u/Campstar_official

Just for context: I work at Campstar, a campervan rental platform. And I'm posting this because we hear from a lot of customers that some suppliers just don't label things clearly (sometimes at all) and these are the specific things that end up costing people a lot of money in hindsight. So always good to ask these questions before you go on your road trip:

1. What does the insurance excess actually cover and what's excluded? The headline excess number is what you pay if something goes wrong. But some things are excluded from coverage entirely: roof damage, undercarriage, tires, windshields, water damage from leaving a window open,...

2. Is there a second-driver fee, and is it per day or one-time? Some operators include a second driver free. Others charge €5–10 per day- that varies.

3. What's the cleaning fee, and what triggers it? "Return clean" means different things to different operators: Some charge €80 if there's sand on the floor while others only care about the toilet and kitchen. So always ask what the expectation is.

4. What happens if I return the van late? I think this one is pretty self explanatory, but late return fees also vary a lot.

5. What's actually included in "fully equipped"? This can mean anything from full bedding, towels, kitchen kit, chairs, table— to one single pot and a pan. So always ask for an itemized inventory before you book, so you can prepare accordingly.

And for anyone here who's rented a lot. I'm curious: what's the question you wish you'd asked before your first booking?

Posting this because NZ's self-contained system changed a couple of years ago and some blog posts are still describing the old rules- thats why I did some research and thought I'd share it with everyone here. Hopefully, it can be useful for someone. This is what I found out:

New Zealand has something called "freedom camping" (= the ability to legally park overnight in many public areas without going to a paid campsite). But in most parts of the country, freedom camping is only legal if your vehicle is officially certified as "self-contained." If you're not certified, you have to use paid campsites every single night, which adds up fast on a long trip. Essentially, they changed the rule in 2023 and now, vehicles need a fixed, plumbed-in toilet (not portable) to be certified self-contained. Vehicles that meet the new standard display a green warrant card valid for 4 years. So if you happen to rent a campervan in New Zeeland, always ask the supplier if the vehicle is self contained with that specific green warrant card. Because non-self-contained vehicles are not allowed to park overnight in any public area at all. And booking a campsite for every night of your trip can definitely add up.

What I also found out: Freedom camping rules vary by district council. So even with a self-contained vehicle, some areas have additional local restrictions.

For anyone here who's road-tripped NZ recently — anything I got wrong, anything I missed, or any council-specific rules worth mentioning?

Of course, I know that there's no general answer to this one. It all depends on trip length, vehicle size, itinerary, and who you traveled with. But when did your first trip "click" — was there a specific moment? Curious to hear how it went for people here, especially the small moments...

Did anyone else know about the new per-kilometer road tax? I feel like it's not being talked about enough and it can definitely impact your road trip in Iceland, so I wanted to share it here in case it helps someone:

At the start of this year, Iceland replaced most of its fuel taxes with a flat per-kilometer fee charge that every vehicle pays, regardless of fuel type:

• 6.95 ISK per kilometer for cars and SUVs up to 3.5 tonnes (roughly €0.045 / $0.05 per km)
• It scales up for heavier vehicles, and most campervans are just at or slightly over the 3.5-tonne line, so van rentals usually land in a slightly higher bracket

Good news though: as a tourist you don't have to do anything. The fee is technically on the vehicle owner, so your rental company deals with all of it. What you will notice is a new line on your final invoice. Different rental places are handling it differently right now: some are adding as an extra daily fee, others label it as a "kilometer fee" or "road usage fee" based on how much you actually drove. 

So anyone here rented a car or campervan in Iceland recently? Curious if this fee has affected your trip in any way :)

A few mistakes that I wish someone had told me in advance that I had to learn the hard way:

1. Planning the route like a regular road trip: First-timers routinely plan 6-hour driving days and arrive after dark, exhausted, with no pitch booked, and then wonder why they are not enjoying the trip. Plan max 3–4 hours of actual driving per day if you want to actually enjoy it.
2. Treating the van as a way to get to a destination: The whole point of road-tripping in a van is the random stops along the way- the diner you didn't plan or the small town where you decided to stay an extra night. People who book a van to drive 6 hours to one campsite and then sit there for a week are usually the ones who come back saying "never again". A loose route with the flexibility to change a few things beats a fixed itinerary almost every time in my opinion.
3. Cooking ambitions that don't match the kitchen: First-timers buy ingredients for elaborate meals because the van has a stove and a fridge. Then they realize the "kitchen" is one burner, a 40-liter fridge, no oven and no proper counter space. By day three you're eating bread and whatever you can grab at a gas station, which is fine — but you've also wasted €80 on ingredients that went bad. So plan two real cooked meals per week, and just enjoy eating out if the budget allows it.
4. Underestimating fuel cost — by a lot: A campervan does roughly half the mileage of a normal car. On a 3,000 km / 1,800 mile trip, that's a meaningful number — often 400–700€ in Europe or 500–800$ in the US. So run the math before you book!!! It changes whether a longer route or a longer rental actually makes sense.
5. Driving into city centres: Driving a 6-meter van into central Edinburgh or central Boston — I mean: there are entire YouTube compilations of why this is a bad idea. Most cities have a campsite or P+R 20–30 minutes outside the center with public transport into town. Costs less, stresses less, and you're actually enjoying the sightseeing without worrying about parking spots or narrow streets.

And for all my fellow experienced campers out there: What's the one mistake you did on one of your first campervan-roadtrips and had to learn the hard way?

Renting a campervan for the first time is genuinely exciting — and a little overwhelming. But here are a few mistakes that I wish someone had told me in advance that I had to learn the hard way:

1. Booking the biggest van you can afford: The 7-meter motorhome looks incredible in photos. Then you hit a Tuscan village, a Cornish lane, or a multi-story parking garage and realize you can't go anywhere with it. For most couples, a 5–6m van is definitely more convenient.

2. Underestimating drive times: First-timers routinely plan 6-hour driving days and arrive exhausted, hating each other, after dark, with no pitch booked. Plan max 3–4 hours of driving per day and you will actually get to enjoy the trip as well.

3. Treating it like a hotel stay: People pack three suitcases for a 5-meter van with 80 liters of storage. By day two you can't find anything, the bed is buried under bags, and you're tripping over shoes. Do halve of what you think you need. Anything you packed "just in case" will not be worn.

4. Returning the van dirty or with an empty tank: Cleaning fees are 80-250€ depending on the country and how bad it is. Returning empty means refueling at depot prices that are roughly the worst per-liter rate available on Earth. Stop 10 minutes before drop-off, wipe the kitchen, sweep the floor and fill up at any random petrol station. Easy +100€ saved.

And for all my fellow experienced campers out there: What's the one mistake you did on one of your first campervan-trips and had to learn the hard way?