Launceston is a year-round destination in Tasmania and is the perfect place to visit for your next adventure in a campervan. With captivating landscapes and heart-stopping coastlines, this vibrant riverside city will not disappoint. You could save on your accommodation and transportation costs by booking a campervan hire with VroomVroomVroom. If you prefer a smaller vehicle like an SUV or station wagon, you can also compare rental cars in Launceston.
Launceston or “Lonnie” to the locals is a city of contrast. It is Tasmania’s second-largest city and one of Australia’s oldest cities. Just 200 km north of Hobart, the city is a great place to pick up your campervan hire in northern Tasmania. Launceston features a lively Victorian-era ambience as well as historical sites, natural attractions, restaurants, adventure sports, and the popular Cataract Gorge Reserve.
Some of our favourite things to do year-round in Launceston are:
Summer (December, January, February): Showcasing the best food and wine in Tasmania, the three-day Festivale celebration of summer is one event you shouldn’t miss. Also worth checking out is the MONA FOMA, an annual music and arts festival held in Launceston. Enjoy a full day dining in some of the best bars, cafes, and restaurants such as Geronimo, Saint John, Bryher, Queen Victoria Art Gallery, Sweetbrew, Seven Monks, Metz, Black Cow Bistro, and Stillwater Restaurant.
Autumn (March, April, May): Park your rented campervan and make sure to relax in the picturesque City Park. Just a few minutes away from the city centre, you can see the beautiful Cataract Gorge. Autumn is an ideal time to explore the East Coast that includes popular tourist spots such as the Wineglass Bay and the Bay of Fires which are less crowded at this time of the year.
Winter (June, July, August): Only a ten-minute drive away from Launceston, the stunning Tamar Island Wetlands is guaranteed to take your breath away. Walk along the boardwalks and take in the view of the Tamar River with its tranquil lagoons. Less than an hour drive from Lauceston via C401, the ski field at the Ben Lomond National Park is also worth checking out.
Spring (September, October, November): Get ready for a memorable adventure at the award-winning Hollybank Wilderness Adventures in Tasmania’s north. You can choose to glide along the forest floor on a Segway Tour or fly through the treetops on the Zipline Adventure. The Tamar Valley is a great day trip from the city where you can explore historic towns and check out vineyards and cellar doors.
Year-Round: Launceston is a great city to explore even if you have limited time. Visit Queen Victoria Museum, Entally House, Royal Park, and Franklin House. Drive your campervan hire and head to Mt. Wellington for one of the best views on the island or travel along the eastern coast to stop by the famous Tasman Arch.
Discovery Holiday Parks Hadspen is just 15 minutes from Launceston and its pet-friendly campsite facilities include a barbecue, camp kitchen, communal kitchen, laundry and playground.
Longford Riverside Caravan Park is just around 15 minutes west of Launceston along the banks of the Macquarie River. The accommodations that it offers includes cabins, caravan sites (powered and unpowered), and campsites. Its campsite facilities include a shared kitchen, camper's kitchen and barbecue.
Big 4 Launceston Holiday Park enjoys a central location, just two kilometres outside of central Launceston. It offers accommodation including holiday cabins, onsite caravans, powered caravan, and campervan sites and camping and tent sites. Its caravan park features three amenities blocks, onsite laundromat, free barbecues, campers kitchen, and LPG refill.
Ben Lomond National Park is located 50 kilometres east of Launceston in northern Tasmania, Australia. The park is home to a wide range of animals and plants. It has an impressive bird area that protects Flame Robin birds and many other native Tasmanian birds. The popular activities within the park are camping, bird watching, leisure walking and skiing during winter.
Cataract Gorge Reserve or “The Gorge” is a sought after wilderness area around fifteen minutes from the centre of Launceston. It features include the world’s longest single-span chair lift, café peacocks and wildlife, hiking trails, attractive gardens, a suspension bridge, swimming pool and lookouts that offer magnificent panoramic views.
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is located at 2 Invermay Road, Launceston. The museum and art gallery is the largest regional gallery in Australia, and it features a large number of impressive collections including Australian colonial art, items related to the Tasmanian history and natural sciences, contemporary craft and design and attractions such as its planetarium, Launceston Railway Workshops and a Chinese Temple.
Tasmania Zoo is at 1166 Ecclestone Road, Riverside, Launceston. Located around eighteen kilometres from the centre of Launceston, the zoo is currently Tasmania’s largest wildlife park and covers 900 acres of bushland. The park has a number of exotic and native animals such as Tasmanian Devils, penguins, crocodiles, wombats, echidnas, kangaroos, quolls, reptiles and the opportunity to off-road on a 4WD buggy tour.
The Old Umbrella Shop can be found at 60 George Street, Launceston. It is a charming old-world umbrella shop that serves as the oldest surviving well-preserved 20th-century shop in Tasmania. The store houses a wide variety of century-old umbrellas and sells wonderful souvenirs to take home.
Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area sits along the banks of South Esk River, around four kilometres from the centre of Launceston. The site is a popular recreation and nature reserve that serves as a great venue for activities likes canoeing, mountain biking, dog walking, horse riding, picnics, rock climbing, running, while it protects a number of wildlife and flora including over 28 threatened plants. Nearby is the famous Cataract Gorge.
In order to rent a campervan in Launceston, you need to be at least 21 years old. Some rental providers allow 18-years-old drivers but you may have to pay a young driver’s surcharge.
No, all you need is your valid driver’s licence held for a minimum of 12 months. Make sure to secure an International Driving Permit (IDP) if your licence is not written in English.
No. A credit card is required upon pick up of the campervan. Remember that paying with a credit or debit card should be presented with available credit. Campervan rental companies do not accept cash payments. Click here for more information on campervan rental payments.
You can park your campervan at Inveresk, which is just across the river from the CBD. Parking is free on Sundays and all week at Forster Street.
On average, our customers book 132+ days before they intend to collect their Launceston campervan.
Since November 2022, most of our customers have collected a campervan from Leisure Rent in Launceston.
The most popular one-way rental routes for our customers is to book a campervan to collect in Launceston and drop off in Hobart Airport.
On average our customers hire a campervan for 7 days from Launceston.
Most of our customers tend to look at campervans with 2 Berths or 4 Berth vehicles for Launceston.
