Is Hiring a Campervan Cheaper Than Hotels in the UK? Real Cost Breakdown (2026)
A Real 2026 Cost Comparison Using Actual Prices
If you’re planning a UK break this year, you might be wondering whether hiring a campervan really saves money compared to booking hotels.
The answer for most coastal or countryside trips is simple:
Yes — and often by a surprising amount.
Let’s look at a realistic comparison using current UK hotel prices and Trailblazer Campervans’ actual hire rates.
Typical UK Hotel Break Cost (4 Nights)
For a couple travelling to popular coastal destinations like Devon, Cornwall, Dorset or Wales:
Average hotel pricing
Coastal mid-range hotel: £150–£200 per night
Breakfast for two: ~£25 per day
Parking fees common in tourist towns
4-night hotel stay total:
Accommodation: ~£700
Breakfasts: ~£100
Parking: ~£40
✅ Typical realistic hotel total: around £840+
And this doesn’t include restaurant dinners or travel between locations.
Many UK short breaks easily pass £1,000 once food is included.
Now Compare a Real Campervan Holiday Cost
Trailblazer Campervans’ pricing (2026):
Low season: £110 per night
Mid season: £140 per night
High season: £160 per night
Let’s calculate a typical 4-night mid-season coastal trip.
Example 4-night campervan trip
Hire (mid-season): £560
Campsites (~£25/night): £100
Fuel estimate: £70
✅ Total campervan holiday: approx £730
Already cheaper than hotels — and this includes both accommodation AND transport.
Where Campervan Holidays Save the Most Money
1. You dramatically cut food costs
Hotel trips usually mean:
restaurant dinners every night
takeaway lunches
expensive tourist cafés
With a campervan you can:
cook breakfast yourself
make simple evening meals
picnic at beaches
Even reducing just two restaurant meals can save £80–£120.
2. You avoid premium coastal accommodation pricing
The UK’s most beautiful places often have the most expensive hotels:
St Ives
Salcombe
Lyme Regis
Tenby
With a campervan, you stay right beside these destinations — not miles inland searching for cheaper rooms.
This is one of the biggest hidden savings.
3. Your transport and accommodation are combined
Traditional UK road trips often involve:
hotel + car costs
packing every morning
fixed check-in times
A campervan removes all of this.
Your accommodation travels with you.
When Hotels Can Be Cheaper
For fairness, hotels may cost less if:
you only stay one or two nights
you travel solo in winter
you find very discounted off-season deals
But for multi-stop scenic trips, campervans almost always provide better overall value.
Why Trailblazer Campervans Are Ideal for South West Road Trips
Because Trailblazer is based in the West Country, you can begin your trip close to some of the UK’s best touring routes.
That means:
quick access to Dorset’s Jurassic Coast
easy drives into Devon and Cornwall
straightforward routes into Wales
less motorway driving before the holiday begins
For weekend escapes especially, starting locally means more time exploring and less time travelling.
The Real Verdict: Campervan vs Hotel
For scenic UK trips involving multiple destinations:
✅ Campervans are usually cheaper overall
✅ you get far more travel flexibility
✅ and the experience itself is completely different
For travellers wanting both value and adventure, campervan holidays are often the smarter choice.
Thinking About Your First Campervan Trip?
With low-season hire from £110 per night, Trailblazer Campervans offers one of the simplest ways to explore the South West, Wales and the UK coastline at your own pace.
Check availability early — especially for summer dates — as peak season bookings fill quickly.