Swift Voyager 494
Coachbuilt motorhome
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- Outdoor
- Transmission
- manual_or_automatic
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Taste of Freedom review
A Yorkshire hire company with a broad choice of motorhome layouts.
Profile reviewed and updated on
Background
Company overview
Taste of Freedom operates directly from Wetherby, where customers collect their vehicles and receive a handover. The business dates its rental activity to 2011 and hires out Swift and Autotrail models. It also sells selected vehicles after their time in the hire fleet.
The operation centres on one Yorkshire base. European travel is available as an addition to a hire starting there, rather than through a separate overseas collection network.
Our verdict
Editorial review
Taste of Freedom gives the living layout a central role in choosing a hire vehicle. Its range spans compact conversions and larger motorhomes with markedly different sleeping layouts, while the collection process gives the hire a personal, depot-based character.
The financial side needs equally deliberate choices. Card type affects the money taken as security, and paying to reduce the excess still leaves significant exclusions. This is an appealing local hire operation for a planned departure; the vehicle layout and the applicable rental conditions deserve to be chosen together.
Good points
- A choice of sleeping arrangements.Fixed doubles, rear singles, bunks and convertible lounges give couples and larger parties different ways to use their overnight space. The range is more useful than a simple ladder of increasing berth counts.
- Preparation before the keys change hands.Advance videos complement the in-person handover. Four of eight customer accounts covering June–August 2026 described helpful instruction.
Things to consider
- The waiver leaves important damage outside its cover.Interior, reversing and overhead damage are excluded from the excess-reduction product. Its lower headline excess therefore offers less protection than a traveller might expect from the reduced figure alone.
- An unagreed late return becomes expensive quickly.The late-return charge runs in 15-minute increments, with resulting costs potentially added. An extension agreed in advance has a different hourly charge and depends on the surrounding bookings.
Vehicle categories
Taste of Freedom fleet
Autotrail Expedition C73
Overcab motorhome
- Seats
- 5
- Sleeps
- 5
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Autotrail Expedition C71
Overcab motorhome
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Swift Trekker S
Panel van camper
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Swift Voyager 475 / 475B
Overcab motorhome
- Seats
- 5
- Sleeps
- 5
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Manual
Swift Voyager 564 (2025)
Motorhome
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- Yes
- Transmission
- Automatic
Swift Voyager 564 (2026)
Motorhome
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- Yes
- Transmission
- —
Swift Trekker X
Panel van camper
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Autotrail Excel 690T
Coachbuilt motorhome
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Swift Voyager 540
Coachbuilt motorhome
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Swift Trekker 584
Coachbuilt motorhome
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- Outdoor
- Transmission
- Automatic
Swift Trekker 594
Coachbuilt motorhome
- Seats
- 4
- Sleeps
- 4
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Swift Edge 466
Overcab motorhome
- Seats
- 6
- Sleeps
- 6
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Manual
Swift Carrera 132
Panel van camper
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
The fleet combines panel van campers with larger coachbuilt motorhomes, with sleeping layouts doing much of the work of distinguishing them.
For two people, the Carrera 132 pairs a rear lounge with a two-seat, two-berth layout. The four-person Trekker S and Trekker X both have pop-top roofs, but their kitchen arrangements differ: the shorter S has a hob without an oven, while the X has a hob and oven as well as a fixed rear bed. The Carrera also has an oven; none of these three has a microwave.
The larger motorhomes offer several ways to avoid making up the same living space every night. Island beds feature in the Voyager 494, Expedition C71 and Trekker 594, while the Trekker 584 has rear singles. The Voyager 540 uses a drop-down double and a bed made up from the lounge. For bigger parties, the Edge 466 combines rear bunks, an overcab double and a dinette double; the five-berth Voyager 475 family instead has a rear lounge that converts to a bed.
Despite the shared Trekker name, the 584 and 594 are coachbuilt motorhomes rather than the panel van format of the S and X. That distinction matters more to the choice than the family name alone.
Locations
Taste of Freedom pickup locations
Open each country to see its pickup locations.
United Kingdom
-
Wetherby Unit 719, Chapel Wood, Street 3, Thorp Arch Estate, Wetherby, LS23 7FF, England
Before booking
Practical facts
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Direct-booking scope | Amounts below are in pounds sterling (GBP) for direct hire from Wetherby. European travel is identified separately. |
| Minimum hire and longer stays | Standard hire starts at three nights. A duration discount starts at four nights and increases through 14 nights; it does not apply to extras. EU and Republic of Ireland trips require at least seven nights. |
| Booking payment | A 30% advance secures the booking, with the balance due six weeks before departure. Bookings made within six weeks require full payment. The operator's instalment plan allows up to six balance payments, depending on lead time, all completed by that same deadline. |
| Security payment | Standard credit-card security is £5. With a debit card, the full contractual excess is taken instead. Special events or some age-related risk cases can require £1,500. Refunds, where due, take 3–7 working days. This security is separate from the rental price and is not the limit of responsibility for damage. |
| Damage excess and reduction | The standard excess is £1,200 per incident for UK hire and £1,500 per incident for European travel. The optional reduction product starts at £15 per day and reduces the UK excess to £150 per incident. Interior, reversing, overhead, wrong-fuel and negligence damage are excluded, with the full excess applying to excluded damage; recovery is outside the waiver. The excess is not an unconditional cap on every loss. |
| Drivers | The standard age range is 25–72, with a full licence held for at least 24 months. Exceptions are usually considered within ages 22–78 and may involve a surcharge or higher excess. Non-UK licences and endorsements can also affect underwriting and charges. |
| Extra drivers | An additional driver with a clean UK licence costs £7 per person per day. Other licence circumstances are subject to underwriting. |
| Mileage | Distance beyond the allowance agreed for the hire costs £0.80 per mile. |
| Included equipment | One-driver UK insurance, UK breakdown cover and initial gas are included, along with kitchen utensils, crockery, hoses, an electric hook-up cable, toilet chemicals and levelling aids. Bedding and towels are extra. |
| Bedding | One double bedding-and-towel set starts at £40 per hire. |
| Pets | Pets are allowed throughout the fleet but must stay off upholstery and bedding. The dog surcharge starts at £7 per day. |
| Bikes and outdoor equipment | A rack for up to four bikes starts at £40 per hire, subject to the vehicle and fitting available. A four-chair pack starts at £4 per day; an outdoor table starts at £20 per hire. |
| Child seats | A seatbelt-fixed, non-ISOFIX child seat starts at £30 per hire. The advertised age span is nine months to 12 years; the seat must suit the individual child and vehicle. |
| European travel | EU and Republic of Ireland hires need at least seven nights. A paid European travel package is required for these trips and provides insurance, travel support and documents where required. Optional European breakdown cover costs £3.50 per night. |
| Collection, return and parking | Usual collection is at 14:00 and return is by 10:30. Parking for your car is included at your own risk, with the key left with the company. Vehicle viewings are by appointment. |
| Changing the times | An agreed collection or return extension usually costs £15 per hour and depends on adjacent bookings. An unagreed late return is typically charged at £15 per 15 minutes, plus resulting costs. |
| Preparation and assistance | The usual handover takes 30–45 minutes. Videos are available beforehand and printed instructions accompany the vehicle. Emergency telephone support is available around the clock. |
| Cancellation | More than six weeks before departure, the booking advance is retained. Less than six weeks before departure, sums paid or due are non-refundable. If the vehicle is hired out again, a refund less costs may be offered at the company's discretion. |
| Roads and towing | Driving is restricted to sealed tarmac, severe weather may bring further restrictions, and towing is prohibited. |
| Fuel on return | A fuel shortfall is charged at the cost of the missing fuel plus a £30 fee, with VAT added to that fee. |
| Cleaning and waste | Excessive cleaning typically costs £100; returning with unemptied waste or toilet tanks incurs £50. Smoking incurs £250 plus cleaning. |
Quick answers
Taste of Freedom FAQ
Can I take a Taste of Freedom motorhome to Europe or Ireland?
Yes. Hire starts in Wetherby and must last at least seven nights for EU or Republic of Ireland travel. A paid European travel package is required and includes insurance, travel support and the documents required for the trip. European breakdown cover is an optional £3.50 per night; it is separate from the travel package.
Does the £5 security payment limit my damage liability?
No. That is the standard credit-card security payment. For UK hire, the standard damage excess is £1,200 per incident, while debit-card security is the full contractual excess. The optional reduction product starts at £15 per day and lowers the UK excess to £150 per incident, with exclusions including interior, reversing and overhead damage.
Which Taste of Freedom vehicles can take six people?
The Swift Edge 466 has six travel seats and six sleeping places. Its beds combine rear bunks, an overcab double and a dinette double. The Expedition C73 and Voyager 475 family each have five travel seats and five berths, so they do not provide a six-person alternative.
Can I hire an automatic from Taste of Freedom?
Yes. Automatic options include the Carrera 132, Trekker S and X, Expedition C71 and C73, and several larger Swift models. The Voyager 494 has manual and automatic versions. Taste of Freedom can substitute a similar-standard vehicle suitable for the party, so allocation of a named model is not guaranteed.
Can my dog travel in a Taste of Freedom motorhome?
Dogs are welcome throughout the fleet, with a surcharge starting at £7 per day. They must stay off the upholstery and bedding.
Can I leave my car at the Wetherby depot?
Yes. Parking is included for the hire, at your own risk, and you leave the key with Taste of Freedom. Collection is normally at 14:00 and return by 10:30, so the journey to and from Wetherby needs to fit those times unless an extension has been agreed.
What should I know about taking a Taste of Freedom vehicle to a festival?
Special-event bookings can require £1,500 security. Driving remains restricted to sealed tarmac. Taste of Freedom describes almost all its vehicles as solar-equipped and lists heating, hot water, the fridge, TV and USB as usable away from electric hook-up; ordinary three-pin sockets do not work without it.
Does the Trekker name mean the same type of camper throughout the range?
No. The Trekker S and X are panel van campers with pop-top roofs, while the Trekker 584 and 594 are coachbuilt motorhomes. The S has a hob without an oven; the X has both. The 584 has rear single beds and the 594 an island bed.
Can I spread the cost of a Taste of Freedom booking?
After the 30% advance, the company's payment plan allows up to six instalments according to the time remaining before departure. The balance must still be paid six weeks before travel, and bookings made inside that window require full payment.
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