A 14 day Hobart to Hobart loop with distances and drive times, plus the Spirit of Tasmania rules, the October 2026 ferry changeover, and AUD prices by season.
The full Tasmania campervan loop runs roughly 1,400 kilometres from Hobart, up the east coast to Launceston, west to Cradle Mountain, down the west coast and back to Hobart. Fourteen days is the comfortable duration, ten is the practical minimum, and seven means skipping the west entirely. Most travellers are better off hiring a campervan from Hobart or Launceston than taking a mainland rental across on the Spirit of Tasmania, because bringing a hire vehicle over needs the operator’s permission, costs a separate vehicle fare, and burns two days of the rental on the crossing. The loop works year round, but the road to Cradle Mountain sees snow in winter.
Anyone booking a Tasmania trip in the second half of 2026 needs this before they book anything.
The Spirit of Tasmania is replacing both its ships. Spirit of Tasmania I and II are being retired, and Spirit of Tasmania IV and V, each 212 metres and 48,000 tonnes, are scheduled to enter service from the end of October 2026, once Devonport’s new Berth 3 and the Spirit Quay terminal are complete. That completion date was brought forward to October 2026, four months earlier than the previously announced February 2027.
The catch is the handover. Sailings between roughly 23 and 30 October 2026 could not be booked at the time of writing, because the changeover from the old ships to the new ones is expected around then and there may be a short period without daily sailings. Anyone planning a late October crossing should check the schedule directly and have a fallback.
For campervan travellers the new ships are a genuine upgrade. Passenger capacity rises from 1,400 to 1,800, cabins from 222 to 301, and vehicle lanes expand by almost 60 per cent. Most relevant here: unlike the current ships, all vehicle lanes on the new vessels offer extra height to accommodate caravans and campervans. High-top campers have historically been the first thing to sell out on this route.
One more current detail: a fuel surcharge took effect from the week commencing 31 March 2026, applying to new bookings made on or after that date, described by the operator as a temporary measure reviewed monthly.
There are two ways to do a Tasmania campervan loop, and the popular one is usually the wrong one.
Option A: hire on the mainland and bring it across. This is what most people picture. It is legal, but it comes with conditions. Britz, Apollo, Maui, Mighty and Cheapa Campa all treat Tasmania as a restricted destination requiring permission before travel. Their vehicles can be driven to any island including Tasmania as long as permission is obtained from the operator first. The ferry must be pre-booked directly with Spirit of Tasmania, and the booking needs the vehicle’s length, which means knowing the exact model before the ferry is locked in.
The costs stack up quietly. There is a vehicle fare on top of the passenger fare, charged by length. There are two crossings. The sailings are overnight, and the drive from Devonport down to Hobart is about three and a half hours on top. Realistically that is two days of a paid rental spent getting to and from the island, plus the Melbourne depot to Geelong terminal run, which Britz puts at 50 to 60 minutes and warns can be heavy with traffic.
Option B: fly to Hobart or Launceston and hire there. No ferry fare for a vehicle, no permission request, no wasted rental days, and the depots are at the airports. Britz Hobart sits 400 metres from the terminal, walkable with bags.
Option A makes sense for one scenario: a longer trip that already includes mainland driving, where Tasmania is one leg of something bigger. For a two week loop of the island and nothing else, Option B wins on almost every measure. This guide assumes Option B and covers the ferry properly for the people doing Option A anyway.
| Operator | Depot | From airport | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britz | 14 Long Street, Cambridge TAS 7170 (Hobart Airport) | 0.4 km, walkable | 18.8 km from Hobart city. No transfers offered |
| Apollo | Hobart Airport, Cambridge TAS 7170 | approx. 1.6 km | Confirm current street address before publishing |
| Maui | Hobart Airport, Cambridge TAS 7170 | approx. 0.4 km | THL shared site |
| Mighty | Hobart Airport, Cambridge TAS 7170 | approx. 0.4 km | THL shared site |
| Cheapa Campa | Hobart Airport, Cambridge TAS 7170 | approx. 0.4 km | THL shared site |
| Tasmania Campers | Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Queenstown, Burnie, Bicheno | varies | Six depots on the island, budget end |
| Leisure Rent | 94 Kennedy Drive, Cambridge TAS 7170 | approx. 3 km | Hobart, Launceston and Devonport depots. Transfers offered |
Britz, Apollo, Maui, Mighty and Cheapa Campa share the parent company THL, which is why they cluster at the same Hobart Airport precinct and why their terms read almost identically. Booking three of them expecting three different ferry answers will not work.
The Britz Hobart branch opens 9am to 3:30pm, with vehicles collected and returned by 3pm, and Sunday reserved for guests with pre-confirmed bookings at pre-arranged time slots. Vehicles must be collected at least one hour before closing. There is no customer parking inside the branch grounds, though paid parking sits adjacent and secure parking is available at Airport Undercover Parking, 94 Kennedy Drive.
The Tasmania-only operators deserve a real look here in a way they do not elsewhere in Australia. Tasmania Campers runs six depots including Queenstown and Bicheno, which opens up one-way loop options the national brands cannot match. Leisure Rent covers Hobart, Launceston and Devonport, which suits anyone flying into one city and out of another.
A caveat worth checking: Apollo’s terms have historically stated that 4WD campers are not available to or from Hobart, while Britz Hobart has been listed as carrying 4WD campers. Nothing on the standard loop needs a 4WD, so this only matters for anyone eyeing the unsealed tracks in the far south or the west.
Britz is the safest default. The Hobart branch is walkable from the terminal, the fleet is young, and the 2 Berth HiTop and 4 Berth Voyager both handle the loop without drama. It costs more than the budget end and the value is mostly in the newer vehicle and the branch facilities.
Apollo sits alongside it at similar money with a comparable fleet, and its Euro Tourer and Euro Slider models are well suited to Tasmania’s narrower roads. Same THL rulebook.
Maui is the premium THL badge, worth it for travellers who want a newer, larger motorhome and are not counting dollars. Mighty and Cheapa Campa are the budget THL badges, cheaper with older vehicles, which matters less in Tasmania than it would on the Cape York run because the roads here are sealed and the distances are short.
Tasmania Campers and Leisure Rent are the local specialists. Their advantage is not just price. Six island depots means genuine flexibility, and staff who drive these roads weekly give better advice on which mountain passes to avoid in a high-sided camper in a westerly.
JUCY, Travellers Autobarn, Indie Campers and Camplify are worth checking for availability, but their Tasmanian presence is thinner than on the mainland. Camplify is peer-to-peer, so conditions vary owner by owner rather than following a corporate policy.
The honest summary: for a two week loop, compare a THL brand against Tasmania Campers and Leisure Rent on total cost including the one-way fee, and let the depot map decide it. For how these brands compare across the region, the Australia and New Zealand campervan hire guide covers the wider fleet.
Tasmania campervan prices are quoted in AUD. The island has the sharpest seasonal swing in the country, because summer demand collides with a fleet that cannot be topped up from interstate at short notice.
| Vehicle | Low season (May to Aug) | Shoulder (Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov) | Peak (Dec to Feb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 berth campervan | approx. AUD $60 to $95 per day | approx. AUD $90 to $140 per day | approx. AUD $150 to $240 per day |
| 4 berth campervan | approx. AUD $85 to $130 per day | approx. AUD $120 to $185 per day | approx. AUD $200 to $310 per day |
| 6 berth motorhome | approx. AUD $110 to $170 per day | approx. AUD $160 to $240 per day | approx. AUD $260 to $400 per day |
Budget for these on top of the daily rate:
Powered sites at holiday parks run roughly AUD $40 to $60 per night for two people, and national park entry needs a Parks Pass. A holiday vehicle pass covers all parks for up to eight weeks and is the right choice for a loop, since Cradle Mountain, Freycinet and Mount Field are all on the route. Buy it once, use it everywhere.
Fuel is the quiet advantage of this trip. A 1,400 kilometre loop in a 2 berth campervan is a modest fuel bill by Australian standards, and prices on the island track close to mainland capitals apart from the west coast, where Queenstown and Strahan run higher.
For anyone doing Option A, the ferry is the big line item: a passenger fare each way, plus a vehicle fare charged by length, plus a cabin for the overnight sailing. Pricing depends on vehicle type and size, so the length declared at booking needs to be accurate, including any bike rack or roof rack. Campervan and motorhome spots sell out well before standard vehicle spots.
The loop works clockwise or anticlockwise. Clockwise from Hobart puts the east coast first, which front-loads the good weather and leaves the west for when everyone has found their rhythm in the vehicle.
| Leg | Distance | Drive time | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart to Port Arthur (Tasman Peninsula) | approx. 100 km | 1 hr 30 | 1 |
| Port Arthur to Freycinet (Coles Bay) | approx. 200 km | 2 hr 45 | 2 |
| Freycinet to Bay of Fires (Binalong Bay) | approx. 150 km | 2 hr | 2 |
| Bay of Fires to Launceston | approx. 180 km | 2 hr 15 | 2 |
| Launceston to Cradle Mountain | approx. 145 km | 2 hr | 2 |
| Cradle Mountain to Strahan | approx. 180 km | 2 hr 30 | 1 |
| Strahan to Lake St Clair (Derwent Bridge) | approx. 175 km | 2 hr 15 | 1 |
| Lake St Clair to Hobart via Mount Field | approx. 175 km | 2 hr 30 | 2 |
That is roughly 1,300 kilometres of driving across thirteen nights, which leaves genuine slack. The numbers above are indicative and should be confirmed before publishing.
The east coast is the section Britz markets as a 220 kilometre coastal drive, and it earns the billing. Freycinet needs two nights minimum, because Wineglass Bay lookout is a short walk and the beach itself is not.
Cradle Mountain is the one leg where the weather makes decisions for the traveller. The road in climbs, it snows in winter, and campervans are not permitted on the shuttle road to Dove Lake during operating hours, so the plan is park at the visitor centre and take the shuttle.
The west coast is where most seven day itineraries quietly get abandoned. Strahan and Queenstown are a long way from everything, the roads are slower than the map suggests, and the reward is the emptiest, strangest country on the island. Anyone with only a week should do Hobart, the east coast and Launceston, and come back for the west.
Recommended duration: 14 days. Ten works if the west gets one night instead of two. Seven means the east coast loop only, returning to Hobart via the Midland Highway.
A note on drive times. Tasmanian distances lie. A 180 kilometre leg that would take two hours on the mainland takes two and a half here, because the roads wind, the speed limits drop through every town, and a high-sided campervan in a Bass Strait crosswind is not overtaking anyone.
Standard inclusions across the THL brands cover linen with pillow, pillowcase, sleeping bag or duvet, sheet and towel per person; a kitchen kit with plates, bowls, cups, glasses, cutlery, mixing bowls, colander, saucepans, frying pans, utensils, chopping board, kettle, teapot and toaster; and general equipment including pegs and clothesline, dustpan and brush, fire extinguisher, bucket and hose, broom and toilet chemicals.
Gas bottles are generally pre-purchased separately, at around AUD $25 per rental for a 2 berth campervan and AUD $40 for 4 and 6 berth motorhomes.
Two Tasmania-specific things to add. First, a diesel heater or a decent sleeping bag rating, because the island gets genuinely cold at altitude and shoulder season nights at Cradle Mountain drop below zero. Ask what heating the vehicle has rather than assuming. Second, a Parks Pass, which is not included in any rental.
Not included, and worth planning for: powered site fees, the Parks Pass, one-way fees if picking up and dropping off at different depots, and the ferry if bringing a mainland vehicle.
Tasmania is the one Australian destination where the campervan season is genuinely year round, and the choice is about trade-offs rather than possibility.
December to February is peak. Long days, warm weather, and a fleet that sells out months ahead at the highest rates of the year. Book by September for a January trip, and expect to pay for the privilege.
March to April is the sweet spot. The weather holds, the crowds thin, the rates drop into shoulder pricing, and the autumn colour in the Central Highlands is worth the trip on its own.
May to August is winter, and it is underrated. Rates fall to their lowest, the roads are quiet, and the light is extraordinary. Snow closes or slows the road to Cradle Mountain, days are short, and a campervan without proper heating is miserable. This is also Dark Mofo season, which changes the maths entirely (see below).
September to November is spring shoulder. Wildflowers, unpredictable weather, and reasonable rates.
Freedom camping is not permitted in Hobart, and the closest free camping sits roughly 80 to 120 kilometres out, at Oatlands on the Launceston road, the Arve River south of Hobart, or Mayfield Beach on the Bicheno road. The loop suits a mix of holiday parks and national park campgrounds rather than a pure free-camping approach, which is a different calculation from the mainland. The free camping versus paid campgrounds breakdown covers how to think about the split.
Tasmania’s event calendar is unusually good at filling exactly the months when nobody else visits, which is why a campervan is such a sensible way to attend.
Dark Mofo takes over Hobart every June, built around the winter solstice, with the Winter Feast, the Ogoh-Ogoh, Night Mass and the Nude Solstice Swim. The 2025 edition drew about 120,000 unique attendees and over 50,000 interstate and overseas visitors, and the Tasmanian Government has secured the festival through 2027. It has no camping of its own, so a campervan based at a holiday park outside the CBD is a straightforward answer to a city where accommodation prices spike hard for two weeks. Confirm the 2027 dates before booking, since they move with the solstice.
Party in the Paddock runs at Quercus Park near Launceston in early February, and is the closest thing Tasmania has to a bush camping festival.
Targa Tasmania takes over roads across the island each April, which matters even for people not attending, because it closes sections of the exact roads this loop uses.
MONA FOMA in summer and the Cygnet Folk Festival in January round out the calendar.
None of these currently have dedicated guides on this site, which is a content gap worth filling given how well a campervan solves the accommodation problem at every one of them.
Can I take a rental campervan on the Spirit of Tasmania? Yes, with the rental operator’s permission obtained before travel. Britz, Apollo, Maui, Mighty and Cheapa Campa all treat Tasmania as a restricted destination requiring permission first. The ferry itself must be pre-booked directly with Spirit of Tasmania, and the booking needs the vehicle’s exact length.
Is it cheaper to hire in Tasmania or bring a camper on the ferry? For a loop of the island alone, hiring in Tasmania is almost always cheaper. Bringing a mainland vehicle adds a vehicle fare each way, a cabin for the overnight sailing, and roughly two days of paid rental spent crossing and driving from Devonport to Hobart.
How long do I need for the full Tasmania campervan loop? Fourteen days is comfortable. Ten is the practical minimum for the full circuit including the west coast. Seven days covers Hobart, the east coast and Launceston only.
How long is the Tasmania loop? Roughly 1,400 kilometres for the full circuit. It sounds small, and it is by Australian standards, but Tasmanian drive times run longer than the distances suggest because the roads wind and speed limits drop constantly.
What is happening with the Spirit of Tasmania ferries in 2026? Spirit of Tasmania IV and V are scheduled to enter service from the end of October 2026, replacing Spirit of Tasmania I and II, once Devonport’s Berth 3 and the new Spirit Quay terminal are complete. Sailings around 23 to 30 October 2026 were not bookable at the time of writing due to the changeover. The new ships offer extra height in all vehicle lanes for campervans.
Where does the Spirit of Tasmania leave from? Tasmania Quay Terminal, 136 Corio Quay Road, North Geelong, roughly 70 kilometres from Melbourne. It has not sailed from Port Melbourne since late 2022. It docks at Devonport, about three and a half hours drive from Hobart.
Do I need a 4WD campervan for Tasmania? No. The entire standard loop is sealed. Some operators have restricted 4WD campers from the Hobart branch anyway, so a 2WD campervan or motorhome is both sufficient and easier to source.
Can I freedom camp in Tasmania? Not in Hobart. The nearest free camping is roughly 80 to 120 kilometres out, at Oatlands, the Arve River or Mayfield Beach. Elsewhere on the island the rules vary by council, and the loop realistically mixes holiday parks with national park campgrounds.
When is the cheapest time for Tasmania campervan hire? May to August. Rates fall to their annual low, the roads are quiet, and the trade-offs are short days, cold nights and possible snow on the road to Cradle Mountain. June also brings Dark Mofo, which lifts Hobart demand for a fortnight.
Do I need a Parks Pass? Yes, for Cradle Mountain, Freycinet, Mount Field and every other national park on the route. A holiday vehicle pass covers all parks for up to eight weeks and is the sensible option for a loop. It is not included in any rental.
Can I pick up in Hobart and drop off in Launceston? Yes, with most operators, subject to a one-way fee. The Tasmania-only operators have more depots on the island, including Devonport, Queenstown, Burnie and Bicheno, which opens up options the national brands cannot match.
Tasmania is the rare Australian loop where the whole thing fits inside two weeks without a single day of highway grinding, and where the cheapest months are also the most interesting ones. Get the pickup city right, book the vehicle before the summer fleet disappears, and let the west coast have the two nights it deserves. Compare campervan hire from Hobart across Britz, Apollo, Maui and the Tasmanian specialists, and check the ferry schedule directly if the plan involves bringing a vehicle from the mainland.
