Benefits of renting a small campervan in Norway
There are two weeks of holiday ahead of you and you can’t decide what size of campervan would be the best? Things you must consider are not only the size of a bed but also the comfort of driving, luggage space, fuel consumption, ferry fees and so on. So, should you go large or stick with a small campervan? Let’s have a look!
Number of travellers - small campervan or big?
The rule that the larger the vehicle the more people fit in doesn’t really apply to campervans. About the exact opposite will convince you probably the most popular campervan – Volkswagen Transporter or Volkswagen Multivan. Despite their seemingly small size, they can drive and sleep up to four and five passengers!
Compact-sized campers are more about well-thought design and functionality. The compromise is in how comfortable the camping actually is for five people in a small van. I would guess that this kind of campervan was made for families with kids, not for five adults. If you are many and opt to rent a small campervan, make sure to bring only the most necessary belongings. Each centimetre counts.
Tip: What are the three common fears of driving a campervan in Norway?
To sum it up, if you are more than three adults who like comfort, visiting Norway and looking for a campervan to rent, search for bigger vehicles than Volkswagen California or Multivan. To rent Volkswagen California is best for families (2 adults + kids), three adults or couples.
Living space - how much room is in a compact campervan?
Usually, the living space is an advantage when it comes to large campervans. You have plenty of space inside so you can stand up and actually make a few steps. A fixed bed makes bedtime easier since you don’t have to set it up each night.
However, if you consider a holiday in a campervan you probably don’t expect a big living room just like in a hotel, do you? Camping is about a connection with nature, as you can camp everywhere. Therefore you spend most of the time outside and not in the campervan.
So, if you plan to spend lots of time inside, you might prefer a large van. If you run for an adventurous holiday, choose a small campervan because it offers very similar if not the same functions.
What's inside a campervan?
This might be a bit weird, but the contents of the campervans are usually almost the same. The layout differs. Our campervan rental´s smallest campervans Marco or Mozart can drive two passengers and have a foldable bed/sofa, fridge, table and portable gas cooker that can be used outside or inside. They don’t have a sink with running water.
Volkswagen California, which can drive up to four passengers, has a foldable bed, gas stove, fridge, sink, more storage room and one more double bed in the pop-up roof. Thanks to the pop-up roof you can stand in this van.
Big campervans like Fiat Ducato, which can accommodate only two passengers, usually have a fixed bed, stove, sink, pleeenty of storage space and you can comfortably stand inside.
But wait, didn´t you forget the bathroom? Sorry, nope, not in campervans that campervan rentals in Norway offer. If you need a bathroom, opt for an RV.
This is what you can find in the Benzini´s Campers small campervan:
Driving & parking campervan
Norwegian roads needed to fit into nature which might mean they are very narrow and curvy. There is no explanation needed why a small campervan thrives better on such roads. The comfort of driving is important, moreover on a long road trip.
Compact campers bring even more pros than the comfort of driving with them. The smaller vehicle, the smaller expenses. First of all, fuel consumption is quite an important fact in a country where a litre of diesel costs 25 NOK (2,5€). What you might need to pay for too are ferries, where the length and height of a vehicle make the price. If you travel on a budget, each crown is important.
Parking might get hard when you are not used to a big vehicle. Moreover, to find parking in Oslo for a van higher than 220 cm is almost impossible. A compact campervan is the size of a passenger car, so it shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Another issue might be that bigger cars than passenger ones are forbidden at some tourist places, roads or even Hurtigruten boats. All our campervans fit into 6m x 2m limitations (same as the passenger cars).
Tip: Read more about driving in Norway
Park for night
If you plan to camp in the camping sites, despite the right to roam free in Norway, the size matters only regarding the price. However, if you wish to experience a little off-grid lifestyle and camp in beautiful spots, a small campervan wins again. Forest roads and ways to hidden spots are often super narrow gravel roads, where a big vehicle might struggle. With a compact camper, you can drive and have the freedom to camp wherever you fancy.
To help you find the right spot for the night, download an app park4night. If you don´t find anything interesting around, try the old method and follow your nose.
Note! – Insurance of the vehicles does not apply on the gravel roads or anywhere else off the roads. It’s at your own risk.
So if you want a flexible accommodation and transport option that gives you the ability to roam free, sleep, cook, chill and drive easily a smaller, compact campervan will absolutely give you a holiday to remember forever. The advantage of renting a bigger campervan is in a living space inside of it.
We, by no means, didn’t want to humiliate large campervans. If we were to live full-time in a campervan, we would definitely choose something big. However, one of the reasons why we established Benzini Campers was budget-friendliness and the comfort of driving that can´t be met with a big vehicle.
If we’ve convinced you that a compact campervan is the right choice, check out our collection for rent!
