Campervan Hire London

Campervan Hire London

London is where a huge number of UK road trips begin. You land at Heathrow or Gatwick, collect your vehicle from a depot on the edge of the city, and within an hour you're heading for the South Downs, the West Country or the ferry ports. Campervan hire in London gives you the capital on one side and the whole of England on the other, and the freedom to decide, each morning, which one you feel like.

We've spent more than 20 years arranging campervan and motorhome hire for our customers, and we've been booking Just Go campers since 2003. Search above for free quotes and live availability from the top suppliers in London.

Where Are the Depots for Campervan Rental in London?

Almost every campervan and motorhome hire company serving London operates from outside the city centre. That's deliberate: large vehicles and central London traffic are a poor match, and keeping depots on the outskirts means you can collect your camper and be on a main road within minutes.

Our supplier depots around London include:

• Staines: Around half an hour from Heathrow Airport, west of the city centre

• Heathrow: Depots roughly 3 miles from the airport

• Gatwick: Collection points, though these are often located nearer Heathrow

• Slough: Berkshire

• Toddington: Bedfordshire

• Waltham Abbey: Essex

If you're flying in, Heathrow is usually the most convenient starting point for London campervan hire. Most depots are reachable by public transport or a short taxi ride, and pickup normally includes a vehicle familiarisation tour, a walkthrough of the gas, water, electrics and controls before you drive away. It's worth arriving with time to spare for this, especially on your first motorhome holiday.

Choosing the Right Campervan or Motorhome

Campervans and motorhomes range from 2-berth models up to 6-berth family vehicles. Around London, size matters more than it does almost anywhere else in the UK; height restriction barriers in car parks, narrow residential streets and tight parking bays all reward a smaller vehicle. The right choice depends on how many of you there are and how much time you plan to spend near the city versus out on the open road.

Larger motorhomes give everyone room to spread out, but they're the hardest vehicles to park in and around the city centre. If most of your trip is rural, that's a fair trade. If you're planning several days in London itself, size down.

What's Usually Included

Modern motorhomes from the main suppliers typically come with a reversing camera, unlimited mileage, cruise control, electric hook-up, solar panel, GPS and a fully equipped kitchen with cooking implements. Just Go replaces its fleet annually, so vehicles are generally under two years old, and offers motorhome rental with no mileage restrictions. Always check the specific inclusions when you book, as they vary between rental companies; some charge separately for bedding, kitchen kits or bike racks, and mileage limits do still apply at certain suppliers.

Comprehensive insurance is available at the addons stage of booking, and it's worth understanding what your excess is before you depart. Comprehensive insurance reduces or removes that excess depending on the level you choose.

Where to Stay: Campsites Near London

You can't park a motorhome overnight on a London street, so a campsite isn't optional; it's the foundation of the whole trip. Four main sites serve the capital, all run by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, and the differences between them matter more than you'd expect.

Which should you choose? Abbey Wood is the most convenient for sightseeing, the Elizabeth line makes central London genuinely quick, and there's a Sainsbury's five minutes' walk away with access suitable for motorhomes. Crystal Palace suits anyone wanting to cycle in, and has a full motorhome service point for fresh water, grey water and toilet cassettes. Alderstead Heath is the pick if your vehicle's emissions status is uncertain, since it's the one site near the capital where the Low Emission Zone doesn't apply, and it's a surprisingly rural spot on the Pilgrim's Way with views over the North Downs. Wyatts Covert works well if you're arriving from the north or west, and puts Windsor, LEGOLAND and the Warner Bros Studio Tour within easy reach.

More generally: pre-booking is strongly advisable, particularly on popular tourist routes and through the summer, as arriving without a reservation in July or August risks being turned away. Most UK campsites provide waste disposal facilities, including chemical toilet points and greywater drains, alongside electric hook-up, drinking water, and laundry. Some suppliers, Just Go among them, have campsite partnerships across the UK and Ireland that can make booking easier. Club sites may also have membership requirements or member-only pricing, so check when you book.

What to See in London

London works brilliantly as the first or last stop of a road trip. Leave the motorhome at the campsite, take the train in, and spend a day or two on foot. Highlights worth building a day around:

• The Natural History Museum and the British Museum: Both free to enter, both enormous; pick a wing rather than trying to see everything

• Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament: The classic Westminster loop, easily walked in an afternoon

• The London Eye and a walk along the River Thames South Bank to Tate Modern, the world's most visited modern art gallery

• Hyde Park, Hampstead Heath and Richmond Park: Richmond is the largest of London's Royal Parks and home to free-roaming red and fallow deer, which feels a long way from a capital city

• Epping Forest and River Lee Country Park on the northern edge, both easy to reach from the Waltham Abbey depot

• Crystal Palace Park, with its Victorian dinosaur sculptures, if you're staying at the campsite there

• Notting Hill Carnival: Europe's largest street festival, held over the August bank holiday weekend, in 2026 it runs from 29 to 31 August, drawing around two million people to W10 and W11

If you're travelling in late August, be aware that Carnival closes large parts of west London to traffic. Plan your route accordingly.

Where to Go From London

The real value of London campervan hire is what's within a few hours of it. A few of the best directions to point the van:

For any of these, book your campervan well in advance. Rates rise sharply between June and August, and the best-value vehicles go first; early booking is consistently the most reliable way to get a better rate.

Driving in London: Charges and Licence Rules

London runs three separate road charging schemes, and more than one can apply on the same day. Here's how they affect a hire motorhome:

Usually, most hirers pay nothing. ULEZ and LEZ only apply to vehicles that fail the emissions standards, and modern rental fleets are usually compliant. However, check the registration on TfL's vehicle checker if you're unsure. The most common advice is: don't drive into central London at all. Stay at a campsite on the edge of the city and travel in by public transport. It's cheaper, faster and far less stressful than hunting for a space big enough for a 7-metre vehicle. Full details and costs can be found here.

Licence: a standard UK category B licence covers vehicles up to 3,500kg, most hire campervans and motorhomes. For anything heavier, you'll need C1 entitlement (automatic for many who passed before 1 January 1997, but not everyone, and it can lapse at 70), so check the DVLA site first. Suppliers also set their own driver age and licence-held minimums, so confirm these when you book.

Who Are the Top London Campervan Hire Suppliers?

We list the following rental companies for London:

• Anywhere Campers

• Apollo Campers

• Bunk Campers

• Just Go Motorhomes UK

• McRent UK

• Spaceships

We don't list every campervan hire company operating in London, and that's intentional. Suppliers only appear on our site if they meet our guidelines on vehicle standards, insurance and customer service. D Just Go has a modern fleet and is good for first-time hirers; Spaceships is more suited for compact budget campers; Bunk and Apollo are for well-specified 2- to 4-berth motorhomes.

How to Book a Campervan for Hire in London

Booking takes four steps:

1. Search for a campervan. Enter your pickup location, dates and driver details into the booking engine to see the campervans and motorhomes available for your trip.

2. Compare campervans. Use the filters to narrow by transmission (automatic or manual), vehicle age, price range or customer rating, then compare your shortlist side by side to be sure you're getting the best deal.

3. Add-ons. Once you've chosen your camper, add extras such as a kitchen kit, GPS or bike racks. Comprehensive insurance is also available at this step.

4. Pay your deposit and confirm. Put down a deposit to secure the booking and pay the balance closer to your trip. Happy camping.

What Happens if the Campervan You Want Isn't Available?

We think this is worth being upfront about, because most comparison sites aren't. When you book, the request goes to the supplier's reservation office to confirm availability:

• If it's available, your payment is processed, and you're sent a booking confirmation.

• If it's not available, no payment is taken. We contact the other suppliers to find the closest equivalent camper for your dates and send you a shortlist of alternatives — some cheaper, some more expensive, so you can choose. If nothing matches your exact dates, we'll look at the nearest available dates instead.

You're never charged until you accept an alternative. If none of the options suit, no payment is ever processed. It's a no-risk way to check what's really available for your trip.

Book Your London Campervan Hire

After 20 years arranging campervan and motorhome rental, we know London is a slightly awkward place to start a road trip, and also one of the best, once you know where the depots are and which charges actually apply to you. Our search compares live rates across suppliers including Just Go, Bunk Campers, Apollo and Spaceships, from 2-berth VW-style campervans to 6-berth family motorhomes.

Got a question about campsites, breakdown cover or licence requirements? Call us free on 0800 917 4347 or visit our contact page. And do check our current special offers before you book.

Enter your dates above to compare campervan hire in London.