Best Budget Campervans for 2 People
What "Budget" Means
Under 80 EUR/day in summer. Under 60 EUR/day in shoulder season.
At this price, you're renting from private owners, not companies. The vans will be older (5-15 years), simpler, and sometimes quirky. That's fine - they still work.
What You Actually Need (2 People)
Essential:
Optional but helpful:
Skip:
Top Budget Options
VW T4/T5 California
Price: 60-85 EUR/day
Berths: 2-4
Why: The iconic camper van. Compact enough to park anywhere, reliable, holds value.
California models have the pop-top roof and built-in kitchen. Regular Transporters converted to campervans are cheaper but vary in quality.
Watch out for: Older T4s with rust issues. Check wheel arches and door bottoms.
Citroen Jumper / Fiat Ducato conversions
Price: 55-75 EUR/day
Berths: 2-3
Why: Larger than VWs, cheaper to rent. Standing height in most.
These are the workhorses of the campervan world. Common conversions from brands like Possl, Globecar, and homebuild projects.
Watch out for: Amateur conversions with poor electrics. Ask about the setup.
Older Hymer/Dethleffs motorhomes
Price: 50-70 EUR/day
Berths: 2-4
Why: Full motorhome features (bathroom, large kitchen) at budget prices.
These are 10-20 year old vehicles. They're not pretty but they're functional and spacious.
Watch out for: High fuel consumption (12-15 L/100km). Factor this into your budget.
Ford Transit conversions
Price: 55-80 EUR/day
Berths: 2
Why: Reliable, parts are cheap, drives like a large car.
Many British-converted Transits end up on Dutch rental platforms. They're often well-spec'd.
Watch out for: Right-hand drive UK vans - make sure you're comfortable with this in Europe.
Where to Find Budget Vans
Goboony: Filter by price, sort by lowest first. Set max budget per day.
PaulCamper: Same process. German owners often price lower.
Camptoo: Smaller platform, sometimes better deals.
Private ads: Marktplaats.nl (Netherlands), eBay Kleinanzeigen (Germany) have private rentals without platform fees. Riskier but cheaper.
Booking Strategy
Book early for summer: Budget vans disappear fast for July-August. Book 3-4 months ahead.
Shoulder season deals: May, June, September have the best price-to-weather ratio. Many owners drop prices 20-30%.
Week vs weekend: Some owners charge premium for Friday-Sunday only rentals. Week-long rentals get better daily rates.
Read reviews: On budget vans, owner reliability matters more than vehicle specs. Check response times and pickup experience in reviews.
Sample Budget Breakdown
7-night trip, 2 people, budget van:
|------|------|
That's 68 EUR per person per day including everything. Hard to beat for a road trip.