Flying in to rent an RV.

Country notes: the UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, Canada. Flying from Europe, with the UK and Germany pages beside it, is the campervan-from-Europe note. The Netherlands and Israel are the same licence question as any card that is not in English. There is no separate depot page for those passports. The rule is on the fleet.

The licence

El Monte's FAQ says every driver is at least 21, with a permanent valid licence from the country of residence. Temporary and provisional licences are not accepted. If the original has no English, they want an International Driver's License translation, plus current identification. Additional drivers have to be at pickup with their own licences. A major credit card covers the deposit.

Travellers Autobarn's US terms say the same age, a full licence for the class of vehicle, and an IDP if the licence is not in English. An accredited English translation is accepted instead. Their IDP article repeats that split: English licence, no IDP; anything else, IDP or a certified translation, beside the original. Their FAQ is softer. It says an international licence is not required and is recommended, including for a digital licence that is not American. When the FAQ and the terms disagree, the terms are the contract.

Cruise America's 2026 client notes require drivers to be 21 or older, with a valid identifiable licence. A foreign renter brings the licence and a passport. They do not accept digital licences. There is no under-25 surcharge on those notes, and additional drivers sign the contract. Their location pages say an international traveler can rent with a home-country licence and a passport. They do not, in the notes we read, add an IDP on top of a passport. Bring what the counter you booked actually lists.

Insurance, as far as the pages go

We do not sell the cover, and we do not print a liability limit we did not read on a current contract. What the pages do say: declare the event. Travellers' terms can deny insurance if you take the van to Burning Man without paying the supplementary fee first. Indie Campers' fee article says the insurance can be void if you skip the disclosure. Outdoorsy's terms forbid the festival, and their host article says festival-ground damage, including playa dust, is not covered. RVezy cancels a booking identified as the festival. A credit card in the renter's name is what Cruise America and El Monte ask for at pickup, because the deposit sits on it.

Cruise America's ordinary refundable deposit on the 2026 notes is $500, and $1,000 for every departure from California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, and Utah from 26 August through 1 September 2026. That is a deposit, not a description of what the insurance pays. Read the contract at the counter before you drive away. The 25-minute vehicle tour they require is part of that hour.

The flight

Same-day pickup is allowed on those notes, and a delayed flight is yours. Call the center a few days ahead. Ask which supermarket they send people to, because the grocery run is part of landing, not part of the playa. The suitcase problem, if you are also on the bus, is the flying-in note. The rig, if the rig is the bed, is renting an RV for Burning Man. Reno, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake are the counters with a published Burning Man rule from more than one fleet. Portland, Seattle, Denver, and Phoenix are on the city pages where we could match a location page.