Indie Campers Faro Full Review | Algarve Campervan Hire

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Dreaming of an Algarve road trip in your very own campervan, but not sure which campervan company to book with? I get it. When I started planning my own adventure through Southern Portugal, I had the same questions – and Indie Campers Faro kept popping up.

But are they reliable? How’s their customer service? And what’s it actually like to live out of one of their vans for a week?

To find out, I hired the Active Pop Top from Indie Campers in Faro and hit the open road, exploring gorgeous beaches, hilltop villages, and everything in between.

I had a fantastic time, and in this review, I’ll share exactly what it was like to hit the road in an Indie Campers van for 7 days, from the booking process to the van’s features, comfort, and the little details that make or break the experience.

If you’re thinking about trying van life for the first time, or simply want a more spontaneous and flexible way to explore the Algarve, this honest review will help you decide if Indie Campers Portugal is the right choice for you.

Zara sits in the sun in the door of a large grey campervan with Indie Campers branding. In the background, trees cover a tall bank. The campervan is parked on a peaceful road in the sun.

Why Choose a Campervan for Your Algarve Road Trip

The Algarve is an ideal destination for a campervan road trip! From gorgeous coastal towns and stunning beaches, to an abundance of campsites and free parking spots – campervanning through the Algarve is one of the best ways to experience it.

It’s also a budget-friendly option if you’re looking for low-cost travel options. With accommodation and travel costs skyrocketing in recent years, hiring a campervan can be a cost-effective alternative to expensive hotels or Airbnbs. Travelling with your own kitchen means you can easily save money on food and drink by cooking for yourself.

What’s more, you can experience the freedom of choosing a different destination every night, or stay in the same spot for a few days if you find a place you love!

And finally, one of my favourite reasons to hire a campervan is because you get to experience more of the outdoors lifestyle, surrounded by nature and, often, other friendly van-lifers!

Birds eye view of a dark grey campervan with Indie Campers branding printed on the back. The van is parked on a quiet country road surrounded by countryside lit up by the sunshine.

Booking with Indie Campers

Booking with Indie Campers in Faro was very easy. Their website is straightforward to use. I selected my dates and destination and was shown a range of campervans to choose from. I chose the Active Pop Top model as I thought having the pop top might provide additional space. It also has a kitchen, as well as toilet and shower facilities, which are useful if you don’t stay at campsites every night.

After choosing the model you want to hire, you’ll be taken to a booking page, where you’ll be able to select additional extras, such as bed linen, premium insurance, an outdoor table and chairs, or even a surfboard, paddleboard or foldable bicycle.

Included within the campervan hire, you’ll get unlimited mileage, 24/7 assistance, a cleaning kit and a kitchen kit, and an electric cable for electric hook-ups on campsites.

I was surprised that you have to pay extra for bed linen, a gas cylinder and an outdoor table and chairs, as I assumed that these would be provided within the cost of the van hire.

Once you’ve selected all of your extras, you’ll be able to choose a cancellation policy and pay for the booking.

Once I had completed the booking, I was sent a link to an online client area, where I was able to upload my driving license and personal information. I was also able to add any additional extras I hadn’t selected when I made the booking.

The client area also allows you to check in online and provides a very detailed van walkthrough video, which demonstrates how to use the van and its features. This was extremely helpful!

Screenshot of the Indie Campers website showcasing three campervan models including the Active Standard, Active Pop Top and Active Bunk.

Getting to Indie Campers from Faro Airport

The Indie Campers depot in Faro is approximately a 25-30-minute drive from the airport. Indie Campers doesn’t currently run a shuttle to or from the airport, so we booked a taxi on the Bolt app.

On arrival, we were able to take advantage of a special offer, which meant that we only paid €11 for the Bolt ride, but typically prices range from €15-20 to get from the airport to the Indie Campers Faro depot. You can also use Uber or get a traditional taxi.

Picking Up the Campervan

The usual collection time for an Indie Campers van in Faro is from 4 pm, but I was pleased to see we could collect the van as early as 2:30 pm with no additional charge.

This was useful for us as our plane landed at 12 pm, so we didn’t have to wait around too long before collecting the van. We arrived at 2:00 pm, and the staff at the depot were happy to start the check-in process with us, despite being early.

For the collection process, you’ll need to bring your driving license, passport, or another form of identification, and a credit card with a sufficient credit limit for a security deposit.

We went through the paperwork, and I was then shown to the van and given a tour of the vehicle. I was asked to scan a QR code, which took me to the Indie Campers website client area, where I was asked to confirm that the vehicle was as expected and included all the necessary extras.

Unfortunately, despite ordering an extra bed linen set, the bed linen hadn’t been put in the van. However, the staff member quickly resolved this issue when I raised it.

We also had an issue where the only gas cylinder they had left wasn’t completely full, and some of the kitchen items hadn’t been included – the cafetiere was smashed, and we were missing spoons and a cup, which we only noticed after we’d left the depot. So I highly recommend checking everything in the kitchen kit before you start your road trip.

I had to leave a 500 euro security deposit, which is fully refundable when you return the vehicle. Because I’d opted for the premium insurance package, I was advised that any scratches to the body of the vehicle would be covered and the deposit fully refunded upon return.

Once we’d inspected the vehicle, signed the contract and checked all the extras were included, we hit the open road in search of our first destination!

Exterior of the Indie Campers Active Pop Top campervan model, parked on a car park with various other vans behind in the background. The campervan's door is open and you can see kitchen cupboards and furnishings.

Inside Indie Campers’ Active Pop Top Campervan

The Indie Campers’ Active Pop Top campervan is a large and spacious van designed to fit 4 people. I think it would be a squeeze to have 4 people inside the van, but you could probably just about do it if you spent most of your time outside, which is fine if the weather is good.

The Active Pop Top has two double beds – both very wide and spacious enough to fit two people comfortably. The first bed is in the downstairs area at the back of the van, and the second bed is in the pop-top, which is straightforward to put up and down.

I was very impressed with the storage space in the Active Pop Top. It’s more than enough for 1-2 weeks’ worth of clothes and bags, with plenty of space in the kitchen for food, pots and pans, and a large fridge for groceries. I actually felt like I could quite happily live in this van for longer periods of time, it was that spacious!

The van also has a seating area with a table, and the two front driving chairs rotate so they can also be used in the seating area.

The kitchen comes complete with a sink, fridge, hob, and utensils such as saucepans, plates, bowls, cutlery and a chopping board. It would have been useful to have a frying pan, scissors and a large, sharp knife in the kitchen kit, but these weren’t in the box when we opened it.

The inside of the Indie Campers Active Pop Top campervan, showing the driver and passenger seat and a table.

The van also had an electric hook-up, which meant when we camped on a campsite, we were able to plug our devices in to charge in the main plug sockets. When camping off-grid, the van runs on the leisure battery, which we found ample enough for one night off-grid.

There were plenty of plug sockets located in convenient places, as well as USB ports for charging while not connected to electricity.

The best part about this van is that it has a toilet and a shower. This is extremely useful when camping off-grid!

The van has air conditioning and heating, which we didn’t use as it was generally very warm in the van. In fact, even though the temperature was cool through the night, we were warm and cosy in the van.

A woman with blonde hair tied in a pony tail sits at a table inside the Indie Campers Active Pop Top campervan. She is reading a book and is sitting next to the window, where you can see other vans parked outside.

Driving the Indie Campers’ Active Pop Top Van

I must admit, I was initially nervous about driving this campervan. While I have driven campervans before, I’ve not driven anything this big.

I have to say, though, that I found the Indie Campers Active Pop Top very easy to drive. I’m a confident driver, and I have frequently driven in Europe, so I am used to driving on European roads on the opposite side to the UK (where I live), but even so, the Active Pop Top van was a breeze to drive.

Driving in the Algarve is also fairly straightforward. The main roads, for the most part, are wide, straight and flat. However, you have to be careful when venturing into smaller towns, particularly old towns, due to the narrow roads.

It’s also a good idea to steer clear of gravel roads that lead down to many of the beaches in Sagres and the west coast. We tried to visit a couple of beaches above Sagres, but decided to turn back when the roads became increasingly rocky. I didn’t want to risk damaging the van or getting a flat tyre!

I was relieved to find that our van had parking sensors, which made reversing and parking so much easier.

Fuel stations are plentiful in the Algarve. I filled the van up once on our 7-day Portugal road trip, which cost about €100 from a quarter tank to full, and found the van to be very economical. By the end of the trip, we still had half a tank of fuel left.

Campsites and Wild Camping in the Algarve

We stayed on a mix of official campsites and wild camping parking spots during our Portugal road trip. When choosing a place to camp, it’s very important to adhere to local laws.

Many car parks near the coast have banned overnight camping. If you ignore these rules, you risk a €600 fine. The police are very hot on fining and moving campers along, especially in the national park near Sagres.

During our stay, I found the Park4Night app was absolutely invaluable. The app shows you all the places you can park for free during the day and night, legally. It also includes paid-for campsites, if you need access to facilities and electricity.

I felt very safe in all of the above locations. There are often other campervans around in off-grid locations, and we had absolutely no problems. I happily travel around the Algarve solo – it feels like a very safe destination for solo female travellers.

A few of our favourite campsites and free camping spots from our trip include:

Parque Caravanas Açoteias – a very friendly park with showers (€0.50 or free outdoor showers), toilets and WiFi. The Praia da Falesia beach is just a 10-15 minute walk away, through a lovely forest area. Great for bird-watching here too – we saw loads of Hoopoes!

Figueira Caravan Park – a lovely caravan park close to Sagres and Burgau. The park has toilets, showers, and washing machines. Showers cost €1. The facilities here were very clean, and there is a little village with great local cafes and restaurants just a short walk away.

Bordeira – A free overnight camping location on the road into the pretty little village of Bordeira. There are free toilets and shower facilities here too, which were very clean. A lovely short hike to a viewpoint and a gorgeous little village to look around, with an ATM in the central square.

Camping Vale da Carrasqueira – A stunning campsite in the mountains of Monchique, surrounded by hills and nature. The site has a swimming pool overlooking the valley, toilets, showers and WiFi.

Parque Municipal do Sítio das Fontes – An off-grid camping spot in a beautiful park. There are free public toilets and barbecues near the car park, and it’s a lovely, quiet spot.

The above campsites and camping locations meant we got to see and experience a lot of the Algarve and West Coast, as well as some of the inland areas in Monchique. There are so many places to visit in the Algarve, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start, but the above spots provide a great base to explore the area.

Indie Campers Active Pop Top campervan parked in a dirt car park in a national park. The campervan door is open and the pop top roof is up. In the distance, a beautiful sunset can be seen lighting up the sky.

Support During the Trip

When I collected the van, I was given a phone number for contacting roadside assistance, as well as a WhatsApp number that I could message if I needed support from the Indie Campers team.

This proved very useful when the oil light came on on the dashboard and we had to stop to buy oil. I was unable to find a vehicle manual in the car, so I sent the team a WhatsApp message and received an instant reply.

The team were very helpful in explaining the process and which oil to buy for that particular model. So it was great to have instant access to support, without having to call a number and wait on hold for ages.

The rest of our trip was uneventful, so we didn’t need to access support for any other reason, thankfully.

Returning the Campervan

After a fantastic 7 days in our Indie Campers’ Active Pop Top van, I was reluctant to give it back! But alas, all good things come to an end!

I found the check-out process to be incredibly smooth and very quick. The day before we were due to take the van back, I received an email from Indie Campers with a list of things we needed to do before taking the van back. This included:

Emptying of the grey and black water tanks/casette
Ensuring the fuel level is the same as it was at pick-up
Ensuring battery and AdBlue levels are the same as at pick up
Cleaning the van inside

Our flight was due to leave Faro Airport at 9:30 am on the day of our departure, so we’d need to drop the van off early that morning. However, the Indie Campers’ Faro depot didn’t open until 7:30 am.

When we checked in, I asked if there was any way we could drop the van off earlier, but the member of staff explained it was not possible – the only way to ensure we were on time for our flight was to drop the van off the night before.

This meant we had to book a hotel for our last night, despite having booked the van for 7 days, so it was very disappointing to have to give the van back a day early. Definitely something to bear in mind when it comes to booking your van or your flights.

Apart from this, the checkout experience was smooth and hassle-free. I received an email explaining how the deposit would be returned and providing a chance to leave a review of our experience.

Pros and Cons of Indie Campers

Overall, I had a fantastic time travelling around South Portugal in an Indie Campers van. I loved the flexibility of having a van, allowing me to be spontaneous and drive as little or as much as I wanted, staying in a different place each night.

But how does the overall experience stack up, and why should you choose Indie Campers? Here are some pros and cons of the Indie Campers experience.

Pros

Easy-to-use online booking portal, with a client area for adding extras and uploading documents
Modern van in great condition with excellent features
Van was easy to drive and navigate, as well as being spacious and comfortable to live in
You can contact Indie Campers via WhatsApp message if you need support during your trip
The cost of hiring the van itself was excellent value for money
Friendly and approachable staff at the Faro depot

Cons

The cost of the van hire doesn’t include bedding, which I feel should be included as standard.
As the hirer, you are responsible for putting oil in the van if the oil warning light shows on the dashboard. I really feel this is the responsibility of the company to provide a vehicle with ample oil levels for the trip. Especially as we only drove about 5 hours in total over 7 days.
I had to ask for the extras we’d paid for, such as additional bed linen, to be put in the van, and some of the items in the kitchen kit were missing or broken. Check all items before you leave the depot.

Zara's mum, Sue, sits in a camping chair looking out at a magnificent view of hills covered in trees and shurbs. A grey campervan is parked behind her on a sunny day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive in Portugal?

If you’re travelling from the UK, you don’t need an International Driving Permit to drive in Portugal. You should, however, make sure you bring your driving license with you as you’ll need to show this when you collect the campervan.

If you’re travelling from other countries, an IDP may be required. Further information can be found on Indie Campers’ website.

Is wild camping in a campervan legal in the Algarve?

Wild camping is legal in certain places. To find these places, you’ll need to download the Park4Night app and look for places that are listed as ‘Day/Night Parking’ spots.

Parking overnight in day-only parking spots, particularly on the coast, will likely result in a hefty fine, so it’s best to adhere to local rules and also respect the environment when it comes to the disposal of waste in designated areas.

What’s the minimum age to rent a campervan with Indie Campers?

Travellers from Europe must be 18 years old to drive an Indie Campers campervan for short- and medium-term rentals. The minimum age for the United States, Canada, and Australia is 21 years.

A beautiful view over a peaceful road and countryside on a bright sunny day in Portugal. The view is taken from the Pop Top of a campervan with the tent lining unzipped to reveal the beautiful scenery outside.

Do the vans come with bedding and kitchen equipment?

Every van includes a kitchen kit with cooking and cleaning supplies. However, bedding equipment must be purchased as an additional extra. You are welcome to bring your own bedding, but this may be difficult if you’re flying and have limited space in a suitcase.

Can I drive the van to Spain or other parts of Portugal?

Yes, you can drive an Indie Campers van throughout many parts of Europe, including exploring other parts of Portugal and crossing the border into Spain. There is more information on which countries you can drive in on the Indie Campers website here.

Is there Wi-Fi in the van?

The Active Pop Top campervan model that I rented did not have WiFi. However, we purchased a Vodafone SIM card at the airport for €24.99 and found we have a fantastic signal everywhere, even in the mountains of Monchique. I was able to take Zoom calls for work while I was away with no problems, thanks to the Vodafone SIM, so I’d highly recommend this if you need access to the internet.

What happens if something goes wrong on the road?

All Indie Campers vans come with 24/7 roadside assist as standard, so you’re never left without help if something goes wrong.

I was also given a WhatsApp number that I could contact if I needed support from the Indie Campers team. When I needed to use it, I received an instant response from an AI assistant, which then redirected me to a human team member for further support.

Indie Campers Active Pop Top campervan parked on a campsite beside a campervan. The campsite is surrounded by trees on a beautiful sunny day.

Final Thoughts

Driving a campervan around the Algarve is a fantastic way to see Portugal – especially providing the opportunity to escape the touristy areas and really get out into nature and off-grid.

It’s also a great way to save money if you’re travelling on a budget, as you have a kitchen and enough facilities to make simple meals. We often made breakfast, lunch and dinner in the van – enjoying the scenery and van life!

If you’re travelling in Europe in a campervan for the first time, I strongly recommend downloading the Park4Night app to help you find legal overnight parking spots.

I had a brilliant time driving around South Portugal in an Indie Campers’ Pop Top campervan. I’d definitely recommend Indie Campers and would use the company again for campervan hire in the future.

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Travel Insurance – I recommend Safety Wing Travel Insurance. More info on that below.

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You can read about other tools I swear by on my Travel Essentials page.