Want to get reservations in the best campsites in the best locations? You can if you’ll just do a little advance planning.
Plus – you know exactly what your trip is going to cost you before you even hit the road. We like to call this TRUE trip planning – since you need to have an understanding of not only where you are going but also how much it’s going to cost you to get there, stay there and do the things you want to do or see.
RV parky is a great free resource that we use to plan all of our trips – We have a step-by-step video of how to use this great resource.
Trip Planning – Using Anchor Points
We recommend planning some trip “anchor points” of where to base yourself for the week, and the month, (however long you want to be in a general area) and then decide what you want to see within the geographical areas of those anchor points. These can be outlying areas or major cities. Wherever you want to call “basecamp” for where you will be staying.
Using our Free Trip Planning Template in 6 easy steps.
Step 1 – Download our free trip planning template (we’ve made this available for you for FREE). This is the same sheet I’ve used for the past 3 years. I’ve found it works GREAT to keep track of expenses, campground reservations, and more.
Step 2 – Go to RVparky.com and set up a free account.
Step 3 – Next, Enter your trip dates and locations into the planning sheet. You can see our video walkthrough of how to do this if you need some help.
Now that you know where you want to go and when to start getting those reservations made! Make some phone calls, use resources like Campendium to find campgrounds, or use the built-in tool in RVParky as well.
Start searching for campgrounds around these “anchor points” in your trips – and remember to look for state parks, Corps of Engineers campgrounds, Harvest host locations, etc.
Enter the reservation info and costs into the planning sheet.
Look For Activities in The Area
Ask in Facebook groups about must-see places, and restaurants (or watch our travel videos about where we have been!) Atlas Obscura is another really fun resource for finding things in different areas to see and do.
Log down on your trip planning sheet any places you find that you want to visit and check out.
Booking Excursions
Excursions are things you might want to do like tours that require a reservation. Things like touring Antelope in Canyon in Arizona, whale watching in the San Juans in Washington State, or Deep Sea Fishing in Florida. Things like snorkeling or kayaking tours and much more. You will want to make these types of reservations well in advance to make sure you get to go to all the best places. Many places that are popular (Like Antelope Canyon for example) can book up many months in advance. Booking ASAP will ensure you get to see the most coveted of sites and places.
You can also use the internet to look for reviews and choose the tour company or guide you want to use when researching and making your reservations. Add any tours/excursions/etc to your trip planning sheet. Check out the video below where we show you how to use the trip planning sheet.
New to this and trying to hook on your app