Book Early
The best tip we can give you is to book early. That means for the high season (November to February) and school holidays, you should book about 6 – 9 months prior to your desired hire start. Booking your campervan holiday early means that you have more time to plan and organise your trip. The knowledge that you have secured transportation and accommodation will put your mind at ease which will allow you to avoid the stress that is normally associated with holiday plans. Other advantages of booking early include:
- A higher likelihood of getting the vehicle you want or need. The campervans often book out, especially for 4 and 6 berths.
- Booking early usually means that you will get the best price available. Prices generally increase the closer you get to the date of departure. Some companies have “Early Bird” specials which give a very attractive discount.
If you do leave it to the last minute, don't lose hope! You may get lucky and still find a great deal. Contact us to find out if there is still anything available!
Check out Insurance Options
During the booking process, the most common questions we get relate to insurance. Understanding the insurance options available to you is necessary for you to be able to get the best deal you can get.
When it comes to insurance, we at Motorhome Holidays offer you flexible options, with in most cases, three choices available to you. Minimal Insurance involves high liability/ bond. Liability reduction options reduce the liability to a minimal amount or nothing at all. Some companies also offer an “All Inclusive” package that contains insurance reducing the liability/bond to zero and also including extras such as table and chairs and baby/seats.
Beware using your Overseas Credit Cards
When collection your motorhome, keep in mind that security bonds will be taken out at the depot. This amount will essentially depend on which insurance option you choose to take out. This process is done through your credit card. In theory, this process should cost nothing, except that banks take money from a foreign credit card at one rate, and refund the money at a lower rate. In practise this process costs 3 to 5 cents in the dollar (typically). So on a $5000 bond, it may cost you an extra $250 or more if the rates move against you while you are on your rental.
Taking an “All Inclusive” type package, where the bond is zero, gets around this issue. These may be worth considering instead of losing badly to the exchange rate refunds (and the way banks work).
Avoid Peak Rental Times
Campervan rentals do have high seasons/peak rental periods. The rates in the low season (May to September) are half the price or lower than the high season rates. Even the shoulder seasons (October to about mid-November and March to April) are often significantly lower than high season rates. Also the weather in November and March is still very nice, not as hot as December to January/February but you still get lots of long warm sunny days. Some companies have recently started to lift their rates for the school holiday breaks that occur throughout the year, and these are also busy times for campervan rentals. So school holiday dates are also a good time to avoid if you want to keep the costs down.
