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Again $40-$50/day plus the cost of a campground plus the cost difference in gas mileage is simply not cheaper than a Toyota and a Motel 6 which offers a bed, tv, internet and a warm shower. Why don't people get this?
What are your chances of getting bed bugs in your vehicle, and if you do, you know when they are dealt with properly.
I have back issues and cannot imagine sleeping in a car overnight. I need to move around a lot during the night due to pain and a bed works best for me. A couple years back, my daughter and I toured the Oregon coast. We stayed overnight in yurts for $44/night in their state parks with nice facilities (showers/bathrooms). We traveled via her Toyota Versa.
What are your chances of getting bed bugs in your vehicle, and if you do, you know when they are dealt with properly.
I stay in cheap motels everywhere I travel, no bed bug bites to date although I too have seen those horrifying microscopic pics of bed mites. But they appear in Holiday Inn beds too.
But again the topic is cheap solo travel. I am simply pointing out that $40 a day van rental plus even a cheap campsite of $20/night plus the difference in the cost of gas is not cheap travel accommodations, it's just not. And it requires sleeping outside with no shower etc. That suggestion makes about as much sense as recommending a rental company in California to a low budget traveler in New York.
This link shows an example of a yurt. You can get them very basic or more luxurious. Ours had bunk beds and table and chairs, a place to hang clothes. Right outside the yurt is a picnic bench and a fire pit for cooking.
I don't know why ours was more expensive. The ones advertised below run around $27/night. We were just a 5 minute walk to the beach.
"A yurt is a circular wood frame covered in canvas. It has a door, usually a window, and a domed canvas roof. It is like a tent only better.The builders of western yurts have taken the yurts built by the nomads in the steppes of Central Asia and made adaptations to fit western needs.
The Oregon Coast yurt rentals in Oregon State Parks are about 16 feet in diameter and feel very roomy when you are inside. They sleep five people with a bunk bed that is a double bed on the bottom bunk and a single bed on the top. Each yurt also has a Futon sofa that converts to a double bed. The yurts have electricity, lights, and a space heater. You can lock the door and there is a skylight that can be opened for ventilation. You don't have to step right out the door into bad weather because there is a little covered porch."
Last edited by smpliving; 02-17-2017 at 07:50 AM..
But again the topic is cheap solo travel. I am simply pointing out that $40 a day van rental plus even a cheap campsite of $20/night plus the difference in the cost of gas is not cheap travel accommodations, it's just not. And it requires sleeping outside with no shower etc. That suggestion makes about as much sense as recommending a rental company in California to a low budget traveler in New York.
I suppose your travels have not taken you to many National Parks. You will have a tough time finding a cheap motel in or near a NP or other popular destination area. I would plan on an average of about $75 and probably closer to $100/night. Places like Yellowstone at a $100/night will still mean a long daily drive from outside of the park. Inside will cost more like $400.
In hundreds of nights of camping, I have rarely paid $20 a night. Again I averaged $7.
Personally if I were planning such a trip, I would fly and rent a Jucy in Las Vegas. With advanced planning and shopping for air fares the cost of flying across the country is less than the cost of gas for even an economy car. I don't know if there are equivalent east coast rentals. I have seen the Jucy vans and they are great for the money.
A campervan is a long way from sleeping outside. I do agree that nightly access to a shower is nice. Worst case I get by with a sponge bath. That is what you get for $7/night rather than $75-100. For the van rental, you also get cooking and a small refrigerator. That can save a small fortune over eating out for every meal. The convenience factor is also huge.
I suppose your travels have not taken you to many National Parks. You will have a tough time finding a cheap motel in or near a NP or other popular destination area. I would plan on an average of about $75 and probably closer to $100/night. Places like Yellowstone at a $100/night will still mean a long daily drive from outside of the park. Inside will cost more like $400.
The OP has said she doesn't want to fly (otherwise your suggestion of flying to LA or LV and picking up a Jucy van there might work for her). But you're right about what it costs to stay in a lodge inside a National Park, or a motel close to one. That's why I suggested the OP pick up an inexpensive tent and an air mattress or camping cot. A tent plus her current car is the rock-bottom cheapest option that will allow her to stay pretty much anywhere (including inside National Parks) affordably. While a van (converted or not) would be nice, I don't think she can afford to rent one.
I suppose your travels have not taken you to many National Parks. You will have a tough time finding a cheap motel in or near a NP or other popular destination area. I would plan on an average of about $75 and probably closer to $100/night. Places like Yellowstone at a $100/night will still mean a long daily drive from outside of the park. Inside will cost more like $400.
In hundreds of nights of camping, I have rarely paid $20 a night. Again I averaged $7.
Personally if I were planning such a trip, I would fly and rent a Jucy in Las Vegas. With advanced planning and shopping for air fares the cost of flying across the country is less than the cost of gas for even an economy car. I don't know if there are equivalent east coast rentals. I have seen the Jucy vans and they are great for the money.
A campervan is a long way from sleeping outside. I do agree that nightly access to a shower is nice. Worst case I get by with a sponge bath. That is what you get for $7/night rather than $75-100. For the van rental, you also get cooking and a small refrigerator. That can save a small fortune over eating out for every meal. The convenience factor is also huge.
Oh yes, I have traveled to a lot of parks and you are correct the motels in those areas are much more expensive. However I just reviewed every one of the OP's posts in this thread and she made no mention of staying in National Parks at all, just traveling the country. So yes if the plan is a lot of National Parks I can see the van rental, if not my way is much less expensive. Of course my way involves a small camp stove where you can save the same amount of money you are talking about with the small stove in the van.
Edited to add: They also offer a version of the app which includes RV parks, and allows you to filter +/- tent camping and +/- RV camping: http://www.allstays.com/apps/camprv.htm
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adventuregurl
Why don't you list your favorite options since you have had so much success with them?
Thanks
Most of my favorite are religious/ farm / church camps / interest based (disaster relief, gardening / hiking / camera /home school) (so not desired by many),
Opening up one's home is Not the thing you ADVERTISE on public web.
Once you start using the ones on the wiki, you will be referred to others, or you may find those offered to be just fine. (Which I see at least 10,000 hosts on wiki that are fine, + the many on Servas (which I seldom use, due to popularity use from Europe youth (they need the free space more than I).
I had over 100 stays last yr alone (8 so far this yr) Excellent, as they have been for 25+ yrs
the topic is cheap solo travel.
SOLO is SO EZ to travel cheap, cuz no need to wait / meet the needs / stress / concerns of SO.
52 mpg WVO cars (free fuel) Some of my cars only cost me $35 at Towing auctions
22 mpg MH (Rialta)
Meet Grocery store produce managers @ 7AM for discarded produce (free / low cost food)
Guest homes (Free to $20 / night WW, usually including 1-2 meals)
travel 'local' rather than tourist (most activities are free)
nightly access to a shower is nice My Van has a full sized indoor shower (which I seldom use), RV and even my 52mpg WVO station wagons (and my old VW campers) are equipped with water heater (motor-aide) and shower hose. Find a big tree, or change into swimsuit to shower.
Often, I use a public pool, fairgrounds, state parks, truck stops, Lawn sprinklers, Rivers, lakes, Beach showers, National Park Lodges ($4) for a mid-day shower. There are also some franchise healthclubs with sites for showers across USA.
Army Corp of Engineers, TVA, and Bureau of Reclamation have nice campgrounds, be cautious in tents, because they water the grass nearly every night (cuz they have LOTS of water behind their dams!)
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