So, why fly, when you could travel by RV instead? We can’t think of a good reason to fly right now, so we’ll outline some of the reasons to travel by RV. 

First of all, RVing does away with a ton of the hassles you face at the airport. Forget taking off shoes at security or dealing with long delays that leave you bored and the kids climbing the walls. In an RV, you simply gather the family, pack up your rig, and go. 

In addition, RVing offers greater flexibility than flying. Even if you’re the type to plan out every last minute of your trip, we all know that sometimes travel entails unexpected surprises. When you’re traveling by air, you’re pretty much committed to whatever flights you have already arranged, and extending your stay or rethinking your destination could incur expensive change fees. In your RV, on the other hand, it’s as simple as looking over at the passenger seat, shrugging your shoulders, and deciding to take the next left turn. Finding a place to park is not always a picnic but you do know that there is likely a Walmart parking lot somewhere on your route. 

Furthermore, RVing is way more family friendly — you can actually bring all the things you need. The extended storage space makes carrying kid’s gear or outdoor adventure equipment easy, and your children will probably fare much better in even a small camper than they would crammed into an airplane seat.

Finally, although it’s no guarantee for instant cost savings, RVing can be more economical than other forms of travel. You have a lot more opportunities to control your costs, from cooking your own meals to finding cheap or free places to camp at night. While you’ll still be faced with food, gas, and living expenses, they’re a lot more variable than when traveling by air. For example, when you absolutely have to find a place to sleep each night and will pay for that, and you will have to eat, and certainly will have less opportunity to do your own cooking. And, of course, the ticket price is fixed, whereas with RVing, your total gas bill will depend on how far you decide to go.

What about the Cost of RV Travel?

Even if you’re excited, don’t get caught short-changed by failing to fully and honestly consider your budget. Whether you’re going for a weekend or living in your rig full time, RV travel can be extremely economical… but it also doesn’t have to be. And if you’re choosing RV travel over flying or some other travel method, traveling in an RV will not automatically save you money, but with planning ahead and a little work, you may be able to save quite a bit of your vacation budget. So, you could take another vacation next month!

First of all, you’ll want to consider the rig itself. The best built, highest-quality RVs and travel trailers can be quite costly up front, even just to rent… but they might save you expense and hassle down the road when you don’t find yourself facing an exorbitant repair bill for little more than a bump in the road. Good service and guarantees are vital things to consider when you choose an RV rental company.

You’ll also need to consider what kind of camping you want to do because this can determine your trip’s final cost. For instance, you can boondock for free in some places, or in some wilderness campsites for as little as $25 for up to 14 days — or less than two dollars a day — although you will still need to pay for your food, gas, and eventually to dump your holding tanks when you get back into town. (You may also want to run your generator, which takes fuel.)

At the top end, fancy RV resort campgrounds can cost as much as $75 or more per night, though you might score a discount by staying for a longer stretch of time like a week or even a month. And it is possible you would spend a lot of money eating out or on expensive entertainment and activity costs… but again, all that is under your control when you’re traveling by RV.

If you have never experienced this unique form of road tripping, maybe stop making your airline reservations and consider giving RVing a try. If you find out you really don’t like it, you will know you’ve at least given it your best shot and you can always go back to flying to your next vacation destination.

But, if you have decided to try renting an RV, remember to start your trip by booking a reservation with ROAD BEAR RV.