Imagine your next vacation. Perhaps you’ll spend your days with your toes in the soft white sand of a pristine beach. Or maybe you’ll be up at dawn to lace up your boots and hike among breathtaking mountain vistas. Will you learn about the past at a historic site, or push your limits on a ski slope? However a perfect day looks to you, how will you choose to end it? When it’s time to put your feet up and get some rest, are you looking for routine and predictable? Or would you rather have a place with as much personality as the rest of your trip? If you chose the latter, you’re not alone. The latest trends suggest that travelers are looking for lodging that adds more to their trip than just a good night’s sleep.
“Glamping” on the Rise
With some exceptions, if you have seen one hotel room, you’ve seen them all. The carpet, curtains, and bedspreads seem to all have been ordered from the same catalog. Most are clean and comfortable and offer everything you need. Yet increasingly, travelers are swapping the cookie-cutter hotel room for a unique experience. One popular example of this is “glamping.”
The combination of glamorous and camping – “glamping” – has become mainstream enough for the Oxford English dictionary to list a definition. Gone are the days when getting out and experiencing nature meant sleeping on the ground in a small tent. While tent camping is also on the rise, there are more alternatives available for those who want an outdoor adventure without sacrificing the creature comforts of a resort vacation. You can have your cake and eat it, too.
More people than ever not only know what a yurt is but have considered staying in one. Log cabins and canvas tents attract visitors with all the luxuries of a 5-star hotel in a secluded, natural environment. And across the country, Airstream resorts are popping up and taking the industry by storm. These retro-chic resorts appeal to those whose wanderlust leaves them longing to explore not only another place but also another time. The Airstreams are stationary, and their iconic appearance is a nod to a bygone era but with plenty of 21st Century amenities. It is the intersection of glamping and a 1950s road trip on Route 66. It’s not old, and it’s vintage.
Why sit still?
While these resorts can usually offer beautiful locations, they share one significant disadvantage with mainstream hotels. They are all bound to one location. If part of the allure of an Airstream is the call of the open road, then why stay in one without wheels? Seeing a lion in a zoo is great, but going on a safari and seeing one in the wild is completely different. An RV, like a lion, was meant to roam freely.
Renting an RV gives you options as you plan your vacation. You can choose to visit all the popular tourist destinations, or you can get off the beaten path. If it looks like the weather will spoil your plans, change your route to head for sunny skies. Design a truly unique and individual experience, rather than one that’s just meant to look that way.
Financial and practical advantages
Renting an RV will satisfy your wanderlust, but it can also satisfy the voice of reason that focuses on the practical details. For many reasons, an RV adventure might be the most cost-effective way to travel.
On the surface, the price of a night in an RV might be comparable to a night in a hotel, but it will often work out cheaper in the end. The price listed for a hotel is based on double occupancy, so if you are traveling as a family or in a group, they will add fees. Hotels may require you to book additional rooms if your group is too big, whereas many RVs can easily accommodate a larger group together.
An RV will also give you access to a full kitchen, reducing your need to eat out in restaurants. You can wake up and enjoy a simple breakfast in your pajamas before heading out to explore and pack a picnic lunch to take with you. You can eat much healthier food at a greatly reduced cost, and with a lot less stress. Of course, you’re still free to choose a restaurant when you don’t feel like cooking, but it’s great to have options.
Many RVs are pet-friendly, so your fur babies can easily come along and save you the stress and expense of making sure they are cared for while you’re gone.
You may also be able to skip the rental car, depending on what type of RV you choose. If your trip calls for multiple destinations, you’ll be glad to sleep in the same bed. This is especially true for families traveling with children. A good night’s sleep means a better day spent exploring!
Outdoorsy: an outstanding choice
The popularity of RV rentals has given rise to many different options for travelers. Peer-to-peer platforms give you the most options since owners are renting out RVs nationwide, compared to corporate agencies with only a few locations. Outdoorsy stands out among peer-to-peer platforms because of its excellent insurance, great customer service, and the number of rentals available. But you don’t have to take our word for it! The Better Business Bureau gives Outdoorsy an A+ rating, and this independent article ranked Outdoorsy first among RV rental companies.
Let Outdoorsy help you find the perfect RV rental to make your next trip unique and memorable. Not only for how you spent your days, but also for where you spent your nights.
