Whyknott Hire

Luxury Campervan & Motorhome Hire in Wales

Campervan Hire in Wales: Compact, Automatic, Built for Two

Based in Cardiff, Swansea or the Valleys? See campervan and motorhome hire in South Wales.

A campervan is the right van for Wales when the plan is beaches, headlands and single-track lanes rather than a week parked on one pitch. It fits in a normal parking space, it goes where a coachbuilt motorhome hesitates, and ours still has a real bed, a real kitchen and a washroom with a shower and toilet. We hire from Bridgend, right on the M4, so the Gower is under an hour away, Pembrokeshire is a morning’s drive and the ferry to Ireland leaves from just up the coast.

Campervan or motorhome? What the difference means for your trip

The two words get used interchangeably, but they are different vehicles. A campervan is built inside a panel van: shorter, narrower, easier to park and happier on the lanes to Rhossili or Whitesands, usually with a bed you drop down or make up rather than a fixed one. A motorhome is a coachbuilt body on a van chassis: wider, taller, more storage, fixed beds and seats for up to seven. If you are two people, or two plus a small child, the campervan wins on freedom. If you are four or more, or you want beds that stay made, read our motorhome hire in Wales page instead.

Jessie, our compact automatic campervan (and the honest answer on VW campers)

People often search for a VW campervan, so to be clear: we do not run a VW. What we run is Jessie, a 2026 Auto-Trail Expedition 67 Flex, a modern panel-van camper that does the VW job with more room and a bathroom. She is automatic and sleeps four, with a drop-down double over a rear lounge that converts into a second double. She has four travel seats with ISOFIX points, a fitted kitchen, a washroom with shower and toilet, and a lithium leisure battery so you can stay off hook-up for longer. She is under 3,500 kg, so a standard car licence is all you need. If Jessie is booked for your dates, Anna and Alys are the next smallest vans in the fleet: short-wheelbase Auto-Trail coachbuilts that still drive like a big car. See the full fleet.

Surf weekends, the coast path and dark skies

Wales does a good line in weekends that suit a camper: the Gower’s surf beaches at Llangennith and Rhossili, the Wales Coast Path in short sections from Tenby or St Davids, and dark-sky nights above the Beacons. A campervan means you are not tied to a hotel town. Our Gower long-weekend guide and Brecon Beacons long-weekend guide are built for three-night trips, and the South Wales 7-day road trip links coast and mountains for a full week.

Wild camping in Wales: what is actually allowed

There is no legal right to wild camp in Wales, unlike Scotland, and overnight sleeping is banned in most council coastal car parks. Landowner permission makes it legal, which in practice means small farm sites and certificated locations, pub stopovers and the like. Jessie’s lithium battery is what makes those low-key sites work: heating, lights and fridge keep going without a hook-up. Our campsite map shows 630+ bookable sites and lets you filter for the small ones.

Take the campervan to Ireland on the ferry from Pembrokeshire

Ireland is the easiest trip abroad from South Wales. Collect the van in Bridgend, drive about 90 minutes to Fishguard or Pembroke Dock, and sail to Rosslare. Add our European Travel cover at £10 a day, which includes the VE103 hire-vehicle certificate the ferry company can ask for; the security deposit for trips abroad is £1,500 instead of £1,200. From Rosslare, the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and the Causeway Coast are all in our free itineraries.

Dog-friendly campervan hire

Jessie and every other van take dogs. The pet add-on is a one-off £25 cleaning and preparation fee. Many Gower and Pembrokeshire beaches have dog-friendly sections all year, and our campsite map marks the sites that welcome pets. Details on the pet-friendly hire page.

What campervan hire costs

Prices start from £110 a night off-peak and are higher in school holidays and the summer; the booking site shows each van’s price for your dates before you pay. The minimum hire is three nights. Jessie comes fully equipped; bring your own bedding and towels. A refundable £1,200 deposit is held on your card, not charged. Starlink satellite internet is an optional £10 a day. Collection is between 3 and 5 pm. From March to October returns are between 9 and 11 am, and a morning collection or an afternoon return can be added for £70. From November to February both collection and return are between 3 and 5 pm, at no extra cost. Your car parks with us for free while you are away. Check dates on the booking site. New to vans? Our first-time tips cover the handover, hook-up and emptying the tanks. Got a question about a van, a route or what to pack? Ask Knotty, the assistant on our booking site, at any time of day.

Frequently asked questions

Is your campervan automatic?

Yes. Jessie is a 2026 Auto-Trail Expedition 67 Flex with an automatic gearbox and drives like a large car. She fits standard parking bays and is under 3,500 kg, so a normal car licence is fine.

Do you hire VW campervans?

No. Our campervan is an Auto-Trail panel-van conversion with a washroom (shower and toilet), a drop-down double bed and four travel seats. Our smallest motorhomes, Anna and Alys, are the next step up.

Can I take the campervan to Ireland or Europe?

Yes, with our European Travel cover at £10 a day, which includes the VE103 hire-vehicle certificate. Fishguard and Pembroke Dock are about 90 minutes from Bridgend. The security deposit for trips abroad is £1,500.

Is wild camping legal in Wales?

Not as a right: you need the landowner’s permission, and most council car parks ban overnight sleeping. Small certificated sites and pub stopovers are the practical answer; our campsite map lists 630+ bookable sites.

How many people can sleep in the campervan?

Four: a drop-down double over the rear lounge and a second double that the lounge converts into. There are four travel seats with ISOFIX points, so it works for a couple with two small children.

The perfect choice for luxury motorhome hire...

We have a great selection of luxury motorhomes and campervans for you to choose from — compact 4 berth campers, roomy 6 and 7 berth family motorhomes, automatic and easy to drive, pet-friendly and festival-ready. Check out our vehicles and their great family-friendly features!

What they say about us...

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