Practical tips for great USA motorhome holidays
Article by Dipika Patel
If you are looking for America holidays that offer complete freedom to go where you want, when you want, there is no better choice than hiring a motorhome and setting out on the open road.
Motorhomes – known as recreational vehicles or RVs in the USA – are perfect for the great American road trip that many people dream of making. Whether you want to cruise down Route 66, explore the west coast or travel from New England to California, a motorhome is the ideal form of transport.
This type of fly drive holiday to the USA has a number of advantages – the main one being you are taking your accommodation with you, so you can plan your own itinerary and change it as often as you like. USA motorhome holidays are also a particularly sociable experience and you are sure to enjoy the campsite camaraderie as you meet other intrepid travellers during your journey.
While a motorhome USA experience is one of the most flexible holidays you will ever take, there are a few basic rules to follow to ensure your trip goes smoothly.
The first thing you will want to do before travelling is book a motorhome for your journey. Price is obviously an important factor when comparing different rental firms, but there are other issues to consider.
It is a good idea to find an unlimited mileage deal so you don’t have to worry about incurring extra charges if you decide to make some changes to your journey. You should also read the details of the insurance cover provided to ensure the policy is comprehensive enough. And check what is included in your package, as you will need practical items such as pots and pans.
Also remember to look at the locations of the motorhome rental firm’s depots to ensure it has convenient pick-up and drop-off points that match your flights. It is not worth trying to save a few dollars on a deal if it means you waste a day travelling out of your way to drop the vehicle off at the end of your break.
One other thing to be aware of is that most RV rental companies will not permit you to take a vehicle on your first day in the USA, so you will need to book a hotel room for the night your flight arrives.
Driving a motorhome is not much different from driving a big car, although you may find parking difficult to begin with. However, there are major differences between the road laws in the UK and the USA, so it is important to ensure you familiarise yourself with all the rules and regulations before you get behind the wheel.
And remember that the laws change from state to state, so be certain to keep an eye out for details of local speed limits. The drink-driving limit also varies and is very low in places, so think carefully about how many beers you have in an evening if you are planning to set off early the next day.
One other major difference between driving at home and in the USA is the distances involved. Many of your journeys will involve travelling through hundreds of miles of wilderness and will pass very few gas stations, so don’t waste opportunities to keep your petrol tank topped up.
A motorhome holiday in the USA will give you the freedom to change your plans as often as you want, but a little forward planning can help it run more smoothly. It is sensible to book a campsite for your first night on the road in advance and to choose somewhere not too far away from your start point. That means you should arrive before dark and can undertake the task of hooking your vehicle up to the campground’s electricity and water supplies for the first time in daylight.
You may also want to select a pull through campsite, where you enter at one end and exit at the other, as it will mean you are not forced to make any tricky reversing manoeuvres. There are lots of sites like this across the country, so finding them shouldn’t be a problem.
One other piece of planning you will need to do is to ensure you book places on campsites close to major attractions in advance. Campgrounds near places like Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon are always busy, so there is no guarantee they will have space for you if you just pitch up in the hope of finding somewhere to spend the night.
About the Author
If you are looking for America holidays with plenty of freedom, then a motorhome USA adventure may be exactly what you want. Get in touch with Bon Voyage to find out more about USA motorhome holidays and other fly drive holidays to the USA.