Citroen Holidays Review - The Airport Alternative

We have a problem with sun and heat in our family. I’m fine, but my dad used to say I could get a tan on a moonlit night. 

My wife, however, is the other extreme. She’s the classic fair hair, blue eyes, pale skin person who doesn’t tan…she just burns. She gets prickly heat on the plane flying out from the UK and wears a hat the size of a sombrero. 

This is why we’re such fans of ‘staycationing’ and even bigger fans of campervans. Let’s face it, this country is a great place for a holiday, and depending on where you live, the last week of June 2026 has been a belter in terms of weather. 

We timed it perfectly because it was the week when I had a Citroen Holidays. This is the campervan version of the Citroen Dispatch van, which has a cracking reputation for racking up the miles and being a serious workhorse. The same vehicle is used for the Citroen SpaceTourer MPV.  

How is it set up?

In a nutshell, the Holidays is an easy-to-drive vehicle with a pop-up roof, a four-berth sleeping arrangement, kitchen, swivelling front seats, and an outdoor shower setup, which I suspect will be used mainly for rinsing off a muddy dog. 

There were just the two of us and I reckon four adults might be a bit of a squeeze, but for a family with two early teenage kids, it’d be fine. The kids could sleep ‘upstairs’ in the pop-up section (1.2m x 1.95m). It’s a bit of a fiddle, but I suspect once you’ve raised and lowered the roof a few times, you’ll get the hang of it. Undo the locking mechanism and some straps and then push; a pair of gas struts makes it easy to lift. 

The main double bed (1.15m x 1.9m) is a case of juggling the rear seats and adding additional cushions. 

The kitchen is a neat bit of kit which can be unmounted and placed outside for some al fresco dining using the attachable table. You get a two-burner gas stove, sink, running water and a 16-litre fridge. Heating can be programmed and of course, as it’s a van, you’ve got air con. You get plenty of storage space and there’s a removable toilet. Water comes from a 10-litre tank…the waste water tank is the same size. 

The ambient lighting provides a nice glow at night and, once you swivel the front two seats, there’s a real fun factor to dining in the Citroen Holidays. On a balmy evening, you can dine with both side sliding doors flung open…don’t attract the wretched midge though. 

More practical than you’d think… and relatively cheap

Okay, you’re never going to have the amount of space and versatility that you’d get with a motorhome, but the beauty of the Citroen Holidays is that it’s easier to use. For example, because it’s van-based, it will fit into most car parks which have a height restriction. When visiting a city, it’s simple to park on the roadside. 

You can hook up to mains electricity if you’re on a campsite, but if you are the adventurous, off-grid type, there’s an onboard leisure battery which not only charges as you drive along using a hybrid system, but there’s also a solar panel on the roof which trickle-charges the battery. Clever. 

The Citroen Holidays is also substantially cheaper than a motorhome and is one of the most cost-effective campervans in the UK, retailing at £56,430 (June ’26). You’d never call the inside plush, but it looks hard-wearing and should cope with the sort of knocks a campervan can expect. It’ll age well, which is an important factor when the time comes to sell.  

Performance

Out on the road, the Citroen Holidays (like the Dispatch van) is good to drive. The 2.0 litre diesel engine offers plenty of grunt and the ride is surprisingly compliant. A lot of campervans do long distance trips hopping over to the Continent, but this Citroen should eat up the miles without a hiccup. Estimated economy is 38.7mpg, but we did better than that at just over 40mpg. If you’re bothered, a 0-60mph sprint takes a shade over 10 seconds and that should be sufficient poke when joining quicker roads. Your top speed is 106mph. Everything goes via a smooth 8-gear auto ‘box and there are no mechanical options. 

Trim

There’s just a single level of trim too, but you get sat nav, 10-inch touchscreen, heated driver’s seat, heated steering wheel, 180-degree parking camera, DAB radio, LED headlights, interior curtains, wireless smartphone charging, and dark tinted rear windows. Plenty of safety kit too. 

It’s also worth mentioning that if there are just two of you using the Citroen Holidays, you can remove the rear pair of seats altogether and use the additional space for carrying bikes or bulky equipment.  

Is this the right campervan for you?

If you’re looking for a decent option for doing some holiday touring but don’t want to break the bank, the Citroen Holidays is a great option. You get all of the essentials in a sensibly compact vehicle which can travel and park just about anywhere. Yes, there are more premium campervan products out there plus plenty of motorhomes, but they cost considerably more while still offering much the same as the Citroen Holidays. 

And if you’re thinking of joining the campervan crowd, this would be a great place to start. 

Just don’t forget the Travel Scrabble. 

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Citroen