Hamburg Motorhome Rental in Germany

Book & Compare RV Rentals and Campervan Hire in Hamburg & Explore the Baltic Coast

Hamburg bills itself as ‘the gateway to the world.’ While that may be a bold claim for Germany’s second largest city, it does have a rich maritime history to back it up. A major player in the Hanseatic League trading bloc in the Middle Ages, Hamburg continues to be the country’s largest port and richest city with its ties to the seas – the Baltic Sea to the east and the North Sea to the west – ostensibly displayed in its architecture and menus. Its strategic location in the medieval trade route is the very same reason why a motorhome rental in Hamburg would make a comfortable long-haul transport to explore Denmark to the north, Poland to the east, the Netherlands to the west, and the rest of Germany to its south.

If you’ve been trawling the internet to get the best advice for hiring a campervan, motorhome or RV in Hamburg, then you can stop looking. Welcome to the best place for impartial, comprehensive and money-saving motorhome rental advice in Hamburg, all wrapped up in a few easy-to-follow pages.

We’ll get the ball rolling with the top Hamburg motorhome rental companies, during which (among other things) we’ll be explaining the difference between classes/types of campervan, motorhome or RV.

Following on from that, we’ll be suggesting some of the best places to visit while you’re on your motorhome vacation in Hamburg. Of course, you’ll already have a basic idea of why you’re visiting this beautiful city, but we’d like to chip in and suggest some surrounding places that may be of interest to you and your crew. Speaking of which, we’ll be offering advice to every sort of traveller, couples, friends, families with kids -everyone’s invited along for the Hamburg road trip.

Finally, some recommended places in and around Hamburg to park your campervan, motorhome or RV. You might be asking why such things are required, after you’ve forked out for a mobile apartment with flushing toilets and a shower. Stick around…

Top Hamburg Motorhome Rental Companies

If there is one thing that puts potential motorhome holidaymakers off from taking the plunge it’s all the worry about hiring the perfect campervan, motorhome or RV. Before you do anything, check two things, your license and your personal car insurance, because a., you might be able to drive a larger motorhome than you expected and b., you may already be insured to do so.

Now you’re armed with some basic facts about what you can/can’t hire, we’ve chosen five of the top rental companies in Hamburg. And because they’re the best rental companies in Hamburg, they’re not about to sully their good, hard-earned reputations by overselling you something you don’t want before charging you extra for damage didn’t do!

Work out how many are going, decide on a budget and trust the top Hamburg motorhome rental companies for good advice and top-notch service.

Apollo Motorhomes Germany

Apollo has eight motorhome depots across the world, but only one is located in Germany and, of course, it’s in Hamburg! In addition to being under five miles from Hamburg Airport, Apollo Motorhomes in Hamburg have a superb range of campervans and motorhomes for self-drive holidaymakers looking to tour Germany by road.

And for those that know about things thing, the fact that all of Apollo’s fleet of campervans and motorhomes are built in Germany by Weinsberg will only increase the chances of Apollo Motorhomes in Germany being your go-to choice of motorhome rental supplier.

Apollo Motorhome Rental Hamburg branch: Segeberger Ch 229, 22851 Norderstedt, Germany

Location about 4.5 miles/7 km from Hamburg Airport (HAM), 11 miles/18 km from Hamburg City

Apollo Motorhomes office hours:

• Monday to Saturday: 9am to 5pm
• Closed Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

Included with Standard Rate:

• Unlimited kms
• Kitchen/cutlery
• 24 hour assistance
• 0-2 years old

Apollo Hamburg Rental Vehicles:

Campervan with Shower/Toilet – Apollo Duo

How on earth they managed to fit a shower and a toilet into Apollo’s Duo is something you can figure out on your Hamburg Road Trip. Weinsburgh has done an amazing job of providing everything you need by means of accommodation, with a surprising amount of space left over too.

Motorhome Rental

Apollo has six motorhomes to choose from, three are semi-integrated (or low-profile) which means they don’t have the hump over the driver’s cab and three are fully integrated (or coachbuilt/cabover) examples which means they do. But there is a good reason why. That quiff at the front provides additional room for your German road-trip party, and while it may not be to everyone’s aesthetic taste, it could be the most practical option. That aside, you can count on Weinsburgh to deliver quality campervans and motorhomes and trust Apollo to keep it real in terms of pricing.

• Low Profile Motorhome – Apollo Duo Plus, Family Traveller Plus, Saver 4: With the best will in the world, as all of these options sleep 4, so your decision will be based on price. And just because the Saver 4 is thus named, don’ think that somehow means ‘cheap’. Actually, good luck choosing the perfect low-profile motorhome, because they’re all excellent,
• Coachbuilt/Cab Over Motorhome – Family Traveller, Voyager, Explorer: Only the Family Voyager sleeps 6 when it comes to Apollo’s fleet of motorhomes in Hamburg and, of course, it achieves this by utilising the space over the cab. The Explorer and Family Traveller may only sleep 4, but there is plenty of additional space to enjoy with your road trip crew.

DRM

If you’ve never heard of the Trigano Group, it’s likely you’re new to motorhome rental. Trigano is the mothership of campervan, motorhome and RV companies, with almost 25 on their books. At DRM in Hamburg, you can find three of them: Eura Mobil, Karmann-Mobil and Forster, plus a cheeky little addition from Volkswagen. To say that DRM’s fleet of hire vehicles is considered is somewhat of an understatement. Also, they are one of the few European rental companies that hire out RV’s (recreational vehicles) the sort of motorhome that resembles a small-ish single-decker bus. See more below.

DRM Hamburg RV Rental Depot: Deutsche Reisemobil, Gutenbergstraße 17, 24558 Henstedt-Ulzburg, Hamburg, Germany.

Location: About 18 miles/29 km from Hamburg Airport (HAM), 22 miles/36 km from Downtown Munich.

DRM Hamburg Depot Opening Times:

• May to September
  • Monday to Friday: 9am to 6pm
  • Closed Saturday & Sunday
• October to April
  • Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm
  • Closed Saturday & Sunday

Included with Standard Rate:

• Unlimited kms/mileage
• 24 hour assistance
• 0-2 years old

DRM Hamburg Rental Vehicles:

Poptop Camper (California Series/Compact Smart)

VW has invoked the spirit of their 60’s bus with the California Series, though you could make a good case for them being even more attractive. And don’t take our word for it, the CMC awarded the VW California five stars in the Motorhome and Campervan Design Awards in 2021.

Campervan with Shower/Toilet (Compact Series)

It may not have the drop-dead gorgeous looks of its stablemate, but the Compact Series offered by DRM in Hamburg make up for it with the convenience of onboard conveniences. They sleep between 2 and 4 people and come with a range of tweaks to ensure you’re spoiled for choice.

Motorhome Rental

As we’ve noted, DRM in Hamburg’s comprehensive range of leisure vehicles extends to a fully kitted-out RV. And before you beat a path to DRM’s booking page, check to make sure your license (and age) permits you to hit the German streets in style. Don’t forget to check out DRM’s range of semi-integrated and cabover (or Alcove/Over Cab, as you wish) options as well. In addition to saving yourself a few euros, you might even find them a little more practical, depending on where you’re intending to head off to…

• Semi Integrated Low-Profile Motorhome (Classic Series): Don’t be confused by the use of the word ‘classic’ applied to the newer semi-integrated/low-profile options on DRM’s books, instead, focus on what the five options have in store for you, the self-drive holiday maker. There’s space for 2, 3 and 4 of you, so start from there and work backwards.
• Alcove/Over Cab Motorhome (Family Series): In this range, DRM have provided enough space for 4 to 6 of you, but because of the quiff, the internal space will feel roomier, which is why there are four to choose from. As with all the motorhomes in DRM’s range, all of them come with a WC and shower.

Fully Integrated RV Group A (Comfort Series)

DRM hasn’t just offered their German self-drivers one RV option, they have two! Though it might come as a surprise that both sleep 4. Well, they say that variety is the spice of life, we say good luck choosing which one you’d want to accompany you on a scenic drive.

McRent Germany

McRent is one of the biggest campervan and motorhome rental companies in Europe, so it’d be remiss if they didn’t have a depot in Hamburg. And they do it in style too. Fancy airport or city hotel transfers to your rental? McRent has that covered, and they also only use a fleet that’s comprised of stock built by Dethleffs and Sunlight in Germany.

Again, this may not mean much to those new to renting a campervan or motorhome in Hamburg, but Dethleffs is one of the oldest motorhome brands in Europe and Sunlight, are already Germany’s top motorhome brand, even though they’re barely about ten years old.

McRent Hamburg Campervan Rental Depot: Segeberger Str. 5 B, 23863 Kayhude, Germany

Location: About 11 miles/17 km from Hamburg Airport (HAM), 17 miles/27 km from Downtown Hamburg.

Included with Standard Rate:

• Unlimited kms/mileage
• 24 hour assistance
• 0-2 years old

McRent Hamburg office hours:

• Monday to Friday:
  • Pick Up: 2pm to 4pm
  • Drop Off: 9am to 11am
• Saturday:
  • Pick Up: 11am to 1:30pm
  • Drop Off: 9am to 10:30am
• Closed Sunday, and Public Holidays

McRent Rental Vehicles:

Poptop (Urban Luxury)

McRent’s Poptop comes with a WC and Shower too, so forget about those old skool hippie poptops of the 1960s. This poptop is also bolstered by two litres of grunt under the hood, so you can enjoy your self-drive holiday in style, comfort and at the pace you want.

Campervan (Urban Plus)

Like it’s poptop brethren, McRent’s Campervan goes as well as it looks, thanks to 2.3 litres of get-up and go under the hood. Inside a WC, shower and kitchen complete the package, and for 2 of you, this could be the ideal option. Read on to be sure.

Motorhome Rental

All of McRent’s motorhomes come with an awning, bike rack, gas bottles, a reversing camera and air con in the cab. Little extras such as outdoor tables and chairs can be added for a small fee too.

As is the tradition, McRent’s fleet of motorhomes come in the two commonly regarded styles, semi-integrated/low-profile’ or Cabover aka Overcab (and occasionally ‘Alcove’) and they have four motorhomes to choose from, catering for as many as 6 of you or as little as 2. Take time going through the options, simply because McRent is one of the biggest suppliers of campervans and motorhomes in Europe.

• Low Profile Motorhome: The Compact Plus and Compact Standard both Sleep 2, but they seat 4. The Family Standard seats and sleeps 4. Think about that, if there are 4 of you and you want to save some euros, 2 of you could sleep under that awning, if the season permits.
• Coachbuilt/Cab Over Motorhome: Always bear in mind that the lump on the roof provides sleeping accommodation for 2, so there will be additional room below, without having to make the vehicle larger. The Family Plus and Family Luxury sleep 6 without hogging those German byways and making the driving a challenging experience.

Rent Easy

When it comes to campervans, motorhomes and RVs, the only obvious competitor to the Trigano Group, is the Erwin Hymer Group, and Rent Easy only uses brands that are built by Hymer, Carado, Bürstner (based, appropriately, in Germany) and Etrusco (Italy) all with excellent reputations. And even those grand new to campervan or motorhome rental in Germany will have heard of Hymer: they virtually invented the motorhome.

Rent Easy has an excellent range of self-drive rentals that will appeal to all types of road tripper, including no less than four RVs, by far and away the most of this class on the page.

Rent Easy Hamburg RV Rental Depot: Hamburger Str. 170, 25337 Elmshorn, Germany.

Location: About 21 miles/33 km from Hamburg Airport (HAM), 21 miles/33 km from Downtown Hamburg.

Pick up and drop off times:

• Monday to Saturday
  • Pick up: Pick up 2pm to 5pm
  • Drop Off: 9am to 11am
• Closed Sunday

Included with Standard Rate:

• 250 kms/day (about 155 mile)
• 24 hour assistance
• 0-2 years old

Rent Easy Rental Vehicles:

Poptop Camper (City Classic/First)

If you’re looking to hit the autobahns and byways of Hamburg without burning through the holiday funds, you’re in the right spot. Both of these peppy budget Poptops’ seats and sleep 4 of you and somehow, they’ve managed to shoo-in a WC into the City First!

Campervan with Shower/Toilet (City Extra)

Another luxury option for couples looking to rent a cut-price poptop in Hamburg -we’re totally spoiling you! The City Extra is complete with a WC/Shower, kitchen, space and, crucially, seating for 4. So, why not bring along a couple of friends? (So long as they’re prepared to sleep outside)

Motorhome Rental

Just another timely reminder that you’re going to need to pay a little attention to your licence when choosing a motorhome from Rent Easy, because some of them are over 3.5 tons in weight, which makes them a C1 Class vehicle that requires a special sort of license. But do check as you might already be covered.

In the UK, for example, if you passed your test before January 1997, you may automatically be able to drive larger, heavier vehicles weighing up to 7.5 tonnes. If this isn’t the case, I’m afraid you’re going to have to be a little more cautious when renting a motorhome in Hamburg.

• Semi-Integrated Low-Profile Motorhome: Even in this seemingly innocuous class, the Exclusive Extra may require a special license. Easy Rent has five low-profile options to choose from, two sleep 2 and three sleep 4. And some of these options seat more than they sleep, so there is the tent option for those on a budget.
• Alcove/Over Cab Motorhome: Easy Rent has five Cabovers to choose from, two sleep 2, three sleep 4 and a further three sleep as many as 6 of you -note that the Premium Extra may require a special license. Once again pay attention to the seating, the Family Extra and Family First sleep 6 but only seat 5.

Fully Integrated RV Group A

Aside from the Active First, the three fleet options in the fully integrated, Group A, RV class require special licenses and are as close as you can get to driving a big vehicle without an HGV license. And that should serve as a gentle reminder that these are large, potentially challenging vehicles to drive.

Anywhere Campers Germany

There is one additional feature up Anywhere Campers sleeve that really does change the game. Anywhere Campers will drop off and pick up your rental vehicle anywhere in Europe!

And Anywhere Campers in Hamburg (or anywhere) don’t beat about the bush when it comes to motorhome rental, they only have three motorhomes to choose from and two of those are virtually identical, save the choice of manual or automatic transmission. So, if you’ve randomly opened this page to check out hiring a motorhome in Hamburg and you just want to get on with it, you might just have lucked out.

Hamburg Pickup/Dropoff: Anywhere Campers will meet you at your requested pickup/drop off address in Hamburg, with your vehicle at your chosen time.

Included with Standard Rate:

• 250 kms per day
• Free transfer
• Bedding
• Kitchen/cutlery
• 24 hour assistance
• 0-3 years old

Anywhere Campers Rental Vehicles:

Low Profile Motorhome

The Adria Matrix is a low profile motorhome that sleeps between 4 or 5 of you and is pretty close to perfection concerning its features: kitchen, WC/Shower, plenty of space and you can choose between manual and automatic transmission. The latter may come as a welcome surprise for those new to self-drive holidaymaking and those unfamiliar with motorhomes.

Cab Over/Coachbuilt Motorhome

The Sunlight A70 is just what you need for family, friends and everything else in between, and it will sleep as many as 6 of you. But the deal breaker, should you need reminding, is that you can pick up your motorhome rental in Hamburg and drive anywhere in Europe to drop it off!

Hamburg by Campervan Rental

Hamburg is notorious for its red-light district, Reeperbahn and, due to its maritime location, its legendary fish market. Given its history, one wouldn’t be too surprised why food and leisure would figure prominently in the city’s slew of offerings.

With these ticked off your list, you may want to explore more of its surrounds by a campervan hire in Hamburg. To the north via Rostock is the Jasmund National Park located in Rügen Island’s northeast. This park has some undisturbed forests but is best known for the Rügen Cliffs – chalk cliffs soaring above the Baltic Sea with Königsstuhl (king’s chair) being the highest of these at a majestic 387 feet.

Top 10 Places to Visit near Hamburg

There will be a variety of reasons you’ve decided to go to Hamburg specifically to hire your campervan or motorhome. If you’re doing so because it’s a convenient destination, as opposed to renting a campervan or motorhome in Munich, say, hold off jumping into the RV, check out Hamburg itself.

And if you’re hitting Hamburg because you want the kids to see the Miniatur Wunderland, make sure you check out our top-places-to-visit-near-Hamburg recommendations below. There’s something for everyone and we’ve chucked in a few German scenic drives for you as well. Gute Fahrt!

Lübeck

Let’s begin our Hamburg-based road trip by visiting the beautiful town of Lübeck, and by beautiful, we’re talking about it in the sense of UNESCO World Heritage Status. Sure, all the art/culture boxes are ticked to the moon and back, but really, this one is all about the atmosphere of being there.

Bremen

One of those places that offer such a disparate variety of attractions, Bremen doesn’t seem logical that they can co-exist. This is part of its charm, this historical city is at once fairy-tale-like, yet it’s cosmopolitan, a little bit quirky and drop-dead gorgeous, all at the same time.

Schwerin

If you’ve got a little more time, there is a great scenic drive to Schwerin from Hamburg, it’s worth doing just to get the kick from seeing the jaw-dropping Castle for the first time, floating on Schwerin Lake.

Then park up the motorhome rental and spend a day checking it out.

Altes Land

Fancy a bit of bucolic R and R? Then you’ll be wanting to point your campervan in the direction of Altes Land, which has been at the heart of Germany’s fruit supply for generations.

The best time to visit is in spring for the blossoms and autumn for the abundant variety of fresh fruit.

Stade

This one is as much about Stade as it is about the Framework Road (Deutsche Fachwerkstraße) which translates as 3,000 km (1,864 miles) over six states, all featuring buildings of significant historical interest.

That’s one mother of a German scenic drive if you’re up for it. Either way, Stade is stunning.

Wismar

Fans of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 horror classic Nosferatu may already be familiar with Wismar as it was filmed here – you can even take a tour to check out the locations.

If you’re not a fan of classic horror, Wismar has UNESCO World Heritage Status because it’s quite simply stunning.

Odense

Hans Christian Anderson was born here, and the city of Odense has been inspired by his world-famous stories ever since.

For self-drive holidaymakers in Germany travelling with children, this is one place you’ve got to check out. Don’t worry parents, it’s renowned for its fine food and wines as well!

Hanover

It’s an hour and a half road trip from Hamburg to Hanover, so this can be done in a day if you’re camping close to the former city.

However, you’d be better off getting a campground or campsite close bye, because when you visit Hanover there is an abundance of things to see and here.

Amsterdam

Hamburg is ideally placed for self-drive tourists to pop over the border and visit Amsterdam.

It’s a pretty (in places, scenic) drive to the famed Dutch city, but unless you’re using one notable rental company -see above- you’ll have to return to Hamburg to drop off your rental.

Brussels

Hamburg is six and a half hours from Brussels, so why not turn your motorhome vacation into a full-on road trip adventure!

This ancient city is full of art nouveau architecture, culture and gastronomic delights. Before you visit, however, check to make sure your motorhome rental company permits you to travel to different countries and ensure you have the necessary paperwork at all times.

North Sea Towns and the Baltic Coast

Moving east along the Baltic coast in your camper hire in Hamburg, you will come to the city of Rostock with its picturesque light house and one time Monastery of the Holy Cross which is now the Museum of Culture. Just 20 minutes west of Rostock is Bad Doberan, the very first seaside resort in Germany where you can pitch your RV rental in Hamburg and experience its English-style park and two Chinese pavilions.

Continue along the Baltic coast and you will come to, first, the city of Kiel and then still farther, Denmark. Crossing the peninsula and travelling in your Hamburg motorhome rental west of Hamburg, you will come to the North Sea port of Bremerhaven.

Although Bremerhaven is a relatively new city, only founded in 1827, it is a major North Sea port and does have a very interesting open-air ship museum housing the last existing U-boat which you can board and see how the sailors had to live for months at sea. Also of interest here is the Fischereihafen, a small restaurant complex where you can not only see how they smoke fish but also watch to see how the chef cooks your seafood order.

A Space and Benelux Adventure

On your way back to return your Hamburg campervan hire, visit Bremen where you can experience the Fallturm Drop Tower, an important scientific facility to further aerospace research. At a height of 146 metres and a 110 meter tube on top of that, it can replicate zero gravity for experimental purposes and also allow for 10 seconds of free fall. If you are not into jumping, the tower also contains the Panorama Room which affords spectacular views across the city.

If you have time, you can venture with Hamburg RV rentals farther out to ‘Benelux,’ stopping first at the Netherlands and then making your way down south to Belgium and Luxembourg. From Luxembourg, you can reenter Germany’s south, or take in the sights and aroma of northern France.

Best RV Campgrounds & Campsites near Hamburg

We know this section seems a little bit odd. I mean why go to all that trouble and expense to hire a state-of-the-art campervan, motorhome or RV -with a kitchen, WC, and bathroom- and stay in a campsite?

Firstly, you can’t just park a campervan, motorhome or RV up for the night in Germany whenever you feel like it, secondly, you’ll be wanting to safely dispose of the black water (go figure) and those batteries that have been powering the lights/fridge etc will need charging too.

So, here are five of the best campgrounds and campsites in Hamburg. With a surprise in store at the end…

ElbeCamp

Falkensteiner Ufer 101, 22587 Hamburg, Germany

You might find yourself arriving at Elbecamp to begin your motorhome rental vacation and just spending your whole time here.

ElbeCamp features a breakfast cafe if you’re feeling self-indulgent, and there is a playground for the kids, but really, this one is all about the lovely beach and adjacent river.

Camping Land an der Elbe Hamburg

Stover Strand 7, 21423 Drage, Germany

More dynamic riverside action for all the family, and yet another great location to entice you off the road and into the arms of natural, beautiful, scenery.

It’s also worth noting that if you’re travelling with physically disabled people, Camping Land an der Elbe Hamburg could be the best place to stay.

Campingplatz Buchholz Hamburg

Kieler Strasse 374, 22525 Hamburg, Germany

Campingplatz Buchholz Hamburg is located at the very heart of the city, so this could be a great place to book on arrival or departure -so you’re close to the rental depot and/or airport. It’s a pleasant location as well, with plenty of space for you and your motorhome rental crew.

Wohnmobilstellplatz Elbepark Bunthaus Hamburg

Moorwerder Hauptdeich 33, 21109 Hamburg, Germany

At Wohnmobilstellplatz Elbepark Bunthaus, Hamburg you and your motorhome road-trippers can enjoy spacious, grassy pitches surrounded by trees on the banks of the River Elbe.

This one is all about the peace and surrounding space of the campsite, a great option after a long day running around the city.

Wildlife Park Camping Black Mountains

Am Wildpark 1, 21224 Rosengarten, Germany

So, let’s end where we began. This fantastic campsite does pretty much as you’d expect by the title, Wildlife Park Camping Black Mountains, and it’s also one of those places you might book for your motorhome rental, with every intention of moving on after a couple of days, and just staying!