Anyone done an RV holiday with young kids in USA?

[orderinformation]

How was it? Worth the hard work? Very very expensive? We are thinking of saving now and going the spring before dd starts school, so May 2015 taking advantage of not waiting for school holidays. Dd would be four an a half and ds two and a half.

Not USA but Canada, with a ten month old, a 5 year old and a 7 year old. I was one of the best holidays we have ever had, and we've had some nice holidays. My kids LOVED it.

Was it hideously expensive? Did you plan and book your stops in advance? Was it huge and how hard was it to drive?

It was a long time ago so I can't remember specifics about the price, but I think it was pretty expensive to hire the RV. However, petrol was cheap (in comparison to the UK) and the campsites we stopped at were very affordable, it was cheap and easy to eat out, plus we barbecued a lot, and even though we had to drive the RV everywhere parking was easy as the roads are wide and clear.

We did book most sites ahead of time, but we changes our itinerary a couple of nights here and there, and it was no problem. We did it all independently rather using a package deal with set route.

I think it's important to go with a basic route/itinerary in mind, book in advance for any campgrounds that look particularly lovely or in very popular tourist areas, as obviously they will be busier. But when you are en-route from one major destination to another you an afford to go off-piste a little and try out smaller sites on the way by just making some online or phone enquiries the night before.

The thing about being in an RV is that if push comes to shove you just park up and sleep! OK, so no hook-up, but it won't kill you for a night.

Thank you! I am so excited even though it is two years away that we want to go. I like planning.

Hi,
we did it 5 years ago when I was pregnant so timing not idea. (other DC were 2 x teenagers and a 2 year old) Went from Orlando down to the Florida keys stopping at several places on the way down then up the West Coast, stopping at Naples, St Petes etc. Spent about a week doing it. We booked campsites in advance and most were pretty nice. One near Ft Lauderdale was next to a wildlife park and we could hear the lions roaring.

think the RV company was El monte or something like that, in Kissimmee but will check details and post again later.

I am watching this with interest! Just deciding what to do for my 40th birthday next year and would love to do this!

Oh can I bump this please. I want to do this in a few years when my DCs will be about 5 and 3. Fancy the East or West coast and maybe doing a stop in a ranch somewhere. Can anyone advise me of costs???

Oh oh oh, we are planning this too!

For summer 2015 (provisionally) for a minimum of 3 weeks (depending on Dh getting time off).

I really want to go to Yellowstone but I don't want to only go there, so I think we'll fly into Pittsburgh where DH has relatives, hire one RV, do some driving in PA, then fly down to Yellowstone, hire another one and drive about a bit.

We're used to independent travel & driving (in Africa though), just hope the kids enjoy it - they'll be 9, 7 & 4 then. Trying to remember not to allocate too many miles per day with them in mind.

First step for me is to get some paper maps out on the floor and start planning :)

Can't wait. I have no idea where to go or what to do though!

Appalachians might be a possibility too - read a Bill Bryson years ago that made me want to visit there - though he was hiking I think.

Have you ever seen the film Michael?

I rather envisage us pootling along and seeing a sign 'biggest rubber band ball in the world' and pulling over for a look & some pie :)

My parents did two road trips with us, but not with an RV - with four kids in a station wagon. We stayed at cheap motels or campsites, and I don't think they had it planned, because sometimes we'd just sleep by the side of the road.

We drove Vancouver to Quebec City and back (returning through USA) for one and BC down to Mexico and back up (down along the coast and back up through the desert) for the other.

Great experience. Kids that young are easily entertained. Best of luck!

I am planning to do this next year; well, it's my plan B if we can't camp in the Grand Canyon. My parents did a month long RV trip when I was 5yo, big loop around lower 48.

I would hire out of Salt Lake City and do a tour of Bryce/Arches/Zion National Parks.

We also have done this in Western Canada - once in our pre-parent days and then again when DD was about 9.

It was a superb holiday and she loved it.

Expensive yes but if worth saving up for.

DH did most of the driving but it wasn't too alarming really once you get the feel for it.

We booked our sites ahead since we were going during school holidays and we knew they were likely to be busy in popular places. Don't know if it is the same in Canada as in USA but we found there were two sorts of camp sites. There are the commercial ones that tend to have hook-up facilities and a lot of other on-site stuff and there are the sites run by the National Parks that have less "facilities" but nicer settings. I guess it all comes down to personal preference but we liked the National Park ones best as you usually get more space and privacy - anada fireplace to cook on!