These are the best campervans for holiday getaways

Camping’s come a long way since the scout tents and open fires of yesteryear. Going away for a trip in a campervan in 2026 barely means sacrificing any home comforts at all, and best of all it’s both fun and feels like more of an adventure than just checking in at a Center Parcs.

There are dozens of campervans on sale you could choose from. They range from day vans – pretty much a regular people-carrier where the seats can be laid flat – to full-on off-grid conversions, designed to spend weeks away from home while being entirely self-sufficient.

And while most campervans are converted from cargo vehicles by a third party, there are even some models that you can buy, finance and service directly from the same place you buy your family hatchback.

Here are some of the best campers available right now, in a range of sizes and for all needs.

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Best overall: Mercedes Marco Polo

The Mercedes Marco Polo is a seriously upmarket machine with an interior styled after luxury yachts – which sounds ridiculous until you step aboard and cop a feel of the immaculate woodwork and gorgeously turned cabinetry. It’s definitely pricey, but it’s also the perfect mobile getaway for two.

It follows a traditional camper layout, with a side kitchen unit opposite a single sliding door, and berths for four on either a rock’n’roll bed downstairs or a more substantial one up in the pop-top. Being based on the V-Class people-carrier means you get a high-tech dashboard and a powerful diesel engine, plus super-comfy air suspension that can even self-level the van if you’re parked on a slope. You really get what you pay for here.

Best for families: Volkswagen California

The latest Volkswagen California is based on the Multivan MPV, rather than the Transporter van like previous models. That gives it a few advantages, particularly the ability to reconfigure its seating in a flash and the presence of two side sliding doors. As anybody who’s done the school run in a campervan will attest, allowing the kids to get out on whichever side is safest is a real plus.

The California is built by VW in a dedicated factory so it all feels very cohesive and high-quality, but the layout doesn’t give much room for storage and there’s only a single burner to cook on. So better for short trips away with the kids than long holidays. Still, it’s super-comfortable to sleep in and great to drive.

Best for off-grid: RP Rebellion

RP Motorhomes is a converter based in Leeds and which specialises in bespoke, high-tech and seriously rugged campers. Its Rebellion range is based on the Mercedes Sprinter panel van, and if you spec it carefully it can be truly self-sufficient. You can have a four-wheel drive model with big beefy tyres, an induction hob and electric heating to keep you independent of gas bottles, and even a waterless composting toilet.

The real selling point is the optional power system – an uprated battery and the capacity to charge it off the diesel engine, plus up to 300W of solar panels and Starlink connectivity built-in. It’ll cost you as much as a house, but just add diesel and it’s more capable than any three-bed semi.

Best value: Panama P12

This campervan is based on the Ford Transit Custom base vehicle, so it’s excellent to drive and nice and roomy inside. It has a traditional camper layout with a side kitchen, but the sliding rail system means you can have up to seven seats for everyday use – great for big families.

What’s really impressive though is that, with a starting price below £60,000, the Panama P12 is significantly cheaper than the £70,000+ VW California Coast. It’s a bit more limited, as only sold at a few dealers in the UK and so you don’t have the useful one-stop servicing of a California – but it’s such good value and so versatile that you might not care.

Best large campervan: VW Grand California

The Grand California is the larger sibling to the Volkswagen California and it’s based on the full-sized Volkswagen Crafter panel van. Like the regular California, VW builds the Grand California itself in its own factory, so the conversion is of the highest quality and the built-in control screen makes it stunningly easy to use.

It’s comfortable to drive, sleeps up to four people and even has a small but functional washroom with a shower. If you want the ultimate camping experience but don’t want to faff about too much, then the Grand California is absolutely fantastic.

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