Many RV owners (and wanna-be owners) dream of driving off with nothing but the open road ahead of them. No plans, just blowing wherever the wind takes you.
The reality is that you can’t park and sleep just anywhere overnight. And most of us have certain places we want to visit and limited time to make it happen. Getting a campsite in those places might not always be easy.
Or maybe you’re just a person who likes having a set plan so that you don’t have to worry about it once you are on the road.
Thus, we spend countless hours mapping out our route, hunting for the best campgrounds, fighting for reservations and scouring the internet for all of the best things to see and do along the way. Sometimes we realize that after all the planning we did, we were still too late to secure a reservation at our top-pick campground or book that special activity.
Yes, planning an RV road trip can be stressful. We know because we’ve done it many times. And we’ve literally written a guidebook of RV itineraries (more on that later).
I’ll be honest, we dream of not making plans and just being spontaneous. But we are both full-time teachers, with limited time off. When we hit the road, we want to know that we have the plans in place to see and do the things on our list.
We purchased our first RV in 2016. Since then, we’ve spent almost every summer and many other breaks exploring the US in our RV. We’ve done short, weekend trips and 7-week-long summer trips. We’ve camped in the Southwest heat, the Northeast humidity and in freezing temperatures. We’ve experienced maintenance issues and weather-related catastrophes that prompted us to completely change plans.
If you’re overwhelmed trying to plan your RV trip, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive in and start planning.
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1) Decide Where to Go
I’m gonna be honest, deciding where to go is often the hardest part of planning any road trip. A few things to consider here are your interests, the amount of time you have, weather, budget and RV-friendliness.
We like to pick a couple of big stops and fill in the smaller stops from there. Of course, you can add as many must-see stops as you want.
Travel Goals and Interests
What helped us the most was setting a few travel goals. First, we decided we wanted to visit all 50 states before our 10th anniversary. Second, we set out on a journey to visit all 430+ sites within the National Park Service. (Sadly, we missed our 10th anniversary deadline by one state, Hawaii, thanks to the 2020 Covid travel restrictions. But we made it to Hawaii in 2021! And we’ve visited more than 350 NPS sites.)
Check out our recommendations for Oahu, Hawaii.
National Parks are a popular destination for RVers, and for good reason. Even if you only focus on the 63 National Parks, you’ve got a lot of great places to visit.
State parks are also good for camping. You could plan to visit all of the state parks where you live and then expand to nearby states.
But you can set a goal around anything that interests you. If you need some inspiration, you can check out our book, Moon USA RV Adventures. (Scroll to the end for more information about our book.)
Moon Travel Guides also offers a variety of other guidebooks on different regions and interests.
Time
In terms of time, if you only have a long weekend (3-4 days), then trying to drive from North Carolina to Montana and back would not be a great idea. If you have 3-4 weeks, that trip suddenly becomes a lot more realistic.
But this also depends on your travel style. The truth is that not everyone travels the same way.
Some people naturally wake up and get moving at 6:00 am every day, even on vacation. Others won’t even consider rolling out of bed until 9:00 am and then want a leisurely morning with coffee.
Those two types of travelers should not try to plan the same vacation. Even giving each other travel advice might be tricky.
Make sure your route/destination fits with your travel style and the time you have.
Weather
The weather is a big consideration when you are RVing. Personally, we don’t really want to camp in the freezing cold or the blistering heat. So, we tend to go north and to higher elevations in the summer and stay south in the winter.
Of course, we’ve ended up in both conditions and survived.
Many national parks with high elevation close at least partially in the winter. Parks such as Rocky Mountain, Glacier, Yellowstone, and Yosemite are lovely in the winter. But you can’t see the entire park due to road closures.
The rainy season is another big one since RVing typically involves being outdoors. In the southeast, hurricane season runs from June through November, with the peak activity occurring in late September and into October.
Hurricanes can be especially dangerous for RVs and can cause long-lasting damage.
In the Southwest, the monsoon season runs from mid-June to late September. In the desert, heavy rains can cause deadly flash flooding miles away.
Budget
Many people think RVing is cheaper than staying in a hotel. And that’s generally true.
But prices are still affected by local demand.
For example, in and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, campsites can easily run more than $100/night. (Yes, there are also options for $20/night, but they can be hard to get.)
Read more about where to stay at Yellowstone National Park.
If you are anywhere near a major city, such as New Orleans, expect to pay a premium, especially during special events.
So, if you have a small budget, look for places that offer more opportunities for boondocking or just generally have a lower cost of living. And don’t go somewhere that will tempt you to eat out every night because of all the amazing restaurants!
RV Configuration and Road Conditions
As much as we like to think your RV gives you the freedom to go anywhere and do anything you want, that isn’t always the case. Some roads are off-limits to RVs, such as primitive backcountry roads, roads with low overpasses or tight turns and any road labeled a “parkway” in New York.
Our first RV was a 27-foot travel trailer that we towed with an F-150. With a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle, we could go just about anywhere, once we dropped the trailer.
Now we have a 21-foot Panoramic campervan. While we fit in most limited-size areas, there have been a few roads and areas that are off limits to us.
For instance, on our 2026 summer trip, we’re spending roughly 2 weeks in and around Yellowstone National Park. One of our big desires is to explore the extremely remote southwest corner, known as the Bechler area.
But the park recommends high clearance and four-wheel drive. With our truck, we could have done it. With our camper van, we’re not going to risk it. While we have taken the van down long dirt roads, we have also found that those dirt roads can rattle an RV apart. Yeah, we’re bummed. But that just gives us an excuse to plan another visit to Yellowstone!
Honestly, though, even when there aren’t official vehicle restrictions, maneuvering around and finding parking for a large RV can be difficult. Make sure you have a tow/towed vehicle if that’s what is necessary to fully explore the area you are considering.
2) Set Your Route
Now that you’ve decided on at least a few main stops, it’s time to actually put together your routing.
We use both Apple Maps and Google Maps. Sometimes, I’ll use the Good Sam Trip Planner (only available to Good Sam members). There are a few other RV-specific route planners, but we don’t have any other specific recommendations.
Sometimes, we will get out the handy road atlas and just eyeball the route. We like the Road Atlas: Adventure Edition from National Geographic because it has topographic features and marks plenty of cool points of interest on the map.
Sometimes the best order to hit all of your stops is obvious. Other times, I rearrange the order to see what makes the most sense.
From there, start looking around for other stops along (or near) your route. You can look on the map or even do a web search for something along the lines of “places to visit near x.” Guidebooks and Facebook groups are also great places to find stops that fit your interests.
Note: what you consider “near” and what someone else considers “near” may not be the same.
We invite you to join our Facebook group, US RV Trip Planning + Itineraries. This group is for experienced, newbie and wannabe RVers to discuss RV itineraries, destinations, camping tips and more.
Once you find a few other stops, add them to your route and make sure the timing actually works for you. Again, you might decide that based on the amount of time you have, you can’t actually fit in a visit to both Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park, even though they are both in Montana and are relatively close to each other.
3) Estimate Timing
From here, you have to figure out just how much time you need at each stop. That, again, will require a little research. Again, guidebooks, Facebook groups and internet searches will help.
At this point, I just do preliminary research to get a rough estimate on timing. You don’t have to know all the details, but you should determine if you want one day or five days for the area you are visiting.
Again, this depends on your interests. If you are not going to do any hiking, you probably only need one day to visit Grand Teton National Park. But serious hikers could easily spend several weeks exploring the park.
For national parks, you’ll sometimes find a rough itinerary of things to do with a certain amount of time. You can also do a web search for “how much time do you need in x.”
Even just looking at how many hiking trails and how long they are or how many museums, attractions, etc. will give you some idea of if you need half a day or several days.
Again, just keep in mind that what one person can fit into a day may not be the same as another person. But, if most of what you find is 3-4 day itineraries for a specific location, then that gives you a good idea of how much time you need. Even then, you’ll likely also find suggestions for what to do if you only have one day.
From here, there are a couple of options. You can limit your stops to thoroughly explore an area. Or, you can do short visits to several areas with the thought that a quick visit is better than no visit.
Which approach you take depends on how often you travel, if you think you might ever return to that location and personal preference.
Finally, don’t forget to build in rest days if you can. This is especially true when RVing. We are guilty of wanting to go, go, go to see and do as much as we can. But, some of the best moments are just relaxing at the campground and looking for unexpected things to do.
4) Find Campgrounds
Now that you know where you want to go and have a good idea of how long you’ll need, it’s time to figure out where to stay.
When we had a travel trailer, we wanted to stay in one central campground as long as possible. Now that we have a camper van, we tend to move around a lot more. You’ll need to decide what works for you and look for campgrounds accordingly.
But how do you find those campgrounds?
If you are visiting a national park or state park, you can always check to see if they have a campground on their official website. Many NPS campgrounds can be reserved through recreation.gov but some are run by concessionaires. You’ll find other public-land campgrounds (US Forest Service, Corps of Engineers) on recreation.gov as well. These tend to be basic and inexpensive.
Many state park campgrounds can be found through reserveamerica.com, but some use a state-specific website.
There are also several different websites and apps to find private or public campgrounds. We have used RV Life Campground Reviews extensively over the past several years. Campendium, RV Parky and AllStays are also great, especially for finding public campgrounds and boondocking spots. The Dyrt and Hipcamp are a couple of others that sometimes have more unique camping opportunities.
There are also a few “chain” campgrounds, such as KOA, Spacious Skies and Jellystone, each with its own website. You can also look into memberships such as Harvest Hosts, Passport America, Escapees RV Club. Finally, with a Good Sam Elite Membership, you get access to Good Sam Overnight Stays, which is similar to Harvest Hosts, without any additional fees.
Again, there are Facebook groups specifically for campground reviews. You could also try Reddit or just an internet search.
Sometimes you can stay overnight in parking lots at Walmart, Cracker Barrel or rest stops. Some cities or specific locations prohibit this, though, so it’s always best to verify before planning a stop.
If overnighting in a parking lot, remember it is not a campground. You should not stay more than one night. Do not set up your camp chairs and grill. Best practice is to arrive late, depart early and make a purchase if possible. We especially like Cracker Barrel for this… Ok, we stayed overnight, now it’s time for breakfast!
5) Make Campground Reservations
Once you’ve made your campground decisions, it’s time to make your reservations.
How far in advance you should do that really depends on the area and the season. Popular areas, such as inside Yosemite National Park, will fill almost immediately after booking opens (which can be roughly a year in advance). I would also suggest booking holiday weekends well in advance, especially in popular areas.
Most of the time, we make reservations 3-6 months in advance. But we’ve had good luck with last-minute reservations as well, even in popular areas.
As you make your campground reservations, make sure you know your RV length. And know what hookups you want/need.
When we traveled with a cat in our trailer, having electricity was a must so that we could run the air conditioning. Our camper van is much more equipped for off-grid (and, sadly, our cat is no longer with us), so hookups are not as important.
If you can’t get the campground reservations you want in a specific area, you may need to adjust your route. You can also keep checking back for cancellations. But figure out your Plan B just in case.
6) Get Ready to Hit the Road
At this point, you may be ready to do a little more detailed research on exactly what you are going to do at each stop. That really is a personal preference.
Often, we don’t plan our exact day-to-day plans until we are on the road. That allows us to adjust for the weather, how we’re feeling or anything additional advice we get along the way.
On the other side of the spectrum, a good friend of mine makes an hour-by-hour itinerary for every trip before they leave the house.
Additionally, you’ll want to make sure your RV is road-ready. If you’re renting an RV or taking out a new RV, make sure you know how to operate everything.
Check out our tips for new RVers here.
Our Book: Moon USA RV Adventures
Remember that book I said we wrote back in the beginning? If all this planning still sounds overwhelming, that’s what our book is for.
Moon USA RV Adventures is a collection of 25 RV itineraries all over the United States. The routes range from 5 days to more than a month. Each route includes driving directions, things to do, campground and restaurant recommendations and where to get groceries. We even provide the best time of year and estimated driving distance.
Learn more about our book, Moon USA RV Adventures.
Ready to add a copy of our book to your bookshelf?
But no two travelers are alike. We know that you likely will not open the book and follow a route exactly as written. But it is a good starting point. And, hopefully, we’ve given you the steps to make adjustments that will work for you.
Additionally, we invite you to join our Facebook group, US RV Trip Planning + Itineraries. In the group, we offer a place for RVers to share itineraries, advice and tips for successful trips. We jump in everywhere we can to offer our expertise.
We invite you to join our Facebook group, US RV Trip Planning + Itineraries. This group is for experienced, newbie and wannabe RVers to discuss RV itineraries, destinations, camping tips and more.
Making the Most of Your RV Trip
Once you’re on the road, remember that the unexpected happens.
In 2022, we had planned to spend an entire month in Yellowstone National Park. Halfway there, the park experienced a catastrophic flood that initially closed the park for an undetermined amount of time. Add in a high-wind warning along our route and we had to completely redo our entire summer itinerary.
We’ve also had maintenance issues that caused us to cut a trip short. And issues that required a minor change to the itinerary to get fixed.
Despite your best planning, things won’t always go as planned. It’s all part of the adventure.
Travel Resources
What do you use to find a flight?
We use Skyscanner to find deals on flights. Skyscanner has a great interface and compares tons of airlines for the best pricing and routing. That said, it does not always have every airline and some airlines will have better deals on their website. Still, Skyscanner is a great place to start.
Click here to search for a flight.
What do you use to find a hotel?
We typically stay at Hilton properties, so we use the Hilton website. You can find good Hilton Honors discounts or AAA discounts for a hotel there. We make great use of our free night certificates from our Hilton Honors American Express.
Click here to book a Hilton property.
If there are no Hilton properties available, we use TripAdvisor to read reviews and book the hotel. We find we can get the best price that way.
Click here to search for a hotel.
We recently partnered with Stay22 to add interactive maps to each of our destination posts. This will allow you to see a plethora of hotels and vacation rentals all in one responsive map of the area.
Click here to search an interactive map.
What if I need more space than I can get at a hotel?
We use Vrbo for the times when we have rented a cabin for a weekend getaway, like this cabin in Townsend, TN, or needed to rent a house for a large family vacation. We had a great experience with them in terms of refunding deposits when COVID hit and will continue to use them.
Click here to search for a vacation rental.
Who do you use for rental cars?
As a general rule, we book with Hertz for rental cars. We have had nothing but good experiences with them. Plus, we really like unlimited mileage and not worrying about crossing state lines. We have even rented from Hertz overseas in both Slovenia and Croatia.
Click here to book a rental car.
How about booking a cruise?
We have found some amazing prices for booking a cruise through Cruise Direct. We have saved a lot of money on our cruises compared to what we found elsewhere, making a last-minute Bahamas cruise even cheaper.
Click here to book a cruise.
What if I want to rent an RV?
We highly recommend Outdoorsy for RV rentals. We rented a camper van for a week to visit Rocky Mountain National Park for the elk rut and Custer State Park for the Buffalo Round-Up and had a blast. The program was easy to use and we really enjoyed the freedom of having a camper van for that trip.
Click here to rent an RV.
What do you use for booking tours?
We don’t often book tours. Typically, we like to do stuff on our own. That said, there are some experiences you can’t have any other way. So, when we do want to book a tour, we always check Viator first.
Click here to book a tour.
Do you use anything to get discounts on the road?
We make extensive use of both Good Sam and AAA on the road. Good Sam is normally regarded as a discount card for RVers at campgrounds and Camping World but anyone can use the 5 cents off a gallon at the pump at both Pilot and Flying J.
Click here to get a Good Sam membership.
We have had AAA as long as we have been married and it has more than paid for itself in discounts at hotels, aside from the peace of mind of having roadside assistance. Add in paper maps and the ability to get an international driver’s license and it is more than worth it for any traveler out there.
Click here to get a AAA membership.
Where can I get Travel Insurance?
We have partnered with Global Rescue for travel and evacuation insurance. This provider will put you out of the worst situations and get you to medical care promptly. You can even purchase “cancel for any reason” insurance from Global Rescue. This is our go-to provider of travel insurance. Traveling somewhere dangerous? They will even extract you if war were to break out on your trip.
Click here to get Global Rescue for your upcoming trip.
