How to Choose the Right Travel Accommodations for Your RV Road Trip

By Grace & Bob Bouchard of 2Veterans.OnTheMove

Lippert Scouts and retired Air Force veterans Bob and Grace Bouchard, known as 2Veterans.OnTheMove, embarked on their full-time RV journey post-military service. Since 2019, they've explored the country with their faithful canine companion, Bailey. In this post, they delve into essential advice for choosing the perfect travel accommodations for your RV adventures. Drawing from their extensive experience, they provide practical insights and heartfelt encouragement to fellow travelers aiming to optimize their lives on the road. 

No matter if you’re a detailed planner or someone who enjoys the spontaneity of traveling without a defined plan, we all have decisions to make when it comes to choosing where to rest our heads for the night. When it comes to traveling, determining where you stay can make all the difference in how you and your family can experience a location, regardless of the length of stay.   
  
So, what determines which stops to make as you travel and how long you plan to stay?  

Many factors can play a role in figuring out where you decide to visit. Are you ‘just passing through’ an area and looking for a quick overnight stop? Many places people have planned to visit for years are on their ‘bucket lists.’ Maybe you are on a timeline to get to a specific destination. Do you plan on spending time exploring an area? In some cases, the actual location isn’t necessarily the focus, as the reason for the visit can also be about seeing family, friends or community.  
  
In addition to all those questions, there are other factors like the travel budget, where or how long you plan to stay in a location and the need to consider any potential weather impacts on your route or activities.  
  
With so many things to consider, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. One of the things we have found helpful throughout our travels is to start at the foundation and the purpose of ‘why’ we are planning for a specific location.  

This factor will vary from person to person and place to place. It can also change based on your overall goal. If you are a full-time traveler, you may have more time to stay at specific locations or may not have a timeline to be in a specific area. For those traveling for quick vacations, say a few weeks in the summer or during seasonal breaks, you may have limited time to get to an area you want to explore.  
  
Travel is not a one-size-fits-all journey, so making sure you know your personal ‘why’ for traveling will go a long way toward making it the best experience for you and your family. 

For locations that we may just be passing through, we know the focus is on a quick overnight stay. When it comes to short stays like this, the location and specific place we decide to stay at will have a more significant impact on what attractions the local area may have to offer.  
  
Although the actual place to stay for the night is more of a priority, there are still things to consider about the location itself. Is the area we are staying in for the night in a safe neighborhood? Is the place easily accessible, and does it take us off our main route? We like to keep in mind the access to the basics nearby, like fuel and potentially a grocery store to restock on essentials if needed.  
  
Depending on your travel pace or if you’re on a timeline to reach a location, several overnight stays may be needed to get to your main destination. For others who may have a bit more flexibility in their schedule, overnight stays may be limited, and two or three-night stays may be a bit more common.  

When it comes to two or three-night stay locations, we start to pay more attention to the surrounding area. Do we want, or maybe need, to stay for more than two or three nights? Are there parks or hikes we can explore? Are there local attractions we can visit? Is there a local event scheduled that we don’t want to miss? Is there more than a small local grocery store available nearby?  
  
And when deciding on the actual place to stay, the amenities a park has available also begin to become more of a consideration. If you don’t have a washer and dryer in your RV, will you need access to a laundry room? For families with smaller children, an outdoor playground or even a recreation room with games and activities may be important factors to consider. Are you traveling with pets? Looking for a safe space to allow them to release some energy can be necessary, especially if you have longer travel days.  
  
Although two or three nights may be considered ‘longer stays’ for some, it is not always the case for all.  

We usually look at a week or more when we think about longer-term stays. Spending a longer amount of time in a place can shift our focus to taking a deeper look at what is available in the surrounding area. Are there a variety of areas we can get out to explore? If you’re traveling with pets, you may want to research the area for pet-friendly activities or places you can visit. If you’re a full-time traveler, you may have preventative maintenance tasks on your list that you want to take care of during that time. Are there resources available in the area to get those things taken care of?  
  
Even though there can be additional focus on the surrounding areas, longer stays also mean the place you decide to stay at can have a bigger impact on your visit. Why? Because not all RV sites are made equal, and it can depend on the type of experience you hope to have. Whether at an RV resort, campground, state park or even a military base campground for those with access, when staying at a location for more than a week, being in a less-than-ideal RV site can really affect your overall experience.  
  
Additionally, if overall costs are a factor, staying at a location for a week or longer is likely to provide savings on costs, as many locations offer discounted rates for weekly or monthly stays.  
  
So, even though surrounding areas and the type of amenities you prefer to have access to can heavily impact your decision on where to settle for longer stays, it all comes down to your reason for deciding to stay in a specific location. 

As much as we like to research the surrounding area for activities and consider the amenities available at a place, when it comes to staying at a location, having room to create a welcoming environment at our RV site is key! Whether that be a place where we can enjoy a slow, relaxing morning or a place to unwind after getting back to the RV from a day out adventuring.  
  
The best way we’ve found to do this is with our Lippert gazebo, which provides that extra outdoor living space. Setup takes less than 10 minutes, so it can be used for any length of stay! For those longer stays, simply add another 15 minutes to set up lights and minimal decor to help create a warm and inviting outdoor space.  

With so many factors that can influence where you decide to stay while traveling, whether you plan your travel ahead of time or simply go with the flow, determining where you stay can make all the difference in the experience you and your family have.  
  
So, whether it be an overnight stay with limited amenities or a monthly stay at a location you plan to explore, revisiting your ‘why’ for visiting an area can help narrow your focus and get you to a place that works best for your adventure. 
 
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