How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Campervan in Australia in 2026?

Hiring a campervan is still one of the most popular ways to travel around Australia in 2026. It gives travellers the flexibility to explore more of the country on their own schedule, without needing to lock in hotels or flights.

For many people planning a road trip, one of the first things to work out is the budget.

So, how much does it cost to hire a campervan in Australia in 2026?

Average Campervan Hire Prices in Australia

Campervan hire prices in Australia can vary quite a bit, and a lot of that comes down to how you want to travel. Some people are happy with a simple setup that covers the basics, while others prefer a bit more space and comfort on the road.

It’s also worth looking beyond the daily rate on its own. A campervan with more built-in features can sometimes help with other costs during the trip too. Having a kitchen, for example, can make it easier to prepare meals instead of eating out all the time, and a more self-contained setup can make day-to-day travel feel a lot easier. We talk about this in more detail in the next section.

To help you find the right campervan for your trip, budget, and comfort level, we compare a wide range of vehicles to help you get the best value.

For example, here are a few campervans available at Campervan Rental Shop

What Affects Campervan Hire Prices?

After looking at the ranges, it helps to understand why prices can vary so much between vehicles, so you can book smarter.

1. Facilities

If you’re planning something short and simple, a basic campervan can work perfectly well. You’ll have a bed, somewhere to cook simple meals, and space for your bags. It’s usually easier to drive and a good option if you’re mostly planning to be out exploring during the day.

If the trip is longer, or if comfort matters a bit more to you, a motorhome can make things a lot easier. Having things like a proper kitchen, air conditioning, or even a small bathroom can make day-to-day life on the road feel much more relaxed.

So:

• Shorter trip or budget travel → basic campervan
  
• Longer trip or more comfort → motorhome

From our experience helping people plan road trips, one of the most common mistakes is choosing a vehicle based only on the lowest daily price. Sometimes spending a little more on a setup that suits your trip better can actually save you money overall.

You can explore the full campervan range here:

https://campervanrentalshop.com.au/our-range/ 

If you’re unsure which vehicle might suit your trip, you can also reach out to our team for guidance here:

https://campervanrentalshop.com.au/contact-us/ 

2. Travel Season

Timing can make a noticeable difference when it comes to campervan hire.

During busy travel periods, more people are planning road trips around Australia. As demand increases, campervans can become harder to secure and prices may rise simply because availability tightens up.

This usually happens during:

• December to February, when summer travel is at its peak
• Easter holiday periods
  
• School holidays throughout the year

If your dates are flexible, travelling just outside those peak periods can sometimes make planning easier. There may be more vehicle options available and a bit more flexibility when choosing your travel dates.

This is also why booking earlier can help if you are travelling during holiday periods, especially for popular pickup locations.

3. Planning Your Route

Planning your route before you book can make your campervan trip much easier to organise and may even help reduce the overall travel duration, which can lower the total cost of hiring a campervan.

If you’re still deciding where to go, you can explore road trip ideas and destinations here:

https://campervanrentalshop.com.au/destinations/ 

4. Pick-Up and Drop-Off Locations

Where you pick up your campervan can also shape how you plan your road trip. If you start from one of the major cities, it’s usually much easier to map your way out to nearby regions and popular road trip routes.

Through Campervan Rental Shop, you can compare campervan options across several major pickup locations in Australia, including:

• Sydney
  
• Melbourne
  
• Brisbane
  
• Cairns
  
• Perth
  
• Hobart

Additional Costs to Consider

Here are a few extra costs that can come up along the way.

• Fuel
  Australia is a big country, and road trips can involve quite a bit of driving depending on your route. Fuel is often one of the main ongoing costs during a campervan trip.
• Campsites or holiday parks
  Many people stay at caravan parks or campgrounds along the way. These usually charge a nightly fee, especially if you’re using powered sites or facilities like showers, kitchens, and laundry areas.
• Insurance upgrades
  Some people choose to add extra insurance cover for a bit more peace of mind during the trip, especially for longer hires.
• National park passes
  Some national parks and protected areas require entry passes or small access fees, depending on where you’re travelling.
• Optional extras
  Depending on the kind of trip you’re planning, you might also want to add things like camping chairs, extra bedding, kitchen equipment, or child seats.

There are also a few smaller costs that are easy to forget at first, such as:

• Toll roads in larger cities
  
• Parking in busy tourist areas
  
• Refilling cooking gas
  
• Groceries and supplies for the road

None of these costs is usually overwhelming on its own, but they can add up across the trip. That’s why it helps to look at the road trip as a whole, not just the daily hire price.

If you take a look at the different campervans we offer and their facilities, it will become much easier to see what’s included and what you may need to budget for separately.

Is Hiring a Campervan Worth It?

For many people, it is.

When you look at the full trip, a campervan can be a really practical way to travel around Australia. Instead of paying separately for accommodation, car hire, and meals out, you have more of what you need built into one setup.

It also gives you a lot more freedom. You can move at your own pace, stop where and when you want, and shape the trip around the places you actually want to see.

If you are planning your trip, start by checking out our campervans here:
https://campervanrentalshop.com.au/ 

1. Freedom to go wherever you want – If the vibe isn’t quite right or the surf is not happening you have the option to just leave. Having this option for whole holiday just makes it more exciting!

2. Cost effective – When travelling with more than one person you can divide the cost of fuel, camp sites etc 2,3 or 4 times depending how many people in your group.

3. Meet like minded people to share road trip stories with –  Rocking up at different places and even staying at one spot and meeting people coming through will give you a chance to meet like minded people to share tips and tricks with.

4. Start in one location and finish in a different location –  Start in Sydney and finish in Cairns for example will give you such a wish experience in really seeing the country overland.

5. Travel for an extended period of time –  Oh no no just for 2 weeks you can for for months and people do! Lots of customers hire for 3 months plus and love every second!

Please get in contact if you feel like the Camper van holiday is something you desire:)

G’day and Welcome back! After a wild two years of covid, the Aussie tourism industry is kicking back off again and we’re getting a lot of questions about what has changed in the campervan world. During covid most campervan companies sold their fleets to stay afloat and not go bankrupt. A lot of backpacker based companies went under as they had no budget travellers to provide for. The motorhome industry survived due to Aussie families spending the last two years travelling within their own country and exploring the open road.

Now the borders are open and backpackers and international families alike are flooding in to explore our untouched sunny paradise. With more travellers flooding back in every day, there are less vehicles and less availability. The campervan and motorhome companies in Australia are frantically rebuilding their fleets so we are seeing a lot of brand new models coming out that are priced a bit higher than the standard painted 20 year old backpacker vans of years past. I’m happy to say that the newer vehicles, although more expensive, are getting great reviews on comfort, fuel efficiency and low maintenance issues. At the end of the day, a stress-free and enjoyable holiday is a top priority to give to our clients and we welcome these newer models!

Another change happening is that availability is a lot lower for the next 6 months. No longer afraid of flight cancellations due to covid, many people from Europe, the UK and North America are booking many months in advance to secure cheaper vehicles for next summer. Aussies are starting to notice higher prices when they book last minute and have started booking school holidays well in advance for their own family motorhome trip. The sooner the pick up date, the more expensive the rates will be so if you know your travel dates for your next trip it’s time to reach out and let us send you a quote! As most companies change their rates weekly depending on availability, holidays, long weekends, etc it’s always cheaper to book sooner.

Chuck in an enquiry on our website with your next travel dates and locations and you’ll receive a tailored quote to your needs quickly! All of our staff members are long-term van travellers who can help you plan your next campervan holiday at the best rates in the industry! 

The summer of 2019/20 will be one that Australia – and indeed the world – will remember for many, many years. And sadly, not for the right reasons. This Summer, Australia’s East Coast (and parts of many other states too sadly) has been ablaze for months. And as these Australian bushfires burn, and people are galvanized to increase our approach to climate change, the news around the world has shown homes burning, towering infernos leaping high into the air and sadly, dead and burned animals. It has been terrible.

But as you will have also seen, Australian’s have “dug in” for one and other. Millions of dollars have been raised by the public to be donated to the Rural Fire Services (RFS), millions more poured in by celebrities ranging from P!nk, to Chris Hemsworth, James Packer, to Delta Goodrem and countless others. And there have been public drives to collect water, food, toys, pet food, and other meaningful supplies for the communities ravaged by the fires. And, that is not to take anything away from the countless foreign fire services who have flown in to help relieve Australian fire-fighters.

Yes, a massive amount of Australia is ablaze, the scale of which has not been seen before (as per this shot shared on America’s ABC News).
Please note though, this map is eyecatching but, it does not show the scope of the fires. Some of the red dots represent small brush fires (such as in Far North Queensland) where the true massive blazes are in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.

And we hope that soon, so very soon, fire fighting efforts get on top of the Australian Bushfires and communities can get on with rebuilding. And in that vein, we wanted to give campervanning holidaymakers, a guide to ensuring that not only do you have the best holiday you can (yes there is still so very much you can do and see) but a list of things you can do to help those currently in need.

Helping communities ravaged by the Australian Bushfires

First and foremost we want to turn your attention to the things you can do to help those communities suffering. We know that campervanners are to their core community-minded and ready to help out those in need. Whether it is sharing a beer as the sunsets, or helping change a tyre, the stories we’ve seen and heard tell us that if you are reading this, you are likely to be ready to help those suffering from the Australian bushfires. So here are a few ideas you can consider for helping those in need:

• DO NOT light fires in zones marked as High fire danger, or under Fire Bans
• Research the area you are travelling to before you consider buying supplies such as towels, clothes, tinned food or other supplies. Whilst this is a well-meaning approach,  many communities are currently struggling to distribute, house or use items. If they need something specific, buy that for them.
• Help wildlife who have been burned, or who have lost their homes. Be patient on roads, offer water to those who need it and do not litter.
• Consider making a cash donation to a sactioned and approved charity such as the Red Cross.
• Instead of looking for work picking fruit or on a rural property, consider giving some time to help communities with the rebuilding process. Skilled trades will be in high demand and they would love help

Finding the beauty amongst the ashes

Credit Murray Lowe – Image shows regeneration of burned areas is ocurring already

Yes, swathes of Australia have been burnt to a crisp and animal life decimated, but there is still plenty to do and see around the country, and even in fire-ravaged areas. In fact, many areas burned by fires are starting to regenerate – such is the way of life in Australian bush. Here are a few things you may want to consider for your campervan holiday this Summer and Autumn.

• Take that nature hike you were planning (check that the area you plan to walk is approved by authorities) and observe how the Australian Bush regenerates. The Blue Mountains in New South Wales is already showing signs in some areas of green shoots and new life.
• Venture inland away from the fires and see the other hardship Australia is facing – drought. These communities are not gaining the media attention they deserve, but they are also doing it tough. If you can get out to these Beautiful areas any money you spend in the community will be very well received. And any donations of goods you can make may also be well received.
• Venture out of the two most populous states of Australia and head North or West. Queensland, The Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia all have plenty to offer. From amazing coastal roads, to golf, to surfing, to shark dives, to wine tours, to hikes, there is a lot to do in the other states of Australia.

Ultimately, what Australia is going through is a wake up call to the world. We do not want to wax lyrical about the politics of climate change or push an agenda here, but what we do want to do is encourage you to see beyond the fires and smoke and to see that the Australia Bushfires are not a reason to stay away, but in fact, could be a reason to get on the road sooner to help spread cheer and see what Australia is really like.

It could be argued Australia has some of the best festivals anywhere in the world. Around the country, there are festivals almost all-year round, and the best part is, there are festivals that cater to most music tastes, food festivals that showcase culinary delights from across the globe and others which combine both. In this blog, we wanted to draw your attention to some of them, because let’s face it, when you’re campervanning, anywhere can be home long enough to attend the festival of your choice.

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Australian’s are known for their laid back and easy going attitude, but we are a fiercely protective bunch as well when it comes to respecting the things we recognise as deserving it. For travellers to Australia, some things in this list may seem odd, but we reckon they are important enough to detail so you know a few things you may want to do / or not do when roaming the country. (more…)

Ok so as we write this, it seems like ages till the Adelaide Festival starts, but the truth is if you are planning a holiday now, letting you know in advance is a good way to help you organise your travels.
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So, you think that Summer in Australia is the best time of year to travel? What’s not to love you think to yourself? “I love the beach, the heat and I want to have a Christmas which is not covered in snow for a change”. Well come on down for a visit we say, because we agree with you, summer in Australia is pretty awesome.
Australia has a lot to offer you and the more you plan your overland adventure the better as you are less likely to miss things as you go, but there are a few things you may want to know before you choose where you are going.
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