RV Traveling
Traveling to a famous attraction site provides a fun and unforgettable experience as you get to see its popular landmarks and explore its unique landscapes. A great example of this is traveling to National Parks, wherein you’ll get to enjoy the beauty of nature. At the same time, do fun and exciting recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, swimming, kayaking, and many more.
With over 400 national parks across the U.S, you’ll indeed have a difficult time choosing where to travel and camp. Each of these national parks boasts beautiful landscapes that will captivate your heart and also take your breath away. However, traveling doesn’t always come free, especially if you’re going to a National Park that’s far from where you are.
Whether you’re an expert or just a newbie to RV traveling, it’s fair to be worried about how to budget your money for that dream vacation. This because it can get quite expensive when you sum up all the costs of the entrance rates, camp fees, and many more. To help you make and accomplish traveling to the National Park you desire, we have made budgeting tips that you can use and try out.
Budgeting Tips
Budgeting is essential when you want to travel. This is to avoid or prevent you from overspending and also still leave you with some money to use for your next travel plans. Below are some helpful tips that you can use:
1. Fill up your Tanks
The two greatest perks of using an RV when you travel are that you don’t have to worry about a hotel to sleep in and a kitchen to cook your food as they are all provided along with other amenities when you use it. So, it makes sense that you have to save and focus on two things which are the fuel you need to use and of course food.
BTW, if you are interested in topics like this, check out this article.
The budget for fuel can be determined easily by knowing first where you’re headed and how far it will be from your location. To do this, you can use Google maps to have an estimate of the total miles you’ll drive for your destinations. Then, divide the total miles by your RV’s gas mileage and multiply it by the average cost of gas. Also, there are ways to cut down the cost by researching to compare the fuel costs by state and planning ahead for when to stop at the cheapest price.
2. Allocate Money for Food
Food is essential to add to your budget list. This is because it is much cheaper for you to cook your own food rather than eating in the fancy restaurants at your planned destination. Though it is not a bad idea to try some food in well-known restaurants, it can be quite expensive and might burn a hole in your wallet when you try to eat there. So, make sure to have a budget for that also if you really want to try it.
A great thing to do is allocate $10 a day per person when you want to prepare cooked meals. Again, this is a much cheaper way as restaurants can cost triple compared to home-cooked meals. Also, try to stay away from markets at tourist destinations as they tend to have higher prices.
3. Plan Early
Remember that phrase “the early bird catches the worm”? The same goes for when you reserve or book on a campsite early. Some national parks provide various rewards for those who reserve an early slot.
Also, make sure to have a budget for entrance fees as park fees may vary depending on its location and amenities. If you’re planning to visit various national parks, you can save a lot by purchasing a specific pass. You can save money and time on one single pass purchase that lets you into various national parks.
4. Get Your Gears Ready
Recreational activities are what make traveling to national parks exciting and fun. You get to enjoy the beauty of nature while also doing fun outdoor activities. So to save on rent fees, try to bring your own gear such as a bike and kayaks with you during your travels.
If you don’t have one, then save some money for the rental fees for the trip. Some parks provide rental fees on their website so try to research to have an idea on how much it is.