Luxury road tripping; the world's most expensive RV and luxury car rentals

If you’re striving to be the most stylish thing on wheels on your next luxury holiday, command the road with these decadent Australian touring options.

Driving holidays remain very close to the hearts of Australians of all shapes and sizes. From rugged 4WD or caravanning adventures with the family in tow to carefree top-down cruising of the Great Ocean Road with the wind in your hair, the road-trip possibilities in Australia are endless.

But what are the options at the lofty, luxury, tippy-top end of the road touring market?

Currently, the world’s most expensive luxury motorhome is the frankly extraordinary EleMMent Palazzo from Austrian manufacturers Marchi Mobile with a sticker price of a whopping $US3 million. (It took the title from the Featherlite Vantare Platinum Plus which changes hand for a far more reasonable $US2.5 million).

eleMMent Palazzo Superior RV from Marchi Mobile — The world’s most expensive RV, the eleMMent Palazzo Superior has a ‘pop-up’ roof top deck they call the Sky Deck.

The interiors are ridiculously plush and marble laden which justifies the hefty 600 horsepower engine – that’s a ridiculous amount of ‘horses’ as motoring nerds would say; the entry level Toyota Camry has 178 while an F1 car tops out at 1000 to give you a comparison.

One of the craziest additions to the “Mobile Mansion" (the MM in eleMMent) is the ‘Sky Lounge’. A lift elevates a deck from the roof of the RV to create a private roof top terrace accessed by a stairwell on the outside of the RV.

But it’s the drivers cab, they like to call it the ‘cockpit’, which will cause other drivers to rubberneck and run off the road. The sloping elliptical window may be aerodynamic is more spaceship than road warrior.

Bedroom eleMMent Palazzo Superior RV — The kind bed, made by the same people who supply the Royal Family with their bedding, inside the world’s moist expensive RV, the eleMMent Palazzo Superior.

The king bed is made by the same company that supply the royal family’s bedding but you will have to want to get off the 4m sofa in front of the widescreen TV to use it. The full kitchen comes with the most important accouterments – an ice makes and wine fridge.

Both sides of the Palazzo expand to make the living space tiger swinging sized and the bathroom is full sized, accessible from either the bedroom or the living room. Driving, the passengers have some seriously gold class cinema seating to arrive in style.

Living room eleMMent Palazzo Superior RV — The living room, with 4m sofa, on board the world’s most expensive RV, the eleMMent Palazzo Superior.

Back on earth, I mean Australia, the most expensive RV used to be the Avida Winnebago Classic which used to set you back a comparatively modest $613,000. Times beign what they are the most luxurious and expense RV right now in Australia would probably be the Avida Longreach which is only half a mortgage at around the $250k-$300k mark.

Other ways to hit the road in style

There are a multitude of luxury touring options around Australia that have the high-end road experience firmly in mind – and they don’t all involve cars.

If that all sounds a bit too dirt-in-the-goggles for your tastes, there’s always the more luxurious option of exotic car hire. Can you picture yourself hugging the corners of the Great Ocean Road in a Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche or Lamborghini? Around $1900 will get you into a Ferrari California or $2300 a McLaren from Unique Car Rentals .

Or if winery touring the Mornington Peninsula is more your style, Red Balloon has a whole category of all luxury car rental, diver experiences and touring you can do.

Luxury at 300km/h

When it comes to sticker price, nothing comes remotely close to the amount of cash poured into your average Formula 1 car. However, unless you have the kinds of connections the rest of us only dream about, chances are you’re never going to get a drive in one (in fact, if you have, we’d love to hear about it). The next best thing, of course, is being trackside for all the action of the Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne.

There are plenty of packages available to take this trip in style, and AT has seen a few good ones – but nothing we’ve seen so far comes close to the kinds of packages being organised by Sportsnet Holidays (1300 888 858, www.sportsnetholidays.com).

Their basic packages include three nights accommodation packages from $1029.

For upwards of $10,000 per person, you’re met at the airport and whisked to the Park Hyatt Melbourne for four nights lodging. You’re then given daily private transfers from hotel to track, a four-day corporate hospitality pass entitling you to food, drinks, reserved-seat dining, a dedicated viewing area overlooking Pit Straight, plus morning and afternoon tea, gourmet buffet luncheon with dessert and full bar service every day. Tickets to the Official Grand Prix Ball are thrown in, along with a champagne breakfast on the Sunday morning and (gasp!) a pit walk per day for each guest. Private access to a rooftop tiered viewing deck is the icing on the cake, as is a helicopter tour of the CBD and the Albert Park Grand Prix circuit before being whisked back to the airport at the end of it all.

Now that’s what we call a road trip.

There’s no shortage of exceptional eateries in regional Victoria. From casual classics to finely tuned fine diners, here’s our pick of the plentiful bunch.

Le Foyer Brasserie, Bendigo

French plate at Le Foyer Brassiere, Bendigo — Le Foyer serves upscale French fare.

From the owners behind Bendigo’s beloved The Woodhouse comes this newly opened elegant French bistro. It’s all about welcoming warmth at this city fine diner, after all Le Foyer , translates to ‘the hearth’ in French. A place to linger in the chic, Parisian-style salon, the menu unfurls in the classics, from beef bourguignon to steak frites and mille-feuille.

Riverbank Moama, Murray River

If you’re journeying on or beside the Murray, it’s only fitting that you dine by its banks. This nature-nestled restaurant by the river is idyllic for a long, sun-filled lunch. The menu is an unfussy playlist of the hits served with a seasonal spin – and the mood is as gently flowing as the nearby water.

Felix, Geelong

Soft brown banquettes, walnut hues and a terrazzo bar welcomes with relaxed French bistro vibes at Geelong’s Felix . But really, it’s the collage of simple, seasonal flavours that make this restaurant an easy-going favourite. Come for brunch or dinner; vegans are welcomed with a dedicated menu.

The Perch, Lavers Hill

A laid-back classic of the Great Ocean Road, The Perch at Lavers Hill welcomes those taking a pause from the serpentine drive. Lunch in the warm-wood dining room is accompanied by vineyard vistas and fleeting cameos from native birds.

The Shared Table, Ballarat

If you go for the ‘Dine without Decision’ option at this beloved eatery , you’re free from the tyranny of food envy with a chef-selected procession of dishes that highlight the bounty of the Midwest region. Think mochi gnocchi with pumpkin and XO or Western Plains pork cotoletta.

Barragunda Dining, Mornington Peninsula

This fine diner , which opened in early 2025, has been lauded as one of the region’s most ambitious and significant openings in recent years. Set on a 400-hectare, cliffside Cape Schanck property that delivers the kitchen with a cornucopia of produce, it’s elegant and honest paddock-to-plate dining at its most refined.

Mount William Station, Grampians

Whether you’re staying at this luxe historic station or just swinging in for dinner with friends, the shared table vibe here is country hospitality at its most welcoming and elevated. Seasonal and local produce guides chef Dean Sibthorp’s hand for plates finessed with the mountain-fresh flavour of the Grampians.

Emerald City, Yarra Valley

You’re certainly not in Kansas anymore when you slip behind the emerald curtain from Cavanagh’s Whiskey and Alehouse to the diminutive Emerald City . Allusions to the fraudulent wizard and Dorothy aside, this acutely intimate four-seat diner is a curated experience worthy of a road trip. As you may imagine, bookings are essential.

du Fermier, Trentham

Annie Smithers’ intimate, farmhouse-y French fine diner is not at all new, but it is every bit iconic. It’s long attracted food-lovers to its charming dining room for a set menu that undulates with the seasons. If you’re a gourmand to your core, book into one of Annie’s delightfully informal masterclasses.

Messmates Dining, Gippsland

This Warragul diner’s menu is a well-arranged collection of delicious, farm-forward morsels crafted, quite simply, to delight. Dishes such as French onion dip scooped onto nigella seed crackers and fresh-made pasta tossed with a black pepper and butter emulsion are all about balanced, enjoyable flavours paired with good wine.

Luxury On The Road