Not all vehicles may be available. Use the search tool to check availability for your travel dates.
Staying in a holiday park, caravan park, or designated campsite is recommended. Free camping is only allowed in designated areas, and overnight parking is generally prohibited. Most caravan parks are located just a short drive away from the city center.
Some popular sites include: Discovery Parks Melbourne, Five Ways Caravan Park, and BIG4 Melbourne Holiday Park.
If you wish to explore the city center, it's best to avoid peak traffic hours and to plan where to park ahead of time, especially if you're in a large motorhome.
To kick off your motorhome vacation, you may also want to plan a road trip close to Melbourne and explore the Mornington Peninsula, Bells Beach, and Dandenong National Park or experience rural Victoria, the Yarra Valley, and Yarra River.
While there are no RV rentals directly in the terminal at Melbourne airport (Tullamarine Airport), there are several rental companies with their Melbourne branch within 3–38 km (2-24 miles) of the airport.
Jucy, Calypso and Let’s Go offer a complimentary shuttle with your rental. For the other suppliers, the depots are easily accessible by taxi, Uber, or public transport.
When renting a vehicle, it is standard to be charged a bond (security deposit), also known as ‘excess’, which is the amount the renter is liable to cover in the event of an accident or damage to the vehicle. The bond amount fluctuates based on the insurance package selected at the time of rental and is charged and debited on the renters’ credit or debit card.
Most campervan rental companies in Australia require the driver to be 21 years of age or older to rent from their full range of vehicles.
Some companies will rent to drivers between 18-21, but only certain models may be available. A couple of companies have higher age requirements - 23 (Leisure Rent) and 24 (Captain Billy’s). Enter the driver’s age into our search tool and we will filter available vehicles to match.
For young drivers, additional insurance may be required and special conditions may apply.
Most companies generally have a minimum rental period. Weekend rentals are possible, but the minimum rental period can range from 1 day to a full week depending on the time of year.
Enter your dates in the comparison tool to see which vehicles are available for your travel dates.
Yes, a large number of rental companies allow for one-way rentals. Our comparison tool will show you availability on your preferred route and automatically factor in any one-way fees charged by the campervan rental company.
Popular one-way routes for a motorhome holiday starting in Melbourne include:
Free camping is allowed in Australia; however, it is heavily regulated. Free camping is only allowed at designated sites around the country, and parking overnight is prohibited. If you are caught free camping in a restricted area, you will often receive a hefty fine.
Fortunately, there are plenty of great free or low-cost sites available. The national parks are popular choices. You can learn which sites are available for each area by checking the national parks website for each state.
You can also park up overnight at certain rest areas. Keep an eye out, as these are usually sign-posted.
A stay at a caravan park will usually cost $20–$60 (AUD), depending on the state and level of facilities available.
Yes, it’s standard for most RV rental companies to allow an additional driver. This driver and any others must be named on the rental agreement and there may be a nominal fee.
Additional drivers must also hold an appropriate driver’s license and must meet driver age requirements.
Note: policies vary from supplier to supplier. Always check the T&Cs for your rental.
One of the larger motorhome rental companies, Apollo has been operating since 1985 and is well known in the RV rental community. Apollo vehicles are available in multiple locations around the world. An Apollo motorhome is generally less than 3 years old. The company has a wide variety of vehicles, from smaller vans to larger luxury motorhomes.
An Australian campervan rental company specializing in budget vehicles, all of its vehicles are 2-berths and are generally older. Awesome Campers is popular with the backpacker community and those looking for a low-cost getaway.
Britz is one of the larger campervan brands, with multiple rental centers in different countries and a wide selection of vehicles. Britz maintains a fleet of newer vehicles, with campervans generally being less than 3 years old. Britz is part of the THL group, which also includes Maui, Mighty Campers, and other international motorhome rental brands.
A family-owned campervan rental company catering to groups of 2 to 4, Calypso’s fleet generally consists of older vehicles. Calypso is popular with those looking for a budget vacation and has rental centers along the East Coast and in Adelaide.
Camperman is a motorhome rental company with multiple locations in Queensland as well as rental centers in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. It offers a range of fairly priced vehicles and allows drivers under 21 to rent.
Cheapa Campa is part of the Apollo group and rents vehicles that are considered too old to be part of the main Apollo brand. Cheapa remains a very popular choice and is available practically everywhere Apollo is. It offers slightly older, quality campers at a lower price.
Cruisin’ is a campervan rental brand especially well known in Tasmania but currently operates around Australia. It has a wide variety of vehicles available, including 6-berth luxury models. Most of its fleet is relatively new, and a Cruisin’ motorhome often comes with a few extras included. Cruisin’ also operates a lower-cost brand called Go Cheap.
A budget campervan brand with vehicles for 2 to 5 people, Driveabout is popular with backpackers and those looking for a cheaper alternative. Driveabout offers free airport transfer in many of the top locations. Many of these vehicles are older and come with the basic essentials.
Go Cheap is a motorhome rental brand partnered with Cruisin’ Motorhomes and rents older models considered too old for the main Cruisin’ brand. Because of the vehicles’ older age, Go Cheap can rent these vehicles at a lower price.
Hippie is a budget camper brand that is part of the Apollo Group. It caters to the young traveler and allows drivers under 21. A Hippie camper is a small vehicle with beds for 2 to 4 people.
A popular campervan rental brand operating in New Zealand, Australia, and the US, Jucy offers smaller campervans (2-berth and 4-berth) and will rent to drivers over 18. While not extremely cheap, a Jucy rental comes at an attractive price for the budget traveler.
An independent Australian campervan rental brand headquartered in Sydney, Kangaroo also has vehicles available in several other cities, including Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth. The company is Australian owned and operated, with rental centers in a variety of locations. A Kangaroo camper is generally older, though various models are available (2-berth to 6-berth).
Maui is another well-known motorhome rental brand that is part of the THL group (Britz, Mighty, and other international brands). Maui specializes in larger luxury motorhomes, with all its vehicles being less than 2 years old. A Maui campervan is often a good choice for larger groups and those looking for a comfortable road trip vacation.
Mighty is another campervan rental brand that is part of the THL motorhome rental group (Britz, Maui, and other international brands). Mighty Rentals has vehicles for groups from 2 to 6. Mighty’s fleet is made up of former Britz and Maui vehicles that are considered too old to fit the main brands. It offers quality older vehicles at a cheaper price.
This is a well-known budget campervan rental brand offering a sleepervan camper. Spaceships are popular with backpackers and smaller groups (2–4) looking to travel on a budget. Spaceships also rents to drivers under 21.
A budget RV rental brand aimed at backpackers, Travellers Autobarn has campervans in multiple international locations. The company offers a wide variety of vehicles, from station wagons to 5-berth family models.
Australia’s oldest and most visited art museum has its roots in the 1850’s independence of Victoria from New South Wales, in combination with the booming Victorian gold rush of the early 1850s. Upon becoming the richest colony at the time, the citizens of Melbourne began a movement in the late 1850s to establish a public art gallery.
Officially opened in 1861, today’s National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is housed within two buildings, a short walk apart, and boasts over 70,000 works, including European and international paintings, Asian and Pacific art, Mesoamerican art, Greek and Egyptian artifacts.
Situated off the southern coast of Australia is Phillip Island, famous for its penguin parade. Every day at sunset, observers gather to watch the little penguins coming ashore. The island is also home to fur seals and other wildlife, making it a great stop on your road trip through the Victoria area.
Located southeast of Melbourne, Victoria, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the southernmost point of mainland Australia. Here, you’ll find kangaroos, wombats and other wildlife. The park is a great place to see beaches, granite mountains and other natural scenery, so it’s a perfect stop while you’re on your road trip around the Melbourne area.
Melbourne’s Victorian past is evidenced in its central city arcades, formerly developed as horse and cart laneways, and today repurposed into attractive shopping centers.
Perhaps the best-preserved is the Block Arcade, erected in 1893, based on the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan. Today, the six-story Mannerism-styled arcade features a glass canopy, mosaic floor tiles, and ornamentation of wrought iron and carved stone.
Its original name was Carpenter’s Lane, yet it became quickly known as and eventually officially renamed to ‘The Block’, due to a tradition of men and women walking around the block in opposite directions, prior to football matches.
Serving as both transport and tourist activity, heritage W-class trams travel a circular route in both directions, with recorded commentary of key attractions and popular landmarks, en route to the Docklands waterfront district, including the City Museum, Parliament House, Federation Square, Melbourne Aquarium, and the Princess Theatre.
Officially Route #35, the City Circle line is distinctive for its color scheme of maroon and green with yellow and gold trim.
A former industrial area, half a mile south of the CBD, trendy Southbank was transformed through urban renewal in the 1990’s, to become a collection of high rise residential towers and offices. Today, the district serves as the city’s main business center, as well as a shopping and entertainment destination.
Included within is the Melbourne Arts Center (formerly, the Victoria Arts Center), a complex of performing arts venues, much of which is built underground. Southbank is also home to the 974-foot Eureka Tower, Melbourne’s tallest building and the world’s tallest residential tower at the time of construction.
Today, the building can still claim the most floors available for residential occupancy, and its 935-foot observation deck on the 88th floor is the country’s highest viewing platform.
