Camper vans and motorhomes for the Great Ocean Road and Victoria
Compare the 18 campervan and motorhome rental companies in Melbourne to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Hiring a campervan in Melbourne leads straight to Australia's most famous coastal drive: the Great Ocean Road, its eucalyptus forests and the Twelve Apostles rising from the Southern Ocean. The ridges of the Grampians, the beaches of Wilsons Promontory and the penguins of Phillip Island are also just a few hours away. With 19 partner companies, including Apollo, Britz, Maui, Jucy, Travellers Autobarn and Indie Campers, the choice ranges from a small van for two to a large family motorhome.
The companies share nine depots on the outskirts, mostly to the north, in Tullamarine near the airport and in Somerton on the Hume Highway: you hit the road without crossing the city centre.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
| Vehicle | Winter July | Spring October | Summer January | Autumn April |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campervan | from €28/day median €64/day | from €39/day median €94/day | from €51/day median €91/day | from €39/day median €72/day |
| Large motorhome | from €144/day median €150/day | from €151/day median €207/day | from €140/day median €158/day | from €129/day median €145/day |
Daily prices observed on October 19, 2026 for a 15-day rental: CoolDrive selling price, mandatory fees included, 11 rental companies compared. 82% of offers with unlimited mileage. Median excess: €3,092.
Via Geelong and Torquay, the Great Ocean Road hugs the cliffs to Lorne and Apollo Bay, then crosses the Otway rainforest before the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. From Warrnambool, you head north to the Grampians, their sandstone ridges and the village of Halls Gap, where kangaroos graze on the lawns. Back to Melbourne on the Western Highway, via Ballarat.
To the south-east, Phillip Island hosts the nightly parade of little penguins returning to the beach at sunset. You then follow the Gippsland coast via Inverloch to Wilsons Promontory, the southernmost point of mainland Australia: white sand beaches, granite boulders and wombats around the Tidal River campground. Return through the green hills of South Gippsland.
The Princes Highway heads east through Gippsland and the lakes of Lakes Entrance, then skirts Croajingolong National Park to Mallacoota before entering New South Wales. Eden and its whale-watching bay, Narooma, the white beaches of Jervis Bay and the Kiama coastline lead to Sydney, another departure city of our partners, where you return the vehicle.
October–November and March–April bring mild days, ideal for hiking in the Grampians or at Wilsons Promontory, with quieter roads and campsites than in summer. November is, however, the wettest month of the year: pack rain gear. In March, the sea still holds the summer warmth on the beaches of the Great Ocean Road.
Peak season coincides with the year-end holidays and the long Australian summer school holidays: coastal caravan parks and the Tidal River campground fill up fast, so book them early. Days are long and bright and the sea pleasant, but hot spells blowing in from the interior make some afternoons gruelling.
Winter is cool and often grey on the coast, with nights around 7 °C: a heated vehicle makes all the difference. Yet it is the season of southern right whales, visible off Warrnambool, and of the Otway waterfalls in full flow. The roads are almost empty, even around the Twelve Apostles.
Most pleasant months: October, December to April.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 °C | 15 °C | 70 mm | 11 h/day | 22 °C |
| Feb | 26 °C | 15 °C | 34 mm | 11 h/day | 22 °C |
| Mar | 24 °C | 14 °C | 45 mm | 10 h/day | 21 °C |
| Apr | 21 °C | 11 °C | 64 mm | 9 h/day | 18 °C |
| May | 16 °C | 9 °C | 60 mm | 7 h/day | 15 °C |
| Jun | 14 °C | 7 °C | 64 mm | 7 h/day | 12 °C |
| Jul | 13 °C | 7 °C | 58 mm | 7 h/day | 11 °C |
| Aug | 15 °C | 7 °C | 61 mm | 8 h/day | 12 °C |
| Sep | 17 °C | 8 °C | 70 mm | 9 h/day | 13 °C |
| Oct | 19 °C | 9 °C | 85 mm | 10 h/day | 16 °C |
| Nov | 22 °C | 11 °C | 95 mm | 11 h/day | 18 °C |
| Dec | 24 °C | 13 °C | 68 mm | 11 h/day | 21 °C |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
The Tullamarine depots are a few minutes from the Melbourne Airport terminals by taxi or ride-hailing; those in Somerton and Campbellfield, further north, take about twenty minutes. From the city centre, the SkyBus runs to the airport. On return day, if your flight leaves early, choose a company close to the terminals.
In Melbourne, CityLink and EastLink are barrier-free toll roads: each trip is recorded by electronic tag or number-plate recognition. Ask the company whether the vehicle is fitted with a tag and how tolls will be charged back to you. From the northern depots, the M80 Ring Road and then the Princes Freeway lead to Geelong and the Great Ocean Road toll-free.
At some city-centre intersections, turning right requires a hook turn: you move into the left lane, then turn when the lights of the cross street turn green, leaving the way clear for trams. Also stop behind a tram letting passengers off onto the roadway. With a large vehicle, it is best to bypass the centre.
Kangaroos and wallabies often cross at sunrise and sunset, especially in the Grampians, the Otways and Gippsland, and wombats move about at night. Plan to reach your stop before nightfall, slow down on roads lined with bush and avoid sudden swerving, which is dangerous in a high-sided vehicle.
In summer, the Victorian authorities can declare Total Fire Ban days: no campfires, even at a campsite. Install the VicEmergency app, check the fire danger rating before each leg and avoid wooded areas on days of the highest alert; a fire can close part of the Great Ocean Road or the Grampians.
Apollo, Britz, Maui, Mighty, MightyLITE, Cheapa Campa and Hippie Camper share a depot on the Hume Highway in Somerton. Jucy, Chill'd, Star RV, Cruisin, GoCheap, Let's Go and Travellers Autobarn are in Tullamarine, Indie Campers in Campbellfield, Camperman in Coburg, Spaceships in Williamstown North, and Awesome Campers and Campervan Village in Ringwood, to the east. The exact address is in your confirmation.
Our searches in October 2026, for 15-day rentals with 11 companies, found campervans from €28 per day for a July departure, in the depths of the southern winter, with a median price of €64, compared with €91 in January. Large motorhomes start at €129 per day. Prices include mandatory fees: run a search with your dates to see the real rates.
Yes: Sydney and Adelaide are two other departure cities of our partners. To Adelaide, you extend the Great Ocean Road via Mount Gambier and the Coorong lagoon, about 1,000 km in all. Any one-way surcharge appears directly in the displayed price as soon as you enter the return city in your search.
The Spirit of Tasmania ferry links Geelong to Devonport in about ten hours, but some companies do not allow their vehicles on the crossing: check the offer conditions before booking the boat. Alternatively, return the vehicle in Melbourne and hire a second one in Hobart, also a departure city of our partners, after a short flight.
The offers we found range from two-berth campervans, such as the Hi Top or the Rover, to four-berth models like the Adventurer or the Henty Campervan. For a couple, a high-top van is enough and easy to park at the crowded Twelve Apostles lookouts; for a family, a four-berth or a large motorhome adds space and often a shower.
The custom site is very well put together. We had to contact someone from the team and the service was impeccable.
Please note that the security deposit will be debited from your account.
Please specify that the deposit will be charged to your account.
Visitors can drive with their valid foreign car licence. If it is not in English, it must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit or an official translation. Each company also sets a minimum age and sometimes a minimum period of licence holding, stated in the offer conditions.
In Australia, you drive on the left and the steering wheel is on the right; at roundabouts, you go clockwise and give way to vehicles coming from the right. The first kilometres from Tullamarine or Somerton follow wide freeways, useful for finding your bearings before the winding coastal roads.
Free camping is very limited in Victoria and banned in most towns along the Great Ocean Road, with fines. Stay in caravan parks, which are numerous and often equipped with kitchens and laundries, or in national park campgrounds, to be booked through Parks Victoria. A few free, basic sites exist in state forests.
In October 2026, 82% of the offers we found from Melbourne included unlimited kilometres. For the others, kilometres beyond the allowance are charged, which quickly adds up on a one-way trip to Sydney or Adelaide, as Australian distances are long. Check this line on each offer before booking.
The median excess of the offers we found is €3,092; reduction options can lower it. The deposit is taken on your card when you collect the vehicle and returned after drop-off: one customer who left from Melbourne advises being prepared for it to be actually debited from the account, not just held.
The seven verified reviews from customers who left from Melbourne give an average rating of 4.4 out of 5. One traveller praises a well-designed website and impeccable service when they needed to contact the team. These reviews concern the booking; the vehicle's condition and the welcome at the depot depend on each company.
Within a day's drive, Melbourne brings together much of what makes an Australian road trip: the cliffs of the Great Ocean Road, the ridges of the Grampians, the wildlife of Phillip Island and Wilsons Promontory, and the vineyards of the Yarra Valley. By the country's standards, distances remain reasonable, making a great one-week loop possible without a string of long drives.
With 19 partner companies, from small vans for two to large motorhomes, and prices observed from €28 per day in October 2026, everyone can find a vehicle to suit their budget. Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart, other departure cities of our partners, open the way to one-way trips along the south-east coast or to Tasmania. Finally, Victoria's temperate climate makes it possible to set off in any season, from the bright southern summer to a cool but peaceful winter.
