Making a travel by motorhome in the United States🥤
The United States is a large country of almost 10,000,000 km² and has a wide variety of landscapes. During your stay in this immense land, you can take a motorhome trip to discover its beauty.
Departure from Los Angeles to Palm Springs 🗺
Going on a trip by motorhome in the United States has many advantages. For example, you’ll save money on the accommodation and food budget. This kind of vehicle also allows you to prepare meals thanks to the culinary equipment it has such as an oven, a cooking plate, etc. To start your trip in this type of car, you will start in Los Angeles. From this large city, you will drive to Palm Springs which is 179 km away. When you arrive in this charming town, you can take a short excursion to stretch your legs after a long drive. Visit, among others, the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium. The latter is a rather special botanical garden. It consists mainly of cacti and other desert plants. A visit to this place is an opportunity to discover several species of plants.
Heading to Grand Canyon National Park 🏜
After a pleasant time in Palm Springs, continue your motorhome trip in the United States on to Grand Canyon National Park, over 600km away. When you reach this nature reserve, you can have a USA guide accompany you on a hike along the Rim Trail. The Rim Trail is an easily accessible and shaded route. It takes you to various viewpoints. However, you must be careful when crossing it, as you may find yourself a few feet from the void. Apart from this route, there is also the Bright Angel Trail. This route will take you to the edge of the Colorado River and even reaches the northern bank. However, it is only for trained hikers because of the altitude difference of over 1,400 m.
Visit the Monument Valley area 🌅
To complete your motorhome trip in the USA, take a short trip to the Monument Valley area. The latter is located about 300 km from the Grand Canyon National Park. It is part of a Navajo (a North American Native American people) reservation and the Colorado Plateau. It is known for its impressive desert landscape of red sandstone buttes. During your journey through this picturesque area, it is possible to be accompanied by a local guide who will show you secret places unknown to tourists. You also have the opportunity to ride a horse and enjoy an experience similar to a western movie.
Reminder to travelers who want to try the great adventure:
- Renting an American motorhome can vary according to the city of departure, count between $900 and $2,000, that is to say from $30 to $300 a night! Yes, you read that right, the little 100% USA tour has a price, the price of the comfort of sleeping in a vehicle of more than 13 m with all the latest equipment on the market. It is recommended to book between 6 months and 1 year in order to find the best rental prices which can vary greatly from one state to another. Find a motorhome rental comparator here or opt for the good deals on private hire with RV Share or Outdoorsy.
- Take out insurance in case of theft, accident or the need for emergency repatriation to avoid the unexpected during your escapades. Before your departure, check with your French insurance company to see if there are any solutions that would benefit you from being insured in the United States. Don’t panic if you haven’t found good French insurance for your trip! Most rental companies offer a comprehensive insurance policy for $350 to $800, the price may vary depending on the number of options purchased.
- Speed limits vary from state to state. Beware, as speeding violations can quickly become costly and ruin part of your trip. Go for slow tourism and discover equally impressive landscapes!
- The models of vehicles for hire are divided into 3 categories: the RV (Recreational Vechicle) or class A motorhome, is the longest and tallest, nearly 12 meters, ideal for super comfort – the class B motorhome, often requested by families for the number of beds – the class C motorhome, is the category closest to the European vehicles, from 6 to 9 meters. It is advisable to ask for more information at each stopover, make a short call to the next campsite you visit and ask them if they accept the size of your motorhome.
- Pay attention to the number of kilometers you are allowed to drive with your rental. According to the feedback from the community, some traditional and private rentals have conditions related to the number of kilometers allowed per day or for the whole stay. Zero limit, mileage quota or a flat rate of 500 to 1,000 miles per day. Plan your trip in advance so that you are not surprised on the day of the big departure.
- Find the perfect place to stay with your motorhome. Find below all the CaraMaps places referenced by the community that conquered the United States. Please note that the rules for camping in Europe and the West are not the same! It is strictly forbidden to sleep on a private/public car park or on the side of the road. For your nights, you have the choice between sleeping in RV campsites, on motorhome service areas (often over-equipped for the comfort of campers) or in the car parks of supermarkets.
- The good news: an english license is sufficient to drive an American motorhome!
Thanks to CaraMaps, it is now possible to experience a trip on the great roads of the Great West! So what are you waiting for to go on an adventure?
Please see our other blog posts such as “10 beach festivals in motorhome” or “Take pics of your motorhome during your travels“
Enjoy your journey to the fullest thanks to the community’s CaraMaps!