain sleeping space, WC with shower, and kitchen facilities.

The life inside a campervan is much more restricted – you typically do not have a toilet (you need to go outside 🙂 and the beds are much smaller. In opposite, most motorhomes provide a very livable space, where you can actually eat, cook, see a movie, go to the bathroom, take a shower, everything without needing to go outside.

To travel, a camper van typically provides a slightly lower fuel consumption – +/- 8-10 l/100km, compared with 10-12 l/100km of the motorhomes, and you can drive a little bit faster. The other advantage is the cost – a campervan is significantly much cheaper than a motorhome.

In resume, for young couples or small groups of friends, who don’t want to spend much money on the rental and only plan to use the CamperVan for traveling – most of the rest of the activities, like showering eating, etc, will be done outside, then the Camper Van is your best choice.

If you plan to travel with your family or a bigger group of friends and if you want to have a more home-like experience and comfort, then a fully equipped motorhome is your best choice.