Travelling Tasmania with campervan?

Question

Hi guys, I thought of travelling with my family (4 of us) in a campervan from Launcheston to Hobart for around 6 to 7 days...I wonder if it is a good way to travel Tasmania with a campervan? Any recommendations? If yes, are there any cheap and good campervan rental companies as well as campervan/caravan parks? Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

G'day DP!

I'd forget the campervan idea as they are quite expensive to hire and if the weather is poor...you'll freeze!

Driving around Tasmania makes for a great holiday.

In fact, I recently spent 2 weeks doing exactly the same thing!

I started from and returned to Launceston taking in Swansea, Hobart, Port Arthur, Richmond, Strahan, and Cradle Mountain as stopover points.

There are heaps of good hotels, motel, B&B's which cater to EVERY budget.

I'd also recommend including Bicheno, Coles Bay, and Lake St Clair.

We drove south from Launceston, turned east and travelled through Avoca to St Mary's before heading south to Bicheno, Swansea etc before arriving at Sorrell and finally Hobart...it's a lovely drive...lots of forest and plenty of beaches to view as well!

If you can only do the drive from Launceston to Hobart, I'd recommend the following - Launceston, Bicheno, Coles Bay, Swansea, Port Arthur, and Hobart.

In Launceston do Cataract Gorge and get on a Tamar River Cruise. You might also enjoy City Park.

Bicheno is a lovely seaside town, Coles Bay is close to the world famous Wineglass Bay, Swansea is another lovely seaside town. You could probably stay 2 nights in Bicheno and do most things in the general area before tackling the drive through to Port Arthur.

PA is about 90mins south of Hobart but is SO worth the effort to get there. You can view the blowholes in addition to the PA historic site itself...will take a full day to do this properly!

Then I'd spend a last day in Hobart...try to time for Salamanca Markets and also take in Cadbury Chocolate Factory tour and drive up Mt Wellington for a wonderful scenic view.

Driving in Tas can be a chore at times as most brochures show approx times based upon 100kph average speed...which you just cannot physically achieve. Some of the roads are incredibly narrow so allow plenty of time to reach your destination and drive to weather conditions.

Hope you have a great trip!
Cheers :)

Answer 2

First... I'd suggest hiring a car. Campervans are a pain if you need to nip into town somewhere to pick up some groceries. It's easier to have the freedom of a car. And then I'd suggest that (if you're on a budget) a chain like Cosy Cabins. Cheap and convenient, and lots of locations to choose from. Obviously, you may need to go upmarket a bit and stay in a hotel in the bigger cities (like Hobart and Launceston), or in out of the way places where there isn't a local caravan park. Then... pick a direction - clockwise or counterclockwise. Personally, I'd fly into Launceston. The price is probably going to be the same whether you pick Hobart or Launceston. Launceston's just an easier place to start (IMO). If you're staying for four weeks, cut the Apple Isle into quarters. Explore the Tamar Valley, Cataract Gorge, St Helens, Bicheno, Freycinet Peninsula. Then head south and explore Hobart, Russell Falls, Port Arthur, the Blowhole, Tessellated Pavement, Doo Town (its a giggle). And don't forget the Salamanca Market on Saturday or the Cadbury factory (what girl doesn't love chocolate?!?). Then discover the south-western corner. Queenstown is an eye-opener. Head into places like Cygnet, Bribie Island, and the Huon Valley. Then finally, head north and discover the top-end. Stanley and The Nut, Devonport, Burnie, Moles Creek (great caves to explore), and don't forget the Penguin Market on Sundays. Obviously, you can find heaps of brilliant places to explore at any of Tassies great websites. Hope I've helped, and have a brilliant holiday.

Answer 3

I sometimes think every second vehicle on the roads in Tasmania is a campervan. It is a very popular and practical way to see the state. It seems expensive on the surface but when you consider all the motel bills you are not paying it works out OK. There are plenty of caravan parks, every town and village has at least one. There are quite a few companies renting campervans, I'd google "campervan hire Tasmania" and compare prices.

Answer 4

I recently travelled from Hobart to Launceston but hired a car and moteled it. A campervan may be cold unless you strike good weather . we travelled the east coast and had 7 days. 2 being in Hobart which we loved 2 of the days in Launceston which gave us time to visit the gorge and a swiss village on our drive out to Beauty point.The other days travelling, and booking the motel the night before from wotif.com and got super deals that way. Some of the roads are very narrow and winding. If I was to do it again I would motel it again . we took a flask and bought some food from the supermarket so we weren't spending at restaraunts much.

Answer 5

It takes about 2 or 3 hours to get from Launceston to Hobart, so I suggest you make some detours! You can probably see all the major tourist attractions in that amount of time.