INTERVIEW: Nina Majcen of Nest Campers campervan rental

There are many ways to see and explore a country and traveling in a car is one of them. By adding a bed and a basic kitchen to the four wheels, Nest Campers is providing a road experience most of us dreamed of taking one day!

We talked to Nina Majcen, a world traveller, nature enthusiast and an entrepreneur who runs Slovenia’s Nest Campers campervan rental.

When was the Nest Campers born and what’s the story behind it?

Nest Campers company was founded in spring 2017, just after me and my business partner Vid came back from New Zealand, where the idea for low cost campervan business actually came to life. We were living there for one year and spent half of that time traveling around in a campervan and the other half working in a campground. We noticed that Europe lacks budget campervan options and that young travellers really don’t have many options when it comes to campervan hire in our region.

Once the idea was born, it was hard to let it go. Even though we were offered a job in New Zealand, we knew we had to come back to Europe and start Nest Campers so we could offer this new way of traveling.

Why travel around Slovenia in a campervan and why rent a camper from Nest Campers?

I often say that Slovenia is the nearest European equivalent to New Zealand. Not only because of the unspoilt and stunning green nature, but also because it’s a perfect road trip country with great infrastructure.

A few years ago a network of free/cheap camper-stops was created. Today Slovenia has more than 160 overnight stops for motorhomes and campervans. There really is no better way to see Slovenia than with your own car/campervan. Public transport will only get you to some sights, but you’ll miss on some of the best ones!

Besides the infrastructure and great roads, Slovenia has an unbeatable central location to explore Europe. In just a matter of hours, campers can hike Italian Dolomites, swim in Croatian sea, discover Austrian lakes and more.

When renting from Nest Campers, guests get fully equipped and modern campervans, 24/7 assistance, no mileage limitations, no border crossing limitations, welcome packages and amazing travel advice (our map with carefully selected places to visit in the area is included to every rental). What is more, guests receive discounts in more than 25 partner campsites around Slovenia.

Who are your customers and what sort of feedback do you get from them?

Our costumers are mostly travelers from United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Netherlands. Most of them are young couples, however there is an increase in number of families renting our vans. 

The feedback we’re getting is beyond amazing: since we started this company, we have received only 5* reviews, we have returning guests and lots of referrals. People love our service and our campervans and this motivates us to constantly improve and expand our Nest Campers network.

How do they find out about you, can they travel in a campervan only in Slovenia or they can visit the neighboring countries as well?

Our business is focused on digital presence – most costumers find us through internet search and on social media (Instagram, Facebook). However, we are partnering up with some travel agencies for upcoming seasons. too.

Customers can travel wherever they want inside European continent, there are no border limitations and a green card is included to their rental (for Balkan countries).

What do you do when the campervan season (spring and summer) is over?

Campervan season starts in April and ends in October. It’s a common misconception that there’s not much to do outside the rental season. However winter is just as busy as summer (if not more) – just the work tasks change.

During the cold winter months, we work on our website, new content, marketing strategies, new partnerships …

We also build new campervans, repair damages on the old ones. This is the most creative part of the year, it’s when we can actually transform new ideas into reality. It’s also the time of the year when we have to make sure we’ll get enough bookings during new season. If we don’t work well enough during winter, we won’t have much to do during summer.

Why is Slovenia a perfect campervan destination?

There are so many reasons! First of all, as mentioned Slovenia has a great road trip infrastructure – there are more than 150 campsites and more than 160 camper-stops scattered around this tiny country. Slovenian roads are in great condition and well sign-posted and petrol stations are usually no more than 30 km apart.

It’s also super easy to communicate with the locals, as 90 % of young people speak English (and 60 % of total population). Slovenia is also within the Eurozone – if you were thinking about traveling elsewhere around Slovenia, you’d be unlikely to need to switch currencies. Do I even need to mention that this country is super safe?

Slovenia is a country small in size but big on scenery and breath-taking attractions. Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, forests, caves, hills, vineyards, rivers, sea – this little European country has it all.

When doing a campervan road trip through Slovenia, you’ll be able to see some of the nicest sights and escape the crowds (just imagine waking up to lake views before the masses of tourist buses arrive).

In Slovenia you’ll see a lot of hit-the-breaks scenery and with your own campervan that is exactly what you’ll be able to do – stop, make yourselves a nice cup of coffee/tea and enjoy the views. If you love nature, outdoor activities and freedom of travel, there really is no other way to travel through Slovenia than with a campervan.

Would you like to add anything else about Nest Campers or maybe traveling in Slovenia?

Nest Campers were founded by travellers for travellers. The crew behind Nest Campers really cares about costumers’ experience and we always go the extra mile to make sure our campers can create the best road trip memories.

It’s not hard for people to fall in love with Slovenia, but with Nest Campers you’ll fall in love with campervan travel, too.

Interview by Mari Podhrasky (@mari_podhrasky) / Twitter