Bradley and I have always wanted to roadtrip Ireland, especially seeing as I’m a native Irish gal!
Well, we knew that when it comes to seeing Ireland, there are only two real ways to do it.
You either take a lot of tours or you have your own transport and create your own routes and rules…
We preferred option B and when we had the chance to use a Spaceships campervan, we knew it was going to be awesome!
So keep reading to find out more about our epic experience with Spaceships Rentals as well as an honest and upfront review!
Even though we only had 16 days to spare, we planned to see as much as Ireland as possible!
So, we took the campervan and planned a trip that started just outside Dublin (where we picked our van up) and went the whole way around the coast of Ireland.
This included the Wild Atlantic Way, then looped round and visited some of the middle before we dropped it back off.
It was busy, it was beautiful and it was filled with amazing memories.
You can read our full Ireland road trip itinerary here.
So, let’s find out a little bit more about our Delta Campervan and how it went on the road.
Spaceships offer a wide variety of campervan and motorhome rentals that suit couples, solo travellers, groups of friends, and families.
We decided to go for the Delta, whose name was “Hamster”. The Delta is a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi and sleeps 2, fits 4.
It’s an automatic car (Which was actually a lot more fuel efficient and easier to drive in Ireland) and below are some of its main features.
We really did have a great time with our rental and I’d like to go through each area that I thought was great, so that you can get a better idea of what to expect!
I’ve never done the whole #vanlife thing before, so I was curious as to how comfortable it was going to be sleeping in a campervan.
Well, let me tell you, I struggled to wake up in the morning it was so cosy and comfortable!
It was also warm at night (sometimes even too warm because we got some rare heat in Ireland)!
You get insulated stick-ons for each window which blocks out the light, creates privacy and keeps the heat in the van, so there are no issues heat-wise.
I believe in the colder season too it would be just as warm.
Not only that, the actual space in the van is perfect for two people, the driver seat and companion seat have so much leg room and space to stay comfortable when driving for long hours.
There is nothing I could complain about comfort wise, I could easily sleep in the Delta every night of the week!
All the Delta Campervans are brand new vehicles and custom converted, which is awesome.
What’s even better about them is the size is perfect for manoeuvring down Ireland’s quaint country roads, and the tiny streets in the towns.
If you were in a motorhome, you’d definitely struggle with some of the roads in Ireland, particularly on narrow roads of the Beara Peninsula and Ring of Kerry.
However, with our campervan we were able to wind in and out of small spaces with ease - which was super useful for two people who love discovering unique places!
The Delta Campervan is super efficient when it comes to fuel economy.
We spent a lot less on fuel than we would have done road tripping in Bradley’s car (a Peugeot 307).
We calculated that we did 3,338km and spent €267 on fuel. So that works out at about 74km/gallon (46mpg)!
In daily terms it was €8.30 per day each, and we were doing at least 4-5 hours of driving every single day!
This was probably the best thing about renting a Spaceships campervan.
We loved staying in campsites as Ireland has some really great ones, but once you hit the Wild Atlantic Way, there are so many opportunities to wild camp that you can’t pass it up.
You find yourself waking up to views of the waves crashing against the rocks, stunning sunrises and breathtaking sunsets.
In fact, many of our Irish wild camping spots were the highlights of our trip.
Again, thanks to the size of this campervan, it made wild camping much easier and we blended in nicely.
I was worried we just wouldn't have enough room to store all of the things we packed for Ireland, but because you have extra seats in the back, you can easily store your items even when the bed is made!
The custom-made bed in the Delta Campervan is convenient, a great size and super comfortable. It’s so easy to set up and pack away each morning and it rarely took us more than about 3 or 4 minutes! I was super surprised at the comfort level of the mattress, it was perfect!
The built in fridge is an excellent feature of the Delta Campervan and very useful. If you like to prepare your own breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can easily store food in the fridge. It’s also a useful place to store a couple of cans of cider or Guinness for when the occasion arises!
The fridge itself is also really smart and you just keep it cold by switching from vehicle to leisure battery depending on whether you’re driving or not. But don’t worry, that will be explained to you when you hire.
If it’s a warm night in Ireland (they do occur occasionally!) then you can fold your bed out the opposite way and lie “outside” of the campervan. Then, you can pop up your rear awning to create more space and more privacy. We did this on a super warm day and it definitely helped keep me cool at night. The awning itself attaches to the rear door of the campervan.
Read Also: The Best Things To Do In Northern Ireland
To make your camping experience even more pleasant, the campervan comes with cooking equipment and table and chairs which are perfect for enjoying dinner in the evening! Below are a selection of pics of some of my favourite parts of the Campervan!
In life, nothing is perfect; and whilst nothing major went wrong with our rental, this is an honest review and we do like to include everything.
A few of the items in our campervan were a little worn out and broken. Our window covers were also slightly damp when we first took them out and had built up a little mould.
The utensils weren't 100% clean, the awning was clearly well used and was a little ripped; with not enough pegs to actually use it, and the table was broken and scratched.
Our biggest issue was that our fridge never worked at all.
When we were shown how to use it, we were told it just takes a while for it to work, but it never got going which was an issue for me, because I have medication that needs to be kept cold.
We were given the option to get a cool box from a store, which was meant to only be a temporary solution.
However, the guy who we were in contact with just gave up on helping us, which was very disappointing.
As such, we had to get by with having the cool box on throughout the day for about 8 hours and off for the rest of the 16 hours.
We left it on overnight the day we got it and it completely drained the battery and we had to get someone to jump the car for us.
In the end, this meant our food and my insulin was heating and cooling frequently, which actually killed my medication in the end.
I think it would be super useful for the guys at Spaceships to create a manual to go in every van that just has lots of FAQ in it and instructions on how to use different features.
Because when you first take the van, you’re not really sure what you need to ask the staff, other than the obvious questions.
Then, once you get going and you realise you have lots of little questions, you have to spend time keep getting in contact with them.
Read Also: The Best Things To Do In Ireland
Yes, yes and yes! Road tripping with our Spaceships campervan was an amazing experience.
It was an excellent value for money, you have the ability to create your own itinerary, discover new and unique places and you’re going to be sleeping in one of the most comfortable spots I’ve ever slept in!
The one caveat I would put in is this …
Make sure you check everything thoroughly before you leave!
You should not have to put up with the issues we did, so go through and make sure the team have done a good job at cleaning all of the accessories and that key parts of the equipment aren’t ripped, broken or dirty.
If you’re going to visit Ireland, you 100% need to roadtrip it in order to get the most out of what’s on offer.
Renting your own campervan with Spaceships rental gives you the opportunity to really see ALL the beauty Ireland has to offer.
To get a quick quote for a Spaceships campervan rental, just click here!
For more info about our amazing trip, here are some other posts you might find useful:
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