In the past 10 years, 2.3 million Americans have purchased an RV as first-time buyers.
Are you in this statistic? If you’ve just recently gotten an RV, you need to start out your RV traveling experiences with a bang!
Choosing the right trip is a little bit stressful, however, because you don’t want to waste your time traveling to a place that isn’t as cool as you thought it’d be.
No matter what type of trip you want to take, there are routes out there for you. Check out these best RV road trip routes for ideas on where you should go first.
- Route 66
If you know anything about famous road trips, you’ve definitely heard of Route 66, which stretches from Illinois to California. As a heavily featured component in plenty of movies, TV shows, music, it would be a truly exciting RV trip to drive this from start to finish!
This is a pretty long trip, so make sure that when you’re planning an RV road trip like this, you’re accounting for how much fuel and supplies you’ll need.
- Historic New England
New England consists of the Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire area of the country. It consists of 6 states in total.
During this RV trip, you’ll get to experience a lot of history and natural sites that you can’t find anywhere else in the country.
If you have additional time available, this is also a great opportunity to head up to Quebec and see Montreal and Quebec City. These locations also offer some amazing history that you’ll love to see, as well as world-class dining and architecture.
- Southeastern Seaboard
This option isn’t quite as popular for RVers as some of the others on this list, but that doesn’t mean you should discount it. There are some truly diverse landscapes here that make the Southeast a really exciting place to drive through.
In addition to that, you’ll find that the cities here are much different than what you might see in other parts of the country. You can stop in the Carolinas, check out Myrtle Beach, drive through Savannah, and see much more.
- The Gulf Coast
If you’ve never been to New Orleans, now is the time to go. They have seen a terrific revival in the past decade!
Even though the Gulf Coast region, including the Florida panhandle area, isn’t always considered an RV destination, it makes for one of the most really fun road trip ideas out there.
The Gulf Coast has a lot of beach tourism infrastructure, which means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop off and have a fun beach day. If you’re on a budget, this means cheap attractions that still leave you with a very memorable vacation.
- Columbia River Highway
To visit the Pacific Northwest part of the country in your RV, this is a great route to take. This highway starts in Portland, Oregon, and it goes along the Columbia River Gorge the whole way through.
You’ll see a lot of camping opportunities along the way, as well as scenic areas that you won’t want to skip. If you’re interested in seeking thick forests, vista points, and rocky waterfalls, this is the trip for you.
- Southwest Desert
As one of the most unique parts of the country, you should definitely give the American Southwest a consideration for a scenic RV trip. You’ll find a lot of Native American architecture, vibrant art communities, beautiful flora, and much more.
You can drive through some of the famous parks that the US offers, like the Grand Canyon National Park and Zion National Park. In addition to that, you can visit some of the vibrant cities in this area, including New Mexico and Santa Fe.
It’ll be a trip unlike any other that’s offered on this list.
- The Great Lakes
If you start in Chicago, you’ll basically be making a big loop around the American Great Lakes as you go through the Upper Peninsula in Michigan.
When planning this trip, you’ll want to make sure that you pack some watersports gear, like surfboards or paddleboards. There are so many beaches in this region that you’ll be able to spend a lot of time out on the lakes or sitting in the sand!
As you go from lake to lake, you might decide you want to rent a boat, kayak, or canoe as well to make your vacation truly special.
- Big Sur Coastal Highway
Are you looking for ocean vistas? If so, this is the best RV road trip route for you and your crew! You will be able to travel along the coast in California, looking at all of the touristy options through the state (north to south). On this journey, you’ll get to see the mountainous section of the central coast of California called Big Sur.
It’s truly a sight to behold, especially if you have never seen it before. Be sure to drive carefully on this route, however, because it has some sharp curves and steep inclines that may make it a bit tricky.
Consider One of the Best RV Road Trip Routes
After looking at our list here of some of the best RV road trip routes out there, it’s time to start planning your trip.
Will you go up to New England to explore some of the histories of our country, or will you head down to the Southwestern region to take a look at a unique and thriving desert landscape? The choice is yours!
Take a look at the rest of our blog for more great travel and RV tips next.