Our Customer Reviews

Portugal/Spain Vacation — Portugal RV Rental Review

We had a great vacation in Portugal and Spain using a class B Dethleff Globetrail 600 on a Ford Transit Chassis. The van had around 15000Km and was very clean and in good shape. Our pick-up experience was smooth, efficient and thorough. The kitchen kit was a bit inadequate and we did have to ask for a proper coffee pot. We purchased more tea towels and wash clothes as those provided were not sufficient. The linen kit was decent however we had to ask for better pillows as the ones provided were terrible. We never used the shower set-up as it is time consuming and cumbersome to set up. The heating system was good and we were comfortable even with some cooler temperatures in the mountains of Spain. The plumbing system did malfunction during the trip but was not a serious issue for us. The van was very solid on the highway and averaged 8.9litres/100km using a 6 speed manual transmission which was quite reasonable. We used Park-for-night to find places to stay and also just wild camped without issue. On return the process was again fast and efficient. Because of the time of year there were very few campers on the road and we never had problems finding locations to stay. Had a great trip and want to return for more soon. Our experience with MOTORVANA was also efficient and provided good value.

G. Muller, British Columbia, Canada, posted on 21 December 2023, vendor was McRent Portugal

McRent Lisbon May 2023

We had a great experience with McRent Lisbon. We rented for 20 days. We have rented from McRent in Spain, Germany and Netherlands previously. McRent Lisbon was the best experience we’ve had. Staff were very professional and very well prepared. The motor home we rented was very well equipped and we were completely satisfied with the whole experience. No improvement necessary. Well done.

Darrell , Edmonton, Canada, posted on 19 June 2023, vendor was McRent Portugal

Motorhome rental ex Lisbon, Portugal

Mc Rent Lisbon was thoroughly excellent. Very helpful and responsive staff, motorhome was fully prepared and worked very well. The entire rental experience was very positive and we are planning another trip with McRent Lisbon as our supplier of the motorhome. Nothing needs improvement as far as we are concerned.

Bruce Jamer, British Columbia, Canada, posted on 28 May 2023, vendor was McRent Portugal

Fantastic

We had a great experience with our hire. We requested a 2 week rental fairly last minute in August 2021. We wanted to pickup in Porto and hand back in Faro but there were no motorhomes available for this. McRent’s booking facility (based in USA) managed to find us a suitable vehicle that was a last minute cancellation that was available round trip from Lisbon (Sintra). This was acceptable to us. The pick up at Sintra was lengthy but well detailed and the staff were very professional, helpful and knowledgeable. We loved the motorhome. Ninja mosquitoes did penetrate the insect screens a couple of nights. We had no problems with the motorhome. It didn’t guzzle fuel. Handing it back took about 30 minutes. We were sad to say goodbye to it and would love to repeat the trip. We parked overnight mostly in Orbitur campsites.

christopher zschorn, London, posted on 15 September 2021, vendor was McRent Portugal

Picking up RV took too long but the rest was fine

The overall experience, and the condition of the RV was good. My only complaint is with the amount of time it took to pick up the RV. The delay made the first night on the road much more difficult than it had to be.

Richard, USA, posted on 29 May 2017, vendor was McRent Portugal

Aloha. Had a great trip following the surf in Peniche and Nazaré. The rental staff was great, the autocaravan very nice and all went well. Could no say the same for the GPS used because it kept giving wrong directions in and out of the rental place. Good planing is a must.Cheers

Carlos Da Fonseca, Rio de Janeiro, posted on 17 November 2015, vendor was McRent Portugal

Vehicle was excellent and the staff were very accommodating in providing instructions etc. Two reasons only for not awarding 5 stars: The location of the hirer is very poor, very difficult to access requiring a train journey and taxis from Lisbon. The transfer options offered are very expensive. The added options eg bedding are very expensive. We purchased our own bedding but not ideal having to go shopping when on holiday. We did pay extra for a table and chairs but again very expensive for what they were, would expect these to be included.

Dave Miller, UK, posted on 14 November 2015, vendor was McRent Portugal

The RV was really good, everything working just fine. Big problem was when we got home and our credit card was charged 1500 euros + taxes (6,38%). Despite being reimbursed the 1500 euros, it will happen only next month, so we still have to pay for something that we did not buy. The worst part are the taxes that will not be reimbursed, so we are paying 95 euros for nothing, no reason why. So, instead of charging people 1500 euros, you should really only "block" this amount in their credit card, the same way car rental companies do. This is why I would not recommend.

Luis Guilherme Zenoni, Curitiba - Brasil, posted on 11 November 2015, vendor was McRent Portugal

Response from Motorvana:

Indeed some of our vendors (i.e. RV rental companies) do actually charge the security deposit, because (as you can imagine) that is a far more secure way of securing the deposit. We present the relevant security deposit policy during the online order process and on the rental confirmation voucher. Less clear, indeed, is the sort of percentage difference you refer to. That difference is not a tax but rather a function of differences between and variances in currency exchange rates, as explained below and in the "Security Deposit for a Vehicle Rental" section of our General Disclaimers and Notices. If the vendor does actually charge the security deposit upon the pick-up occasion, and if your credit card account settles in a currency different than the vendor's currency, and if indeed the vendor fully or partially credits the security deposit back to your card following the return occasion, please note that two different retail exchange rates will naturally be used by the credit card company (e.g. Visa, MasterCard, etc) to translate the vendor currency into your credit card account's currency: the exchange rate on the date the charge was made, and the exchange rate on the date the charge was fully or partially credited back. Naturally a retail exchange rate will used by the credit card company, because as a business they do not exchange currencies free of charge; that means the customer pays a small premium in his/her currency for a charged amount in a foreign currency, and likewise receives a bit less in his/her currency for a credited amount in a foreign currency. If when said credit is made to the customer's card the customer's currency is stronger versus the vendor's currency than it was when the charge was made, the customer will luckily recoup some of said retail differential and may even profit; but if it is weaker the customer will receive even less back in his/her currency than he/she otherwise would. The vendor (i.e. rental company) of course does not know what currency the customer's credit card settles in, and the vendor is of course not responsible for changes in exchange rates. The vendor in this case just charges or credits the customer's credit card in the currency the vendor operates in; and by the way, the vendor itself suffers merchant credit card transaction fees of about 2% on each charge and on each credit, higher if the card is from abroad, so please understand that these vendors must really have good reason for actually charging the security deposit rather than merely authorizing it. … Moreover, the customer's credit card issuer (e.g. bank), in contrast to Visa or MasterCard (for instance), and specifically per the terms and conditions of the customer's credit card account, might charge a foreign currency transaction fee (e.g. 1–3%) or, more generally, a foreign transaction fee (similar percentage but attaching to all transactions outside the customer's country, regardless of currency). Many credit card issuers pointedly, i.e. as a matter of marketing, do not impose such fee, and you of course should prefer to use such card when abroad, regardless of what you are paying for. In this final respect please see the great opportunity for savings per each credit card transaction you make while abroad.

Campilider was great. The van was perfect. Good run through to understand how it worked. Drove very well, was good on fuel and very comfortable. We did somehow loose a window and they were very reasonable with sorting it out. Rate them highly.

Corey wilkie, posted on 3 July 2015, vendor was Campilider

The booking with Motorvana was easy, cheap and fair (already told other people we met at the camping sites). The camper was great and clean, the Sintra McRent People were very friendly. Even after a small accident with a broken window there was no trouble.

4 persons enjoyed 19 days camping in many locations of Portugal.

Martin B. and Family, Germany, posted on 17 October 2014, vendor was McRent Portugal

The van was in good condition, nice and clean, the staff were very helpful. I would be happy to recommend them to anyone. thanks to the rental crew, who made the whole experience pleasant.

Richard Dennison, posted on 1 August 2014, vendor was McRent Portugal

We hired a 5 berths (A-68) family camper in Lisbon, returning it 3 weeks later to the same place. Not only all went smooths and easy, we have found great team and service while checking out and in. Service was always professional and friendly and the people down there were helping out with big and small things. We even called them on Sunday to consult on a small issue and felt the smile over the phone. The car was almost new, in great condition. Make sure to take care of the bedding and towels and small little things they don't provide (wine glasses. Glass, not a plastic cup...). We would advice not to buy any of the extras but rather to bring your own or buy in the nearest supermarket. The renting process went flawless and the price was attractive. Portugal is lovely simple country, with warm people and great non-famous hidden treasures awaiting exploration. Enjoy!

AMIT H, posted on 11 November 2011, vendor was McRent Portugal

Nous avons fait un voyage formidable avec le camping car que nous avons pris a Sintra. Le personnel nous a bien informe des details pour utiliser le VR. Les rues dans les villes sont trop étroites pour se balader en VR au Portugal et en Espagne.

René Gervais, posted on 18 October 2011, vendor was McRent Portugal

We hired a globus 1 from1st sept till 1st oct 2010 the pick up and drop off was quite drawn out but very well done both at Sintra. We Did 6000 kms in Portugal Spain and afew days in southern France. As we free camped all but 3 nights never had any problems with battery power or gas for the stove and water heater. The camper powdered by Fiat went very well and trouble Free, fuel consumption for total trip was 9.7 litres per 100 kms. As we drive in Australia on the other side of the road to Europe I think we did very well returning the motorhome back to base without a scratch mind you we had a few moments in the first couple of days until we got used to driving on the wrong side ha ha ...cheers for now keep up the good work ....

David and Marilyn Webb, Albany, Western Australia, posted on 3 November 2010, vendor was McRent Portugal

Had a great trip! The camper was exactly what we expected and was nearly new. No problems during the whole trip (about 10 days) despite several thousand kilometers of driving. The welcome at the rental center was superb; pickup and dropoff both went off without a hitch!

Dan F, posted on 11 September 2010, vendor was McRent Portugal

We had a fantastic trip in Portugal with the children. Very positive points: good vehicle, with 7 beds in total. Very clean inside and well equipped. The country is gorgeous, especially during Spring season with all the flowers around. We picked-up the camper in the North and were able to visit Porto, drove all the way down to Lisbon (enjoyed very much Praia da Barra and Aveiro) and then came back to Porto in one week. Staid 3 times in campings to take showers (Orbitur campings are very clean, well equipped and safe). The autonomy of the water tank is not enough for 7 people to take a shower per day... You can almost stop anywhere to sleep (staid one night on the parking above Praia da Guincho - a beautiful surf spot). We liked very much Lisbon and Sintra. Nobody should miss the "Palacio da Regaleira" in Sintra : a totally crazy garden !! The old monastries of Alcobaca, Bathalha and Tomar should really be part of the trip (close to Fatima where Virgin Mary appeared in 1917). Food in Portugal is generally very good and quite cheap (TIP : you can easily share plates in the restaurants as the portions are huge... One mixed grill of fish is enough for 2 people.) Could have been better: Campilider agent welcome was ok but could have been warmer. We had one issue with the camper only 10 minutes before the drop-off : while I had stopped in a gasoline station to clean the camper, I hit a big truck while parking (the camper is very long and I did not see the truck in the mirror...) The rear bumper is made of plastic and was a bit damaged. I was so upset as I had no problem driving 1200 kms, sometimes taking small roads in Lisbon and parking in the streets with cars around... This happened just 5 minutes before returning the vehicle ! The Campilider agent charged us the amount for the repair which is normal but I should have looked more carefully at the vendor terms and conditions before taking the vehicle. I wish there were a better insurance to cover these kinds of small issues. Finally I really recommend Motorvana, which was always very professional.

Nicolas Colliot, posted on 18 May 2010, vendor was Campilider

I found it very easy to make the reservations for the mobilhome. The local partner company was very friendly and we where on the road in no time and could start enjoying the nice country-side of South-Portugal. Around Easter, the campings in the Algarve are quite cheap, almost empty and of very high quality. Camping on parkingspots you can find on the internet was also possible, there are quite a few in beautifull spots. We went for a round of golf and arrived there with the camper, no problem, all is foreseen. Returning the camper was fun, all formalities done in less than 20 minutes. Will do this again.

Filips Lombaert, posted on 13 June 2009, vendor was Campilider

I have to admit that Portugal is gorgeous country and we were lucky that we used your company to discover all this beauty. The people who took care about us in Portugal were simply just the best from our experience. They were very nice and friendly.

The car was ok too we would just prefer maybe car with gas heating instead of electric ones. We were not always connected to electricity and the batteries couldn't be used for whole night. Also it could be smaller car but as I said everything was nice and perfect.

Thanks a lot.

Petr Brezina, posted on 21 November 2008, vendor was McRent Portugal

We are back in Germany now and very happy about our time in Portugal! Especially our time with the caravan was the most exciting one! The pick up and drop off of the vehicle was very uncomplicated. The atmosphere of the Parracho Company (McRent partner) is very familial and warm-hearted. In the first day of rental we had a big unexpected problem with the door of the fridge but Mr. Parracho himself came down over 150km to change the door immediately, this was a unbelievable service for us and helped us to make a save and awesome trip around this perfect country for caravaning:) We never did a caravan trip before but we gone do one again for sure! Thanks a lot.

Marc Kuhberg, posted on 7 November 2008, vendor was McRent Portugal

Google helped me to find a company for camper rental in Portugal. Fortunately I met with Motorvana and McRent (Parracho Automoveis in Sintra). For three weeks we rented a Dethleff Globebus 1; almost new with only 20.000 kilometers. It was a pleasure to drive in this camper. The pick up at McRent and the drop off was very well organised. The staff was very friendly; we could start with our trip 4 hours in advance of the normal pick up time. We drove 2200 kilometers through the northern part of Portugal, only on local roads. We only spent 3 nights on official campings, three times on marked camperstands and the other times where ever we liked. We used the necessary guides to find the places to stay over night. This was the first time we spent our holidays with a camper. We certainly will do this again and, if possible through Motorvana, with a preference for the Globebus, type II with a lower bed in the rear.

C. Overdiek, posted on 14 October 2008, vendor was McRent Portugal