Frequently Asked Questions

The UK is full of beautiful landscapes and amazing history. What better way to explore the big cities and small laneways of the local villages than at your own pace? A Spaceship offers you the freedom and flexibility of a campervan, while being easy to drive and park, like a car.

Enjoy the world-class attractions, great camping grounds and friendly locals - travel the UK and Europe in a Spaceship and do what you want, when you want!

Spaceships are custom-fitted Toyota people-movers that have a unique award-winning design that includes a large double bed, cooker, fridge, CD/DVD/MP3 player, water supply, seat-belted seating for 4 people and all the essential living equipment you will need!

And few more extras:

• Space survival kit with Frisbee, playing cards, DVDs, iPod cord, maps and campground information.
• ’How to use your Spaceship‘ manual with environmental information, driving guide, and how to use your Spaceship of course!
• Space Stations the UK for access to our local guidance, support and DVD exchange.
• Travel Support Package is something truly helpful - as we believe that with a little bit of guidance and support you can get so much more out of your adventure in our country.
• European Insurance lets you travel throughout Europe at no extra cost.

Spaceships have 2 seats in the front and 2 smaller seats in the back. It can seat 4 people or 3 large people comfortably.

Every Spaceship comes with a full size double bed. This bed can sleep 2 adults with a maximum of 3 people. You can sleep in the bed fully inside the vehicle or extended out the back into the canvas awning for 30% more space and ventilation. Click here to find out more info.

Yes, in your Spaceship you get a bottom sheet, two pillows, pillow cases and a duvet with a duvet cover. You’ll also get plates, cups, cutlery, bowls, a pot and pan, can opener and much more provided free of charge.

You can adjust the driver’s seat and steering wheel so you will be comfortable while driving round the UK. The bed is basically a standard double at 1.4m wide and 1.92m long but has the unique option of additional space when you extend the bed outside and can easily fit up to 2.1m for taller people to be able to stretch out.

A FREE ipod / MP3 cord is attached to your Spaceship stereo so you are able to listen to your favourite tunes while you travel around. You will need to bring your own charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter

Spaceships have CD/DVD/MP3 stereos with a 18cm DVD screen. They also come with remote and a 4 speaker surround sound speaker system! We provide you with a couple of DVDs to watch (and exchange with other Space Travellers) but you’re welcome to bring your own plus your ipod and/or CDs.

If possible we recommend you bring soft bags (like a backpack) to make the most of the storage area. There is room for 2 large backpacks in the rear storage area.

The measurements for storage are:
- Rear Storage 1.30m wide by 65 cm across and 32cm deep - Central main storage 60cm by 60cm and 32cm - Storage behind fridge 35cm wide, 43cm long, 32 cm deep

In the UK we do not have 4WD options.

Every Spaceship has its own ‘spacey’ name. Due to the popularity of vehicles we cannot ensure you one with a specific name you could be after. We’re sure you’ll enjoy which ever you get.

Alpha 2 berth -
Height: 1.82 metres
Width: 1.69 metres
Length: 4.69 metres

Alpha 4 berth -
Height: 2.2 metres (when the roof top tent is closed)
Width: 1.69 metres
Length: 4.69 metres

All Spaceships are Toyota Lucidas or Estimas (people movers), these are basically the same as Previas in Europe and Taragos in Australia. They were built as high specification, good quality vehicles (rather than just being vans) in the first place so even though we start with low milage second-hand vehicles we can ensure they are stucturally and mechanically very good cars to drive and extremely safe.

Spaceships have 2.4 litre environmentally friendly (Euro 3 standard) engines.

All Spaceships run on unleaded petrol. The average fuel consumption is apprximately 9 litres per 100km (62 miles) obviously this depends on hard or fast you are driving.

The average price of petrol is about £1.07 a litre (July 2009). It will normally cost around £50-60 to fill up depending on the petrol prices at the time.

Spaceships have 4 speed automatic transmissions so they are easy to drive (we can give you a quick lesson if you’ve only driven manual cars before). They have electronic overdrive for better fuel economy.

Spaceships conveniently come with 2 batteries. The main battery is for starting the engine and the 2nd battery runs the internal lights, CD/DVD player and the fridge. This means you can watch a DVD and use the fridge while the engine is not running. This just runs the 2nd battery down but will not use the main battery so you’ll always be able to start your engine. While you’re driving the main battery charges the 2nd one. The 2nd battery should last approximately 2-4 hours (when watching DVDs) or at least 24 hours if you are just using the fridge and internal lights.

This unique technology means you have greater freedom and will save you money as you don’t have to pay for powered sites all the time like you would in an ordinary camper.

You do not have to have the car running to watch DVDs as Spaceships come with 2 batteries. The main battery runs the engine and the 2nd runs the CD/DVD player, fridge and internal lights. This means you are able to watch DVDs at night and run down the 2nd battery (it should last 2-4 hours for the DVD player and over 24 hours using just the fridge and lights), and still be able to start the vehicle in the morning. The 2nd battery just self-charges as you drive so you can charge it up during the day and watch more movies the next night!

Currently you can only pick up and drop off from our English office in London so one way fees do not apply.

Currently in the UK the driver of the vehicle must be 21 or over to be covered by insurance.

If you are looking at an extended hire period (over 60 days) please feel free to email us for the possibility of a better day rate or a special offer.

We take an excess from your credit card when you pick up your Spaceship based on the age of the youngest driver. This is the amount of the insurance excess if an accident occurs during your Spaceship hire for which you are deemed at fault. The excess is £500 if you are aged 25 or over, and £750 if you are aged 21-24.

We do not deduct the excess from the credit card, but merely freeze the funds to deduct in an event of an accident. The funds are then released when the vehicle is returned provided no damage has occurred. Credit card details must be on all rental agreements and must be the credit card of the main hirer unless prior arrangements have been made. Where a credit card is not available, a cash bond will be held by Spaceships UK Ltd for 21 days following hire and a staff administration fee will be charged.

You can choose if you want to pay Full or Half Cover and reduce your excess or we will hold the full amount of excess to cover your liability – any accident-damages costs plus any extra cost or any traffic infringements, losses or breakages.

All Spaceships come with standard insurance included for no extra cost in the daily rate.

As the hirer you are responsible for the excess (bond) of £500 if you are aged 25 or over, and £750 if you are aged 21-24.

This covers the cost of damage to Third Party property or to the rented vehicle, including single vehicle accident, towing and recovery costs, theft of the vehicle, fire, break in or vandalism.

There are a number of options available to you if you wish to reduce your excess:

Drivers aged 25 and over

Drivers aged 21 to 24

* Maximum collectable insurance means the total maximum cost for selecting a particular insurance option.

The cover provided by each insurance option is set out below:

Spaceships strongly recommends that you take either Reduction Option 2 or the All Inclusive option for your own peace of mind.

To drive a Spaceship you must be aged 21 or over and under the age of 70.

The minimum rental period is 5 days. Please note there may be greater minimum hire periods at peak times (July - August). This may vary based on availability.

There are no nasty hidden costs to surprise you when you arrive to collect your Spaceship. Tax (VAT), standard insurance and unlimited kilometres are included in your daily rate along with extra driver fees, road user charges, all equipment, roadside support service, credit card fees etc. Please note: personal insurance is not included in your Spaceship hire and we strongly recommend you get it to cover yourself and your personal belongings in the event of an accident or theft.

You are welcome to have all your passengers drive (up to 4 different drivers per vehicle) for no extra charge.

Unfortunately, We CANNOT combine UK, Australia and New Zealand hires because of the different currencies. If you do hire a Spaceship in Australia or New Zealand before the UK we will give you a special deal – please email us info@spaceshipsrentals.co.uk and ask!

If you can, we advise you to book in advance (we often have early bird specials). If you’re travelling in peak season (June to August and over Christmas) we recommend you book a couple of months in advance. Please note: if you are booking last minute please email us as there are always a few cancellations and last minute availability and deals can be offered.

If you are booking your Spaceship well in advance it is usually no problem to adjust your pick up or drop off dates (subject to availability). During peak season (May – September) you will need to give us as much notice as possible and there is no charge to change your booking. Once you start your hire it can be more difficult and you will need to contact us as soon as possible to see if you can.

Online and phone bookings require non-refundable 20% deposits, these must be made by Visa or Mastercard. The balance of your rental can be paid with a different Visa or Mastercard if required, or with cash. NB there is a staff administration fee if you pay by cash.

If you would like to discuss other payment options, please contact us: info@spaceshipsrentals.co.uk

To book your Spaceship simply click on ‘BOOK NOW’ or use the ‘QUICK QUOTE’ then enter your travel dates and enter your details into the booking form. Then you can choose to confirm your booking and pay a 20% deposit (via credit card on our secure online payment system), or you can submit your Spaceship booking details as a request and we will contact you via email to answer any questions you may have.

Yes. We use a secure server for processing your credit card payments. You can check this is working by looking for the padlock symbol in your browser during processing. This means your data is being encrypted using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol. Spaceships do not have access to your credit card details through this process.

To secure a booking you need to pay a non-refundable deposit of 20% of the overall hire cost. The easiest way is to pay securely online via our website with your credit card. If you would rather pay over the phone, by fax or email then you can submit your details as a booking request and we will then contact you to arrange payment and discuss any questions you have about your booking and travelling in the UK.

You need to pay the remaining balance of your hire when you pick up your Spaceship. You can pay this by Visa, Mastercard or cash. We will also need a credit card imprint or £500 in cash to cover your insurance excess (bond).

If you would rather pay via phone, fax, email or other payment option you can submit your booking details as a request (no deposit will be paid at this stage). Please write all your comments, questions or further requirements in the comments box. We will contact you within 24 hours to arrange payment, answer any questions you may have and confirm your booking.

You can call the UK office to make a booking however email or via our webiste is our preferred method of contact. Phone +44 (0) 208 573 2300

There are only a few areas in the UK that free-camping is illegal though in England and Wales the law states that you should seek permission before camping. If you can’t find anyone to ask we suggest you use your discretion and follow any local signs. Spaceships ask you to respect all areas of UK and not just camp anywhere. Please be responsible to the environment and dispose of all your waste correctly. There are lots of public toilet facilities to use free of charge all around the UK so please use these. We have a comprehensive list of places to free (wild) camp all over the UK listed here. In your Spaceship there is information on the various networks of campervan and holiday parks with toilets and hot showers, powered sites, kitchens, TV rooms, laundromats, internet even swimming pools!

Holiday or caravan park campgrounds have an average cost £8-£15 for non-power campsites and £15-£25 for powered sites. You can also check these web pages to find more about campsites: ukcampsite.co.uk camp-sites

Please see the basic information below about free (wild) camping in the UK:

• Keep groups small
• Camp as unobtrusively as possible
• Leave camp as you found it
• Remove all litter (even other people's)
• Carry out everything you carried in
• Carry out tampons and sanitary towels (burying them doesn't work as animals dig them up again)
• Toilet duties should be performed 30m (100ft) from water and the results buried using a trowel or spade
• At all times, help preserve the environment
• Take only photos, leave only footprints
• Adhere to any signs – If it says “No overnight camping” then don’t stay there
• And if you are in any doubt about what you're doing, find out more, ask a local!

Travelling from June – August you may have to book the more popular campgrounds in advance so not to be disappointed, otherwise you should be fine. Please note: some campgrounds are closed in winter (between November and February)

Depending on how you drive and the terrain you should average around 280-310 miles (or 450-500km) per tank. Fuel consumption is approximately 9 litres per 62 miles (or 100km)

No, you are non insured to drive on unsealed roads.

ROAD RESTRICTIONS
Please note that vehicles are not covered by insurance when travelling on the following roads and countries:
- non-sealed roads
- non-European Union countries

Winter is a great time to see the UK. The crowds are gone and there are good deals on campgrounds and activities to be had. Spaceship vehicles are insulated like a good car unlike a steel van (like a Hiace or other vans) keeping you naturally far warmer.

We are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Sunday. Weekend pickups and drop-offs are by appointment only. You need to pick up and drop off your vehicle between 9am and 4pm. If you are arriving in the evening you cannot pick-up the Spaceship at the same day. The best option is to stay the first night in one of the hotels or hostels. If you are staying in London it is just a 20 minute train ride from London Paddington Station to Hayes & Harlington station. The same applies for early drop-offs.

The Spaceships depot is just a 6 minute train ride and a 10 minute walk from London Heathrow airport. If you are coming from one of the other London airports (Gatwick, Stansted or Luton) you can take a National Express coach to Heathrow.

Yes you can! The Spaceships office is located only 30 minutes from the centre of London and close to motorways to get you quickly on your way to catch the ferry/train to Europe. European Insurance is now included in the daily hire price so there will no longer be any extra cost for your travels in Europe!

A Spaceship will classify as a car on the ferry to France.  For 2 adults and 1 Spaceship return the prices range from £38 - £80.  If you want to go through the channel tunnel Spaceships will also be classified as a car and the prices range from £96 - £397! Most of the time you won’t need to pre-book but you can get early bird or last minute specials!

Yes, you are insured to drive in all European Union countries plus Croatia at no extra charge. This applies only to bookings made after 1st July 2010.