Road tripping in an RV

Sian Pages – Travel Planner

I absolutely love a road-trip. It has always been my ‘go to’ type of holiday, experiencing multiple destinations, different scenery and soaking up every last drop, all in one holiday.

Doing things a little differently

Up until now, we have always done our road trips in a car, booking hotels in advance and knowing fully the route we would take. Offering very little room for deviation.

Having organised, many variations of these trips for clients, I noticed a big increase in requests for RV road trips after Covid. I was intrigued. The obvious benefits in a post covid world made sense, but did it serve to enhance or detract from the overall experience of undertaking a road trip? Would there be compromises as a result?

I decided that in order to really understand it, I would take my own family across Canada in our very own RV.

Used to a certain level of luxury and comfort, I admit my expectations were not high. I anticipated many pitfalls. Lack of space, having to rely on campsite facilities, level of comfort we would experience and overall practicality.

There were 5 of us on this trip together, and we were all expected to ‘live’ in this vehicle for two weeks.

First impressions surpassed expectations. I was impressed by the amount of space and how creatively it had been utilised in such a small environment. Every little nook and cranny had been well thought out. Offering the ability to unpack and store everything needed, whilst still allowing freedom of movement within the cabin itself.

I loved how we were able to settle into the space. The beds were comfortable and perfectly sized. The bathroom, although small, was everything we needed and the kitchen provided all we could want for the two weeks we would be there.

Driving was easy. These vehicles are designed with places like Canada in mind. With the wide open spaces and easy to navigate routes, we were on our way.

I loved how we could plan longer journeys, knowing we could simply stop anywhere we desired, and cook lunch, or have a walk. Longer journeys felt easier because everyone was comfortable and the passengers were able to sit at a table and play card games, or read a book. It felt relaxed.

I had booked every campsite in advance (with Parks Canada campsites, such as Banff and Jasper – this is the best option and has to be done months in advance). However, one week prior to leaving, we discovered Jasper had declared a State of Emergency – due to Wildfires that were spreading fast.

Cue a panic from me, and a last minute change in route. This actually proved much easier than I had initially thought. Parks Canada had cancelled our booking and automatically refunded it, so all we had to do was find other campsites. Easy. There were so many to choose from and each one offered something slightly different.

One of my favourites was in Clearwater – where our RV was pitched directly next to a lake and the views were wonderful. This was a privately owned campsite and allowed all its guests to swim/canoe/paddleboard on the lake. We even got to feed turtles in the evening, as they popped up to the surface.

One of the most surprising elements for me was how I enjoyed the simplicity of the RV. Having everything you needed in such a small space, meant you focused on the outdoors more – and not necessarily what was inside.

Our meals were nourishing and easy to prepare – we couldn’t over-shop and we had to plan every meal knowing this. This meant we spent only what we needed on food. We ate our meals together, mostly outside and it was wonderful.

I also surprised myself with how much I enjoyed the mindfulness of washing the dishes by hand – a practice we don’t really undertake anymore, due to the conveniences of home.

We spent a great deal of time in this small space. Sleeping, planning, eating and laughing. It was very comfortable and provided a haven for us to retreat to, after a long day of exploring.

Every campsite had electricity, water and good facilities, like showers and a place to do laundry. Some had a farm attached, or a play area for kids. Some had incredible hiking trails, or a beautiful lake, but each one was an addition to the RV, not a substitute.

There really wasn’t one negative I could say. We also found the RV community to be so friendly. We got chatting to people at almost every site we pitched at, and often gained some little nugget of information as a result.

If anything, this has now changed my perception on the beloved road trip. In future, we will always look to see if this is a possible alternative to hiring a car.

Of all the wonderful sights we saw, and moments we experienced in Canada (and there were so many), doing the trip in the RV, remains one of my favourite things about this holiday.

Get in touch

If you’d like to discuss future travel plans you have in mind, get in contact with our in-house travel consultant, Sian Pages, on sian.pages@notjusttravel.com.

Sian will be more than happy to spend time talking you through your options; remembering her service is delivered at no cost to clients and professional connections of Longhurst.

Happy Adventures!