As you’ve probably heard, renting a campervan is one of the best ways to travel Australia. It means that you have the freedom to do things in your own time, and means that you get the chance to experience the unique places that the coaches don’t stop at.
As a team of travellers and road trip lovers who have fully immersed ourselves in camper life, we’ve come up with the top 10 tips for life on the road.
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1. Buy mosquito spray!
This has got to be number one as there is nothing worse than trying to sleep in a campervan whilst there is a mosquito buzzing around your head! Mozzies will be worse if you’re camping by a river or lake so make sure you spray loads on if you are, and always spray it before it starts to get dark as the mosquitos come out at dusk.
2. Make some good playlists
Your road trip is always as good as the music you play! A lot of the time you will be driving for hours without much to see or do, so make sure you have plenty of playlists at the ready to sing along to.
3. Make use of our free money saving pack – which includes FREE Campsites from Cairns to Sydney
As a RatPack reader you can get access to our favourite FREE camp sites! We’ve added our best free camps that we’ve stayed at and pinned them especially for you on a google map link – subscribe to our FREE Money Saving Pack here & we’ll send it you free of charge with a load of other useful money saving tips and tricks..
Also, make use of Wikicamps – a great app which shows you all the campsites in the area.
4. Bring things to do in case it rains
Although most of the time the weather is beautiful, sometimes in Australia it rains pretty hard, and if it does it’s always good to have something to do inside the camper to keep you entertained! Some good ideas are: a pack of cards, a laptop and hard drive with films on it and plenty of goon!
5. Get a local phone contract so you can use data for maps
Unless you are a pro map reader this one is a must. You can get a sim for 2 dollars and then just buy a pay as you go monthly contract which will cost around 30 dollars a month and gives you texts, calls and data. Just make sure you get your phone unlocked before leaving for your trip.
6. Camp by the beach at least once
There are certain places where you will be able to camp by the beach and in national parks. Take advantage of this and immerse yourself in nature as much as possible. It’s such a great feeling waking up to the sound of the ocean.
7. Always carry water and snacks
There are some long roads in Australia that sometimes you will be driving down for a while before you see a shop, so make sure you’re always stocked up with plenty of water and snacks! Most campervans will have a fridge that you can store food and drink in. At RatPack we can help you choose the campervan with the facilities suited for you for the best price (more on this in a minute).
8. Wave at other campers (especially if they have the same type of van as you!)
It’s an unwritten rule that campers wave at each other when passing each other on the roads of Australia. This rule becomes even more potent when the passing campervan is the same type as yours!
9. Try and get to your destination before it gets dark
It’s pretty hard to rummage around in the dark trying to cook food and make up your bed so try your best to get to your destination before it gets dark. Also make sure you take a torch for those nights when arriving late is unavoidable.
10. Enjoy the freedom!
You will never feel more free than when you are cruising around in a campervan and everyday is the start of a new adventure. Make the most of it and remember that this is an experience you will remember and cherish for the rest of your life!
Ready for your roadtrip experience? Here at Ratpack we are unique to any of the traditional travel shops. We compare the cheapest deals for your dates and specific requests and then discount online prices making it cheaper than going direct to the campervan company.
About the Author: Sammy
with RatPack Travel?
5-Star Google Rated
From our RatPackers
Super friendly, and speedy service Anna was lovely- she went above and beyond to help us get the best deal. Definitely recommend!
Jenna was absolutely amazing! Made my booking so easy & was a mind of information about all the booking options, helping guide me & my friends on what camper suited us best for our trip. Could not be more helpful even with additional trip tips! Would highly recommend jenna to anyone who needs info / wants to book a camper! Can't wait for my trip.
Tammy was great with helping us get the best prices and packages that suited us best. We will definitely book again through them. Thanks⭐️⭐️
Jenna & George were a great help in booking our camper-van trip around NZ. They got a fantastic discount compared with going directly to the hire companies. They were very friendly and informative.
I have just booked a campervan… excellent phone service from Anna. Very clear explanations. Will write another review after our trip😀
George from Ratpack Travel was really helpful, he talked me through all the different camper options and what would suit me. He sent me links so I could look through the specs myself. Would really recommend ☺️
Ryan and Jenna were fantastic in assisting to book the right camper for our holiday. Would definitely recommend RatPack Travel.
Mikey was amazing to deal with. Super helpful and very informative. Came away with an awesome deal. Highly recommend!!
Thanks Jenna for your time and help
Jules was amazing. Very helpful and knowledgeable and made the experience completely stress free! Would definitely recommend and book through her again!
I have had the Absolute pleasure of corresponding with "George" regarding my upcoming holiday 😀 I was Very flustered in not knowing where to even start... Then I seen their post on Facebook, so thought I'd give it a go!!! Thank Goodness I did 👍 George has taken away All my stress and worries and has done all the work for me ~ how good is that 😉 My holiday isn't until September ~ yet I know if I have Any questions, I can give him a call and he will help!!! I Will Definitely be telling Everyone about this company and the Brilliant customer service I have been shown! I Cannot rate them any higher, mainly because there's only 5 stars to pick, but I rate them 100% the Best Company I have Every had the opportunity in dealing with!!! Thankyou George ~ I will Forever be a Valued, Happy Customer 😃 Kind Regards Cindy 🙏
Great experience booking with them, Anna asked about my requirements and found the best deals for my upcoming trip. Can't wait.
Ryan did an amazing job and guided me through the alternatives of different campervan rentals and helped me to find what suits me for my trip
Planning a huge trip is always a daunting experience but George managed to make the whole experience stress free and enjoyable. Everything from start to finish was personal and easy! Booking with RatPack is like being on the phone to a mate. Super informative, really friendly and we got an amazing deal. All you can ask for really. Thank you RatPack!
Huge thank you to RatPack Travel! We left it pretty late to book our campervan for Tassie and couldn't find many affordable options ourselves. I spoke to Gregg from RatPack on Whatsapp and within 10 minutes he had found us a great vehicle at an amazing price. We've just landed in Hobart and found out we've been upgraded to an even better van at the same price!! Will definitely be recommending RatPack to everyone I know who is planning to travel and see Australia the proper way! Thank you Gregg! ❤️
