Camper or hire car in Tenerife
If you're planning a trip to Tenerife, it's the fundamental decision before you even look at dates and prices: hire a car or a camper? Both will get you around the island, but they change the trip quite a bit. Here's an honest comparison, not just sticking to what suits us.
The camper combines transport and accommodation
This is the difference that hits your pocket the most: with a hire car, you have to add hotel or apartment nights on top of the car-hire days. With a camper, you sleep where you park — the vehicle IS your accommodation. Over a week-long trip, that can be the difference between a tight budget and a comfortable one.
Real itinerary freedom
With a hire car, your route depends on where you've booked accommodation each night. With the camper, you decide as you go: if you've liked a place, you stay an extra day; if you want to get up early to catch a sunrise at a viewpoint, you're not tied to check-in or check-out times.
Crossing to other islands, without the hassle
If your plan includes a trip to La Gomera or another island by ferry, bear in mind that many car hire companies don't allow their vehicles to cross between islands, or charge a supplement for it — it's worth checking carefully before booking. With your own hired camper, you cross without that issue: the van goes with you wherever you go.
Price: compare the total, not just the daily rate
A hire car might work out cheaper on a per-day basis alone, but you need to add each night's accommodation to make a fair comparison. With Slow Campers, all the vans are the same price, €45 a day, with no payment gateway — a 30% deposit to book and the rest when you pick up the camper.
So when does a car make more sense?
If your trip is very short, if you're going to stay in a single fixed place for the whole stay, or if what you're after is moving quickly between specific points without exploring at leisure, a hire car may well be enough. The camper makes sense when you want to experience the trip slowly, with the freedom to decide each day as you go.
Before you decide
Take a look at our fleet and compare: the camper might work out better value than you thought.