Hire your motorhome from a local company or a peer-to-peer platform?

If you're looking for motorhome hire in Alicante, you'll find two routes. One is a peer-to-peer platform, where each owner lists their own vehicle. The other is a hire company with its own fleet, like OneVan.

We'll say it up front: we're a local company, so we have our opinion. That's why this article also covers what the platforms do well. At the end there's a list of questions to compare any offer, ours or anyone else's.

How each option works

The peer-to-peer platform

A private owner has a campervan or a motorhome and lists it on a website. The platform takes the payment, offers insurance for the hire and sets the general rules. The handover, the condition of the vehicle and the explanations depend on the owner.

Every listing is different. The vehicle, the included mileage, the cleaning, the equipment and, often, the insurance and the excess all change.

The local company with its own fleet

The company owns the vehicles and maintains them. They all leave from the same base, on the same written terms. In our case, that's 7 motorhomes of our own in San Juan de Alicante, 25 minutes from Alicante-Elche airport.

What the platforms do well

It wouldn't be honest not to say it. Platforms have real advantages:

• Choice. You'll find small vans, classic models and vehicles that are very different from each other.
• Pick-up points. There are vehicles spread across lots of cities, sometimes close to home.
• Low starting prices. An older or very small vehicle can work out cheaper per night.
• Dealing with the owner. You talk to someone who travels in their own vehicle and knows it well.

If you're after a specific model, want to set off from another city or your budget comes first above everything else, a platform may be your best option.

What a local company wins on

• The same terms for every vehicle. You read once what the price includes and it applies to the whole fleet.
• A recent fleet of its own. Our vans are from 2022 to 2026 and don't depend on a private owner's diary.
• A fixed place. You know where you collect, at what time and where you leave your car while you travel.
• A fixed price when you book. At OneVan you pay the full amount in one go, by card, and there are no second charges.
• Someone who knows the area. A route tailored to you is included: ask for it whenever you like.

The underlying difference is that you're dealing with a company that depends on you coming back. With 132 reviews on Google, we have a rating of 4.9 out of 5. You can read them before you decide.

Insurance, excess and deposit: where your wallet feels it most

This is where offers differ most, and where people look least.

The excess is the part of a damage claim covered by the insurance that you would pay yourself. The insurance pays the rest.

The security deposit is money that's requested when you collect and returned at the end if there are no issues.

At OneVan both figures are the same for the whole fleet:

• €900 excess, with fully comprehensive insurance and Cobertura OneVaner included in the price.
• €900 security deposit, requested when you collect, on a credit or debit card in the driver's name.

On platforms, the excess depends on the platform, the vehicle and the insurance option you choose. There's usually an option to reduce it by paying more. That's neither good nor bad: it's just another figure to add up. Before you pay, find the exact excess in the listing and what it costs to lower it.

A higher excess makes no difference on the day you book. It makes a difference on the day you have a bump. That's why it's worth comparing it just like you compare the price per night.

Compare totals, not prices per night

Two listings at €99 a night can end up costing very different amounts. Check these items before you compare:

• Included mileage and the price per extra kilometre. At OneVan it's 200 km per night, 300 from 7 nights, and €0.25/km if you go over.
• Final clean. Ours costs €35 and it's always in the total.
• Bedding, kitchen kit and gas. We hand over a fully kitted-out kitchen and full water and gas; bedding costs €35 per set.
• Booking or service fees added at the end of the checkout.
• Pets. At OneVan your dog travels at no cost.
• Discounts for longer stays. With us, −10% from 7 nights and −20% from 14.

On our prices page you'll find all of this in one place, with the real price table by van and season.

Questions to ask before you pay

They work for any offer, ours included:

• What's the exact excess, and how much does it cost to reduce it?
• How much is the deposit, how is it paid and when is it returned?
• How many kilometres are included, and how much is each extra kilometre?
• Is the cleaning included in the total or charged on return?
• What happens if I cancel? And if the owner cancels?
• Is there 24-hour roadside assistance? Does it work outside Spain?
• Can I leave the country or take a ferry?
• What do I do with my car while I'm travelling?
• Who explains the vehicle to me when I collect it?

If an answer isn't clear before you pay, ask for it in writing.

When each option suits you

A peer-to-peer platform suits you if:

• You're looking for a very specific model or a classic vehicle.
• You want to collect in a city where there are no hire companies.
• Your priority is the lowest price per night and you accept more variables.

A local company suits you if:

• It's your first time in a motorhome and you want everything explained at collection.
• You're travelling as a family and need 5 belted seats.
• You're flying in and want to know exactly where and when you collect.
• You're going on a long trip and prefer a fixed price and a known excess.

How we do it at OneVan

• 7 motorhomes of our own, with 4 or 5 seats, from €99 a night depending on the van and the season.
• Base in San Juan de Alicante, 25 minutes from the airport. You can leave your car with us.
• Collection from 4 pm and return by 12 noon. We don't hand over vans on Sundays.
• You pay the full amount when you book, by card, through a secure payment gateway.
• Fully comprehensive insurance with a €900 excess and 24-hour assistance.
• You can travel anywhere in the EU, ferries included.

If you want to see which vans are free for your dates, go to our motorhomes. And if you're flying into Alicante, see how to get to us on our Alicante airport page.

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to hire a motorhome from a private owner?

Sometimes the price per night is lower, especially for older or smaller vehicles. Compare the total: mileage, cleaning, service fees and what it costs to reduce the excess.

What's the excess on OneVan's insurance?

€900, with fully comprehensive insurance and Cobertura OneVaner included in the price. It's the same for all 7 motorhomes.

Is the deposit the same as the excess?

No. The deposit is the €900 requested when you collect and returned at the end if there are no issues. The excess is what you would pay yourself for damage covered by the insurance.

Where can I see all the terms before I book?

In our FAQs and on our prices page. If you're looking for dates coming up soon with a discount, have a look at our last-minute deals.