Renting a motorhome and going to Croatia - how much does it cost?

Croatia has been enjoying great interest among Poles for years. And it's no wonder. Sun until November, the wonderful Adriatic Sea and the calming sound of cicadas. A beautiful country, full of wonderful nature, cuisine and architecture. Perfect for a camper trip.

However, you need to prepare for each trip, calculate the costs and consider different options. How does a trip to Croatia fit into this comparison? Let's check.

When and with what

If we do not have our own camper, we will first go to the rental company and start our calculation with these costs. You can read about the rules regarding rental here: Holidays different than usual . Let's assume we need a car for 4 people for 10 days. As an example of prices and conditions, we will use the luxury camper rental company Dethleffs CamperyASONE, which will provide us with a fully equipped vehicle to make our holidays fully comfortable. Our destination will be the charming Valkanela campsite located in the north of Croatia.

Remember that you should book a camper at least a few months before your planned trip. This is especially important during the high season (May weekend and summer holidays).

In addition, before traveling abroad, people renting campers are obliged to familiarize themselves with the road traffic regulations in force in the countries through which they will travel.

How much does it cost to rent a luxury new campervan?

The daily cost of renting a car will vary depending on the season. And so, in the low season, which covers the period from November 1 to April 15, the price is PLN 400.00 gross per day. We also add a service fee of PLN 400.00. There may also be possible additional fees (e.g. for washing dirty upholstery, transporting the camper to any place in Poland) which, of course, we do not have to pay. The minimum car rental period in the low season is 5 days.

The service fee includes, among others: a set of annual highway vignettes (Austria, Slovenia, Czech Republic), a full gas cylinder with its connection, chemical toilet tablets, camper operation training and filling the clean water tank to ¼ capacity.

The medium season lasts from April 16 to June 15 and from September 1 to October 31 . The cost of renting a car is then PLN 500.00 gross per day, other fees and the minimum rental period remain unchanged.

The high season covers the May long weekend and the period from June 16 to August 31 . A trip on this date costs PLN 650 gross per day, and the minimum period for which we rent a camper is 7 days.

We also add a deposit (refundable, of course) in the amount of PLN 5,000 gross. When renting a car for a period longer than 14 days, we can negotiate the price, and when renting a vehicle for longer than 21 days, the prices are really attractive.

Highway Costs

By renting a camper at ASONE, you save on highway tolls. In Austria, the cost of the shortest, 10-day vignette is EUR 9.20, in Slovenia from EUR 30 to EUR 110, and in the Czech Republic 310 crowns, i.e. EUR 18. In Slovenia, there is also a toll toll for one tunnel (Karavanke Tunnel), which is located in the north-west of the country. The tunnel fee for vehicles up to 3.5 tons is EUR 7.20.

Vignettes do not apply in Croatia. Motorways are tolled and their price increases by 15% in the summer season. Without the increase, a passenger car ride from Goričany to Dubrovnik will cost approximately PLN 90, to Zadar approximately PLN 57, and to Split approximately PLN 77. At the gates you can pay by card or cash (in kuna or euro).

Fuel    

Fuel is an important cost element. Let's assume that the camper consumes approximately 12 liters per 100 km. The capacity of the fuel tank is 90 liters. At the CamepryASONE rental company, you receive a fully fueled car. We will travel approximately 750 km on one tank. The distance from Warsaw to Vrsar is approximately 1,200 km. So we will have to refuel at least once. If we want to drive non-stop, the journey will take us about 13 hours (including breaks for food, rest and toilets).

The average price of diesel fuel in the Czech Republic is CZK 30.50 (PLN 5.12/l). In Austria - 1.07 euro/l (PLN 4.53), in Slovenia about 1.20 euro (PLN 5.16), while in Croatia a liter of gasoline will cost us about 9.26 kuna (PLN 5.20). ). Generally, the closer to the sea, the more expensive. Unfortunately, fuel prices increase by about 10% before the holidays.

For 9 nights at the Valkanela campsite for 4 adults, we will pay from EUR 624 to even EUR 772, depending on the class of the plot. If a family with two children under 5 goes, the cost ranges from 410 euros to 558 euros.

This includes the registration and local fees, a total of approximately EUR 2.20. Consider the period from July 1-10 and assuming that we will reach Croatia in one day. If we have a driver for a change or extensive experience in long drives, it is possible... And if not, we don't have to worry about a hotel anyway ;), we have many campsites along the way, we can also sleep in highway parking lots.

Food

There is still the issue of food. Eating in restaurants every day is a big expense. But when we go to Croatia with a camper, we can easily save money. The camping car is equipped with a refrigerator, so we can prepare some meals at home without even making any special effort. When cooking dinner, we simply prepare a little more than usual, put portions in jars or in the freezer and we have a ready meal without unnecessary cooking.

In addition, the camper has a normal gas stove, and CamepyASONE equips us with an additional electric stove that we can place outside, so you can make appropriate purchases in Poland or at a local supermarket and prepare meals on site. The third option is your favorite grill. You just have to be careful not to disturb anyone. In this way, we will prepare not only meat, but also vegetables and even cheese. Not only children will be delighted. Moreover, such a "camping" is not only a great adventure, but also an instructive experience, thanks to which the kids have a chance to gain new skills, if only we let them...

Summary

So how much will a trip to Croatia for a family of 4 cost approximately?

• We have to allocate PLN 5,000 for the deposit, but if we do not damage anything, we will receive it back in full.
• We will spend PLN 400 on the service fee.
• For a 10-day camper rental we will pay PLN 6,500 (in high season) or PLN 5,000 at the beginning of June

Fuel – it all depends on where we will refuel and how many refuels the car will need. We set off on a journey in a vehicle with a full tank. We need at least one refueling to reach our destination and about three during and on the way back. Assuming that we refuel first in the Czech Republic (5.12 x 90 = PLN 460.8), then in Croatia (twice (5.2 x 90) x2 = PLN 936) and in Poland (5.05 x 90 = PLN 454.5 PLN) then the cost will be PLN 1,851. At the end, we still have to refuel the car to return it with a full tank. Fortunately, we are not interested in vignettes, so the fare only in Croatia will be around PLN 70.

A stay at the Valkanela campsite for 9 days is PLN 1,763, assuming the lowest rate.

The cost of food depends on you and here let's assume only PLN 1,500. It may be much cheaper or much more expensive. The total is approximately PLN 12,000. PLN for 4 people (plus refundable deposit). Per person, the cost will be approximately PLN 3,000 for 10 days of adventure, holidays and sightseeing!!! That's a lot? A 7-day holiday in Greece in a 4* hotel costs about PLN 3,000 per person + optional trips..

Of course, these amounts can be much higher or lower. It all depends on how much you plan to ride and what to do. If you want to spend less, you can decide to travel outside the main season, i.e. from April 16 to June 15 or from September 1 to October 31 .

Not only does the rental price drop in the off-season, but camping prices also drop. Attractive promotions are organized quite often, and you can relax in peace and quiet. In September or even October, the water in the Adriatic Sea is warm, the weather remains stable, and the beach population drops significantly. Prices in restaurants and gas stations are lower than in summer.

By choosing the rental dates indicated above, we save a total of approximately PLN 2,000. The total cost of stay during this period should not exceed PLN 10,000 for the entire family, which gives a total of approximately PLN 2,500 per person for 10 days of vacation.

Holidays in a luxurious, very comfortable camper are a great adventure and an unforgettable experience for the whole family. It's worth trying it at least once in your life.