Thursday, November 16, 2023
Tips and Tricks for One-Way Rentals
When you contemplate an RV trip, do you think about going from one place to another and then turning around and retracing your steps back to where you started? We understand that could be a little redundant, and while there are often many new places of interest to visit, sometimes if time is at a premium, you may want to go from one place to another and leave the RV, without having to retrace your steps.
In RV travel, you have a choice – to rent for a round trip or to take the RV for a One-Way Rental. Whichever you choose is up to you. Here are some tips and tricks from the pros on making a one-way RV rental vacation a success.
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What is a one-way RV rental?
Renting a motorhome one way means you pick it up from one city and drop it off at another.
Why choose a one-way RV rental?
Simply to see and do more with the time you have. One-way RV rentals offer the perfect RV road trip option because no backtracking is necessary.
What are the advantages of renting one-way?
A big tip for staying in your budget for a one-way RV Rental is to have the pick-up and drop-off locations in the same state. However, this doesn’t mean you are limited to staying in one state. For example, you could pick up in San Francisco and drop off in San Diego (both in California) with a detour to Las Vegas in Nevada to get your gambling fix in, or even to Arizona to see some sights.
For cross-country road trips, our best advice is to book as early as possible for the best prices. Also, some RV Rental companies like El Monte RV Rentals do offer specials frequently on one-way rentals and may even include some free miles and/or a gas allowance. Check our “One-Way Special Rental Deals” page before booking your trip to see if one of your starting and destination cities are on the list and for the dates you want.
Are there extra fees for One-Way Rentals?
One-way RV rental is often possible but sometimes comes with a surcharge. This is because of the logistical issue that you drop off a vehicle at another location, which means that the number of vehicles changes daily per location.
Some suggested Itineraries for One-Way Rentals:
Cross Country
Travel at your own pace across the US from New York to Los Angeles.
West Coast
Start in San Diego and take the scenic California coast Highway route 1 to LA, San Jose, or San Francisco.
Pick-up in Seattle and enjoy the Oregon coast with all its huge trees and coastal beauty. End your holiday with a few days of relaxing on a beach in California.
Expand your California road trip by picking up in Vancouver, BC, and see some Canadian treasures.
Take advantage of our RV Rentals in California for attractions, insider info, tips, and more!
East Coast
Pick-up in Houston or New Orleans and travel the Gulf of Mexico coast towards Florida where you can see Orlando, and Tampa before heading to Miami and the everglades!
Or start in Florida and work your way up the beautiful east coast towards New York City.
Route 66
See America’s oldest ‘Main Street of America”, which stretches from Chicago to LA. Quirky roadside stops and family-owned restaurants & gas stations make this old route a star of small-town America. Please note, however, many sections of the old Route 66 are actually closed now and various other roads will take its place. Research the route you want to travel a bit before taking this wonderful trip to iconic America.
The Middle
While the coasts are beautiful and stunning, the land-locked states of the US have a lot to offer for scenery as well. For some excellent road trip itinerary ideas check out the National Park Service pages for the National Parks you will find in the middle of the U.S.
More Tips for Saving on One-Way Rentals
One way to get a One-Way rental very inexpensively is to take advantage of when a company needs to move some of their stock of RV’s from one location to another. They often call these “Relocation Specials” and many advertise them on their websites.
Here you can really save on not only the “one-way” drop off fee, but you can often save yourself on the rental fee itself. Individual rental locations often book more rentals than their local fleet can support, so they must pull RVs from other offices to support the demand — leading to several great relocation rental incentives. Prime RV rental season in the U.S. is during the summer, so this is when you’ll see the greatest number of relocation rental offers.
Unfortunately for your trip planning, most relocation rentals are listed no more than a week or two before the necessary pick-up date — and the lucrative incentives usually don’t appear until a day or two before. But, if you can be flexible, or if you live in a city that often has relocation rentals, you may be able to jump on an offer for a last-minute road trip.
There’s also shoulder season demand as individual rental locations need to receive new vehicles from the factory in the spring and early summer. Factory relocation rentals are easier to build a vacation around, as you can usually book these relocation rentals a few months in advance. The downside is that the pick-up location is at the factory – which is usually at least a few hours from a major airport. Apollo, Road Bear and Cruise America each offer factory relocation deals every spring.
EL MONTE RV also often offers Relocation Specials. Check our website and check back often. And, remember to start your trip by booking a reservation for your RV with EL MONTE RV.
