Campervan demand grows ahead of Euro 2016

Ireland’s qualification for Euro 2016 has triggered a boom in the sale of campervans, as the Green Army prepares to travel en masse to France next year.

Liam Madden, who runs CampervansIreland.com — a go-to website for nationwide information on sales and rentals of vehicles across the country — said online traffic to the site doubled after Ireland qualified for next year’s tournament.

He said investing in a campervan made economic sense for travelling supporters, particularly ones heading to the continent in a small group for the month-long tournament next June.

He said: “To my mind, a campervan is the perfect way to follow the tournament, particularly in France, which is accessible and has great facilities for campervan users.

“We won’t know where Ireland’s matches will be until the draw on December 12, but even Nice is reachable in a day.

“To buy a half-decent one, you’d need to pay at least €15,000, but if there’s five or six of you travelling to the games you’d be able to split the costs and you’ll have your travel and accommodation sorted.

“The vehicles shouldn’t depreciate much in value in the space of a few weeks and can be sold on after the tournament.”

Another option is for fans to rent a campervan, but Mr Madden said rental costs are likely to be around €1,000 a week and warned that some camper hire companies are finding it difficult to get insurance for travel outside Ireland and the UK.

Fans planning to invest in campervans in Ireland have also been advised to take into account costs for ferry travel.

Mr Madden added: “With Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, and Wales in the tournament, demand for ferries and Channel Tunnel spaces will be high. Another option for Ireland fans would be to look to get a cheap Ryanair flight to the continent and then buy or a rent a campervan.”

The Irish Travel Agents Association said the value for fans would depend on which of the French cities Ireland were based in for the duration of the tournament.

He said: “Everything depends on the draw really. Nothing will be put in place until then.

“The north of France would certainly suit better, as it’s far better serviced by ferries and ships. The good thing is that France is certainly much easier to get in and out of than Poland four years ago.

“However, it is an expensive country. Trains, accommodation, and things like that are expensive in France, so we will just have to wait and see where the draw puts us.”

Meanwhile, tickets for travelling supporters go on sale on December 15 — three days after the draw.