Indie Campers
- Indie Campers has released a subscription service that allows digital nomads in Europe to subscribe to #VanLife on a monthly or annual basis.
- The price of the subscription varies according to the city, and customers can select one of the company’s nine camper van models that range from a Fiat Ducato to a Volkswagen California.
- An annual subscription entails a fixed monthly fee, while a monthly subscription has fees that change according to the month.
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Indie Campers has released a subscription payment model that allows digital nomads in Europe to subscribe to #VanLife on a monthly or annual basis.
The new program — which encompasses 15 European countries — capitalizes on the #VanLife and digital nomad boom as the world continues to work from home, and now, anywhere. With this new payment model, camper van enthusiasts can “subscribe” to operate one of Indie Campers’ vans on a monthly or annual basis for prices that vary per city and duration.
Along with the company’s “Amazon for campervan rentals” peer-to-peer rental platform, Indie Campers currently owns 1,250 camper vans on vehicles like the Fiat Ducato and Volkswagen California.
The rental platform’s newly announced payment option also takes advantage of the increasingly popular subscription-based model that is now being utilized by industries from media to food to automakers.
The inspiration behind the plan
Indie Campers
Like other camper van and RV rental companies, Indie Campers has seen staggering growth throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Mid-September, the company reported a 66% increase from 2019 to 2020 in requests from digital nomads looking to book tiny homes on wheels between July to September.
The rental platform also noticed that more people were booking longer trips: between June to August, the number of trips booked for over four weeks skyrocketed 225% year-over-year.
According to Indie Campers' news release, this increase in bookings from digital nomads, coupled with the rising trend of long-term bookings, is what inspired the platform to create this new subscription model.
The monthly price of the subscription — which includes two drivers — depends on the selected city, and will vary from month-to-month. However, an annual membership will consist of a fixed monthly cost throughout the year.
All payment plans include insurance, roadside assistance, maintenance, and a set number of miles. About 621 monthly miles are included in a monthly subscription, while an annual plan includes about 6,214 miles.
However, customers who want to subscribe for six months or more will receive extra perks, such as outdoor seating sets and bedding, to name some examples.
The pricing model
For locations like Porto, Portugal, and Olbia, Italy, annual subscriptions start at $885 per month, according to Indie Camper's website. The month of February, the cheapest of all 12 months, also starts at about $885, while August, the most expensive month, will cost about $3,000.
However, the price varies according to the location. For example, Reykjavik's plans are about $1,240 per month for the annual plan or between $1,240 to $4,260 for the monthly plan.
See more: The top 5 US cities for young professionals in 2020 don't include New York or Los Angeles
Indie Campers is expecting more customers from locations like London and Edinburgh, Scotland. Monthly prices will therefore be slightly higher in these two locations, with about $1,360 per month on the annual plan, or between about $1,440 to $4,690 per month on the monthly plan, according to Indie Camper's website.
The camper vans can be picked up and dropped off in different cities for an extra fee.
For first-timers who aren't totally sold on the camper van lifestyle yet, Indie Campers is inviting people to test its vans at one of its over 40 depots and recommending a short-term booking beforehand.