Do you find yourself dreaming of getting away from it all? Just you, a comfy camper, the open road, and the freedom of doing what you want, where you want? If you love the idea of exploring New Zealand on a solo road trip, we’ve got you covered. In this helpful guide, we share some great tips on planning the perfect campervan road trip for one.
Why New Zealand is the perfect place for a solo road trip
New Zealand is brimming with beautiful scenery, making it a great destination for your next road trip. It’s also a fairly safe country, so with the right planning, you can travel solo with peace of mind.
Travelling in a campervan is a great way to keep costs down. Enjoy your favourite meals by cooking in your camper. And to save on expensive accommodation, you can travel New Zealand on a budget with Mighty Campers.
With so many excellent road trip options in this scenic corner of the world, it can be hard to know where to start. If you need some help planning your travel itinerary, check out some of the most popular driving routes in New Zealand.
Top 10 tips for planning a solo road trip
Travelling solo is the ultimate way to enjoy some well-deserved time out. There’s no greater freedom! But it’s also important to make sure you stay safe and make the most of your campervan holiday. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:
Ensure you do your research
Solo travel means you have the freedom and flexibility to make last-minute diversions, change your route, or stay longer in the places you love. Having said that, it’s important to research ahead and have a travel plan in place. This will help streamline your campervan road trip so you can make the most of your travels. The first step is to make a wish list of the best places in New Zealand to visit. It’s worth checking out when is the best time to visit each, what gear you might need, and any related costs. Once you know where you want to visit, you can plan a travel itinerary and book campgrounds in those places.
Download the THL app
One of the best tools for planning a solo road trip is the free thl Roadtrip app. This helpful app is a must-have for any motorhome traveller. Not only will it help you research and plan your campervan road trip, but it also comes in very handy while you’re on the road. Here are just a few of the great features:
A show-through video of your campervan: Keen to see inside your campervan hire ahead of time? Use the app to take a look through.
Book your camping spots: This makes planning a road trip itinerary super easy. Search along your planned route and pre-book campsites, holiday parks, and even attractions directly within the app.
Offline maps: Going out of Wi-Fi range but need maps? The app’s maps work offline. Just save them first and you can access them anytime.
Where’s the nearest …? Need to find a supermarket, campsite, dump station, or laundromat? The thl Roadtrip app uses your GPS location to show you where to find all these and more.
How-to videos: Not sure how to empty a toilet cassette or set up the dining table? No problem, we’ve covered everything you need to know in our how-to video section.
Get recommendations: You’ll be able to read tips and feedback from other campervan travellers about places they’ve stayed or visited. It means you can plan to stay in campgrounds that are most preferred etc.
Pick the perfect campervan
If you’ve already started researching different campervans for hire, you’ll notice there are lots of options to choose from. Campers come in many different sizes, so choosing the right one will depend on such factors as how much storage space you need and how long you intend to travel. Mighty Campers has a range of campervans suitable for solo travellers. Let’s look at a couple:
2 Berth Deuce
Roomy and comfy, the Mighty Deuce gives you plenty of space to stretch out and unwind. Enjoy the comfort of a double bed, hot shower, kitchen appliances and your own loo in your campervan – all the basic essentials you need.
3 Berth Highball
Need extra space for storing your gear? The Mighty Highball has it in spades! Make use of your comfy double bed while keeping your gear handy on the single bunk. You’ve got all the must-haves included too with a fridge for drinks and a gas stove and microwave for meals.
Park up at holiday parks/campsites
Fancy waking up to the sound of lapping waves or views of the mountains? There are loads of fantastic campgrounds in New Zealand that have prime positions in some of our best scenic spots. Parking in a trusted, quality holiday park also means you’ve got the benefit of campsite facilities such as powered camping sites, a laundry, a dump station, and more. Campgrounds are a safer option for solo travel too. To help you find campgrounds and holiday parks on your travel route, remember to download the thl Roadtrip app.
Get to know your fellow campers
One of the (many!) benefits of travelling by campervan is having the opportunity to meet other like-minded travellers. New Zealand has a welcoming and friendly motorhome community who love to share tips and helpful advice. When you’re travelling solo, you may like to take the opportunity to chat with other campervanners, make new friends, and get the low-down on hidden gems to visit.
Enjoy flexibility and freedom
Campervan travel is all about flexibility and freedom. With your accommodation and transport all in one, you get to decide how long you’ll stay in a certain spot and where you’ll go next. If you’re travelling solo, it’s a good idea to have a travel plan, but the good news is you can change it as you go. Follow a road sign that leads somewhere interesting. Eat and sleep when you want to. Enjoy a lazy lie-in or stay up late and watch the stars. You don’t have to worry about what fellow travellers want to do or see – it’s all up to you!
Pack some entertainment
When you travel solo, there’s no one else to consider – you get to choose the entertainment. Make the most of your alone time to catch up on your favourite podcasts, audiobooks, and music. You don’t even need to worry about headphones!
Ensure you have plenty of mobile data
Having time out by yourself is a luxury for many. But it’s also important to stay safe and make sure you can contact others if needed. With that in mind, it’s worth making sure you’ve got plenty of mobile data on your phone. Keep your phone charged up too, and check in with a friend or family to let them know where you’re heading next. Having plenty of data is also important for accessing online information and entertainment.
Don’t forget to budget
If you’ve got a holiday budget to stick to, travelling by campervan is the perfect way to do it. Hiring a campervan for your road trip is very cost-effective, especially if you're visiting multiple places. Essentially, you're combining your accommodation and mode of transport all in one, making significant savings in the process. And the good news is, when you’re on a solo road trip, you only have to budget for one. New Zealand also has plenty to see and do that is cheap or free. Check out some of our helpful guides on budget campervan travel:
One of the drawbacks of solo travel is that you won’t have anyone to share the driving with. Driver fatigue is a common cause of campervan crashes. When driving long distances as you explore New Zealand, plan your trip to stop and rest every two hours. Remember, if you’re feeling tired, pull your campervan over and rest. Read more about driving safely in New Zealand.
If you’re new to driving a campervan or motorhome, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the basics before you hit the road. When you pick up your Mighty motorhome, one of our friendly team members will run through everything you need to know.
Image: Tourism New Zealand
Ready for a solo adventure?
Now that you’ve got some top tips for your solo New Zealand road trip, it’s time to make it happen! Take the first step and book your Mighty campervan hire online. With branches in Auckland, Queenstown, and Christchurch you can pick up your campervan at one branch and drop it off at another.
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